Looking at Christ

We live in a culture where stability, stick-ability and consistency are not really seen as virtues but disabilities. We told that it’s good to be flexible, agile, constantly shifting, morphing, evolving, jumping from one thing to another. Everyone offers us change – politicians, internet providers, management gurus. To stick with one thing, to be the same person yesterday, today and tomorrow is strange, boring, old-fashioned, impractical and probably deadly. Change becomes the new constant, flux and flex the new buzz words. That culture affects us personally and as churches. And there are some things about willingness to change (reformation?) that are hugely positive. We've talked about the need to be willing to change as a good farmer seeking growth . And how change is often spiritually good for us . But there are negative aspects to a culture that makes a virtue of constant instability. Is it good for customers and companies if employees change jobs every year? Is it good for chi...

  Clarkson's Farm has introduced many of us urban-dwellers to some of the realities of farming. The huge impact of unpredictable weather. The volatility of prices (particularly in a pandemic). The very costly investments required. The complexity of the tasks. The sheer number of different things that can go wrong.  The New Testament regularly likens pastors and gospel workers to farmers.  Jesus likens his disciples to workers in a vineyard (Matt. 20:1-16). There will be a final reward for their labour but human expectations and hierarchies are inverted in the Kingdom economy.  Paul and Apollos are agricultural labourers in 'God's field' (the church) with different roles (planting and watering). As such they are nothing in themselves, dependent on God to give the growth, but they will receive a reward for their labours. Paul calls Timothy to the pattern of the 'hardworking farmer'. Again reward is in view which here consists in sharing in the crop for which the f...