“Roots”

This past week, something terribly sad happened. Well, it was sad for me.

That beautiful maple tree in the backyard of the manse had to be taken down. The Sunday before Memorial Day, I discovered a huge two-foot crack along the trunk, where the leads of the tree separated. We consulted with some knowledgeable people in the congregation, and the consensus was that it had to come down. In fact, the arborist who took the tree down commented on the fact that there was no rational explanation for why the tree was still standing. He called it a “miracle” that it had not fallen into the house or the sanctuary.

The day before the work, I spent some time with the tree, and I noticed that the roots of this tree had become large, and were extending from the base of the tree, in some case 8-10 feet away! It was a hardy tree, to be sure.

We have roots, too, as Christians. Our faith is to be rooted in Jesus Christ. And just like growing a tree takes food, pruning, and watering, so we also must be fed, pruned and watered, for our roots in Christ to remain strong. We must feed on God’s Word, reading it, hearing it taught, and taking it every chance we can get. It can only benefit us. We must be watered, through prayer, for it is in the presence of God. And we must be pruned, having the old, decaying parts – our sin – removed from us, and letting God grow in us, that which is good and pleasing in his sight.

Like trees, we need strong roots, only ours are roots of faith. May God continue to feed, water and prune each of us as we seek to live for him.

Peace,

Pastor John