Community Garden

Written by Trish Blomquist, CtK Member

Like vines in the garden, these are rambling thoughts of expressing the joys of gardening!
 
God, the very first gardener, planted his garden with love.  Today we plant and tend the Community Garden with love.  God planted his garden with joy.  We plant our community garden with joy in knowing that we are serving our friends and neighbors with food for their tables.  We ask God to open our eyes to see more clearly the relationship of gardener and Father’s love for everyone.
 
Gardening is an important part of many people’s lives every year.  Each year we come to appreciate the garden more, even though our joints and muscles might say otherwise. The word that keeps coming to me is solace.  The feel of the soil in your hands and the beauty and resilience of the plants that populate the garden soothe the soul.  Watching the blossoms grow and the fruit develop knowing that it will feed someone is a gift from God.  Viewing a garden can fill you with peace and happiness.  For me it brings joy when I am looking at the green vegetation and have the opportunity to “play” in the dirt.
 
Christ the King’s Community Garden has been in existence for approximately five years.  The garden is not only a source of food for the community, but also as an opportunity for relationship building and connecting with our neighbors.  The original stated purpose for the Community Garden was building relationships, connecting with neighbors, and providing food for the local food shelf.  These goals have been met with joy and awe, especially when we harvest the produce, share at Local Night Out, share on the “Sharing Table” in the narthex, and contribute to the local food shelf.  Last year we donated over 300 pounds of produce, and we are well on the way to that amount again this year.  It is a joy to have neighbors walk by the garden as we are working and begin a conversation – outreach in the simplest of forms! The Community Garden “buddies” are grateful for the time together and the work we do in the name of our Lord.  Gardening is a work of heart!
 
In the Bible, there are many references to gardens or seeds. Here are a few examples.
Genesis  The story of creation and Adam and Eve in the garden.
Psalm 8:16  He is like a well-watered plant in the sunshine, spreading its shoots over the garden.
Matthew 13: 31-32  The kingdom of heaven is like a mustard seed, which a man took and planted in his field.
Matthew 13:37  The one who sowed the good seed is the Son of Man.
Mathew 14:13-21  Feeding the 5,000. This is similar to our contributing to the local food shelf.
 
If you are interested in being a part of the Community Garden group contact me, Trish Blomquist, at 651-283-3173 and we will get you involved. Lettuce turnip the beets in the garden together!