Seed-Sowing

John Wesley, the founder of Methodism, was a man of many interests. Not only did he preside over the development of the Methodist movement, travel hundreds of thousands of miles, preach over twenty thousand sermons, and write numerous books, pamphlets and hymns, he also authored books on medical advice, personal finance, and other practical guides for living.

In this latter vein, Wesley started a seed-planting program. Noticing the drabness of the English villages through which he rode in the last half of the 18th century, Wesley began to distribute flower seeds to local townspeople. Through this form of horticultural evangelism, many beautiful gardens came into bloom. Call him the "Johnny Flowerseed" of Great Britain.

It is an exaggeration to attribute (as some do) the transformation of the English countryside into one of the most colorful in the world solely to the seed-distribution program of the Methodists. Yet no doubt there are more gardens throughout the British Isles today than there would have been, had not Wesley imagined a way to brighten and beautify the lives of those around him.

To the gardeners among us, this story may serve as an inspiration to combine a love of God's creation with service to God's kingdom. Such synergisms are very Methodist—putting together the practical and the spiritual in a potent blend.

For the rest of us, nature lovers or not, there is this: We are all planters. By our words and by our actions we sow seeds that blossom often long after our planting them. Seeds of love. Seeds of understanding. Seeds of hope, peace, joy, and faith. Or seeds of distrust, dishonesty and discord.

As kingdom-planters, God asks us to envision the resplendent possibilities lying beneath the present drabness. What is God wanting us to plant, that it might take on shape and form? Like traveling seed-sowers, we may not be around to see the harvest. But our job is to plant and to water and let God do the growing, in God's own time.

All it takes is a little faith, some creative imagination, and a willingness to drop seeds into what may appear to be lifeless soil. It is remarkable to see what God can grow from the smallest of beginnings.

"For truly I tell you, if you have faith the size of a mustard seed, you can move mountains; nothing will be impossible for you." (Matthew 17:20)

Happy Planting,
Pastor Roy

P.S. Click the picture or link below to read the full June 2025 edition of The Beacon.