October 2023
When you come to church, you’ll notice two big shrubs (not bushes, but shrubs, thank you, Ned) at the front entrance. There is a story behind these shrubs. These are Nandina domestica, also known as Heavenly/sacred bamboo, native to Eastern Asia from the Himalayas to Japan. The Latin name Nandina is derived from a Japanese word, Nanten, meaning southern sky; however, it also means “problems which turn for better” when written in different characters with the same pronunciation. It received its Latin botanical name, Nandina, when the plant traveled northwest in 1804.
We had tried different plants before Nandina but always had trouble keeping them alive during the summer because of the heat and dry soil. Good ol’ St. George of Dogwood one day decided that heavenly bamboo would grow fine as these were very hardy plants. He knew this because he and Nancy had them at home. Since planting, I had seen a chick in a tiny nest hiding in the shrub, chirping and waiting for food. On the day of Ned’s funeral, I even saw a red cardinal fly in and station right on the handrail like he was guarding the chick. This past cold winter worried me if the shrubs would survive as they looked dried out and thirsty. Without disappointment, these heavenly bamboos proved to be strong.
As you can see, these grew tall and healthy. Soon, the leaves will turn color, and beautiful red berries will decorate our front entrance to teach us about the season. Despite its year-round much-appreciated beauty, some botanists consider the plants invasive and call them dirty-dozen, encouraging people to buy native plants instead. Poisonous red berries certainly do not help the reputation either.
I see these resilient heavenly bamboo coming through the front door each time. These beautiful plants always welcome us regardless of hot, dry, wet, or cold weather conditions, reminding me of Christ, whom many loved but also despised. Without letting the surrounding love and hate relationships affect him, Jesus was resilient, forgiving, and focused on His mission to spread the Love of God with humility. He was and is the deep roots of our faith and a lantern to our feet, showing the Way. Nanten – heavenly/sacred bamboo, or “problems which turn for better” – is an excellent reminder of our Master.
Last but not least, please welcome our new minister of music, Todd Ihrig. I called him to join us in a unique circumstance. He applied for a position over seven years ago and was one of the two finalists with our beloved Gary. He found another call and served for seven-plus years at another church. Despite our discernment’s outcome, he occasionally worshiped with us on most major feast days because he grew very fond of our faith community. Besides his skills, knowledge, and experience, his longing to quietly walk beside us on our faith journey over the past seven years profoundly moved me to arrive at my decision. I am grateful for the vestry’s input, the choir’s dedication, and especially Betty Waddell’s humble leadership during this interim. With your help, he will be a great addition to our faith family. As we turn a new page, I am prayerfully confident that we will continue to thrive as a beautiful, hardy, and compassionate faith community to spread God’s love, following Jesus’ footsteps.
Blessings,
Fr. Andrew
