God gives generously to each of us and invites our cooperation. The best illustration for this is the parable of the sower.
"Jesus said, 'A sower went out to sow his seed … Some fell into good soil, and when it grew, it produced a hundredfold…' "
As Christians, we're expected to be progressively transformed and more spiritually formed. To do so, Siddall and Stuckey assert that we need to find lifestyles and practices that help us through the slow, deep process of discerning and nurturing our God-given potential.
"We need to pay attention to what God is doing and create the best conditions we can to reach our full potential and to support others in doing the same," they write. "We are always engaged in a process of spiritual growth. We can either go with the flow of growing 'seeds' or hinder their growth."
Learn how practices embraced by generations of Christians can become tools for nurturing your own "hundredfold" growth. This 6-week study (self-guided or as a group) encourages deeper understanding of God's love and affirmation. Discerning God's hope for your life grows naturally out of recognizing God's care for you.
Tending the Seed invites you to work with your life experience. "Sometimes people look everywhere outside themselves to satisfy a need for 'something more' when their own experiences, longings, and questions provide fertile ground for new growth and wisdom," write Siddall and Stuckey.
God is active in your life right now. Expect change to happen!
Ann Siddall serves The Uniting Church in Australia in her expertise of spiritual formation, which is the process of growing in faith and becoming more Christ-like in your life. She teaches in this area at Adelaide College of Divinity, leads retreats, and guides congregations in long-term visioning and planning. Siddall's education includes a diploma in pastoral ministry and training as a spiritual director. A former journalist, she continues to write and serves as a lay preacher. She enjoys travel, books, and meals with friends.
Gary Stuckey, an ordained minister, currently serves Colonel Light Gardens Uniting Church (Australia) and is a trained spiritual director. He often leads retreats and teaches meditation in local church settings. Stuckey's education includes a BA in theology from Murdoch University in Perth, and he is currently studying for a Master of Ministry at Adelaide College of Divinity. He and his wife, Marilyn, have two grown children. Stuckey enjoys music, making candles, and Tai Chi. He is a domestic member of The Brothers and Sisters of Charity, a monastic community in Arkansas.