ACORNS
Anyone notice it? ACORNS. Millions...Billions...Trillions of ACORNS. Everywhere. I don't even have any Oak trees (sometimes referred to by me as Acorn trees, but again, I digress), but it's hard not to notice the massive amounts of acorns being created this year. They're everywhere.
Anyone know why? (Oh, oh, my hands up...pick me!!!) In the life-cycle of trees there is something called a "Mast Year". That's when the tree produces about 5 times it's usual amount of "fruit". In this case, acorns. It's the way God designed trees. It's to assure that the trees not only produce a substantial amount of fruit, but assure that other trees will be produced in the process as well. This year is a Mast Year.
However, the previous year followed a drought, which saw little production, and this season follows a good wet season. That's resulted in about a 3x greater crop than usual, to make up for the previous year. 3x5=15. Yep, we're experiencing the perfect acorn storm. Mast Year (5x) coupled with a wet season following a drought (3x), and there you have it, 15 times the usual output!
The CHURCH needs a MAST YEAR. We've seen the drought. Taken the spiritual temperature of our nation lately? More people than ever consider themselves "Nothings" than ever before. In the census, Americans are asked their religious preference. Most people at least mark something, even if they aren't really associated with a Church or with God or with anything spiritual. But, recently there is an unprecedented escalation of those catagorizing themselves as "nothings". However you want to spin that, God and His Church are having less and less impact on our nation and our culture. We're in a drought, spiritually.
We need RAIN. We need a MAST YEAR. But one more thing...what do you think about all the ACORNS? Do you grumble and complain that they are there? Do you get mad that they're messing up your yard or your driveway? Do you just ignore them and hope they'll just go away or get picked up by the lawnmower? (by the way, if left in your yard, they will deteriorate, produce excess tannins and do long-term damage to your soil and anything you're trying to grow in it) What the acorns need is someone to harvest them. Takes time and attention. Takes work. But, it's necessary.
My fear is that if God gave the Church a SPIRITUAL MAST YEAR, we would do exactly the same thing with the spiritual harvest that we do with the Acorn harvest...complain and ignore and watch it rot. "These people are messy. These people are ruining our church. Are we really going to allow these people to serve here? Are they really welcome here? Aren't you going to preach about their particular brand of sin that we find repulsive" (while we've become quite comfortable with our own brand)?
We need a MAST YEAR. I'm just not sure we'd know what to do with it.
Anyone know why? (Oh, oh, my hands up...pick me!!!) In the life-cycle of trees there is something called a "Mast Year". That's when the tree produces about 5 times it's usual amount of "fruit". In this case, acorns. It's the way God designed trees. It's to assure that the trees not only produce a substantial amount of fruit, but assure that other trees will be produced in the process as well. This year is a Mast Year.
However, the previous year followed a drought, which saw little production, and this season follows a good wet season. That's resulted in about a 3x greater crop than usual, to make up for the previous year. 3x5=15. Yep, we're experiencing the perfect acorn storm. Mast Year (5x) coupled with a wet season following a drought (3x), and there you have it, 15 times the usual output!
The CHURCH needs a MAST YEAR. We've seen the drought. Taken the spiritual temperature of our nation lately? More people than ever consider themselves "Nothings" than ever before. In the census, Americans are asked their religious preference. Most people at least mark something, even if they aren't really associated with a Church or with God or with anything spiritual. But, recently there is an unprecedented escalation of those catagorizing themselves as "nothings". However you want to spin that, God and His Church are having less and less impact on our nation and our culture. We're in a drought, spiritually.
We need RAIN. We need a MAST YEAR. But one more thing...what do you think about all the ACORNS? Do you grumble and complain that they are there? Do you get mad that they're messing up your yard or your driveway? Do you just ignore them and hope they'll just go away or get picked up by the lawnmower? (by the way, if left in your yard, they will deteriorate, produce excess tannins and do long-term damage to your soil and anything you're trying to grow in it) What the acorns need is someone to harvest them. Takes time and attention. Takes work. But, it's necessary.
My fear is that if God gave the Church a SPIRITUAL MAST YEAR, we would do exactly the same thing with the spiritual harvest that we do with the Acorn harvest...complain and ignore and watch it rot. "These people are messy. These people are ruining our church. Are we really going to allow these people to serve here? Are they really welcome here? Aren't you going to preach about their particular brand of sin that we find repulsive" (while we've become quite comfortable with our own brand)?
We need a MAST YEAR. I'm just not sure we'd know what to do with it.
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