A Gardener's Faith
 Rev. Ted Tollefson
©May 4, 2008 @ UU Society of River Falls

based on talk delivered by Rev. Ted Tollefson that was condensed to make room for our May-Pole Dance. thanks to Jay Hermann who built the pole and all those who untangled ribbons, raised the pole, made music and joined in our spring dance.

Congregations, like gardens, are living systems imbued with some organizing principles.  Here are a few of my favorites with one extra for you to add yourself.

1. It's all connected: what we do to the earth, we do to ourselves.

2. Living systems are about relationships: look for patterns of interaction between members of the system.  See how the edges reveal fundamental qualities.
 
3. Causality is circular: what goes around comes around.  Every act of kindness and generosity grows a world more worth of our children and grandchildren.  Reuse, recycle, reduce.

4. Start with good seed.  We have within us an internal code or guidance system which works much of the time.  Learn that code by heart before trying too hard to change anything.

5. Know the territory.  Qualities of the context shape and influence the qualities of outcomes.  Is the soil more sandy or clay?  Is the congregation better at welcoming the new or protecting the old?

6. Growing gardens and congregations means getting our hands dirty.  Without getting our hands in the dirt, not much will grow. Congregational life is rarely clean or perfect---we bring to it the untidy totality of who we are that we grow into our promise.

7. Time to tend, weed and prune.  Choices and patterns of choices shape outcomes.  Before you up-root anything, consider what else it might be good for.  Dandelions and burdock may not be welcome in your lawn or garden, but both contain healing gifts if used wisely.

8. Growing invites Letting Go.  Even a dedicated gardener or leader spends most of the day and night doing something else.  What larger self-regulatory principles are you willing to trust?  What keeps your garden and congregation growing when you are elsewhere ?

9. Sharing the Harvest.  When the Earth responds to our efforts with abundance, there are many lessons to learn.  How much is enough?  How is our common life enriched by acts of kindness and generosity?  See how the gift enlarges the margins of our hearts and our community.

10.

 
Blessed are the peace-makers