Dear Rose Park,
Do you know the best time to plant grass seed? As a disclaimer, I’m more like Tim the “Toolman” Taylor than I am Bob Vila or Chip Gaines; which is to say, I’m no expert but I thought the best time would be in late spring when the rain is coming and the season is changing from spring to summer. In reality though, the best time to plant grass seed is the fall. Sounds odd doesn’t it? Why would you lay seed in the fall when the temperature is about to drop, snow is in the forecast, and the winds are howling? The simple answer is time.
I’ll get back to grass seed in a bit. This past Sunday we welcomed new members into the family of God at Rose Park. We celebrated with individuals and families who have come to awareness of the presence of Christ in their life in a new and exciting way. Praise God the Holy Spirit moved in them through a family member, a friend, a worship service, a small group, a bible study, or some other means in order to open their eyes again to Christ.
But let’s be honest, we all need to be aware of the presence of Christ in our lives. In a world that is filled with cell phone rings, calendar reminders, app notifications, and email alerts it can be so easy to be bogged down with the busyness of everyday life that we completely forget about God. It’s in those moments, I hope and pray there’s some grass seed lying underneath. Let me explain.
The reason grass seed is best planted in the fall is because the warm soil combined with the cool air make for ideal conditions for growth. Even when the snow falls it acts as a blanket and waters the seed throughout the entire season until spring. This is all to say, the growth process takes time. Even though it may seem useless to lay the seed and even though it may seem like the snow and cold temperatures are suffocating the seed, the seed is slowly and steadily growing underneath.
This is exactly why we the Church preach the Gospel and extend the love of Christ. We hope and pray by planting a seed the Holy Spirit will steadily transform individuals for Christ. Even in the most difficult times of life, when the rain and snow continuously fall, we trust the seed is still growing. Even when the child wanders away, we remember the promises made at baptism and find assurance in the seed of the Gospel. Even when the loved one passes away, we find comfort in the presence of the Holy Spirit. We plant seeds of hope, truth, grace, and love in both our lives and in the lives of others not for immediate or short-term growth, but instead for long lasting and eternal growth.
The time of the year is coming to plant grass seed. May each us be willing to plant seeds of Jesus wherever we go.
Grace & Peace,
Pastor Mark