While talking with a friend a few days ago, something struck me as “blog-worthy.” We were discussing some reading that I did recently on the subject of Bermuda grass, which is planted in our yard in Cleveland. Dee and I recently met the guy who installed the sprinkler system in the yard. He came by to show us how to program the system for regular watering intervals. Interestingly, I read that Bermuda grass doesn’t need to be watered too often. One of the reasons for this is that the roots never dig deep in the soil if they are watered everyday. Going a few days without watering causes the roots to dig for sustenance and anchors the grass all the more into the yard, yielding, in many ways, a healthier lawn.
I thought this quite intriguing as it relates to the Kingdom. Oftentimes, we attempt to throw off certain responsibilities relating to sustenance (both personal and communal) onto certain “professional” ministers within the local church. The few. The proud. The pastors? Yet, the biblical witness testifies to a communal responsibility regarding the work of the ministry (see especially Ephesians 4). And the tendency to rely solely upon the study, sermons, encouragement, visits, etc. of a select few in order to “keep us going” is, in many ways, hindering our spiritual growth (if not killing it altogether). This isn’t to say that we must go to individualistic extremes, touting “personal bible study” at the expense of community-grounded theological reflection. However, it begs the consideration of how important it is for churches to embrace the responsibility (priesthood/prophethood) of all believers, not expecting only a few to carry the full weight of ministry. In many ways, we must dig deeper in God, realizing the importance of our spiritual maturity for the well-being of the faith family.
Blessings,
sdm
