Rooted in Abundance
They shall be like a tree planted by water, sending its roots by the stream. It shall not fear when heat comes, and its leaves shall stay green; in the year of drought, it is not anxious and does not cease to bear fruit. – Jeremiah 17:8
The most important words to say in Church are “thank you.” Say it often, and mean it, and today, I say it to you. Thank you for the many gifts that you share with the St. James Episcopal Church community.
You have heard the familiar expression “can’t see the forest for the trees” before. We often use it to describe that occasion in which we lose sight of the big picture while focusing on the details. From my position, I often experience the blessing of seeing the big picture of our congregation – the ministry we bring to our neighbors, the impact we have on our community, the ways that week after week, we come together to celebrate our faith and praise God. This is the forest.
And I get to wander amongst the trees. From the small shoot reaching out from its seed and finding the sunlight to the mightiest tree, standing tall, showing strength, and offering sheltering love to those who need it. You are those trees, each drawing strength from our meal and showering the world with the love and grace you have come to know here. I am blessed that I can see both the forest and the trees here in our congregation!
Walking through a forest, I see the tangle of roots and how one tree is connected to another. Trees use these networks, secretly talking to each other through their roots and passing information along. Adult trees share their sugars with young saplings. A dying tree can return its remaining resources to help the community. These networks, these roots of abundance, keep trees in place just as much as they free them to grow and share.
The theme of our annual pledge campaign this year is Rooted in Abundance, and we are reminded that we are a mighty forest comprised of ancient trunks and sprightly saplings, each of us contributing our gifts to a world that needs us. As you hear the messages and stories of abundance this year, note how generosity spreads and widens our root structures of faith and action.
We are rooted in God’s abundance, and through God’s abundance, we will thrive!
Fr. Ken+
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