Sunshine Valley

Instead of answering the daily prompt with personal stuff; I’m gonna work the prompt into my story. Hope you enjoy.

Where to start?

     Pastor Sam leaned on the pulpit, “January 10th 1984. Keep that date close to your heart. 

     “‘We have adopted Christianity merely as an improved method of agriculture’.” He spoke. “This was said to me recently. I wasn’t really sure what that meant. I mean, I know and understand what each word means but what did that phrase mean? Off to research. If I hadn’t have been called to be a preacher, sometimes I think I would have loved to work in a research field. 

     “‘We have adopted Christianity merely as an improved method of agriculture’. What did I learn? This quote is from Walden, by Thoreau. I hadn’t read the book up until this point. I’m sure most of you know Ms. Daily.” There was a light chuckle from the congregation. “For those of you that don’t know, she used to be a high school English teacher. She and I have breakfast together about once a week. I asked her about this quote. And got a brilliant education about her favorite author. She can. Does. And did talk for hours about him. 

     “As I’m reading and researching I came across another quote. ‘If you want to get rich start a church. If you want to get rich fast, start a religion’. As if I wasn’t concerned about Thoreau, I was sick over the other. I might come back to this during a later sermon. I mention it now, to highlight my topic. 

     “1 Corinthians 3: 6-8  Someone said to me recently, ‘as a Christian it is my job to plant the seeds. And it is God’s job to water them’. Which Paul says here in Corinthians, ‘God makes the seeds grow’. We are all familiar with the ‘mustard seed of faith’.” He stopped, seemingly to declutter his thoughts. “We spend a life time, in a service to God. Planting seeds. Watching some flourish. Some struggle. Some never make it.” He stopped again. 

     “Up until recently, I’d never watched a flourishing plant wither. In a spiritual sense. We are thrilled beyond measure when our new seeds take root and grow. We should be equally devastated when a healthy, full grown plant starts to wither. And I know,” he touched his forehead to the pulpit, raising back up. “Instead of picking that plant up and putting it back in a pot of good soil, I danced on its naked, exposed roots. Instead of learning what was at the heart of the matter, I stood on my golden podium of perfect morality and ethics. 

     “When Sue died, her best friend traveled thousands of miles to attend her funeral. She was gonna stay in a hotel but I insisted she stay at the house. My primary thought was, Sue would have been so hurt had I not extended the invitation. I have let countless strangers stay in my house, never thinking about, this person could kill me, say I did things, unspeakable things. And it’s their word against mine. My primary thought, the first question I always ask myself, what would Jesus want me to do?

     “Being a Christian is so very difficult. As society grows and changes, God doesn’t he’s the same God as he was yesterday. As Christians we have a standard to set. A precedence to uphold so that all who see us know we are a child of God. Hard questions will need to be asked. Never failing truths will need to be shared. But as I was so gently reminded, there is a right way and a wrong way to do everything. And perhaps I chose the wrong path? Talk about a kick to the gut. You would think an old preacher like me. With so much gray in his hair, wouldn’t need to be reminded to love like Jesus. But I do. An old preacher shouldn’t have to be reminded to watch after God’s garden, but I do. I asked you to hold January 10th, 1984 close.” He held up a yellow piece of paper. “A baptism certificate from this church.” He held up another piece of paper yellowed by age. “A letter never moved. Some of you will not have a clue what I’m talking about. And that’s okay. Some of you know what I’m talking about. We must always take care of Gods garden and never let ‘Christianity become merely an improved method of agriculture’.

     Evie walked around the truck and held the door open for her dad. “What did you think about the sermon hummin’ bird?”

     “My first thought?” He nodded. “Ramblin’ bastard.” She hissed. 

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*I would like to thank Violet Lentz for teaching me something new inside the JetPack app. Thank you 💕

http://violetslentz.home.blog

Sunshine Valley