Planting seeds

'The kingdom of heaven is like a mustard seed, which a man took and planted in his field. Though it is the smallest of all your seeds, yet when it grows, it is the largest of garden plants and becomes a tree, so that the birds of the air come and perch in its branches.' - Jesus, Matt 13:31-32

On Sunday afternoon, a group of us began what we hope will be a weekly gathering of Newtown people interested in exploring spiritual things. In the grounds of the cemetery cottage in the famous Camperdown graveyard, we gather for some food, some discussion, some reflection on the bible and prayer. We are open to anyone who wants to come along. There is lots of time to hang out and get to know the other people who are there, plenty of opportunity to figure out together what it means to follow Jesus in this patch of the city.

Over the next few weeks, the group will be thinking about its core values: truth, grace, people, community and diversity. After that, we'll spend just over a month looking at the historical accounts of Jesus. And after that? We're hoping to explore some big themes like forgiveness and reconciliation, and the environment. That should take us through til about the middle of the year.

Also on our radar is a new community garden. A few of us and our friends are keen to plant some herbs and vegies in the backyard of the cottage. I suspect that getting the admin sorted out, preparing the soil, establishing the worm farm etc could take a little while. But perhaps by spring we'll be ready to plant some literal seeds too.


Pics: a mustard seed; our first meeting [ML]