Healthy Fruit
Over the past several weeks at Roswell Presbyterian Church, we have been working to unpack Galatians 5:22-23, Paul's list of the Fruit of the Spirit. There is a paradox in this list of character qualities described as fruit, something generated by natural course and not intentional effort on the part of any one person.
These qualities appear to require some effort on our part, yet Paul describes them as the result of something beyond our control. When one consumes a piece of fruit, we have done very little toward its production. The orchardist makes some effort to ensure that the tree is in the healthiest shape possible to capitalize on its God-given nature to produce, but ultimately, the tree does what it was created to do.
Certainly, Paul did not mean for us to have no part in nurturing this Fruit of the Spirit. So, in what ways are we to avail ourselves of the work of the Spirit that will gradually produce in us increasing evidence of the love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, gentleness, and faithfulness of God?
What practices open us to a deeper relationship with God through the Spirit? The incessant activity of our schedules does not allow sufficient time for God to cultivate our hearts, allowing space and energy for these gifts to grow and flourish. Intentional time of prayer, solitude, contemplation, and stillness is vital for our spiritual growth. Sabbath is more than simply showing up for Sunday worship. Sabbath is an intentional time of stillness, quiet, release, and reflection, all going against the grain of our hectic Western lifestyle.
"In our contemporary context… the celebration of Sabbath is an act of resistance…, a visible insistence that our lives are not defined by the production or consumption of commodity goods." Walter Bruegemann
We don't need to be burdened by guilt when we fail to practice Sabbath. It is a struggle to free ourselves from the culture in which we are immersed. But prioritizing nurturing our souls, encouraging connection with the Spirit of God and enhancing the fruit's growth described here, is worth the effort.
Within our DNA as followers of Jesus lie everything necessary for the qualities he displayed to be evidenced in our lives as well. We don't produce the fruit, but we can certainly tend the soil.
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As RPC’s Associate Pastor for Mission Outreach, Rev. Dr. Dan Kreiss, has a heart for service and a diverse array of experiences in the mission field. Be sure to subscribe to the Mission Outreach Blog to read and follow along as he documents his personal journey and shares his vision for RPC’s mission outreach commitment. Along with providing meaningful resources, this blog will help jumpstart the important conversations our church community must be having about missional living.
Rev. Dr. Dan Kreiss
Rev. Dr. Dan Kreiss is the Associate Pastor for Mission Outreach at RPC. Dan is particularly passionate about encouraging the church to reflect the diversity found in its surrounding community in regard to age, gender, ethnicity, education and economic status.