As the temperatures have been on the rise and I have opportunities to be outside, I have found a renewed appreciation for the shade of tall trees. When in their shade, I find myself reflecting on the origin of that shade. The best shade trees are the ones that have been around for a long time – far longer than I have been alive. They were planted, by intention or accident, long ago. They have weathered many years, droughts and floods, storms and freezes, city planning and neighborhood expansion, etc. And still they stand, giving shade (and oxygen and other nutrients essential for life) to those whose part in their nurture has been minimal when compared to their long life.
These thoughts, of course, make me think about the shade that will offer comfort and relief to my children and theirs. It is possible that the trees whose shade I enjoy will also be around for them, but it is likely, that new trees need to be planted, or younger ones need to be tended. For if they are to enjoy shade, they will no more be the ones who nurture it than I am the one who nurture the tall oaks whose shade I enjoy.
In many ways, First Baptist resembles these old trees. Planted and nurtured for almost two hundred years, this church offers shade and comfort today to folks in need of it. The ministry and identity of FBC has been shaped through the decades. As we imagine what this congregation will offer to our children and grandchildren, we must also imagine what seeds of ministry we might plant, what ministries we might nurture. And we must recognize that, in the end, like with the trees, it is God who gives growth.
As Paul notes in I Corinthians 3, “I planted, Apollos watered, but God gave the growth. So neither the one who plants nor the one who waters is anything, but only God who gives the growth. The one who plants and the one who waters have a common purpose…. For we are God’s servants working together; you are God’s field, God’s building.” As we give thanks for the ministries of our church that enrich our lives and our faith, let us also join in the work of nurturing ministries that might enrich the lives and faith of others.