Weeds and Holes

I’m contemplating some of Jesus’ one-liners this week: mustard seeds and yeast. They are both parables about small – almost invisible - stuff growing big over time and after lots of waiting.

At first, I conjure up images of Mom telling me just to wait for something or some time – usually things like Christmas, or my birthday. Those events and all the goodness that comes with them WILL come eventually. Then, since I’m a pastor, I think of church-y things: small churches growing big, small seeds of ideas taking root and growing wider and more far-reaching in influence, things like God’s love, or justice, or peace, or maybe even my own humble ideas taking off and spreading and growing in huge ways.
SUCCESS!! ACHIEVEMENT at last!!

But, now I’m thinking I might have had it all wrong.

What is a mustard plant anyway? It’s a weed more often than not. And, what does yeast do? It makes holes in bread…big empty spaces of nothing but air. Was Jesus saying that the Kingdom of God was like a big weed or big holes in your bread?

Apparently.

Weeds and holes are relatively undesirable things to most in “normal” society, the Establishment, those in control. At least they were to society leaders in Jesus’ day – the religious leaders, the Romans. Who would take notice of a few weeds – even if they had grown large, or some holes in their bread. Weeds are good for nothing, and holes are…well…nothing. Who cares if someone is growing good-for-nothing nothings. The Kingdom of God is like things that look like good-for-nothings…growing into something that still looks like nothing to the more influential and powerful of the world.

But, what do you know…when good-for-nothing weeds become trees…they become good for something – a home for all manner of creatures. And after baking, holes do something to bread…it is softer, sweeter, more savory - holding invisible flavors and aromas released in the eating. Hmm. Invisible stuff that really offers the savory richness and sustenance of our lives.

I still thought a little church-y. What if…the Realm of God is like a tiny little church, struggling to survive. God makes it grow! No, not in size, silly. But into a thousand other small churches struggling with the mighty and powerful definitions of success and security in the world. Like leaven and mustard weeds, creating the spaces and homes for God and ordinary creatures to reside.

An Unknown God

I'm thinking about "unknown gods" today ( fr: Acts 17 - Paul's sightseeing trip to Athens where he stumbles upon the statue dedicated to the "Unknown God" - Athenians apparently liked to have all their diety-bases covered).

We like to know things, don't we? We generally don't like the unknown. And, we REALLY hate unknown gods - at least in our dominant US culture these days (remember when the "goddess" convention happened in Minnesota a few years back? Whew! One thing we hate more than a strange god making an appearance is if it is a godDESS!).

We will do just about anything to avoid the unknown. We will try to have all the answers so when the unknown makes an appearance, we'll know what's happening and have everything under control. We like to have our ducks in a row, our "i"s dotted and "t"s crossed, and our contigency plans laid out. We buy insurance. We have all our escape routes mapped out, and we tie up ourloose ends.

We are really not like the Athenians. I'm not sure they enjoyed the unknown...but they seemed to think it was worthy of some honor, at least a statue. Yes, it was an idol - a thing they worshipped, but I think it was because they believed that something very valuable and worthwhile could very well be beyond their knowing and beyond their understanding. And they gave homage to that. And, of course, the philosophers loved to argue and discuss all the finer details.

To worship an unknown god is quite intriguing, really. It strikes me that it's a little like sitting in a jungle or a forest and knowing that a wild animal could come upon you, face to face, at any moment. Yet, still you sit there. Watching, enthralled and fascinated. And indeed a wild animal does come. And you look at it. You know you can't change it, you can't run away from it, you can't control it...it might very well eat you, but you know deep down it is worthy of your homage. So out of respect and some curiousity, you sit and watch and wait for it to teach you something.

I think we all have an unknown God waiting just beyond our sight, beyond our reach, and beyond our comprehension...waiting to teach us something. We need to stop screaming and running around in fear, feeling threatened as if it were an enemy, or pretending it doesn't exist. Rather, just watch and learn.

True Colors

There's been a lot of changes in my life since I last posted at Christmas...new job, first grandbaby born, new and unfolding perspectives on myself and the world:
1. I'm old enough to be a grandmother, and that is wonderful!
2. Being an associate pastor in a BIG church is very different (so far) than being a co-pastor in a tiny church...and that's okay too.

Both being a grandmother and being an associate pastor in a big church may seem like very different worlds...maybe they should be the stuff of different blogs, but they are right now my true colors. I'm learning and growing in each of the new roles.

I've spent a lot of time and energy trying to discern what my "true colors" are...as if God has created a unique path that leads to fulfillment, but camoflaged it to keep it from being easily found. Lately it's felt like it was camoflaged very well.

But, it strikes me that maybe the task is more to see the possibilities of the present here and now, and create of them true colors in my own life. Maybe that's the task...at least in later life when I've become more picky and preferential. (I can see the "downside" of way more things in way more ways than when I was 20!)

Maybe my divine traveling companion is heaving a heavy breath and saying, "Wait, let's just slow down a minute and take a rest. Let's notice what's here before we miss it. I'll bet we can find some pretty amazing things." So, I'm trying that.

(Did you know just how many faces a 2 month old baby can make in 15 minutes?!)