A Demonstration Plot for the Kingdom of God
Alongside of our Diocesan Office on Bay Street in Savannah, a couple of rangy mulberry trees thrive despite frequent cutting by the power company. The mulberry is a tree with roots in Savannah going back to the arrival of the Anglican experiment that founded the colony in 1733, and its story points toward how we might picture the church today.
The Rev. Thomas Bray served only two and a half months as a priest in Maryland before returning to England. Back in England, Bray ministered in prisons by offering beef and beer dinners to prisoners on Sundays. Young James Oglethorpe helped with the ministry and went on to create a Christian utopia in Georgia with the ideal of no slaves or lawyers, and no accumulation of land beyond 150 acres per family.
On arrival, the Trustees Garden was created as a deomnstration garden to experiment with crops and farming methods. The mulberry was grown in hopes of establishing a silk trade from the new colony. The demonstration plot proved more successful at growing cotton, peaches, and rice than the hoped for mulberries, grapes and olives. Since 1956, the Diocese of Georgia has housed its Bishop’s office in a humble two-story brick building on the site.
The kingdom of God could use some demonstration plots. This is the connection between the history of Trustees Garden and the future of our Diocese. I was reminded of this by Dr. Dwight Zscheile’s presentation at last week’s clergy conference. Dr. Clarence Jordan also used this image in founding Koinonia Farms outside of Americus, Georgia. The idea is to carry out the Christian faith in some places in such a public way that others see the Gospel of Jesus Christ being lived out today.
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Second, “demonstration plots” are created in public places so that farmers can watch the progress of the crops or methods used in the experimental garden. This would mean that the work going on would have to be shared with the public as we can’t lead by example unless others know the example we set. One way to do this is through sponsoring Episcopal Service Corps, as we will be doing through the Campaign for Congregational Development. Having a group of young persons living in Christian community out working in the neighborhood where they live could form one small example of a public garden for the Kingdom.
How might your congregation live out the Gospel in a way the neighbors will notice, not for the sake of your church so much as for the sake of the Gospel?
The Rev. Canon Frank Logue
Canon to the Ordinary
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