The church as a well-watered garden
Let me ask you a question. What is the oldest profession? I know what half of you are thinking right now! You’re wrong. The oldest profession is actually gardening. Adam and Eve began as gardeners and the world will end in an eternal gardened city.
Imagine with me the Church as a garden. The Church needs to be a green garden with peaceful spaces where parched people can find rest for their lives. One of my favourite verses is Isaiah 58:11 (NLT): “The Lord will guide you continually, giving you water when you are dry and restoring your strength. You will be like a well-watered garden, like an ever-flowing spring.”
People need nourishing green spaces in life to connect with God. But, there is a danger in thinking the Church’s mission is to solely be a lush, green garden. A safe green space for people to gather and grow and flourish spiritually. The reality is that we do not live in Heaven yet. We live in a fallen world surrounded by sinful people. And unless we tend our little garden regularly with care, the weeds of this world will invade our garden.
I read W.O. Mitchell’s book, “Jake the Kid”, years ago. It’s the story of a 12-year-old boy growing up in the Canadian Prairies during the 1940s. There is a line in the book that struck me. It went like this: “The Prairie will take over if your backyard don’t fight back.”
Our garden is not a playground. It’s a garden we must continually tend and fight for. It’s a green space surrounded by the ravages of war. A spiritual battle that is constantly “fighting back”.
So, our mission as local churches is not to build nice, lush, peaceful gardens to protect us from the battle, but, to use our gardens (churches) to prepare us to assault the beaches of our common enemy.
Fifteen years ago, my son, Alec and I took a trip together to visit the war memorials, mostly found in France. An awesome experience shared with my 18-year-old boy. We visited the beaches of Normandy where 81 years ago brave Canadian soldiers stormed Juno Beach.
On D-Day the allies established a beach-head and repelled the enemy further inland. But the war (the work) wasn’t finished in one day. They had another 11 horrifying months before their mission was complete. However, the beach-head on June 6, 1944 became a “green space” to rally the troops, re-equip the solders, and direct the army to continue inland.
This is what I’m picturing when I call the church to be a “well-watered garden” (Isaiah 58:11). Not a place to get comfortable and meet my needs. But, a green place, a stopping-off place to get refreshed and prepared to go back out into the battle and advance the beach-head inland for the sake of Christ. It’s not a playground out there. It’s a war zone where spiritual battle is taking place every day.
I know you know this. That’s why I love you for leading the charge. Spiritual orphans all around us are counting on us to lead the charge forward. Jesus, our Commander in Chief, once said to us, “GO!” (Matthew 28:19)