A Meandering Path

In Ashley Falls, Massachusetts, a woman named Maria Nation has received suchnotoriety for her 8-acre garden that a popular magazine published a 10-page spread complete with an interview, colorful pictures and aerial designs of her estate. “Meandering paths, dotted with beds overflowing incolor and texture, abound in the gardens at Good Dogs Farm.” (CottageLiving, Tom Christopher, July / August, 2008. pp. 92-101.)
When friends askher to design a garden for their property, she declines on the basis that gardening is a form of self-expression. “A garden is a diary. We justwalked through years of my life out there,” she told editors. Approaching this Independence Day we consider our history and we ponder our emerging culture. A lot of change has occurred in the last few years, some good and some not so good. This is the mark of a free country. Change isn’t something new to our nation, but has been the mainstay since its inception. We are still under fifty years being 50 United States (Alaska &Hawaii, 1959). Terms like “melting pot” and “tapestry” describe the plurality that constitute our country. The authors of “Religion in America”describe this as an “evolving nation.” I had a history professor in seminary repeat on several occasions, “The more things change, the more they stay the same.” If there is one thing we can count on, it is acculturation. Believe it or not, the church is not the caboose of most change in our nation’s history…it is the engine. I hope we can remember that God-driven directions are empowered by the Holy Spirit. As the church we are responsible to an evolving culture. We are to be Christlike. We are called to be set apart in Jesus’ purposes. We are equipped to pray the Kingdom of Heaven on earth. As a pastor, my role is to remind you…when you pray for our country your primary obligation is to welcome the rule of God. I once heard a wise man describe life in the church as walking through a garden. Those who welcome the Kingdom are already living in that Garden. See God’s provision. Explore the beauty of his mercy and grace. It is a meandering path, abounding in color and texture.

- Tob Adams