Blueberries

“If you walk in my statutes and observe my commandments and do them, ⁴ then I will give you your rains in their season, and the land shall yield its increase, and the trees of the field shall yield their fruit."  Leviticus 26: 3-4

Ah, the luscious blueberry!  It has always been one of my favorite fruits.  I started liking blueberries when I was a kid after I learned that the blueberry is the only natural "blue" food in all of creation.  Quite an interesting fact no?  Especially when you look at the rest of God's creative color palette - there is blue everywhere from the sky to the lake, but only one thing fit for eating.

As a matter of fact, I had some blueberries on my cereal this morning, as I am apt to do throughout the year.  And they were especially delicious because they are now "in season" in parts of the US.  During the winter season, my blueberries are shipped here from remote locales such as Chile, and the extra travel days just do not do the flavor any favors.  My blueberries this morning were firm, and tartly sweet, while my winter ones are often soft and bland. 

Try as they might on the Grand Haven blueberry farms, they just cannot grow their berries out of season.  There is a time and a season for the blueberry to grow and ripen.

I think that the fruit of Christian discipleship is also seasonal - though not nearly as predictable as the blueberry.

I mean, have you ever had a time in your Christian walk, when you feel as if you are somewhat going through the motions of faith?  You're doing the right things to grow - reading your Bible, praying, worshipping with other believers, spending time with other believers in fellowship - yet, at the end of the day...you don't feel too much closer to Christ than you did 4 months ago.  In fact, there may not even be a lot of excitement to your obedience.  While at other times in your life, say after a mission trip, or a retreat, or a series of relevant sermons, or a great Bible study series - you just have this overwhelming sense of growth and God's nearness, and the love of Jesus.

I think we have these highs and lows in the Christian faith because discipleship fruit bearing is seasonal, and it happens according to the Lord's timing and not our own.  He says to us very simply in the above passage from Leviticus - simply continue to obey and follow Me, and then I will send the rain which will lead to the bearing of your fruit.

Our part is to do the work of obedience and following Christ in mission - God, through His Holy Spirit blesses us with growth exactly when we need it.  Discipleship growth is seasonal growth.

This is not always welcome news from stubborn, independent thinking, "I want it my way, right away" people.  We want to see the results of our obedience NOW!  Discipleship however, is not an instant gratification process.  The process of seed planting, cultivating and tending a plant to maturity is long enough, but then to wait season to season for the harvest of fruit after all of that as well...growing fruit is not an instant gratification process either.

I think the important thing to remember about this seasonal aspect of discipleship is that no matter the season (whether fruit bearing or dormant), we should never give up the discipline of obedience and following Christ.  It is slow at times, and ultimately out of our hands - but the fruit that He produces in us is oh so sweet.


Be God's, Pastor Scott

(bloggers note - this will be my last blog entry for the time being.  I hope it has been useful to my new Church family, not only in understanding my passion for discipleship, but also in priming the pump for wonderful years of fruitful ministry together.  I look forward to serving and living amongst you in community!)