What we can learn about God from compost

Over the years we have put up a number of posts noting the parallels between composting and the way God works in certain aspects of life. Here they are, “piled” if you will, for your consideration.  

 

What we can learn about the Christian Life from Composting--Part 1--The end product is greater than the sum of its parts 

 

We produce more good in community than we do separately

 

What we can learn about the Christian life from composting--Part 2--Good things come from humble ingredients 

 

God draws the most from the least

 

What we can learn about the Christian Life from composting--Part 3--the ingredients must be transformed by something beyond themselves

 

We need God’s inputs to achieve all the good he created us for

 

What we can learn about the Christian life from composting--Part 4--We have to go through tough stuff, but God gets us through

 

We have to go through tough stuff to reach our full potential, but God gives us ways to get through it (prayer, perspective, and serving others)

 

 Another insight from composting--Utility

 

We are saved and sanctified in order to serve

 

Another insight from composting--Transformation

 

We have to let God transform us to do all the good he created us for

 

Another insight from composting--Beyond the dramatic

 

Living out our faith/purpose in the mundane

 

Another insight from composting--Multiple fruits

 

God will produce multiple kinds of good from individual acts of service, so get busy, ask the Spirit for His help, and make yourself available to His insights

 

Another insight from composting--Credit where credit is due

 

How to respond to God’s blessings

 

Yes we will be gardening...wisely

Yes, we will be gardening this year, and doing more of it than ever. Our mission has always been to deliver Jesus’ love by feeding the hungry, and the pandemic makes that particularly needful. Food banks are facing unprecedented demand, nationally and here in Ohio.    Jesus has given us a tool to help—our garden—and we must follow His mandate to make the most of it. See Matthew 25:14-46.

As tempting as it may be to stay away until the pandemic subsides, the need we’re trying to address is urgent.  And given the unavoidable lag between planting and harvesting we must get to work as soon as possible.

We are trying to be wise in how we do that; our goal is combat the effects of Covid-19, not to spread it. We will therefore follow these protocols:

• If you are in a vulnerable category to the COVID-19 virus (e.g. age, health condition, etc.) please allow others to serve in the garden. We, first and foremost, want to produce this food in a way that keeps everyone safe.
• No more that 10 people will be allowed in the garden at one time.
• We will limit gardening sessions to two hours.
• We will take workers’ temperatures when they arrive and send folks with temps or other symptoms home.
• All folks in the garden will wear facemasks when there are two or more people. Please supply your own masks. Here is a tutorial for bandana masks that do not need sewn: mask tutorial. 
• Children are welcome to work in the garden. However, with so few spots available, we need to fill them with those who can help with the work of the garden. We ask you to please use discretion when signing up children; therefore children who are too young to work should remain at home.
• We will limit individual groups of workers to family members to the extent possible.
• We will keep at least one garden bed between groups of workers. That will put at least 10 feet between groups of workers.
• We will structure tasks to keep workers within groups at least 6 feet apart.
• We will wipe down doors, gates, tables, etc. with disinfectant before volunteers arrive and will open all doors, gates, etc. before folks get there.
• We are asking folks to bring their own gloves and tools, but will have safe gloves and tools available for folks who don’t have their own.
• Our tools will be out & wiped down with disinfectant before each session. We will wipe down our tools after each session.
• We will have fresh gloves for each worker at each session. We will collect gloves at the end of each session & wash them in hot water and detergent for a full regular cycle before they are used again.
• We will have soap and water for handwashing.
• No food or water will be provided.
• The church building will not be open.

These protocols were developed with input from doctors,  and are consistent with Ohio's Stay at Home Order and extension service advice to community gardens.

We will start structured gardening sessions on April 18, and may be calling on individual gardeners for help between now and then.

We have posted a sign up genius facilitate the 10-person limit. Please sign up  come on out to the garden!

In the meantime, please pray for us and the folks we serve.  Jesus’ directions in Luke 10:2 are particularly apt: “The harvest is huge, but the workers are few. So ask the Lord of the harvest to send out workers into his harvest field.”  Other good verses to pray over include James 2:15-17 and  1 John 3:17-20.

That’s it for now. Hope to see you soon (albeit from behind a face mask)! 

Crop	Lbs.
Asparagus	84
Beets	206.4
Bok Choy	826.8
Cukes	962.3
Daikons	620
Eggplant	923.9
Garlic	979.72
Kale	11.3
Napa Cabbage	391.6
Peas	15.6
Pumpkins	19.4
Radishes	237.4
Tomato	2,438.20
Turnips	469
Yellow Squash	242.3
Winter Squash	86
Zucchini	1,133.40
Total	9,647.32

Prayer for the week of March 5, 2017

Prayer requests so far:

Irma & Joseph—new vehicle

Abbey—students’ health

Siham—legal issues

Jackie—elderly woman who fell

Rheem—family in Syria

Carl—prostate surgery

Jeff—throat issues

Please add any additional requests via reply all emails so we can all get them.

This Week’s Prayer Scripture:

John 15:1-17

I am the true vine, and my Father is the vinedresser.

2 Every branch in me that bears no fruit he cuts away, and every branch that does bear fruit he prunes to make it bear even more.

3 You are clean already, by means of the word that I have spoken to you.

4 Remain in me, as I in you. As a branch cannot bear fruit all by itself, unless it remains part of the vine, neither can you unless you remain in me.

5 I am the vine, you are the branches. Whoever remains in me, with me in him, bears fruit in plenty; for cut off from me you can do nothing.

6 Anyone who does not remain in me is thrown away like a branch -- and withers; these branches are collected and thrown on the fire and are burnt.

7 If you remain in me and my words remain in you, you may ask for whatever you please and you will get it.

8 It is to the glory of my Father that you should bear much fruit and be my disciples.

9 I have loved you just as the Father has loved me. Remain in my love.

10 If you keep my commandments you will remain in my love, just as I have kept my Father's commandments and remain in his love.

11 I have told you this so that my own joy may be in you and your joy be complete.

12 This is my commandment: love one another, as I have loved you.

13 No one can have greater love than to lay down his life for his friends.

14 You are my friends, if you do what I command you.

15 I shall no longer call you servants, because a servant does not know the master's business; I call you friends, because I have made known to you everything I have learnt from my Father.

16 You did not choose me, no, I chose you; and I commissioned you to go out and to bear fruit, fruit that will last; so that the Father will give you anything you ask him in my name.
17 My command to you is to love one another.

What We Can Learn About Parenting From Gardening

How blessed are all who fear Yahweh, who walk in his ways! … Your children round your table like shoots of an olive tree. Psalm 128:1,3

May our sons be like plants growing tall. Psalm 144:12

Gardeners necessarily keep their eyes on the future. They must plan well to end up with a good garden. They must do a lot of preliminary work to get that garden started and maintain it, work that must be done long before the first crops are picked. The anticipation of those crops—their utility and beauty—motivates us to tackle multiple, not always pleasant, tasks between planting and harvesting.

Take weeding for example. My experience is that weeding is, almost universally, one of the least favorite gardening tasks. We do it, not particularly enjoying it at the time, but are glad later that we did. The garden looks much better as soon as we do it and the ultimate crop is lush and bountiful because we got it done.

Raising kids follows the same pattern. It too is future oriented; kids are mostly potential as we raise them, and we work now so that they can realize their potential later. We have to plan for their future, and do a lot of things now, to prepare them for what will happen later. Some of those tasks can be less than pleasant,  Proverbs 13:24, Proverbs 19:18,  Proverbs 22:15, Proverbs 23:13-14, Proverbs 29:15, Sirach 30:1-13, Sirach 42:9-11, but we will be glad we did them:

Whoever is strict with his son will reap the benefit, and be able to boast of him to his acquaintances. 3 Whoever educates his son will be the envy of his enemy, and will be proud of him among his friends. 4 Even when the father dies, he might well not be dead, since he leaves his likeness behind him. 5 In life he has had the joy of his company, dying, he has no anxieties. Sirach 30:2-4