Like A Tree Planted
Sermon
Sermons on the First Readings
Series II, Cycle C
Object:
You have probably never thought seriously about tiptoeing through the treetops, but there is a place where you can do that very thing. A lush Brazilian rainforest is home to a spectacular "canopy walk."Tiptoeing through the tops of several hundred different kinds of trees, you will observe creation from an entirely different perspective.
You can look a golden-headed lion tamarin in the eye as it jumps from tree to tree. You will see termite nests the size of pumpkins, hanging from rubber trees that are dripping with natural la-tex.1 Tree frogs and a type of lizard known as the flying dragon glide from tree to tree on wing-like skin flaps.
Rainforests were unimaginable to the prophet Jeremiah and the people of Judah, who lived in a land where water and rainfall were scarce. Jeremiah used vivid imagery in his witness to God's work and word, looking to trees for inspirational symbolism in his proclamation. Trees represent growth, life, and a means of physical sustenance for all of God's creation by providing security, shelter, food, and rest.
From the book of Genesis onward, tree imagery is woven throughout scripture. Beginning with the tree of the knowledge of good and evil in the Garden of Eden, we move toward the tree turned into a cross on Calvary Hill, and culminate in the tree of life in Revelation.
In God's plan, the tree of life is more than a metaphor. It also describes the physical branching out of families, a plan by which God's Word and teachings are passed on. God cares deeply about physical life as well as the spiritual. You are the branches that sustain the blossoming of new life. The Apostle Paul reminds us that, "It is not the spiritual which is first, but the physical, and then the spiritual" (1 Corinthians 15:46).
The root system is a vital part of the tree, even though it is almost totally invisible. Roots serve to anchor the tree and absorb water and minerals from the soil. Healthy trees bear fruit in season. Jesus urged his followers to bear fruit and to expect life experiences that would help them bear even more fruit (John 15:1-2, 4-8).
The tree depends on its leaves as well as its roots. You and I can be compared to the leaves on trees, presenting ourselves in an infinite variety of shapes, sizes, and colors. Oak, pine needle, weeping willow, or maple leaf, we are each unique. Even the same tree can have great variations in its individual leaves, adding to its appeal and interest. We can celebrate the diversity found throughout God's good creation.
Regardless of their differences, leaves share a common purpose, one of using water, sunlight, and carbon dioxide to provide nourishment for the entire tree.2 Without those three elements, the tree is unable to survive; much less grow. Like the leaves of a tree, you are a source of food, shelter, and inspiration for the needs of others in this world.
A tree grows toward light, reaching toward the heavens. We also flourish in the light, abandoning the shadows of fear and doubt. The tree provides both shelter and shade to its furry and feathered friends. We, likewise, aid and assist those who are small and weak by the world's standards.
The tree sends its roots deep into good earth to be nourished by creation. When we are firmly rooted in the love of God, we are sustained by God's grace. When the tree dies and decays, it provides nourishment for new growth, and gives its place in the sun to others in need of light to flourish.
One afternoon, a neighbor phoned Jeff to see if his family could use some firewood. He took Jeff a truckload of short logs, which sat on the woodpile for several weeks. One afternoon, Jeff was in his yard when he noticed something unusual. One of the logs was sprouting several small green branches, even though it was sawed off at both ends. There is life in supposed "deadwood."
Obviously those sprouting branches could not continue to grow. Being cut off from their root system, they were doomed to die like cut flowers. We must be well-rooted in our faith to survive. Roots can supply an ongoing wellspring of moisture and nutrients. It is important for us to stay connected to God, the source of our life. God provides stability, nourishment, and life. Christ died that we might have new life in abundance. The God-centered persons who trust in God constantly renew their spiritual life energies. Abundant life is a result of being connected to God, the source of life.
In recent years, there has been an increasing interest in exploring family ancestry. Many of us wish we knew more about our own family trees, but tracing our roots back many generations can become difficult. It has been eons since God drew back the curtains on life's eternal drama. God is in charge of lighting, scenery, and cued us when time came for our entrances.
We have made our entrances onto life's grand stage after the play is already well underway, and would appreciate an opportunity to rewind into the past and review earlier scenes. Our lives have begun with the never-ending story of salvation well in progress.
Water shortages wreak havoc with flora and fauna alike. We have all seen the telltale signs of drought: brown lawns, cracked ground, dying crops, withered trees, parched wildlife. All these are signs that life is slowly being drained from creation. Sometimes not even sprinklers or irrigation systems can alleviate the damage of dry weather, with its scorching, blistering sun.
But where rivers run through the land, life abounds. Grass is green, the earth is firm, crops are thriving, the animal kingdom is frolicking, and unlike the fragile state of its drought-stricken counterpart, the tree by the river flourishes in the moist, rich soil along the riverbank.
We ourselves move through seasons of drought. Financial difficulties, family problems, illnesses, and tension at work all take their toll on us, leading to emotional drought. And, when we trust only in ourselves and leave out God, we find ourselves in a spiritual drought. These times leave us shriveled to the roots.
How can we find encouragement and revitalization when we feel that our energy is being sapped from us? By entrusting our lives to God. Like a tree planted by the waters, we can be nourished from underground streams of living water. Our lives can yield fruit, and our foliage is ever green and healthy.
Jeremiah may have associated himself with the weeping willow since he is referred to as the "Weeping Prophet." American artist, John Singer Sargent's, Frieze of the Prophets depicts several prophets in the moment of their inspiration. Each one is hearing something. More specifically, each is hearing the voice of God as God gives them words to speak to their people.
Jeremiah is conscious only of God. Sargent sees Jeremiah draped in a white garment that touches the ground. A veil covers his head, and his eyes are looking toward the ground. He is weeping, for he hears God tell him of the destruction of the nation with a long march toward enslavement in Babylon (Jeremiah 27:12-15).
Today's scripture lesson comes from Jeremiah's "Book of Consolation," where he is giving hope and encouragement to the people. Jeremiah's message for us today is quite simple and clear: Trust in God rather than in humans. Those who place their trust in humanity will exist merely as shrubs in the desert, a less than desirable environment undeniably.
Jeremiah compares a withered shrub with a watered tree to explain the concept of trust. The scrubby "shrubs" represent those who place their trust in themselves and other individuals when adversity strikes, and it will strike all of us at some time or other. The green, flourishing "trees" are those who place their trust in God.
God's Word says that when we trust in God we are as trees planted by the river. We flourish through the waters of our baptism as well, and are reborn and filled with new life. We no longer need to fear seasons of drought in our lives. God's sustaining and life-giving waters are forever with us.
When we gather together for worship, we are, in essence, transplanted to streams of living water. We send out our own deep roots, absorbing sustenance, growing strong, and becoming fruitful. Our fruit produces abundant seeds, ripe to be spread throughout the land.
In the early nineteenth century, John Chapman, better known as Johnny Appleseed, wandered the American frontier with a Bible in one hand and a bag of seeds in the other, planting trees wherever he went. Never carrying any weaponry, he lived by the Golden Rule. He bartered his seeds and seedlings for food and ill-fitting clothing,3 which probably landed him, along with Jeremiah, at the top of Mr. Blackwell's "Worst Dressed List."
John Chapman was a visionary thinker well before it became trendy, leaving the beginnings of lush orchards throughout the Northwest Territory. We still benefit today from the fruits of his labors.
Jesus planted seeds, too, seeds of hope, joy, and faithfulness. To be fruitful, seeds must be nurtured, so please do water and feed those seeds. Then God takes over, doing what we cannot do, providing a way for redemption.
There is a wonderful story that touches the hearts of both young and old. Three young trees on a hill share the dreams of what each wants to be when it "grows up"-- a beautiful treasure chest, a great sailing ship, and the tallest tree in the world, pointing people toward God.
Each wish is fulfilled, but in a surprising way those young trees could never have imagined. The desires of your own heart may also come to fruition in a very different way from what is expected.
Years pass, the three trees have grown to maturity, and woodcutters come. The tree that aspires to be a treasure chest is transformed into the manger that holds the treasure of the Christ Child. The tree that wants to be a ship becomes the sailboat tossed by the winds when Jesus commands the sea to be still. The last tree becomes the cross on which Jesus is crucified, and which points all people to God. All three trees are transformed through God's love.4
When we are rooted in the gospel of Jesus Christ, we live in God's abundance. We reach out to new people and new mission opportunities, and develop ways to be a public witness to the gospel. We are also rooted in the traditions of those faithful ones who have traveled this road before us, planting and nurturing the seeds that bear fruit in our lives. May the seeds of that trust find in each of you rich, moist soil and grow abundantly. God will do the rest.
_________
1. Thomas L. Friedman, The Lexus and the Olive Tree: Understanding Globalization (New York: Farrar Straus Giroux, 1999), p. 226.
2. "Leaves,"Stewardship (New Canaan, Connecticut: Parish Publishing, 2004),
p. 3.
3. "The Story of Johnny Appleseed," online at http://www.millville.org/ Workshops_f/Dich_FOLKLORE/WACKED/story.html [Accessed August 1, 2005].
4. Angela Elwell Hunt, The Tale of Three Trees (Scarsdale: Lion, 1989), non pag.
You can look a golden-headed lion tamarin in the eye as it jumps from tree to tree. You will see termite nests the size of pumpkins, hanging from rubber trees that are dripping with natural la-tex.1 Tree frogs and a type of lizard known as the flying dragon glide from tree to tree on wing-like skin flaps.
Rainforests were unimaginable to the prophet Jeremiah and the people of Judah, who lived in a land where water and rainfall were scarce. Jeremiah used vivid imagery in his witness to God's work and word, looking to trees for inspirational symbolism in his proclamation. Trees represent growth, life, and a means of physical sustenance for all of God's creation by providing security, shelter, food, and rest.
From the book of Genesis onward, tree imagery is woven throughout scripture. Beginning with the tree of the knowledge of good and evil in the Garden of Eden, we move toward the tree turned into a cross on Calvary Hill, and culminate in the tree of life in Revelation.
In God's plan, the tree of life is more than a metaphor. It also describes the physical branching out of families, a plan by which God's Word and teachings are passed on. God cares deeply about physical life as well as the spiritual. You are the branches that sustain the blossoming of new life. The Apostle Paul reminds us that, "It is not the spiritual which is first, but the physical, and then the spiritual" (1 Corinthians 15:46).
The root system is a vital part of the tree, even though it is almost totally invisible. Roots serve to anchor the tree and absorb water and minerals from the soil. Healthy trees bear fruit in season. Jesus urged his followers to bear fruit and to expect life experiences that would help them bear even more fruit (John 15:1-2, 4-8).
The tree depends on its leaves as well as its roots. You and I can be compared to the leaves on trees, presenting ourselves in an infinite variety of shapes, sizes, and colors. Oak, pine needle, weeping willow, or maple leaf, we are each unique. Even the same tree can have great variations in its individual leaves, adding to its appeal and interest. We can celebrate the diversity found throughout God's good creation.
Regardless of their differences, leaves share a common purpose, one of using water, sunlight, and carbon dioxide to provide nourishment for the entire tree.2 Without those three elements, the tree is unable to survive; much less grow. Like the leaves of a tree, you are a source of food, shelter, and inspiration for the needs of others in this world.
A tree grows toward light, reaching toward the heavens. We also flourish in the light, abandoning the shadows of fear and doubt. The tree provides both shelter and shade to its furry and feathered friends. We, likewise, aid and assist those who are small and weak by the world's standards.
The tree sends its roots deep into good earth to be nourished by creation. When we are firmly rooted in the love of God, we are sustained by God's grace. When the tree dies and decays, it provides nourishment for new growth, and gives its place in the sun to others in need of light to flourish.
One afternoon, a neighbor phoned Jeff to see if his family could use some firewood. He took Jeff a truckload of short logs, which sat on the woodpile for several weeks. One afternoon, Jeff was in his yard when he noticed something unusual. One of the logs was sprouting several small green branches, even though it was sawed off at both ends. There is life in supposed "deadwood."
Obviously those sprouting branches could not continue to grow. Being cut off from their root system, they were doomed to die like cut flowers. We must be well-rooted in our faith to survive. Roots can supply an ongoing wellspring of moisture and nutrients. It is important for us to stay connected to God, the source of our life. God provides stability, nourishment, and life. Christ died that we might have new life in abundance. The God-centered persons who trust in God constantly renew their spiritual life energies. Abundant life is a result of being connected to God, the source of life.
In recent years, there has been an increasing interest in exploring family ancestry. Many of us wish we knew more about our own family trees, but tracing our roots back many generations can become difficult. It has been eons since God drew back the curtains on life's eternal drama. God is in charge of lighting, scenery, and cued us when time came for our entrances.
We have made our entrances onto life's grand stage after the play is already well underway, and would appreciate an opportunity to rewind into the past and review earlier scenes. Our lives have begun with the never-ending story of salvation well in progress.
Water shortages wreak havoc with flora and fauna alike. We have all seen the telltale signs of drought: brown lawns, cracked ground, dying crops, withered trees, parched wildlife. All these are signs that life is slowly being drained from creation. Sometimes not even sprinklers or irrigation systems can alleviate the damage of dry weather, with its scorching, blistering sun.
But where rivers run through the land, life abounds. Grass is green, the earth is firm, crops are thriving, the animal kingdom is frolicking, and unlike the fragile state of its drought-stricken counterpart, the tree by the river flourishes in the moist, rich soil along the riverbank.
We ourselves move through seasons of drought. Financial difficulties, family problems, illnesses, and tension at work all take their toll on us, leading to emotional drought. And, when we trust only in ourselves and leave out God, we find ourselves in a spiritual drought. These times leave us shriveled to the roots.
How can we find encouragement and revitalization when we feel that our energy is being sapped from us? By entrusting our lives to God. Like a tree planted by the waters, we can be nourished from underground streams of living water. Our lives can yield fruit, and our foliage is ever green and healthy.
Jeremiah may have associated himself with the weeping willow since he is referred to as the "Weeping Prophet." American artist, John Singer Sargent's, Frieze of the Prophets depicts several prophets in the moment of their inspiration. Each one is hearing something. More specifically, each is hearing the voice of God as God gives them words to speak to their people.
Jeremiah is conscious only of God. Sargent sees Jeremiah draped in a white garment that touches the ground. A veil covers his head, and his eyes are looking toward the ground. He is weeping, for he hears God tell him of the destruction of the nation with a long march toward enslavement in Babylon (Jeremiah 27:12-15).
Today's scripture lesson comes from Jeremiah's "Book of Consolation," where he is giving hope and encouragement to the people. Jeremiah's message for us today is quite simple and clear: Trust in God rather than in humans. Those who place their trust in humanity will exist merely as shrubs in the desert, a less than desirable environment undeniably.
Jeremiah compares a withered shrub with a watered tree to explain the concept of trust. The scrubby "shrubs" represent those who place their trust in themselves and other individuals when adversity strikes, and it will strike all of us at some time or other. The green, flourishing "trees" are those who place their trust in God.
God's Word says that when we trust in God we are as trees planted by the river. We flourish through the waters of our baptism as well, and are reborn and filled with new life. We no longer need to fear seasons of drought in our lives. God's sustaining and life-giving waters are forever with us.
When we gather together for worship, we are, in essence, transplanted to streams of living water. We send out our own deep roots, absorbing sustenance, growing strong, and becoming fruitful. Our fruit produces abundant seeds, ripe to be spread throughout the land.
In the early nineteenth century, John Chapman, better known as Johnny Appleseed, wandered the American frontier with a Bible in one hand and a bag of seeds in the other, planting trees wherever he went. Never carrying any weaponry, he lived by the Golden Rule. He bartered his seeds and seedlings for food and ill-fitting clothing,3 which probably landed him, along with Jeremiah, at the top of Mr. Blackwell's "Worst Dressed List."
John Chapman was a visionary thinker well before it became trendy, leaving the beginnings of lush orchards throughout the Northwest Territory. We still benefit today from the fruits of his labors.
Jesus planted seeds, too, seeds of hope, joy, and faithfulness. To be fruitful, seeds must be nurtured, so please do water and feed those seeds. Then God takes over, doing what we cannot do, providing a way for redemption.
There is a wonderful story that touches the hearts of both young and old. Three young trees on a hill share the dreams of what each wants to be when it "grows up"-- a beautiful treasure chest, a great sailing ship, and the tallest tree in the world, pointing people toward God.
Each wish is fulfilled, but in a surprising way those young trees could never have imagined. The desires of your own heart may also come to fruition in a very different way from what is expected.
Years pass, the three trees have grown to maturity, and woodcutters come. The tree that aspires to be a treasure chest is transformed into the manger that holds the treasure of the Christ Child. The tree that wants to be a ship becomes the sailboat tossed by the winds when Jesus commands the sea to be still. The last tree becomes the cross on which Jesus is crucified, and which points all people to God. All three trees are transformed through God's love.4
When we are rooted in the gospel of Jesus Christ, we live in God's abundance. We reach out to new people and new mission opportunities, and develop ways to be a public witness to the gospel. We are also rooted in the traditions of those faithful ones who have traveled this road before us, planting and nurturing the seeds that bear fruit in our lives. May the seeds of that trust find in each of you rich, moist soil and grow abundantly. God will do the rest.
_________
1. Thomas L. Friedman, The Lexus and the Olive Tree: Understanding Globalization (New York: Farrar Straus Giroux, 1999), p. 226.
2. "Leaves,"Stewardship (New Canaan, Connecticut: Parish Publishing, 2004),
p. 3.
3. "The Story of Johnny Appleseed," online at http://www.millville.org/ Workshops_f/Dich_FOLKLORE/WACKED/story.html [Accessed August 1, 2005].
4. Angela Elwell Hunt, The Tale of Three Trees (Scarsdale: Lion, 1989), non pag.
