[amc] a note from the pastor
- From: "garland robertson" <pastor@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxx>
- To: "Austin Mennonite Church" <amc@xxxxxxxxxxxxx>
- Date: Thu, 11 May 2006 11:47:15 -0500
Members and Friends of Austin Mennonite Church
I trust you are encouraged by the experiences of your days.
The unobservable activity of God's presence continually works within us to
fashion our lives according to the divine purpose. Secretly the wisdom of
God creates opportunities for us to radiate the spirit of God as we express
ourselves in relationship and vocation. This mysterious operation can be
compared with the intentional behaviors of farmers as they prepare
'opportunities' for seed to grow and bear fruit. The farmer takes
deliberate care to provide the optimum environment for the seed to sprout,
take root, and grow according to the internal design prepositioned within
its nature. Yet, despite all that the farmer can do, another distinctively
separate action is required for the seed to live. A mystical operation must
accompany the farmer's care; .or perhaps better phrased, the farmer must
accommodate the mystical operation which brings life through the seed by
managing some of the physical elements essential to the growing process.
The activity of the farmer is like the activity of God's wisdom within us:
both accommodate a mystical operation that is able to bring a prepositioned
design to life. 'Bearing fruit' is the term which describes the mature
process of growth. When Jesus talks about being the true vine and our
function as branches, most likely this is the concept he has in mind. These
thoughts will compose the sermon for this next Sunday, 'God's word as a
mystical farmer.'
We will also celebrate motherhood this next Sunday as well as recognize
those among us who are graduating from academic programs of study.
May it go well with you. Sincerely,
Garland Robertson
...always hold firmly to the thought that each one of us can do something to
bring some portion of misery to an end
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