“There are no unsacred places; there are only sacred and desecrated places.”
Wendell Berry
July 21, 2024 - On this morning of rain mingling with sunlight, there was a gathering that felt a spirit of hope, renewal, and holy purpose. Members of Creator and partners from the Farmland Distribution Project stood together, soil beneath our feet, and sky above our heads, to dedicate a garden. What had long been anticipated became, in this moment, a sacred act.
Jeremiah wrote to a people living far from home, reminding them of God’s enduring presence and calling:
Build houses and live in them; plant gardens and eat what they produce… Seek the welfare of the city where I have sent you, for in its welfare you will find your welfare. (Jeremiah 29:5, 7).
In these words, God invites a displaced community not merely to endure but to root themselves, to plant life, to cultivate hope. And in the verses that follow, God assures them:
I know the plans I have for you… plans for your welfare and not for harm, to give you a future with hope. (Jeremiah 29:11).
On Sunday, as we reflected on the importance of planting and the distribution of the produce of this garden. We responded to that same ancient and living call that is captured in this week's scripture reading.
Just as God adorned creation with fruits, flowers, and countless mysteries of life, we consecrated this space to be both beautiful and bountiful. This garden reminds us that God’s love is not abstract but embodied, in soil and seed, in sun and rain, in the miracle of growth. As these first seeds took root, we trusted that community faith would also deepen, and that the harvests gathered here would nourish many. The produce has now been harvested and distributed. The Sunday before last, Creator held a Harvest Festival where participants feasted on what the garden had produced
We pray that this garden will continue to thrive under the watchful care of those who tend it and under the generous warmth of the sun.
After Sunday's service, Pastor Emillie led another congregational discussion following up on our past Cottage meetings about Creator's ongoing mission. After acknowledging the collective wisdom of the congregation, she asked what we felt was the importance of this realized garden. The hospitality of those who receive the bounty of what is planted is important to its success.
For Creator, the garden (together with Creator's Land Story team) links us more closely to a story that goes beyond the history of who owned the land, and shifts the focus to how it is being used. With each collective decision we make, we contribute to the ongoing story.
This Jeremiah reading adds deep wisdom and also eloquently answers her question. This garden has become a place of fellowship and learning, a space where we share and celebrate the rhythms of nature, recognizing the divine woven into every living thing.
"Before I formed you in the womb I knew you" (Jeremiah 1:5) . Pastor Emillie said if she were to get a Bible verse tattoo, it would be either Jeremiah 1;5 or a portion of Jeremiah 29:11. Both have filled her with a sense of comfort and God's care for her as an individual.
Which brings me to another dimension of that year-old consecration. It marked a beginning, not an end. We started a journey infused with growth, bounty, beauty, and grace. In a profound and foundational way, we are becoming spiritually joined with Jeremiah’s exiled community in proclaiming and by demonstrating trust: that God is here and is at work among us.
Let us not grow weary in doing what is right, for we will reap at harvest time, if we do not give up.
Galatians 6:9
Hope for the world continues to abound.
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