Shrubs, Grubs and Perennials

Sermon by

Reverend Nancy Bouchard

May 24, 2009

The Book of Luke Chapter 8: passages 4-8

When a large crowd gathered, with people from one town after another journeying to him, he spoke in a parable.
“A sower went out to sow his seed. And as he sowed, some seed fell on the path and was trampled, and the birds of the sky ate it up.
Some seed fell on rocky ground, and when it grew, it withered for lack of moisture. Some seed fell among thorns, and the thorns grew with it and choked it.
And some seed fell on good soil, and when it grew, it produced fruit a hundredfold.”
After saying this, he called out, “Whoever has ears to hear ought to hear.”

I love this parable because of the great metaphor of the seeds and growth. But I don’t quite see the destiny of the seeds in the same way. In the parable, the seeds represent the words of faith taught by Rabbi Jesus and the soils refer to the faithfulness of the listeners. What seems wrong to me is that seeds flourish only in fertile soil…how little trust you have in your message if that is what you believe.

Today we are honoring those who have been the educators of our youth. Similar to the sower they have been spreading seeds, teaching and encouraging their students, our collective youth, towards a searching and mature spiritual growth.

In the parable the argument is that those seeds that fall anywhere short of fertile ground will not produce. Those that “fell and were trampled,” fed the birds of the sky.” I don’t buy these are wasted seeds and, in fact, in my way of thinking there are no wasted seeds. The ideas and experiences, the history, the dialogues planted in our youth are all life giving. No, they may not see immediate fruition or in the form that we expected, but they do feed something.

One day, I found at note here on the lectern, it was on the blank side of a coloring book page. It was written in youthful penmanship and said “this congregation was here when life was at its most difficult. I have moved on to attend another church but this is the church of my heart.” I do not know who left the lengthy note but those are seeds planted that have fed the bird and the grub, and the unknowing heart...

“And the seeds that fell on rocky grounds did grow,” though
our rabbi tells us they “withered.” What I see is a miraculous determination to overcome the odd, to dare to rise up when the challenges, when the soils are less than ideal. Our youth sometimes overcome great odds. Shyness, self esteem issues, self image and peer pressure, a dominant culture. I think of peer pressure as a ground that is perpetuated as more sacred then church. Here, in this place, the values and ethics one learns may often be criticized, laughed at, judged. Yet seeds of knowledge are spread among the rocks finding a place where they will still grow to be who they are…Withered or not.

“For the seeds that were among thorns grew and were choked…” But Rabbi Jesus… they have shared space together, can it not be that each has served different purposes … towards different ends? Among the scrubs will be the flower that has strayed and grown as tall and strong. There will be celebration and then a realization that among the thorns, among the shrubs, the perennials are not seen in their best beauty, in their most creative light, in the place of greatest energy. To stay would be to choke themselves.

On the path of encouraging spiritual growth not all words of our teachers have heard by willful ears. Our children can be preoccupied, resistant, doubtful, and slightly defiant, yet the words may nurture some who, years from now, as they watch a bird eating seeds that have fallen, or marvel at a plant growing through the tar of a walkway or see the lone iris among the shrubs. Two hundred years ago Unitarian Theologian William Ellery Channing defined the essence of teaching in our churches “The great end of religious instruction is not to stamp our minds irresistibly upon the young but to stir up their own [minds].”

Our teachers and volunteers have shared of themselves, their experiences, their knowledge, personal ethics and beliefs-they have offered a great gift as sowers of seeds... in a safe, supportive and loving places our youth have explored, discovered, and stored the information which was planted today, but may change in time. They will search for their own ethical codes, and understanding of Unitarian Universalist principles and our history. They will grow their own beautiful garden that has shrubs, grubs and perennials. May they be always blessed on their future journey, for they have indeed blessed us.

May it be, Shalom, Om Namah Shivia, Amen