F's for Fruitfulness

As some of you may know, I have a vegetable plot. It’s not a very big vegetable plot, but it has produced its first crop this year. Some spinach. Not very much spinach so far, but enough for a couple of salads and a meal for Liz and me. The rest of the plants divide up into two different kinds. For some of them I can see the process of the produce developing. The blossom has been on the apples and the cherries, and the fruit has set. It doesn’t guarantee a crop, but at least I know we’re on target. The peas are flowering, a promising sign that there might be pods containing sweet, fresh, peas later in the year. But, for others I can’t see what is going on because it’s underground. I can see the tops of the potatoes and the carrots, but I’ve no idea whether or not the roots and tubers are forming in the right way, or if they’re being eaten by bugs, or other nasties. And it’s no good prodding around, digging them up to have a look. That would be completely counter productive. I’ve just got to wait and see. It’s the same with the tomato and pepper seeds sitting in little pots on the bathroom window sill (I know, I started them a bit late). Are they germinating? I have no idea, and I mustn’t go digging to try and find out.

This morning I’d like to invite us to think about fruitfulness. But not really about the fruit and crops that might be growing (or not) in our gardens, but about the fruit of our lives. Some of this is growing out in the open, we can see it coming. Some of it is growing deep in our souls, hidden from general view.

This is also going to be a world first. This is the first time, I think, that I am going to preach a three point sermon, with each point starting with the same letter as the over all theme. Are you ready for it?

Our main theme is fruitfulness, and my first point is, “Forlorn."

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What do you see?

May God be gracious to us and bless us
and make his face shine upon us,
that your ways may be known on earth,
your salvation among all nations.

The first verse of this couplet is often used in our services, words of blessing, even greetings cards. It has a lovely ring to it:

May God be gracious to us and bless us, and make his face shine upon us.

There is no question that it is a great blessing, with a warmth to it. But, if we cut it off there, it is incomplete.

Why does the Psalmist ask for Gods’ grace and blessing? Is the request made so that the Psalmist and God’s people can enjoy life having made the most of their divine contacts? No. The blessing of God is sought after, so that God’s ways may be known on earth and God’s salvation to everybody.

I do want to be a bit careful here. I believe that we have a generous God, who loves to give us good things because we are loved. I don’t believe that God blesses us to make God look good. God blesses us because God loves us, and we are encouraged to bring all our needs to God and trust God with them.

Having said that, I also believe that we seek the giver, not the gift. We seek the giver, not the gift. We see beyond the gift to the giver. Having experienced the love of the Giver, expressed in the value of the gift, we want others to appreciate the Giver’s generosity and to receive the gift as well.

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