GOD’S GARDEN PATCH

The church is like a garden patch
Growing for the Lord;
Its produce is the life reborn,
Its seed the Word of God.

Like a garden, it must be tended,
Its weeds and thorns removed,
For Satan sows his weeds there, too,
As he is wont to do.

His seeds are greed and selfish pride
And the glory-seeking life;
It's weeds like these that choke the Word
And often lead to strife.

So the Gardener must be vigilant,
Always on the watch
For signs of sprouting of such seed
Within God's Garden Patch.

Right quick he must remove it,
Not let it get a start,
For one such weed, allowed to grow,
Can tear the church apart.

a. franklin staples

January 16, 1995