Bearing Fruit in the Desert
In my sermon on Sunday, I offered a double-decker of weighted topics: repentance and fruitfulness. Lent being the penitential season it is allows for a healthy focus on repentance. The time is now to orient ourselves with God’s will and make sure we are loving God with all our heart, soul, mind, and strength and our neighbors as ourselves. Would the concept of fruitfulness have even come up if Sunday’s parable hadn’t threatened to cut down the barren fig tree? Is Lent, a time associated with desert wilderness, really the best time to be thinking about bearing fruit?
When we think that all is barren, when we tend toward hopeless, when we think that we are lost, that’s as good a time as any to recall our ability to do the impossible . . . with God’s help. We are not alone. As we live and breathe, we can bear fruit, namely fruits of the Spirit.
Most people know what they need to take care of themselves, thanks in large part to the self-care industry. When it comes to discerning what kind of “fruit” they are to bear, who they are supposed to be when they grow up, what their purpose in life is, or what it is they are supposed to be doing, folks come up short because spiritual care is often neglected. Everyone is always discerning, yet the self-care industry doesn’t make money on what is most valuable to our spiritual well-being. Only you can offer your time and consistency.
If you wonder what kind of fruit you will bear, how you can be aligned with God’s will, here are four starting points. Whether you’re in the desert, at the beach, in the mountains, at home or assisted living, young or old, these are accessible for all of us:
· Pray. Yes. Pray daily, with intention and consistency. Maybe set a timer and say the Lord’s Prayer throughout the day. Pray the Daily Office. Use the church’s prayer list and add your own intercessions and thanksgivings. Ask God for guidance. Take time to listen without saying anything.
· Partner. Find a companion who can share the journey with you. It truly helps to talk out loud for the inner wisdom and knowing to come to the surface. In-person is preferable, but by phone or online works, too. If you don’t have a spiritual companion, find a spiritual director (you can talk to Evan or me if you need help finding one, if we are not available). Therapists are good to help keep us grounded and accountable, too. Yes, Jesus is your constant companion, especially when we feel alone in the wilderness, and all others around you are the physical presence of Christ. You are not alone, even when it feels like it on those dark nights of the soul.
· Reflect. Friedrich Beuchner’s wisdom to let your greatest joy meet the world’s greatest need is solid, but don’t let it overwhelm you. What do we do naturally and with joy? What is a need we see around us? Let them meet like righteousness and peace kissing each other (Ps. 85:10) and marvel at the unity. Share your reflections via journaling, art, and conversations with your companion.
· Act. We don’t know if something is “our” thing until we do it. We learn most effectively from our mistakes, and we often know something is not right for us simply by thinking about trying it on. We must exercise common sense, of course, and this is where making sure we have accountability partners and being an active part of a faith community helps tremendously. Actions following our thoughts and prayers are a very good thing.
Hopefully this provides some supplemental nourishment and guidance as we make our way through Lent, through life. I’m practicing these things, too, and I am oh-so-grateful to be doing this at St. Paul’s, in community with you. It’s especially joyful to see the fruits of all our lives gathered and shared. The harvest is plentiful.
Sara Milford