After Creating The Earth, God Planted a Garden
According to Genesis, one of God’s first recorded actions after the Hebrew hymn of creation was to create a garden for Adam to till and care for.
Later Jesus makes many references to to plants and trees, to soils and seeds, and describes himself as the true vine and his Father as the gardener. One of Jesus’s favorite places to pray was in a garden called Gethsemane. He was buried in a garden near where he was crucified, and was at first mistaken for a gardener by Mary Magdalene.
In the Revelation we are told that in the new heaven and the new earth there will a tree of life constantly bearing fruit every month of the year, one on each side of the water of life in a completely restored and forever Eden.
Gardening is in our divine DNA, and we are never closer to our creator than when we are tilling the soil, planting seeds, irrigating and weeding plants and harvesting produce. The soil in which growth occurs is made up of dead and decaying vegetable and other signs of former life, but is also teeming with microorganisms, worms and tiny insects that also till the earth and make it their home.
When we plant seeds in this mix of death and life a resurrection kind of miracle occurs. Seeds themselves experiences a form of death and new birth, send down roots for nourishment and emerge as life giving wonders that are then prepared to die so that humans and other creatures may live.
Praise God for gardens. - Harvey Yoder
Notes, Prayers and Praises
ACCORDING TO OUR RECENT FOH POLL almost all of our members want to resume regular in person meetings at some point but are not ready to do so right away. VMRC is not yet available to outside groups.
MAY BIRTHDAY BLESSINGS to Margie Vlasits, 5/1, and Alma Jean Yoder 5/15!
KAREN CAMPBELL is having therapy at Harrisonburg Health and Rehab Center to help her be able to walk again. She is in Room 55, and her cell number is 540-209-2675.
OUR LOVE AND PRAYERS FOR DONNA SACRA as she prays for God’s blessing and wisdom for her healing from breast cancer.
May Lectionary Texts
1 Acts 9:1-19a Paul and Ananias, each called into Christ’s service. (Matthew 6:24)
8 Acts 16:16-34 Paul and Silas in prison at Philippi, jailor and his family are baptized (Luke 6:18-19, 22-23)
15 Acts 17:16-31 Sermon at Athens: What you worship as unknown, I proclaim to you. (John 1:16-18)
22 Philippians 1:1-18a Paul in prison, thankful for the Philippians’ partnership in the gospel. (Luke 9:46-48)
29 Philippians 2:1-13 Have this mind among yourselves, which is yours in Christ Jesus, who became obedient to death. (Luke 6:43-45)
May Services, 4-5:30 pm
(all services via Zoom)
1 Worship and sharing: Harvey Yoder
Bible Study: Kent Palmer
8 Worship and Sharing: Lois Rivera-Wenger
Bible Study: Dick Dumas
15 Worship and Sharing: Kent Palmer
Bible Study: Harvey Yoder
22 Worship and Sharing: Lois Rivera-Wenger
Bible Study: Maren Hange, assistant overseer
29 Worship and Sharing: Lewis Overholt
Bible Study: Elly Nelson
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