God Gives the Growth

by Pastor Bill Lawson

For the earth bringeth forth fruit of herself; first the blade, then the ear, after that the full corn in the ear.  Mark 4:28

The parable of corn sprouting, growing and bearing fruit has universal application as an image of beginning, middle and end.  A similar comparison was made by St. Paul writing how some plant, others water, but God gives the growth.  Solomon’s Temple started with a long period of planning and gathering resources, followed by the construction period;  finally, when all the work was complete, the Glory of God filled the temple.  On the the day of Pentecost, the people were gathered in one accord.  As they were worshipping, the Holy Spirit descended and the experience intensified until the Lord added three thousand souls to their original number of one hundred and twenty.  We plant and cultivate, then God gives the growth.

Blade = Attend in the Spirit

Beginnings are often mysterious, seemingly sprouting from ideas or feelings whose origins are themselves a mystery.  The beginning of worship is likewise a mysterious “blade” that begins to form when we are present in the spirit.  Isaiah was worshipping in the temple when he saw the Lord, “high and lifted up and His train filled the temple.”  John was alone in exile on Patmos when he was “caught up in the spirit on the Lord’s day” and received the Revelation of Jesus Christ.  Our worship of God begins when we present ourselves to God with an open heart and mind, ready to receive the divine blessing.

Ear = Respond to the Spirit

The “ear” is an image we can use to think about our response to how the Spirit of God is moving within us and among all who may be present at the time.  When we worship God in spirit, we join together with the Eternal Body of Christ, with all who have gone before us and are now alive and worshipping in Heaven, and with all who are alive and worshipping in Earth.  They are represented in the Revelation by the elders and saints and martyrs and white robed throngs gathered around the crystal sea, praising God and singing, "Worthy is the Lamb!"  Our spirits joins their spirits as the Holy Spirit floods our minds with imagery and our hearts with "joy unspeakable and full of glory."  Through these mystical movements of the spirit, uniting us in one accord before the Throne of Grace and Mercy, we receive impressions that shape our decisions, commitments, and actions. 

Corn = Blessed by the Spirit

The result of being present and responsive is the blessing of the Spirit, and that is the "corn" in this parable.  The corn is a gift.  Until the shuck is removed, no one knows for sure what lies beneath.  But if the conditions leading up to harvest are right, then the fruit of all that has gone on before is now a wonderfully surprising gift of mature, ripe, tasty corn.  Likewise, if our worship experience is what it should be, then the results will be the bearing of wonderful spiritual fruit.  The "fruits of the spirit" include love, joy and the others, and are represented in the Revelation by the Tree of Life lining the River of Life flowing down the median of the main golden street of the City of New Jerusalem, bearing all kinds of fruit, "and its leaves are for the healing of the nations."  The "corn" of worship is the overflowing abundance of blessings the Holy Spirit pours into our spirit and the results that follow in the wake for days, years and even generations.

We are invited to open our hearts and minds to the presence of God.  We are invited to join with all other worshippers in Heaven and Earth, in Time and Eternity, to sing and pray and praise God.  Then, when we are where we are supposed to be in the spirit, and when we are doing what we are supposed to be doing in the spirit, the Spirit of God will pour out blessings in us and through us so abundantly that not only are our own souls enraptured, but we have plenty of joy to share with our friends and family and everyone else.

So, let's worship!