Uphill idealist

Years ago, I planted a small 6 foot by 6-foot garden at an apartment complex where my family and I lived. The caretakers for the grounds told me that the soil was impeded by a complete layer of clay about 8 inches under the topsoil. If I did not remove the clay from my garden plot, my tomatoes, zucchini, and morning glories would have no chance of growing. So, upon taking the caretaker's advice about the clay, I proceeded to dig up the topsoil and grass. As they had told me, the clay layer was fully blocking access to the soil beneath it. All day long, I chipped and dug and removed wheelbarrow-full, by wheelbarrow-full of clay out of my small plot of land. At the end of that day, I was soaked with sweat, but I knew I was making progress to break through to good soil. After all the topsoil and clay that had been removed; it was necessary for me to refill the 6x6 plot back in with many bags of gardening soil. The soil was filled in, my starter seeds were planted and the time of...

 “Behold what you are, become what you receive.” St. Augustine “Behold what you are, become what you receive,” reminds me that we come to communion and relationship with God, as we are – imperfect people. Today’s parable speaks of the weeds and  wheat  that are planted in the ground and the conflicting feeling of living with weeds in life. This parable tells the story of “…human striving, over and over again. We are weak and foolish at  the same time; we are beloved and blessed. We hold on to that which works death in us and among  us. For us to live, God must destroy our sin.” Considering today’s parable and St. Augustine’s words, I find myself asking the question,  “As weedy wheat, what do I need to receive from God?” Several summers ago,   I was serving as chaplain at the Lutheran House at Chautauqua, I saw a story of weeds and wheat comes to life, although the wheat in this story was a bunch of bananas. This...