The Farm without a Farmer
I wish my parables could be even close to being as meaningful as Jesus’ parables. His will always be by far the best, mine are pathetic in comparison. I know. But some sort of mild inspiration can strike even the simple at times. These musings came into my thoughts one day. Its kind of where I am at the moment in considering our church at large and how we lead it.
Pastor Steve B.
Once upon a time there was a very large Adventist family who wanted a farm. They wanted it to be successful, they wanted it to be blessed, and they wanted it to be an example of what every other farm should be.
So they went to work right away. They were given only a limited amount of time to create a successful farm. They were up against an imminent deadline, because the Farmer of Farmers was coming soon to visit!
They soon all agreed that for any farm to be successful it needed a mission statement. Even though it is obvious what a farm is for—some thought that it was necessary to say it in words; and perhaps eventually post it over the barn door. Apparently, according to a the experts, people don’t know what farms are for. And to find that out requires a mission statement. After all, NAFA, (National Adventist Farmers Affiliation) have always used management by objectives and so for certain they felt they needed to do the same. For if the space program had used it, well then that would directly apply the same to God’s farm work as well. If the elements of the objectives could be represented by a brand or logo, or arranged in a square on PowerPoint, or given clever names, and made to form acronyms, then the crops would certainly grow better, right?
After some time had passed the family managed to find an example of a mission statement in a largely obscure document someone had read somewhere and wondered if it might contain some ideas for their plans and objectives. Apparently a very successful farmer in the past had said it when He was on earth, but it really wasn’t good enough as stated so they surmised they could improve on it. It said:
“Go ye therefore and make crops, watering them under the family name, continually from this day forward, teaching all to take care of the farm according to the rules of farming.” Agri 28:18-20
Now (after much elapsed time) they finally had a newly discovered mission concept and knew what a farm was for. It was good to have such a clear start. It took longer, however, especially after several arguments and disagreements to come up with the right name for the farm, and the proper branding. Names and these types of things are so important, especially if you are going to raise crops. But at last several groups and committees were formed, and there were meetings. Lots and lots of meetings. Meetings, meetings, meetings, and more meetings. All kinds of meetings, even series of meetings. They even had camps with meetings, where they had a new theme each year and dreamed of having a real, successful farm.
As time went on it was determined that it might be helpful to first consult with other farms to see how they functioned. More committees were formed, more time passed, and more research was conducted. The family was obsessively interested in studying how the other farms worked. They consulted with a well known research model (Barn-a Research) and made a very interesting discovery. They found that all the successful farms were successful. Naturally. It was amazing! All non-successful farms were not successful. They observed several aspects that were generally associated with the successful farms. The same was determined of the unsuccessful farms. The findings were so significant that a whole new philosophical model was adopted by the farming family, and formulated into elaborate plans for the present and the future. It was all driven by the basic concept that successful farms had crops. What a discovery that was!
One of the things they noticed first was that successful farms almost always had red barns. It was reasoned that for a farm to be successful appearance was definitely a consideration. A farm shouldn’t have a sloppy looking barn, but a bright red one, they concluded. A good weather vane provided a good touch too, as long as it was small and inconspicuous and wasn’t pagan in any way. The lackluster shades of red for the barn would never do, or old paint jobs. It just seemed that most successful farms all had brightly-colored, freshly-painted red barns. So theirs would need to be red too, because apparently color affects the crops.
Another factor the research demonstrated was that the farms researched were superbly organized. Successful farms had efficient and detailed organization and leadership— strange as that might be. Why had no one ever thought of that? So they had more planning meetings. Each family member should then have specific responsibilities, complete with job descriptions, for each task. From that time forward a new committee was democratically elected each year to nominate each position on the farm. Great care was taken to make sure certain family members were not put in the wrong position, or that their behavior was acceptable enough when put up against the farm constitution and by-laws. Of course, many meetings were conducted to ensure the right people were put in the right place. For instance, only certain ones could ever be qualified to do the difficult tasks of opening water valves, driving tractors, or carrying money in bags. This selection process took most of a given year. There wasn’t always agreement whether all or each would be given permission to actually farm, or which one or two, if any of them, were actually authorized to do any planting.
Another trade secret that was noted in the extensive research was that successful farms had almost perfectly straight furrows. Integrity must infiltrate every aspect of farming. Only if the rows are straight can it maximize the farming protocols and efficiency standards. Standards, bylaws, and policies are most important, there must never be a plant to the right or to the left. Only plants in rows really grow right. Only when perfect would the farm be successful at harvest time. They knew too that it was important to rehearse regularly the stated goals for their farm. “Visioning” and thinking about it in your mind is certainly what makes the plants grow. Certainly, they reasoned, if you named a quota, or a crop amount, and timed it for like a thousand days, the Holy Spirit would knuckle under, accede to your wishes, and the crops would flourish in that amount.
Now like many farms, the family felt there should be haystacks. But these haystacks were a little different from haystacks at other farms. Basically they had the same ingredients as other similar farms, but one particular ingredient might or might not be added, depending on the farm. That was cheese. Some farms they found argued this point because some preferred there be some animals on the farm like many other farms, but some felt that to have any animals, or any animal product whatsoever on the farm was not acceptable. They needed to grow only “soy” products.
Farms usually have fences, so some nice white fences were proposed. In some cases economy was a factor, so barbed wire was ordered instead. At least the unwanted would be kept out. No one questioned why they needed fences, especially since there were no animals that would come near, but most were dogmatically certain that if they were indeed a farm they must have fences like all the other farms. One must have standards and “guard the edges.”
There were other things too, things that other farms usually allowed but that the Adventist family just couldn’t compromise on. One fundamental belief insisted upon was that if one of the family members were ever to wear any metal, rocks, jewelry, or unnecessary adornment, it would not be good, because workers who wear jewelry obviously stop plants from growing. That’s the way it works. There is a direct relationship. Also there shouldn’t be any bright, red, or even tasteful, or expensive dresses worn by the women and girls, especially in the red barn. Long, brown, gray (or ugly), was strongly recommended. Expensive suits with red ties for the men were O.K., though, even required at times. It was considered important to be consistent.
Another important aspect of the successful farms noted was that they had good signage or a good gate area to the farm: (“You know, like ranches that have the tall posts on each side and a cross-bar above.”) ‘It is all in a name,’ they said to one another, and ‘how someone is greeted.’ I-Bar-All Adventist Ranch seemed to be a common name associated with some Adventist farms. But that title seemed a little exclusive so some reasoned the opposite way, to be more open and avoid using the name “Adventist,” on the sign. It was important to not let people know who you really were.
A troubling issue discussed over extensive time was what music should be played around the farm, especially in the barn. Most agreed that “e-i-e-i-o” was too irreverent and raucous, and also it had too much repetition in it. Others earnestly observed that probably only music that was played on farms before 1700 A.D. was acceptable. This matter caused a lot of discord in the family. The problem was a serious one, because only farms with the right kind of music could ever be successful in growing a crop—in case there should ever be any. At least that is what some seemed to think. The matter was never fully settled, with some just deciding that to play it safe they must limit the instruments to the piano and organ. As for the actual songs they did rule that at least seven of the older, very carefully selected numbers with the words, “rock” and “ages,” in them could be played or sung. But after consideration some were hesitant about the word: “rock,” so the list got even smaller.
So finally one day the family got the farm built. Now at last they knew what a real farm should truly look like and be like! They built a beautiful new barn and painted it bright red with appropriately modest white trim. They plowed the field in perfect rows or furrows. Their farm was in a number of ways similar to the other farms they had observed and studied. They built fine fences. They organized their farm, and laid out elaborate plans and even goals for the future of the farm, even figuring in crop quotas, depreciation, and retirement options. They avoided bad music, and steered clear of the ever-dangerous jewelry too. They built haystacks week after week (most without cheese). They put up a towering entry gate. They even advertised their farm on TV and radio, and suggested using social media. And of course, because they were Adventists and were really good at it, they had meetings. Lots of meetings. Meetings and meetings, and meetings, and more meetings. Even meetings on Wednesday night—a “must have” for both of the stern, remaining souls who still argued that all successful farms must have it! It was wonderful! How God had blessed them!
However, certain nagging problems persisted. Finances were strained, because the new barn, the red paint, the lines of fences, and radio advertising were all very expensive. The combined budget they said suffered a lot because of the “heat and the lights.” Putting diesel in the farm equipment that made the nice furrows cost a lot too. Most of the community just drove by the farm wondering what ever happened there. There were no crops that anyone ever saw. But the family was actually very busy, keeping up the barn, painting fences, measuring the rows, settling disputes, and arguing over the music. Sometimes the meetings were tense. But, at least, they had lots of them. Meetings and more meetings, and even group visioning sessions, and a lot of ideas were shared. They had so many meetings, in fact, that there just wasn’t any time or interest left to plant any actual crops much less actually reach the market with them. The underlying problem was no crops to harvest. But they faithfully kept waiting—in faith, for the coming of the Farmer of Farmers, and for plants to miraculously grow. But nothing much did.
But it wasn’t a total loss. They had such a wonderful farm! And a name, and a slogan, and a clever logo with red flames. And Oh! what a beautiful red barn they had! Complete with an appropriately non-pagan—modest—unobtrusive little weather vane too!
“I am the vine; you are the branches. If you remain in me and I in you, you will bear much fruit; apart from me you can do nothing.” John 15:5
