I'm a WEED !!!

Today I preached a pulpit supply and offered a sermon on the Gospel reading and the Hebrew Scriptures reading that reflected on the perspective that renders one plant a weed, while touting another as a valuable plant to be preserved.

I mused on the ubiquitous and tenacious dandelion as an example of a plant that suffers from being nothing more than a plant out of context ... the dandelion is a highly versatile plant with dozens and dozens of uses ... it can be eaten as a salad, it can be made into tea, oinments, and salves, it can be used in countless ways and when a little child hands you a bunch of fresh picked bright yellow blossoms, only the hardest heart can fail to be softened ...

In short, a dandelion is not so much a weed, as it is a plant out of context ... and as a result it is reviled and hated because the many gifts and talents are not appreciated where it is ... this does not render the humble dandelion any less of a valuable plant. Instead it challenges us to change our perspective once in awhile and see the value in ALL plants, even the weeds ...

It's hard to convince a dedicated gardener that a plant long considered a weed is now to be regarded simply as a plant out of context, but as you tally up the possibilities and potentials a plant like the dandelion possesses, you can't help but be struck by the positive attributes it holds in its leaves, its roots, its stems, and its blossoms ... in short a dandelion is a very valuable plant if we can only chose to open our eyes to its fullest potential.

This afternoon as I reflected on my sermon today, I realized that I am in many respects a weed within the Church ... I carry many gifts and talents, and I embody great possibilities and potentials ... and like the simple dandelion, I have been reviled and hated because I have been a plant out of context ... The problem does not lie within me, but rather lies in the eye of the beholder.

Those who have worked hard to drive me out of the Church are simply short-sighted and narrow minded ... they are unwilling to open themselves to the possibility of change that weeds like me represent ...

In the meantime, I will proudly call myself a weed, and know that like the tenacious little dandelion, I have much to offer ... I just need to be in the right context to be fully appreciated !!

In the meantime - click here to read my sermon from this morning.

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