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...Hear the Word |
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"Planting Time!" “Planting Time,” my sermon’s called. But planting time was 6 to 8 weeks ago! I’m sure that the farmers and gardeners out there think I’ve lost my mind. The fields are green and growing, corn has tasseled, Milo and feed are up and will soon be heading out. Soybeans are full and leafy and it won’t be long before they’re loaded with beans. It’s countdown to harvest. We have a lot of hope wrapped up in the coming fall harvest, especially since the wheat harvest was so dismal in many areas. Things look promising right now; of course it’s a long way to harvest. Growing up on a dry land farm, our lives centered around harvest. We grew very little feed or Milo, so wheat harvest was the end all–be all. From the time warmer weather came, and the green winter wheat began to grow, we watched–and worried. There was precious little else to do. Just as Scripture proclaims, first the stalk, then the head, then the full grain appears. As the wheat began to head my dad would go out and see how it was developing. Later, he’d pluck a head or two to see if there was anything in that whiskered head, to see if the berries were filling. Of course, when we weren’t watching the crop, we were watching the sky. Were those rain clouds? The crop could use a good rain. But hail could end any hope of harvest quickly, and the great winds that accompany storms in this area could lodge it, and make it impossible to pick up with a combine. Until harvest, it was the season of not knowing. Not knowing how the harvest could come out. Harvest consumed us…from the day the seed was in the ground, until the trucks loaded with grain made their way to the bin, harvest was always in our minds. Interesting, the one thing over which we had the least control, whether or not there would be a harvest—that’s what we worried about most of the time. But wait…my sermon was supposed to be about planting—not harvest. Our reading today is about planting. Indeed, through the gospels Jesus uses the metaphor of planting most often when talking about the Kingdom. Lots of parables about seed, and sowing seed, and planting and putting down seed into the earth. Not so much about harvest, just a mention here and there. Like today, the harvest is what we wait upon AFTER, (and only after) the seed has been planted. You’d think the Kingdom of God would be more about the harvest. There are churches in fact that name themselves “Harvest Gospel Church,” or “Abundant Harvest Fellowship.” We talk about the harvest to be brought in for the Kingdom whenever we are discussing evangelism. Like my family on the farm, the church gets obsessed with the harvest. I suppose that’s reasonable, since harvest is the hoped for–anticipated outcome—a fruitful harvest for the Lord. But Jesus makes it plain--harvest is God’s domain. God produces the harvest, just as God does with the wheat, the corn, the beans, the Milo. Turning seed into Harvest is in God’s hands. But…the seeding, the planting, Jesus seems to be intent on telling us, is in our hands. That’s our work. Sowing seeds. We plant, for without the planting, there is surely no harvest at all. We are to plant seed, and leave it in God’s hands as to what will come of it. Do you remember another of Jesus’ parables in the gospels…the one that tells us the seed sometimes will fall on soil that is hard, or rocky. And sometimes weeds will choke out the crop. Sometimes the sun and drought will scorch and wither it. Only a small part will fall on soil that is open, ready, and receiving. But that will be enough. For where the seed falls on good soil, it will produce abundantly. We aren’t in control of the soil. We aren’t in control of the germination and growth of the seed. We aren’t in control of the elements that create growth. We are only in control of one thing--planting. Sowing seed. When a church becomes overly concerned with the harvest—worry sets in. How many are in worship? How many are on the membership rolls? How many are in the programs? How many are related to the congregation? And in worrying and fretting, we can forget that the harvest is in God’s hands. And we can forget what it is we have been asked to do. For only one thing is certain, where we do not sow, there can be no harvest at all. The planting of the seed is what is in our hands. Our community has changed rapidly. This week, the news came out that Dodge City was one of only two communities in Southwest Kansas that has shown growth in the past two years. The other was Liberal. We are growing. That means we have new neighbors. Right? That means we have opportunities to sow seed. And we know, I mean, we are aware of who it is that is arriving and helping us grow, don’t we? Our newest Latino and Latina neighbors come to Dodge City in search of opportunity. 500,000 Mexicans will migrate to the United States this year, and each year for the next 30 years. In one generation, the Latino population will nearly double—from 43 million to over 73 million. Just as Anglos make up just over 50% of the overall population of Dodge City today, the rest of the country will follow. Nationwide, Anglos will be just 50% of the population of the country by 2050. Our new neighbors are generally younger than the white Anglo population. Did you know that? One third of Hispanics living in America are under 18 years of age. We know that is true here, too. Look at our school age breakdowns. While overall, the Hispanic school census is 70% Hispanic, Kindergarten through 3rd grade weigh in at nearly 90% Hispanic. Andrew Hernandez with St. Mary’s University in San Antonio believes that the UM Church is ill equipped to develop new ministries for first generation Hispanic Immigrants. It would take an enormous commitment in financial resources not to mention wholesale cultural change to do so. But… Perhaps the UMC can be effective in ministries for 2nd and 3rd generation Hispanic families, especially those with children. Here’s some very interesting demographical information: While 40 % of all Hispanics living in America are first generation Immigrants, that leaves 60% who are second generation or third generation or more. Of these second generation and third generation families, they overwhelmingly prefer English. Especially those whose parents or grandparents came from Mexico—nearly 90 percent prefer English as their primary language. Now then, hold that in your mind, while I talk a bit about the American Dream, that many Hispanic families are coming to find. 75% of all Latinos /Latinas believe in the American Dream, and believe it is attainable for them and their families. But listen to what the American Dream means to our Hispanic neighbors. The most important aspect of the American Dream for them is not financial success, or even liberty and opportunity. It’s not living up to your potential. The MOST important aspect is “a better life for your children.” Hispanic families come here for the job opportunities that will enable them to deliver a better life for their children. Now then, one final piece…Latino/Latina religious life. Religion is identified in a 4 nationwide polls all conducted around 2000 as being “very important” to between 57% and 74% of all Hispanic families in America. Of the 23 million Latino/Latina adults, some 17 million say religion is very important. Of those only about 9.4 million attend church regularly. That leaves some 7 million unchurched and unaffiliated who say religion is very important to them. The number one thing religion does for them? Helps instill Christian values in their children. So, here is what we know. If we have any hope of being a church in the future, more accurately reflecting the community around us, then there are seeds to be sown, now. There is no doubt, with the rising number of children in the early grades in our school, over the next ten years (the time that it will take a second grader to graduate) our church will either be half the size it is now, well on its way to irrelevance or we will be twice the church we are now, for we will have begun to open our minds, our hearts and our doors to all of our newest residents, neighbors and friends. Oops...but that’s the harvest. See how easy it is to begin to dream about the harvest, even before one has planted hardly a single seed? To have any hope at all of such a harvest, we must begin to plant. Even the smallest seed, has the potential to become the towering mustard plant of the Bible parable. So, let us not get distracted too soon about the harvest. Let us focus instead on the seed. From what we’ve learned about first generation Hispanic immigrants, we understand two things almost immediately. Our Latino/Latina families have children...an abundance of children, for whom they want better opportunity. Second, faith and religious instruction are very important. Seems to me that the seed we must begin to sow right away are opportunities to help with the Biblical and Religious education of these children. IF we were serious about that...I mean REALLY serious about that...what would we begin doing immediately? It’s time to plant the seed! First, more staffing for children’s and youth Christian Education than we currently offer. Sarah is only half-time. How many of you knew that? Also, we have no one who is bi-lingual on staff, and certainly no one who is Latino or Latina, who shares the culture of the families who might bring their children to learn the basic Bible stories here. It’s time, to plant the seed. If we are serious about planting this seed, we would add an Hispanic Christian Education associate to our staff. Someone who could visit homes, and engage first and second Hispanic families in our community. Someone trustworthy, caring and willing to sow seeds in the Kingdom of God. It’s time to plant the seed. If we were serious about planting this seed, we would then make sure that all of our children’s and youth programs were bi-lingual and bi-cultural. We would also jump at the chance to involve ourselves in any program designed to meet the needs of children in our community. Above all else, we would work tirelessly to ensure that every child in our community had the opportunity to succeed, without the burdens of poverty and hunger on their backs. It’s time to plant the seed! Are we ready? Are we willing? Don’t get caught up in the harvest, not just yet. There will be time, in God’s time, to gather in the harvest. Today, we’re being asked are we going to plant the seed? Are we going to sow seeds into the Kingdom? Church? I’m asking….are you ready? Are you willing? If so...then it’s planting time!
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