{"id":374,"date":"2010-05-26T12:54:06","date_gmt":"2010-05-26T18:54:06","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/raincitypastor.wordpress.com\/?p=374"},"modified":"2010-05-26T12:54:06","modified_gmt":"2010-05-26T18:54:06","slug":"next-tree-next-church","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.patheos.com\/blogs\/richarddahlstrom\/2010\/05\/26\/next-tree-next-church\/","title":{"rendered":"Next Tree…Next Church"},"content":{"rendered":"\n<\/head>

this began in our family in a dixie cup!! <\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<\/p>

It\u2019s intriguing to me that these two days I\u2019m spending in vision development and long range planning should come at just the time when a miracle happened in my backyard.<\/strong> This tree (that\u2019s right, it\u2019s all one tree) you\u2019re looking at is probably 60\u2032 tall, though when things get above about 25\u2032 I lose all sense of perspective. \u00a0What\u2019s fun, though, is that the tree is a gift from my mother in law, who got it at a school carnival near San Francisco. \u00a0It was in a dixie cup when she became the owner, and stood a proud few inches tall. \u00a0It spent some time in Anacortes soil before being transferred to soil in the Cascades and then, in fall of \u201996 we moved it here to our backyard in Seattle. \u00a0It was about 8-10\u2032 tall then. \u00a0Suffice it to say, we won\u2019t be moving it anytime soon.<\/p>\n

It\u2019s grown as our church has grown, and they\u2019re parallel lives have been instructive for me because Jesus talks about growth being the work of God.<\/a> If we sow seeds of hope, seeds of God\u2019s good reign in the world, God is saying they\u2019ll bear fruit. \u00a0As the tree in our backyard has grown by simply receiving the nutrients of soil, water, and sun, so our lives have grown (mine, and others) by receiving the nutrients of God\u2019s word, fellowship, prayer, and worship. \u00a0Our own growth, as individuals, conspire to create a healthier\u00a0gathering of Christ\u2019s people, and this becomes inviting to others and then suddenly the church itself<\/p>\n

some soil was prepared...<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

begins to grow. \u00a0But really, it\u2019s God who\u2019s at work. \u00a0There\u2019s no magic here \u2013 no silver bullet \u2013 no marketing technique that, if applied consistently will bring about the elusive \u2018growth\u2019. \u00a0Growth comes from God, and the timing and scope of it is his prerogative.<\/p>\n

On the other hand, though it comes from God, we can get in the way. \u00a0If we leave the tree in a small pot, we\u2019ve defined the limits. \u00a0When we reach limits, our capacity to be a blessing to others becomes hindered. \u00a0This is the challenge our church presently faces because God has brought growth over the past decade, and especially over the last couple of years, as we\u2019ve moved into a larger container.<\/p>\n

new trees! do you know how much I love this? <\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

So, as I\u2019m praying about all this, I look down into the soil of our tiny plot where there should be vegetables sprouting and what do I find? \u00a0New Redwood Trees! \u00a0I\u2019d always hoped for a new Redwood tree to come from this one because I\u2019d like to give it to one of my kids. \u00a0If I\u2019m fortunate enough to get several new ones, I\u2019d give each one of them away.<\/p>\n

NEW TREES from mature ones. \u00a0Look at them. \u00a0These new ones are fragile. \u00a0They\u2019re intense, with each needle \u201cknowing\u201d its vital role. \u00a0And they, like their parent, will grow \u2013 miraculously, yet just as surely \u2013 to the extent the water, soil, and sun of Spiritual Formation, Fellowship, and Mission unfold. \u00a0They\u2019ll grow up to bless their neighborhoods in profound ways providing shade, cool, beauty, hospitality, life \u2013 just like a redwood tree.<\/p>\n

The Vision for my church\u2019s future isn\u2019t hard to see. \u00a0It\u2019s in the soil in my backyard.<\/strong> To become a tree producing other trees isn\u2019t optional<\/a> at this point (if it ever was). \u00a0The parent tree will continue to grow, and wrestle with that, but the arborists (that would be the church leaders) will expect growth as long as they continue to nourish towards health. \u00a0And as the parent tree grows, it will eventually multiply. \u00a0I was taught by my mentor to expect fruit, and I do \u2013 because the nature of Christ\u2019s life is reproductive. \u00a0Seeing new redwood trees though, at just the time when our church is starting remote locations and considering future vision? \u00a0This was marvelous.<\/p>\n

I can\u2019t explain this to you fully in a blog post, but Redwood trees are profoundly significant in my own spiritual transformation (more in my forthcoming book). \u00a0As a result, watching this tree grow in our backyard as our church has grown has been a constant reminder: \u00a0sow seeds, provide nutrition, give it space \u2013 and watch what God does. \u00a0And now, just when our church is ready to multiply, God\u2019s tree speaks. \u00a0This, I think, is why I have so few books about \u201cthe church\u201d on my shelf \u2013 there\u2019s always been wisdom, God\u2019s wisdom, in the tree.<\/p>\n<\/body><\/html>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

It\u2019s intriguing to me that these two days I\u2019m spending in vision development and long range planning should come at just the time when a miracle happened in my backyard. This tree (that\u2019s right, it\u2019s all one tree) you\u2019re looking at is probably 60\u2032 tall, though when things get above about 25\u2032 I lose all […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":84,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[5,19,6],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-374","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","hentry","category-church","category-coffee-with-god","category-creation"],"yoast_head":"\nNext Tree...Next Church<\/title>\n<meta name=\"description\" content=\"It's intriguing to me that these two days I'm spending in vision development and long range planning should come at just the time when a miracle happened\" \/>\n<meta name=\"robots\" content=\"index, follow, max-snippet:-1, max-image-preview:large, max-video-preview:-1\" \/>\n<link rel=\"canonical\" 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