On a scorching summer morning, a small group gathered in the shade of a willow tree to create a scarecrow with a melon head and sweet potato feet.
The scarecrow was created and entered into the local flower show by a small community that meets weekly in a place they call ‘The Garden’ in Portishead. They named the scarecrow ‘Homegrown’, and what they created might be described as simple and possibly beautiful, but without doubt, ‘Homegrown’ was beautifully and wonderfully made.
‘Homegrown’ was created in the beauty and holiness of creation. His origin and our origins are held together in the stories of creation. God created the vegetation that formed the structure of ‘Homegrown’ before life was breathed into humanity (Genesis 1:11), a long time before Jesus called his first followers into community; to be with him and to be sent out by him. To eat with him, pray with him and learn with him.
The garden community is in its early days; we are forming a community that eat, pray and learn together. We nurture, love and value one another. We are a community that is starting to form fellowship; members are beginning just to muck in and get involved. The community value the individual gifts that we all bring to ‘The Garden’.
‘Homegrown’ was brought into being through a heavenly cornucopia of fruitfulness, created through fellowship cake, tea, and coffee and birthed under the grace and shade of a willow tree on a hot July morning. ‘Homegrown’ has gifted a little community a space to dream, to dream of building a greenhouse big enough to grow melons and sweet potatoes.
A dream rooted in the reality that God is at work in this little green space that we call ‘The Garden’.
By Lindsay Smith