“Welcoming The Planting Season!”

“Welcoming The Planting Season!”(I Thes. 5:14-24).
“And we urge you, brothers, warn those who are idle, encourage the timid, help the weak, be patient with everyone. Make sure that nobody pays back wrong for wrong, but always try to be kind to each other and to everyone else. Be joyful always; pray continually, give thanks in all circumstances, for this is God’s will for you in Christ Jesus. Do not put out the Spirit’s fire; do not treat prophecies with contempt. Test everything. Hold on to the good. Avoid every kind of evil.
May God himself, the God of peace, sanctify you through and through. May your whole spirit, soul and body be kept blameless at the coming of our Lord Jesus Christ. The one who calls you is faithful and he will do it.”
Some English Bible versions rightfully caption this pericope of Thessalonians, “Final Instructions. “ An instruction can either be
1.”a direction or order,” or, 2. “detailed information about how something should be done or operated.”
The above biblical quotation is so simple and self-explanatory and needs no sermonising.
Today is “Seed Blessing Sunday” for Christians of the PCC. Understandably so as the rains has touched down in almost every village in Cameroon. Some farmers have already prepared the ground and as soon as the rains touched the ground, they went planting.
Back in the days, my father was a member of the “Nda Nsi,” a fertility society, etc. During the planting season members of this society will bring corn seeds from their homes, perform certain rituals on it. When the seeds were brought home, it was shared in bits to as many women as possible. The quantity given to each person could not plant a single bed; it was enough to plant a bit in the north, west, east and south ends of the farm. By this it was believed that the crops were protected against witchcraft.
Blessing of seeds and protecting the farms from evil people is common to many African peoples.
When Christians bring their seeds for blessings, it is an acknowledgement that all good things around us are sent from heaven above.
We do not only bring our Thanksgiving harvest to the LORD; we first of all bring the seeds to him for blessing.
Our text is befitting for the season concerning all of us.
*”And we urge you, brothers, *warn* those who are idle, encourage the timid, help the weak, be patient with everyone…”
Not everybody is hardworking; and not everybody likes work. We have a Christian responsibility to warn idle loafers. We have to encourage the timid ones. Some put their effort to work, but are weak. We should help them.
We have different dispositions and so everybody will not do things our way. That is why we should be patient with everyone.
Since our times are in God’s hands, even with all our efforts, only him can keep our spirits, soul and body blameless at the coming of our Lord Jesus Christ. He who calls us is faithful and he will do it!
Sunday prayer: Heavenly Father, as we plough the fields and plant good seeds, let your mighty hands feed and water them. Amen!
Have a blessed Sunday! Peace be with you!
Rev Babila Fochang.