So I woke up to the sound of a voice singing in Swahili....
"Listen! What do you make of this? A farmer planted seed. As he scattered the seed, some of it fell on the road and the birds ate it. Some fell in the gravel; it sprouted quickly but didn't put down roots, so when the sun came up it withered just as quickly. Some fell in the weeds; as it came up, it was strangled among the weeds and nothing came of it. Some fell on good earth and came up with a flourish, producing a harvest exceeding his wildest dreams. Are you listening to this? Really listening?" (Mark 4, The Message)
As one who is attempting to plant a new faith community, I have really felt connected to this parable of Jesus'. Conversations with strangers and friends along the path of life, seeds of grace scattered in our daily living... our bodies, minds and spirits the soil that God is at work in, some of it rocky, some full of weeds, some ready and "good earth"...
So these past few weeks have been pretty frustrating. Not alot of growth or "fruit" to be seen of any of the "planting" that we are doing. No sign of green even budding. (Patience, Grasshopper. ....stay awake. Watch and pray). We are into the third full month of our first "Living Room" group that meets in our house on Tuesday nights for conversation, scripture, songs, and prayer. Its been hard to grow the group, let alone plant a second, third, or fourth group (a part of our "strategic plan".... hmmmmm....)
I was not expecting anything "new" this past Tuesday night. But a new person came. He was not "invited" by me and I had never met him before. He was not even invited or expected by the person who drove him to our house. A person in our group, Bob, had stopped by Central Seminary to pick up a student from India, Mary, who has been coming to the group. But she could not come this week. However, Mary had told Wilson about our group and so Wilson was waiting at the front door of the seminary for Bob, a person whe had never met, in order to come to a house of strangers.... our house.
It gets better. Wilson is from Kenya, and came to Central Seminary in Kansas City because long ago missionaries from the States went to Kenya, and generations of faith had taken root there from seeds that were planted long ago. Wilson gave his life to Christ as a teenager, and as he accepted a call to ministry, he learned of Central because other people from his home had recieved training there. So he and his wife and thier child have moved from Kenya to Olathe, Kansas, so that he can go to a seminary that will equip him with training to plant a new church for African immigrants who have come to America. And Wilson was curious about our fragile little church "plant", a fragile seed taking root on the western edge of the city.
On Tuesday night, I was weary. I did not expect anyone new to come to our Living Room... but Wilson came. And we were amazed at God's presence in a seed that was blooming that we did not plant, but might have an opportunity to water and help grow. As we were closing in prayer, my new friend felt led to offer the group a blessing. He sang a song called "Working in the Fields of the Lord" in English and in Swahili. And a seed of grace took root in my heart. And I could see and feel the green again...
"one day when Jesus comes again he'll find me working in the fields of the Lord"
