Very truly, I tell you, unless a grain of wheat falls into the earth and dies, it remains just a single grain; but if it dies, it bears much fruit. John 12:24 (NRSV)Jesus uses these words to describe his own impending death and resurrection. But He also uses them to describe what happens to His true followers as well. A seed stays a mere seed unless something happens to it. It must cease to exist as a seed. It must germinate.
Seeds that germinate grow into mature plants. Mature plants yield fruit of some sort. Saint Paul gives us an idea of the fruit that a mature follower of Christ will produce.
...the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, generosity, faithfulness, gentleness, and self-control. Galatians 5:22 (NRSV)
There are three things a seed needs in order to germinate; water, oxygen, and the right temperature. In the same way, we must be immersed in the life of the Holy Trinity in order to germinate and grow into maturity.
Jesus, the Water of Life
In order for a seed to germinate it must start taking in water. Jesus said, "Let anyone who is thirsty come to me, and let the one who believes in me drink." John 7:37-38 (NRSV) The grace that is ours through faith in Jesus Christ is the water we need.
Holy Spirit, the Oxygen
Oxygen is needed by the seed for aerobic respiration which is a seedlings main source of energy until it grows leaves. Jesus said, The wind blows where it chooses, and you hear the sound of it, but you do not know where it comes from or where it goes. So it is with everyone who is born of the Spirit." John 3:8 (NRSV) Healthy seedlings need to be in an environment where oxygen is not stifled. If seeds are buried in soil that is too deep or dense, there are not enough air pores for it to get the oxygen that it needs. As a result it will not germinate. We need atmospheres where the Holy Spirit is free to move as He will in our lives in order to grow to spiritual maturity.
Father, the Heat
Seeds need to be at the right temperature to germinate. Here in Southern California we have chaparral that depends on fire in the ecosystem for seeds to germinate. The extreme heat from fire cracks the hard shell of the seed allowing its potential to emerge. "For the Lord disciplines those whom he loves, and chastises every child whom he accepts." Hebrews 12:6 (NRSV) We tend to think of discipline as punishment. Although discipline can involve punishment at times, its purpose is to train a person. The goal of God's discipline is to bring us into alignment with the character of Jesus. In order for that to happen, our loving Father must turn up the heat at times.
Corporate worship brings us into the life of the Trinity. Traditional Christian liturgy begins with, "In the name of the Father, Son, and Holy Spirit" and ends with, "Go in the blessing of the Father, Son, and Holy Spirit." Healthy corporate worship provides both structure and freedom that brings us into contact with God's grace, allows the Holy Spirit to move freely, and even allows God to turn up the heat on us.
It is this third aspect that I think is often missing in typical American churches. Recently I read a blog by someone who was complaining about another person who was making them feel uncomfortable during worship. I respect this person because she basically is honest enough to say what a lot of other people would like to say but just won't. However, she also said something that made me take note. She said something to the effect of, "I should be able to go to church without others making me feel uncomfortable."
I tend to think that is the typical American attitude about our corporate worship. I know it can be my attitude more often than not. We don't want an environment where the heat may be turned up on us. We tend to over plan our services so that we control all of the variable so that nothing awkward happens. We want music that fits our taste, a sermon that I will agree with but won't challenge, and everything neatly packaged so we know what to expect. We also tend to like to stay in our little bubbles at church where we are not exposed to anyone who we don't like, is different, or basically makes us uncomfortable. We never stop to think that perhaps God might have put those "thorns" in the congregation for a reason. It might be a way of turning up the heat on us a bit. Recently another worship leader told me about 9 homeless people who showed up by invitation one Sunday at his church and how uncomfortable and cold the congregation was toward them. How about the smelly homeless guy who comes in and plops down beside you? For me, my thorn is the conservative fundamentalist guy who always seems to catch me at the door to say something theological that I disagree with or political that is going to tick me off. The heat starts rising... "Help me Lord, I need patience!" "Help me Lord, my mouth needs some self control right about now!" "Help me Lord to be gentle and kind." "Help me Lord to know that you love this person who is ticking me off. Help me to love Him the way you do."
I need grace. I need the life giving power of the Holy Spirit. I need the heat to crack open the tough shell of my heart so that love in the form of patience, self control, kindness, and gentleness can begin to grow. I need the discomfort of worshiping in a diverse Body!
