http://parkroseumc.org/2009/02/reflection-and-questions-remixretool-part-4/ An emerging Christian community of Portland, Oregon Sat, 07 Aug 2010 06:17:52 -0700 http://wordpress.org/?v=2.8.5 hourly 1 http://parkroseumc.org/2009/02/reflection-and-questions-remixretool-part-4/comment-page-1/#comment-12 Ryan Thu, 05 Feb 2009 04:15:19 +0000 http://parkroseumc.org/?p=50#comment-12 Between reading the previous post about Vine Time and now this one, I had a thought regarding the purpose/personality of a faith community within a faith community (Russian nesting dolls? Mmm next time) To understand Vine Time’s relationship to the rest of the church, let's call it a GARDEN. When planting a garden you don't usually look at it and say "Let's grow just corn." You divide it into corn, zucchini, carrots, potatoes, and tomatoes, too. (Be easy on this next one if you're ACTUALLY a successful gardener...) The carrots you can plant and forget about 'em until the ends look nice and green, then you dig 'em up. Wonderful! Tomatoes need some attention, though. Watch the weather, make sure the right bugs are on them, prop them up when they're down, and pick them when they're just right. In a faith garden/community like Parkrose, maybe there's room for all different expressions of faith. Not everyone requires the same attention and not everyone plants themselves in the same row, but all are part of God's garden and are helping to add to the diversity in nourishment of the soul. Maybe the trick is make sure the carrots and the tomatoes and the corn see the garden as a whole and not give up on the garden because it's not all one vegetable. The table would look awfully one-dimensional at that point. So, VT-ers, I think you should be proud that you’d like to add diversity of worship to the greater Parkrose garden. (And don’t be afraid to get some dirt under your nails while you’re at it!) :) Between reading the previous post about Vine Time and now this one, I had a thought regarding the purpose/personality of a faith community within a faith community (Russian nesting dolls? Mmm next time) To understand Vine Time’s relationship to the rest of the church, let’s call it a GARDEN. When planting a garden you don’t usually look at it and say “Let’s grow just corn.” You divide it into corn, zucchini, carrots, potatoes, and tomatoes, too. (Be easy on this next one if you’re ACTUALLY a successful gardener…) The carrots you can plant and forget about ‘em until the ends look nice and green, then you dig ‘em up. Wonderful! Tomatoes need some attention, though. Watch the weather, make sure the right bugs are on them, prop them up when they’re down, and pick them when they’re just right. In a faith garden/community like Parkrose, maybe there’s room for all different expressions of faith. Not everyone requires the same attention and not everyone plants themselves in the same row, but all are part of God’s garden and are helping to add to the diversity in nourishment of the soul. Maybe the trick is make sure the carrots and the tomatoes and the corn see the garden as a whole and not give up on the garden because it’s not all one vegetable. The table would look awfully one-dimensional at that point. So, VT-ers, I think you should be proud that you’d like to add diversity of worship to the greater Parkrose garden. (And don’t be afraid to get some dirt under your nails while you’re at it!) :)

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