Sometimes, despite our poorest efforts to help or provide for, life manages to continue and even flourish. Around eight years ago a friend gave me some Irises to plant. In fact, he gave me more than I needed. So, the extras sat in a bucket, outside, behind the garage in little sun. For the first few years I did look after them, a bit. Basically, I kept them watered with the idea I could find a place or someone else who might want them. Every spring I was amazed that these tough little plants stayed alive through the cold winter. Year after year they continued their struggle to live and even gave an occasional flower in-spite of my judgment that they didn’t deserve the water and soil I could have provided. They insisted on living and even giving back to the world with a flower whenever they could manage.

Finally, last year I planted them in good soil, with proper sun and water. They grew as I expected. Come winter, after everything else had died back and gone brown, they stayed green and one of them bloomed. Through ice and snow the flower continued until the coldest temperatures of the season forced it to drop its petals.

Today, two of the plants have already produced a delicate flower which is their service to the world. It is what they were created to do. The little plants insist on serving the world in the worst and best conditions. I wonder, what if I had done my part, my service to them, how they might have flourished all these years.

What if all of God’s people served the Lord as we have been created too? What if we worshiped God both inside and outside the church? What if we cared for the life around us, without judgement of worthiness or concern about what we receive in return; with grace, the kind we receive from God in Christ? I believe we would find that our service, done out of our love for God, has helped to make the world a more beautiful place.

This Sunday we look at serving God and God’s world as part of our worship and spiritual growth. Join us this Sunday morning as we gather and consider God’s call to serve and watch the world bloom.

May the Grace and Peace of our Lord Jesus Christ be with you!

Pastor Rick