Scriptures: Isaiah 55:10-13; Psalm 65: (1-8), 9-14 (or BCP 672); Romans 8:1-11; Matthew 13:1-9,18-23
Reflection by Kit Allgood-Mellema, Worship Leader
12 July 2026, 7th Sunday after Pentecost, Proper 10A
Spending time this last week pondering the readings, I let my mind wander around the words, waiting for something to jump out at me. Then Wednesday morning, I checked my email inbox and saw a post from Farmer Sam, and her first words jumped up! I love when that happens.
Farmer Sam is Samantha Burns, who in 2018 bought 53 acres to farm in rural Maine. In 2020, putting into place a safety net to help her continue her work on the farm, Sam signed a 50-year Natural Resources Conservation contract with a provision in the contract that 40 acres of the land would be protected from development and preserved for conservation of the resources on the land – the stream that runs through it, the brook trout and freshwater mussels in the stream, the lynx and other wildlife, the grove of Northern Larch, the Common Nighthawk that the grove shelters. She sustainably works the remaining 13 acres with the help of her son, in the hope that her small farm will provide them with the income needed to keep the farm going and profitable enough for them to live comfortably while also providing affordable fresh food to a community in need of food basics. She is the fertilizer bringing life to the land and to her community.
Sam began her Wednesday email with, ‘Feeding the soil, not the plant . . .‘ Those six words took me back to today’s gospel, and left me asking a lot of questions. Why is it so vital to focus on the soil? Well, we know plants growing in well-fed soil have a long-lasting and supporting foundation, a good start. I wondered, if I was a farmer, how could I make soil fertile for planting the word of the kingdom?
The gardeners among you know that in an earthly garden, it takes many different elements to create healthy, well balanced, fertilized soil. Get a group of gardeners together, and they’ll start talking about the fertilizers they prefer and how to use them.
Today, I’m inviting you to join me in thinking about creating fertile soil, the mix of elements that create healthy soil, and specifically how we can make soil fertile to nourish the growth of God’s word, God’s kingdom here on earth, our very beings. We are the farmers caring for the soil. So, I’m inviting you to take some time to ponder a few of the questions that came up for me this week, thinking as a farmer might as they work to enhance their soil. As I ask the questions, I’ll give time and space to let the words settle in and allow the thoughts to come. You might feel moved to say those thoughts out loud – please do! As we listen to our own thoughts and the thoughts of others, please remember these are the words that God has already planted in us. They are sacred. This is the Spirit speaking. Honor what you think and say as you honor what others think and say. Simply listen. Learn. Grow.
For the good growth of God’s word, what does fertile soil look like – in our church, in our community, in our world?
In God’s kingdom, what makes soil fertile? Is it compassion? Joy? Hope? Love? Food? Shelter? How can we, the farmers, make the soil of St. Peter’s fertile, a place where people can plant themselves, grow, flourish?
As a farmer, if you look at the soil of your soul and your life, what makes it fertile? Is it study? Prayer? Worship? Music? Is it taking action? Is it finding and seeing God in all things – large and small? Is it finding and seeing God in all faces, even the faces of those you don’t know or the faces of those you aren’t sure you can love?
Think about what happens when a seed sprouts and grows. In a fertile, moist environment, a seed will begin to swell as a small crack forms around the middle. The seed begins to push a small root down and a small sprout up as the crack widens and creates space for the new living plant to grow. Imagine – a seed has to crack open to grow new life. Have you ever nourished the soil that allowed someone to crack open and grow?
Have you ever felt yourself crack open and grow? How did it feel?
We are more than just the seed or the soil that makes up the kingdom of God here on earth. We are the farmers. Every day we have the opportunity to make a difference in the lives of others by our intentional feeding of their bodies, hearts, minds, souls. The nourishment we can offer as God’s ‘fertilizer,’ not just the soil they are planted in, but the very food that gives them sustenance, is lifesaving for those who are searching for God and God’s kingdom. It is lifesaving for those who feel lost and alone, helpless and hopeless, those hungering for love, safety and a recognition of their human dignity. And it is lifesaving for us.
Thanks be to God! Amen!