THREE TREES THIS SUMMER - LPNI

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THREE TREES THIS SUMMER

Bible Study

Lutheran Parish Nurse International

Three Part Bible Study

Rev. Daniel Paavola, Ph.D.

July, 2022

THREE TREES THIS SUMMER

Bible Study #1—The Mighty Maple

“He has now reconciled (you) in his body of flesh by his death, in order to present you holy and blameless and above reproach before him, if indeed you continue in the faith, stable and steadfast.” Colossians 1:22-23

I love trees, almost any kind. Mighty maples, spruces that drag their branches on the ground, pine trees with their endless supply of cones, and, of course, apple trees. We have all those in our yard and this week we’re going to focus on three of them. (And, by the way, I’m writing this on a perfect summer morning in our back yard, with each tree right in front of me. I wish you all were here to enjoy the beauty of great trees.) Each tree illustrates a particular verse in Colossians and God’s expectations for us this and every summer.

What was your favorite tree, either now or in the past? What made that tree so special?

Let’s start with the mighty maple tree which is the center of our back yard. This is a wonderful tree with its full-to-overflowing leaves. It catches the west wind and makes the best ‘woosh-woosh’ sound as the wind flows through. It is the center of our backyard where it casts the best summer shade. Our swing sits underneath, cool and inviting under the care of the maple. When we have a storm, the maple takes the brunt of the wind before it hits the house. Our shingles are safe and the maple looks just the same after the storm as it did before.

In a way, wouldn’t you want to be that maple tree? In part, that is the expectation of this verse from Colossians. Notice how Paul says that we are to be holy and blameless and above reproach, stable and steadfast. Stable and steadfast are certainly the qualities of the maple tree and it is perfect for our yard. What a wonderful picture of God’s plan for each of us. He has planted us intentionally where we are and he has made us stable and steadfast. It is not because of our strength, but he has placed us where he also protects and shelters. The maple tree shelters us, but God is the strength and guard over us.

Steadfast: what a wonderful word to describe either a person or God himself. What kind of person comes to mind with the word: Steadfast?

When have you known someone who proved to be ‘steadfast’ for you?

How does God exemplify stable and steadfast?

How is God the sheltering maple for our lives?

Because of his grace, he sees us as holy and blameless. It is his mercy that sees no fault in us, only his plan at work. So, find a mighty maple in your yard or neighborhood and be reminded of the strength that God has and his intention that we stand in that strength of his, sheltering the world around us.

Our Heavenly Father, thank you for creating us and planting us intentionally where we are. Help us to be strong and steadfast through your power so that we might be a shelter to those around us. We pray in Jesus’ name, Amen.

Bible Study #2—The Graceful Willow

“Therefore, as you received Christ Jesus the Lord, so walk in Him, rooted and built up in him and established in the faith, just as you were taught, abounding in thanksgiving. Colossians 2:6-7

On our first study, we started to talk about favorite trees in the yard. We started with the mighty maple and you might think that it is my favorite. Now, there’s much to love about the maple—strong, beautiful, spreading across the middle of the back yard. But just ask my wife Holly which is my favorite tree in our yard and she would say instantly, “It’s the willow.” We have two weeping willows in our back yard and one of them is especially magnificent. Holly and I just measured it. The trunk is 8 feet, 10 inches around. The branches spread out 44 feet from north to south. It’s tall but I don’t know exactly how tall. I read the internet directions on how to figure out the height of a tree without climbing it or cutting it down. The directions said the formula is basic trigonometry. Not basic enough for me! I couldn’t figure it out, so let’s just say the tree is really tall.

What is the charm of a really big tree, one that towers over the others and overshadows the house? (Our willow is far higher than our house, maybe twice the height.)

At the same time, the willows branches reach all the way to the ground. Imagine being a six year old and the games of hide and seek she could have under this tree, and the hidden ‘forts’ she might make.

But here’s what you have to love about the willow. It’s always moving. Right now, it’s a calm morning, but even now, the willow is swaying a little. With any reasonable breeze, the willow is swaying beautifully. Who needs a weathervane when you have a willow? In a storm, the willow’s branches stream straight out parallel to the ground but hardly any break. When the storm is gone, the willow goes right back to its own rhythm.

I think our verse today would have us be willow trees. Notice the contrast of the verse, “So walk in Him, rooted and built up in His and established in the faith, just as you were taught, abounding in thanksgiving.” Be rooted and established. That speaks of something fixed and permanent, deeply rooted like this ancient willow. So, we are rooted in God’s call of us from eternity. He has adopted us as his children from before the foundation of the world. Those are deep roots.

I don’t know how deep the roots are on the willow, but they must be impressive to hold this huge tree. How are we deeply rooted in Christ, like the willow?

Why do we need this deep-rooted nature in our lives of faith?

How does God strengthen and deepen our roots with him? Especially, how do storms and high winds deepen our tie with God?

But then notice that Paul says that, rooted as we are, we are also to walk in Him. What a great contrast. Rooted but walking. Fixed but moving. That’s the image of our restless willow. It was made to move. So, we are not merely fixed in place but we are rooted to walk. The willow is endlessly, gracefully moving. Wouldn’t that be a wonderful description of our walk==endlessly, gracefully walking with Him. Every day is a chance to move at his direction. Our walk with him isn’t for us alone but for the bringing of grace to those around us. We get to move and to speak, pointing to Him for the grace he has shown to us. By God’s mercy, we are the rooted and yet constantly moving willow.

When do you see people gracefully move like the willow?

What is especially attractive about the people who move like a willow and who show a grace-filled life, whether the winds are calm or blowing hard?

Our Heavenly Father, thank you for planting us firmly so that we are rooted in your grace. But help us also to walk and move in that grace. Let the winds of our world show the resiliency of your promise to be with us through any and every storm. We pray in Jesus’ name, Amen.

Bible Study #3—Katies’ Pine Tree

“If then you have been raised with Christ, seek the things that are above, where Christ is, seated at the right hand of God. Set your minds on things that are above, not on things that are on earth.” Colossians 3:1-2

We’ve been talking about trees this study. We’ve talked about the two giants in our yard, the mighty maple and the towering willow. You might say we’ve gone from big to bigger and you’d expect that we’ll end with the biggest. But no, our final tree is one of the smallest in our yard but it’s the one we measure more than any other.

It’s a little pine tree on the northwest corner of our backyard. Katie, the youngest daughter of our house’s former owner, planted that little pine. We were told that she got it at a school event, a little twig about a foot tall. She wanted to put it in the yard and so they put it in the far corner. Katie’s Dad told me that it was so small, it looked like a pencil stuck in the ground.

What is the smallest tree you have or have had? When were you like Katie and planted a tree or other plant and wanted it to grow, even though it was so small?

Amazingly, it has grown, spreading its branches some 9 feet now. It’ maybe 15-18 feet tall—I’m guessing here since I still haven’t mastered basic trigonometry. But the key is how it’s growing. Our maple and willow trees are about as big as they’re going to get, I guess. But we’ve been watching the pine tree grow every year. We take guesses on how high it’s going to be relative to our neighbor’s roofline. In three years, it’s passed their roof and is stretching for the sky.

Maybe we are all growing pine trees. We might feel, at times, that we’ve been planted by accident in this time and place. But God has put us where we are, here and now, so that we can reach beyond this time and place.

How do you see God intentionally planting you in the time and place in which you are now?

When have you felt you were a tiny pine tree planted among giant maples and oakes?

We are pine trees stretching upward far beyond this little patch of ground and time. Paul told us to set our minds on things that are above, not on things that are on earth. The pine tree grows up, always up. The willow tree loves to drag its branches on the ground. Not the pine tree. Every spring and summer, new growth spikes upward. What a picture of the growth God calls for from us. We are not earth-bound, but are truly made for the heavens above.

How can we be like the small pine tree, reaching upward?

What are some of the measuring marks you use to see your growth?

God will raise us up to eternal life and we will be remade for an eternity above. So, watch that little tree in your yard and see how it stretches up. What a reminder for us to set our minds on the growing we’re doing, all leading upward to the heaven which will be our lasting home.

Our Heavenly Father, thank you for planting us by your great design. Now help us to grow upward with our goal to be with you for eternity. We pray in Jesus’ name, Amen.