We are all God's gardening team

                                  photo by Kent Mueller

Beloved in Christ in the Rocky Mountain Synod,

When I met with the synod staff last week, we had just experienced a good soaking rain in Denver, and late spring growth was evident everywhere.  I shared these two texts:

Jesus also said, ‘The kingdom of God is as if someone would scatter seed on the ground, and would sleep and rise night and day, and the seed would sprout and grow, he does not know how. The earth produces of itself, first the stalk, then the head, then the full grain in the head. But when the grain is ripe, at once he goes in with his sickle, because the harvest has come.’  Mark 4:26-29 
  

What then is Apollos? What is Paul? Servants through whom you came to believe, as the Lord assigned to each. 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, and each will receive wages according to the labor of each. For we are God’s servants, working together …  1Corinthians 3:5-9a

For me these texts describe a valuable insight into ministry and mission: we are called to work together in this world as members of God’s “gardening team,” each of us with a unique set of gifts to bring to the tasks at hand.  And yet, at the end of the day the results of our efforts are in God’s domain, not ours. We may plant, water and even weed … but God alone brings forth growth.    

My spiritual director, a small Catholic nun named Fran, summarized it this way: “Jim, just remember when it comes to life, and to ministry in particular, don’t attach yourself to the outcome.” It was her way of reminding me that the endeavors in which we are engaged as members of Christ’s body really belong to God, not us.  We are God’s hands, God’s voice, and God’s feet in the world – but the work itself is God’s. We may think it all depends upon us, but it doesn’t.  Seeds planted may not yield fruits until long after we are out of the picture, or in ways we haven’t imagined. This is hard for someone like me to hear:  I’m wired to work and produce, to measure success by some sort of outcome. And yet from a deep spiritual place, I know that the only authentic way to be in ministry is to trust God to bring forth any fruits from our efforts – or to teach us what we need to learn in the process! As challenging as it may be to remember and embrace, there is tremendous grace in this simple truth. 

As fellow members of God’s gardening team in the Rocky Mountain Synod, it’s important to me that we get to know one another better. To that end, I’ll be using the remainder of this transition period to share with you some my varied experiences in ministry and mission – from Madagascar to Colorado to West Africa. You’ll be able to see how my experiences of planting and watering in those settings have shaped the values which I bring to the office of bishop, and that in turn will give you an idea of how I will approach our shared work and witness in the Rocky Mountain Synod. I welcome your comments and reflections. 

When the ten weeks are over, it will be time for me to get to know you better – to listen to your “gardening stories” and to explore how our hopes, dreams, and visions will work side by side for the sake of ministry and mission. What fun it will be to be surprised by what the Spirit brings forth when we put our hands together for the sake of God’s work in the world!

Yours in Faith,

Jim Gonia, Bishop Elect