Among the Wheat and the Weeds – St. Nick’s News July 20, 2023

Full St. Nick’s News for July 20, 2023

Dear Friends-

At this point in the lectionary (our Sunday readings) we are in Matthew chapter 13 and are hearing parable after parable. This week we have a parable about the wheat and the weeds. You can find it at this link. As I have studied, I have learned a lot about weeds this week. Until this week, I did not know that the Oxeye Daisy was considered a noxious weed in Kansas, Colorado and Missouri. It’s my favorite flower! Imagine my confusion.

A noxious weed is a plant that grows out of control and can harm other plants or crops. The Oxeye Daisy has underground runners or rhizomes that help their spread. They also have numerous seeds that can spread far. So this sweet looking flower is actually quite aggressive and quite hardy!

Come to think of it, I shouldn’t be surprised by my affinity for plants that are considered weeds. Afterall, we have the Agarita plant purposefully growing on the side of our outdoor chapel. Some in Texas feel that the Agarita Plant is a weed. I am particularly fond of this plant since it is the inspiration for our St. Nick’s logo.

The Agarita is a native plant to Texas, New Mexico, Arizona and Mexico It is a shrub with spiky, holly-like foliage. The leaves are a grey-green color and they have yellow flowers that appear in winter and berries that form during the summer months. It is a hardy plant that can take our hot summers and when rain is plentiful, it can grow to be over 6 feet.

We immediately loved the idea of finding inspiration in a plant that is hard to get rid of, can take all sorts of conditions, and provides beauty in one season and sustenance in another. We also loved that it reminds us of holly berries – being a church named St. Nicholas, you have to love the nod and wink to Christmas.

From the start, St. Nick’s DNA has been one of creativity, beauty, fortitude, and perseverance. Much like the “weeds” we have been talking about in the Agarita that can grow to amazing heights and the Oxeye Daisy that can pervasively spread beyond imagination.

I hope you will join us on Sunday to hear more about wheat and weeds and how God has been working in our lives. While you are at the church, take a look at our Agaritas and say a little prayer for their perseverance and all the growth to come. Come to think of it (once again), say a little prayer for St. Nick’s, her perseverance and all the growth to come too.

God’s Peace, Love, and Blessings,
Beth+