For SNP tonight: Once upon a time, when our country was young and moving westward, there lived a simple, poor, but righteous man who loved God. He also loved God’s creations, especially the plants, trees, shrubs, flowers and fruit. As the young man grew, he discovered a purpose for his life, which was to plant and care for all God’s beautiful bounty. He became a nursery man, planting and tending God’s creations. As many pioneers and their families moved west, the young man decided to follow them. During his westward travels, he became aware of the need to plant crops as soon as possible to feed so many hungry bodies. As a Christian, he also realized that there were many settlers with no basis in faith to help them through the many hardships they had to endure. So he came up with a divinely inspired plan to feed body and soul. He would plant apple seeds along the way to provide food for future travelers, and he would give apple seeds and seedlings to the many pioneers whose homes he visited. The apple trees were a perfect crop for his purposes, as they would last the harsh winters and come back each spring. As he found ways to feed the hungry folks for physical survival, he also gave them the Good News Gospel of Jesus Christ. He left parts of the Gospel at the pioneer’s homes, and then picked them up next time he came by to share with others. This fed their hungry souls, and provided the spiritual sustenance necessary for all of us to endure life’s difficulties and hardships. The young man’s name was John Chapman. But we all know him as Johnny Appleseed; the name given to him by the pioneers who loved and revered him. He set out to provide his simple apple trees in his simple way. However, God always has a spiritual mission for each one of us. Through the planting of the apple trees and sharing of the fruit, Johnny preached a spiritual message of how God’s love is planted, bears fruit, and gives sustenance in all seasons. Through sharing God’s “Good News” with others, the seeds of love grow and bear fruit . Today the media is riddled with stories of holiday shopping frenzy, including shopping fights, “Black Friday”, and so many other signs of our cultures’ excessive materialism. News flashes of soaring consumer prices, which include instruments of violence, focus on the impact this insanity has on our family and spiritual lives. Sometimes we forget the spirit of that simple farmer who used the example of God’s great and enduring bounty to spread the “Good News” of God’s love and goodness. I invite everyone to join with me in a prayer - asking God’s help in committing our lives to a simple mission: plant seeds of love and let them grow - in God. Let us pray: Father, Like Johnny Appleseed, help us to commit our lives to plant your seed everywhere we travel. Let this fruit and love we leave behind grow roots and sustain others, especially in their time of need. Tonight you have heard from your children. For their joys, Thanks be to God. For their concerns or requests, have mercy in our prayers. Amen
Posted on: Sat, 30 Nov 2013 20:31:52 +0000
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