Good Tilled Earth

Photo by Ron McGinnis Photography.  Used with permission.

It’s not only Hobbits that appreciate the good earth and green things that grow.   The smell of sunlit earth in spring brings with it promises of harvest to come.  It’s a slow and meticulous work to prepare that soil, making certain to remove the rocks and release the dense ground.  But what joy and thanksgiving await as reward for the toil.

Jesus’ parable of the Sower, found in the Gospels of St. Matthew, Mark and Luke, compares the seed being sown in good earth to the Word of God being sown in the human heart.  We’re reminded that not all who hear the Gospel will produce the fruit of the Spirit, as some seed will fall by the wayside, some will fall on rocky ground and not take root.  Some will fall among thorns and be choked by weeds, but yet other seed will fall on good earth and yield a crop. 

  

This is one of the few parables where Jesus explains the meaning. He tells us that anyone who hears the Word of the kingdom and does not understand it, the wicked one may come and snatch away what is sown in the heart.  This is the seed by the wayside.  He who receives the seed on stony places, this is the one who receives the Word of God with much joy, yet he has not root in himself and endures for only a short time.  When trials and tribulations come, he immediately stumbles.  The one who receives the Word among thorns is the one who hears, but the cares of this world and deceitfulness of riches choke the truth in the heart.  But the one who receives the Word on good soil, this is the one who hears and understands and bears fruit.

Taking root.  What can we do to prepare our soil, our hearts, to receive the Word of God so that we can produce fruit?  What can we do so that others may prepare good earth?

It is only by the grace of God that we are enabled to till the heart, to make it ready to hear the Word and take root in Christ.  The Christian life is dynamic, one of growth and abiding in Christ, being renewed by Him on a daily basis.  It is about prayer, surely, most all Christians would agree with that.  But it is also about discipline...podvig, the ascetic spiritual struggle that helps us to become closer with the Lord.  It’s about nourishing our spirits with healthy things, like reading the Word, the lives of the saints, other spiritual writings or church history to increase our understanding of the faith we hold.  It’s about giving without expecting something in return, loving our enemies.  It’s about fasting and removing  empty things in life that vie for our time and energy.  

I’ve been a Christian for over 30 years and I continue to learn so much.  I feel like an infant most of the time, with my struggles, asking God to mature my spirit.  I can share one thing though, that I’ve learned beyond doubt: 

 The more “fluff” I remove from my life, the more clearly I see.  By “fluff”, I mean television, radio, internet, shopping and anything else that fills my eyes with advertising, pointless chatter, gossip columns, etc.  Empty things.  The more these weeds are removed from my life and nourishing things added in their place, the closer my walk with God, the more wisdom and discernment I have.  Solutions to problems often become crystal clear.

When we’re evangelizing to others, let us remember to share Christ in a loving and humble way.  Remember to pray for that person, as well as yourself, that God would be merciful and grant grace to open hearts to His Word, to make blind eyes see... to make hearts like good tilled earth.  

Podvig; a lesson from the Russian Orthodox Church

Podvig. This beautiful Russian term cannot be translated into a single English word, but is best understood to us English speaking people as ascetic struggle; striving against our passions in order to grow closer to God.  Podvig is an essential element to life in Christ - one that I’ve been learning to embrace over the past six years.

As I look round and listen to friends who attend(ed) some of our megachurches in America, I’m perplexed by the comforts provided to congregants. With various worship services, some with contemporary music, others with traditional to afford members a choice... top of the line theater, sound and lighting equipment, big screens to project images to the back of the crowd, coffee bars and a mall like atmosphere outside of the sanctuary  ... tell me again, where is the sacred worship of Christ?  Oh, thanks, I see it now -- down the neon corridor and left at the nondenominational sign with the cross olive branches painted across it.

“We’ll do whatever it takes to bring the Gospel message to the multitudes” is the mantra of the megachurch pastor.  Comfy seats, full tummies, professional entertainment - all to usher you toward the foot of the Cross ..?   Don’t get me wrong, I’m NOT saying the Word of God cannot be heard in such places, I just wonder how it is that members can get past their coziness to work out their salvation in fear and trembling.

Enter in, podvig ~  a complete 180 from the idea of comfortable worship and salvation.  Let me share a true story to illustrate my point:

Six years ago, I was walking in a deep valley.  I was questioning the true nature of worship, watching my church dwindle to 15 members on a good Sunday, and going through a season of depression in my personal life.  I felt isolated, willing to quit church all together, and yet, it was only through my occasional encounters with Orthodoxy that I felt a measure of relief - of emotional healing.  It was then that I discovered church as a hospital rather than a learning center. As a christian of 30 + years, it was in the Orthodox Church that I discovered - for the first time - what sacred worship is all about.

On the 40 minute commute to church, I was bringing my two young children, then 2 and 6 years old with me.  This was no easy task.  They frequently bulked at going to a new church which made it difficult to get them fed, dressed and out the door... let alone the time of tears and arguing in the car on the way there.  And I should add here - this is nothing new to many moms out there!  This very situation is a recurrent theme of conversation I have with other moms even to this day.

But here’s the thing...  forcing myself to go to church anyway, praying that God would make peaceful this chaos in my mornings, going through the gauntlet was a means of receiving God’s grace and producing spiritual fruit.  This is why Holy Scripture tells us to rejoice through our trials, for they produce virtue in us. (Romans 5)   

Getting to church was my podvig six years ago; praise God for his faithfulness because nowadays my family rejoices in going to church!  Our willingness to embrace difficulty, to take the high road to follow Christ has produced so many blessings, not the least of which has been an attitude adjustment towards ascetic struggle; God bless the Russians and the depth of their Orthodox spirituality.

As a side note, I found the beautiful painting here.  I think my love affair with Russia is growing...