Those who plant and water

From today's reading: I planted, Apollos watered, but God gave the growth. . . For we are God's servants, working together; you are God's field, God's building. . . For no one can lay any foundation other than the one that has been laid; that foundation is Jesus Christ. 1 Corinthians 2:6,9,11

I thought of the phrase, "It takes a whole village to raise a child..." and we can co-opt it to say that it takes a whole church to raise a Christian. Hopefully we are not formed by one person only. Because we are so limited as human beings, it takes many people to show us the true nature of God. As I was growing up, there was Mom and Marjorie who taught us Sunday School; Fr. Kracke who ministered to me in a time of spiritual need; Fr. Fred who preached the first sermons that inspired me; Fr. Vincent who affirmed my call to ministry; and many others who have shaped and formed me over the years. Each one is special in their own way, but it has taken all of them to help me become who I am today. We are indeed the field and as we grow up, we become the workers, the servants who are growing the next field. The foundation is indeed Jesus Christ and each one of us keeps building on that foundation so that those who come after us can see more clearly the truth of who God is and what God is like. Remember those people who have planted and watered in your life and give God thanks for each one.