"All Shoots. No Roots."

(Fallen tree on Pelham Parkway North. Bronx, New York, U.S.A. Photos taken October 31, 2012.)

Pastor Shane made a profound comment during his message this past Sunday. He said, and I paraphrase, "I had spent all my life in church, but I had no relationship with Jesus."

And, he was not merely a casual church attender. He was busy. Busy as an usher, busy in the youth programs, busy going on ministry trips. Any observer would tell you that he was very involved and engaged in God's project at Bronx Bethany.

The reality, though, according to his own testimony, was that he was far from God.

We thank God that Pastor Shane was a recipient of God's grace, and that he responded to God's invitation to draw near to Him.

The title of today's post is a phrase I heard in a recent podcast from Metro West Church of the Nazarene, where Rev. Ronald Benjamin is the senior pastor. He used the phrase during a sermon on the parable of the sower (see Matthew chapter 13). And he made a very strong case for the parable being not so much about the sower, nor the seeds, as it is about the types of ground where the seeds fell.

So, what is the "ground" that produces all shoots but no roots? It is the person who engages ministry without first having been firmly planted in the word of God. He is present every time the church doors open. She is a great teacher with lots of head knowledge about Scripture. He is quick to volunteer. She stays behind to clean up after luncheons.

What happens to him when the winds of adversity blow? What does she do when she is offered the ease of sin versus the trial of obedience? Matthew tells us how Jesus interprets His own parable. "The seed sown on rocky ground is the person who hears the word and immediately receives it with joy. But he has no root in himself and does not endure; when trouble or persecution comes because of the word, immediately he falls away." (Matthew 13:20-21, italics mine)

When we think of lack of endurance, on the first contemplation, we may think it means someone will burn out quickly: in days, months, or perhaps in a year or so. I wish it were that swift. Sadly, some believers grow over decades without ever being rooted and grounded in Christ. Much like the tree in the above photos, there are lots of leaves, branches, and a solid trunk. Ministry is "happening". However, the roots are shallow-- not deep enough to support the believer when the strong winds of temptation or adversity blow.

End results?

A dead tree. Whether literal or figurative, ministers and ministries that are not grounded in Christ fail. And, they do die: some figuratively, some literally.
A blocked road. Persons who admired or deified such ministers or ministries become disillusioned, as the ministry failure becomes a stumbling block to the faith of others.
A lengthy cleanup process. Ministers and ministries who are solidly grounded are tasked to step in and deal with the messes left behind by others. And, it's a long process: a tree can fall in seconds, but it takes years for a new planting to be properly rooted and grown to full stature.

So, in actuality, today's post is neither about Shane nor Ronald, nor their sermons. It's about you.

*Are you rooted and grounded in the Word and Spirit of Christ?
*Do your actions point people to Christ our Savior, or to yourself?
*What does your thought life indicate about the state of your spiritual root system?

Therefore I ask you not to lose heart at my tribulations on your behalf, for they are your glory. For this reason I bow my knees before the Father...that He would grant you, according to the riches of His glory, to be strengthened with power through His Spirit in the inner man... and that you, being rooted and grounded in love, may be able to comprehend with all the saints what is the breadth and length and height and depth, and to know the love of Christ which surpasses knowledge, that you may be filled up to all the fulness of God. (see Ephesians 3:13-19)

First, grow down. Then, grow up.