The Seeds of Faith Fell Into Good Soil

The Parable of the Sower
(Matthew 13:1-23; Mark 4:4-9; Luke 8:4-15)

Again he began to teach beside the sea. Such a very large crowd gathered around him that he got into a boat on the sea and sat there, while the whole crowd was beside the sea on the land. He began to teach them many things in parables, and in his teaching he said to them: “Listen! A sower went out to sow. And as he sowed, some seed fell on the path, and the birds came and ate it up. Other seed fell on rocky ground, where it did not have much soil, and it sprang up quickly, since it had no depth of soil. And when the sun rose, it was scorched; and since it had no root, it withered away. Other seed fell among thorns, and the thorns grew up and choked it, and it yielded no grain. Other seed fell into good soil and brought forth grain, growing up and increasing and yielding thirty and sixty and a hundredfold.” And he said, “Let anyone with ears to hear listen.”

I am not one to quote from religious texts, but I thought I’d share how my First Central Church experience mirrors the Parable of the Sower and a bit about my spiritual journey. Although I studied scripture at church and then in college, I find that only now have I begun to really appreciate its many stories and lessons. For example, someone recently read the Parable of the Sower out loud. Now, had it been 2 years or even 5 years ago, I would have tuned out, but this time I sat quietly and truly listened to the words and message the story had for me at that moment. For me, I immediately thought of my spiritual journey as the seed, and First Central as the good soil. I have always been the one to question, doubt and explore. First Central nourished these traits, welcomed my questions, and let me explore and find my own spiritual path- no matter what. Because of this, I can say that First Central was not a stone path, which left the seeds of my faith unprotected; it was not rocky shallow ground, which left my seeds of faith without a firm foundation on which to grow, nor was First Central a patch of thorns which choked my seeds of faith before I was given the chance to grow tall. First Central’s open and loving community only fertilized and enriched my faith experience, and helped shape my values and beliefs. I can truly say that because of my supportive family and First Central that I have seen my spiritual journey develop and mature over the years. It has brought forth a deeper understanding of myself and my community, therefore increasing a hundredfold my love and appreciation for all. Posted by: Hanna W.