Monday, January 02, 2006

Why "agriculture" as my industry?

In my profile, I chose agriculture as my industry. Not because I am embracing the rdiculous ad "We all go to NC State" that runs during Wolfpack sports, but rather it is a nod to a mentor of mine, Eugene Peterson.

I have never met Mr. Peterson, but his books have encouraged and taught me about what it means to be a pastor and shepherd, and God used his writings in a powerful way to keep me on staff with InterVarsity during some very discouraging years. One of the ways that he describes pastoral work is that of a farmer tending the soil of human hearts, not often seeing results but knowing that care and attention to the soil's needs will, in time, bear fruit. As I move into a supervisory role with InterVarsity, I hope to be a caretaker of the soil that is given me. God is at work in the hearts of the staff I serve, and my role is to join Him in that work, watering as He says water, weeding as He says weed, and looking for the shoots, sprouts of life, and fruit that He will bring.

3 comments:

Alex said...

Woo-hoo! Marshall, welcome to the wonderful world of blogging. I look forward to reading your blog on a regular basis and enjoying your agricultural work!

Marshall said...

I have to take jabs at State and Duke whenever I can, plus, some of those Hodge quotes are priceless. Not since Charles Shackleford and Christ Washburn have we seen such.

Macon said...

Oh! I thought the "We all go to NC State" was a kind of mad-lib thing, where you were supposed to add the final part of the phrase. Like "when we want to win," or "when we need to remember what a brick looks like," or "because we all get lost sometimes."

But making fun of Duke? Now that's just unconscionable.