Meg embarked on a quest one spring, about 12 years ago.  There was a new weed in our neighborhood.  This wasn’t surprising because every year there seemed to be a new weed that would creep into our yard, along with all the weeds from prior years.  Weed and feed only helps so much.

This new weed had a lovely yellow flower.  It was very aggressive and would overwhelm whatever patch of ground it invaded, essentially wiping out the grass. I called our county extension office and they told me it was a type of pea vine called Lespedeza. It also gets used as an intentional ground cover, but it escapes. You can see it on Johnson just a half block towards Scenic Highway.

Most weeds aren’t too hard to pull and get the whole root with the plant.  Not Lespedeza.  It is a vine that runs in all directions and inter-weaves with itself.  If you try to pull it, it just breaks off.  And its roots run 8-12 inches below the soil.

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Jesus explains today’s parable of the Sower, giving us analogies for each item in the parable. The seed is the word of God. At heart, the word of God spoken, the person of Jesus, himself, and the kingdom are all one with the father. John wrote the Word was the light of all people, from the beginning. How does that not solve our problems with seeking and following God?

Jesus shares what happens when that seed, that gift, is scattered amongst people of all types and in all moments of their lives. Those who don’t get it at all, don’t get it. At all. That leaves them exposed to all evil, and particularly the evil one, that simply snatches it away.

Sometimes people hear the word and get momentarily inspired by it, but because they don’t root themselves in community, and this is the real danger of trying to go at your faith on your own, like a plant with no root it simply withers as soon as trouble comes.

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As one of his last official acts as our diocesan bishop, Bishop Brewer set today as a feast day in honor of the Reverence Canon Nelson Pinder, who died a year ago tomorrow. As far as I know, we have no other such designations in the history of our diocese. I expect Canon Pinder will eventually be designated as a saint by the Episcopal Church. That says a lot, and there is a lot to say.

We met when he interviewed me in the approval process for ordination. Soon after I was ordained a few years later, we served together on the Commission on Ministry, the committee that helps the bishop oversee that ordination process. Nelson and I served together on it for eight years, seven of which I was the chair. That’s relevant here because for seven years, whenever I’d see him at a meeting or a diocesan function, he’d hail me in a very loud and booming voice “Mr. Chairman.” And he’d call me when he wanted to discuss a candidate.

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