Blog All

_{by Trent}
A minister, that I know, keeps a jar of wheat-germ on his shelf in his office. Every so often, somebody asks why he has that sitting around. "That is my illustration of the church."

You will notice something about wheat germ in a sealed container ... Each little seed is just like every other. Exactly! They have shiny little coats, unsoiled by the world. Just open the lid and take a whiff. It has an awful aroma. Hehe. Maybe it does make a good illustration of the church. But there is more to it.

If you put your ears up to the can you can almost hear them singing the hymns ... "Bringing in the sheaves, Bringing in the sheaves, We will go rejoicing, Bringing in the sheaves." Ironic, with such little chance of bringing in anything.

One day you can take one of them out and try to tell them about being sown into the world. But, as persuasive as you can be, the quivering little cowardly little wheat seed will mutter "Are the other one's coming with me?" and "What about our sing-spirationals .. if we leave the jar."

The seed just doesn't get it.

"Why are you digging that hole?" "Where are all the others?" "What are you going to do with me?"

You explain, that you are going to drop the seed into the hole and cover him up with dirt.

"But, why?" the seed gets frantic, "It will be dark down there!" "and, and, and ... the worms will be going in and out, oh dear! My shiny coat!"

But the wise farmer knows the reproductive life within the seed, can overcome the darkness and the dirt.

John 12:24
"I tell you the truth, unless a kernel of wheat falls to the ground and dies, it remains only a single seed. But if it dies, it produces many seeds."

Kinda puts it all in perspective doesn't it?

I sure see why the minister uses a jar of wheat germ as the illustration of the church, and it is sad point to make. We are meant for so much more then congregating and spectating. If there is life within us, we will be sown into the field.

It might be scary to the timid ... one is only ready when one is made ready. I say this as a church-goer ... some ready sooner then others.