Dear Church Family,
I am so grateful for the several gardeners in our midst who pay such attention to beautifying the church grounds and who provide the gorgeous flower arrangements each Sunday.   Francis Bacon, in an essay “On Gardens” declared that not only did God first plant a garden, but also tending a garden “is the purest of human pleasures.”  English Poet Dorothy Frances Gurney claimed “one is never closer to God than in a garden,” and I am inclined to agree.
The visit of a seminary classmate this week reminded me of that close connection.  Mark is a college professor who taught religious studies and English composition for 40 years while running a small orchard in North Haven.  In retirement he has overseen a vegetable farm and greenhouse in Maine. The interplay of the two realms was natural to him.   Jesus, after all, was close to the soil and many of his parables came from the world of farming and reflect images of growth.  I am struck by the recent effort of several seminaries (including the two I attended) to establish small farms or provide other opportunities to give theological students the chance to connect the natural world to the life of faith.
This is Independence Day weekend, and I wish you a happy 4th.  This Sunday, we will be exploring those dual loyalties of God and country. The texts are 2 Kings 20:1-6 and I Peter 2:4-12.  The sermon is “Prayer and Providence.”  We will also celebrate communion.   
I look forward to seeing you in church.
Peace and Joy,
Rich