Sometimes it feels like we have had to abandon ship and are in life rafts.  More recently I have had the sense of being in a hurricane. Its a time to shelter in the basement and wait for the storm to pass,  ‘Batten down the hatches’ etc.

Once the hurricane passes we can safely access the damage and begin to build new structures.

 

The farmer picture (shared recently by Janette) may be saying that we need to beware of sowing out of season but also when the climate is not right.  Now is the time to develop the vision further and also to begin to trial ( prototype) new ministries.  But, we need to keep the bulk of our seeds ready to sow when God says the time is right.  (Perhaps the drought relates to the unexpected emergence of new strains of Covid such as Omicron?). 

This ties in with the Luke passage we have just heard where Jesus first tells them to take the boat out near the shore (so he can talk to the crowd) but later to go out into deep waters where there is a large catch waiting.

³¹ but those who hope in the Lord
    will renew their strength.
They will soar on wings like eagles;
    they will run and not grow weary,
    they will walk and not be faint.

I have a strong sense that we need to change how we operate. It is as if we are caterpillars but God calls us to spread our wings and fly like butterflies. We need to be spirit filled rather than doing what we have done before in our own strength.

¹⁶ They discussed this with one another and said, ‘It is because we have no bread.’
A crumpet for example is a flat piece of bread except for the holes! If you allow something to rise more than it should be then it becomes all air.
Be careful you don;t puff something up more than it really is. Keep to the basics of what it is inside