Is gardening Christian?

leytonstones said:

I love to garden and when I am gardening it is an opportunity to talk to the Lord, to pray. I always feel quite peaceful when I am gardening and I love to share my plants with others so yes, I would say that it is Christian to garden.

Blessings

Ley

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I garden. This year I'm finally going to out in some apple trees, 10 of them (actually 7 plus 3 in containers for now).

Here is the place I'm getting the 'trees', they are actually bench grafts, all root and barely any above ground.

http://www.kuffelcreek.com/index.html

So why mention in thsi thread? Because the guy who sells these is clearly Christian and the only Christian who I can think of who mentions his faith in his business that has done so in a manner that I find positive.

CHeck the true rest tab at the bottom of the linked page. That and a few lines about apple trees being wonderfully made are the references to his faith. Nothign saying or implying "I'm Christian you can trust me".

At least to me it seem his Garden and the outdoors in general brings him closer to his God.

I LOVE to garden & can't think of a better way to spend my free time, it feeds our family and helps us to be more self sufficent & it's great exercise! I really can't see a downfall to gardening & was a bit suprised to see someone questioning if it was good or not.

My sarcasm detector is ringing.

starbuck55 said:

Do you think it's okay for Christians to garden? I know people (older ones mostly) who spend hours upon hours on their gardens. I'm worried that this sort of thing is addicting and can lead people astray, and leave them caring more about their yards, then about God.

[bible]Consider the lilies of the field, how they grow; they toil not, neither do they spin:[/bible]

God created nature so that it doesn't need us to grow. With the exception of Him telling us to tend and till the Garden of Eden, of course! But it seems boastful to try and create one of our own. And spend sooo much time and money on it. Just a thought...

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Genesis 2
[8] And the LORD God planted a garden eastward in Eden; and there he put the man whom he had formed.
[15] And the LORD God took the man, and put him into the garden of Eden to dress it and to keep it.

Genesis 3
[8]And they heard the voice of the LORD God walking in the garden in the cool of the day. . .
[23] Therefore the LORD God sent him forth from the garden of Eden, to till the ground from whence he was taken.

Sounds like gardening was the original vocation.

Is gardening Christian?

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If it glorifies God, Christians can do it. I enjoy working in my mother's garden and hope to resume doing so when Spring arrives. As a meditative, prayerful activity, I find gardening to be very satisfying.

EmilyF said:

My time in my garden is my time with God. It's my clearest time of worship and where I understand Him best.

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I feel the same way! Gardening brings me closer to God, and the solitude helps! Christian solitude is a wonderful thing!

starbuck55 said:

Do you think it's okay for Christians to garden? I know people (older ones mostly) who spend hours upon hours on their gardens. I'm worried that this sort of thing is addicting and can lead people astray, and leave them caring more about their yards, then about God.

[bible]Consider the lilies of the field, how they grow; they toil not, neither do they spin:[/bible]

God created nature so that it doesn't need us to grow. With the exception of Him telling us to tend and till the Garden of Eden, of course! But it seems boastful to try and create one of our own. And spend sooo much time and money on it. Just a thought...

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Huh?? This almost something akin to what an Islamic funadmentalist would write, such as is it ok for a woman not to wear head covering.

Is breathing Christian?

The only way I can understand gardening is as a method of relating to the natural, created world, and appreciating that which was made by God. Gardening, almost by definition, teaches the gardener most, if not everything mentioned in Galatians 5:22-23. Anyone who tells you otherwise probably doesn't grow many difficult plants, or grows them in a controlled, scientifically homogenized environment. E.G., ain't no toiling in the dirt in there.

intricatic said:

The only way I can understand gardening is as a method of relating to the natural, created world, and appreciating that which was made by God. Gardening, almost by definition, teaches the gardener most, if not everything mentioned in Galatians 5:22-23. Anyone who tells you otherwise probably doesn't grow many difficult plants, or grows them in a controlled, scientifically homogenized environment. E.G., ain't no toiling in the dirt in there.

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All good points. A garden can teach the gardener many good things such as the importance of nurturing, the value of hard work and how we are dependent upon things beyond our control to reap a bounty.

Sorry if this have been mentioned before, but this website gives ideas for a "Biblical Garden":
biblicalgardens.com/Hepper_bible_garden_designs.htm <--add the "www"

In my travels I've seen more than a few small churches which have had gardens. Usually tended by children as a teaching tool.

I haven't read every comment attached to the original post... but I have to say for me... that I love gardening; there is no distraction at all between me and our Lord, I enjoy every aspect of gardening... I even get down on my knees while breaking clots of dirt... and on my knees to plant those seeds... and weeding is also done on my knees... there is nothing like being on the knees while having a time with our Lord... as I plant each seed, I ask Him to bless them and let them grow... I ask Him to bless our table with the yielding of the crop... GOD id great, all of the time.

And I apologize for the typo! : )

starbuck55 said:

Do you think it's okay for Christians to garden?

God created nature so that it doesn't need us to grow.
With the exception of Him telling us to tend and till the Garden of Eden, of course!

But it seems boastful to try and create one of our own.
And spend sooo much time and money on it. Just a thought...

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If God didn't want us to garden = cultivate plants,
He would have created this earth different

Instead of worrying over nonsense, we'd wisely be GLAD & Rejoice always how God created everything
to function... as well as it does ............................ Praise God!

Gardening is fine, provided you don't do any weeding. Jesus told us we must not pull out any weeds! So, just be careful about that and you will be fine....

Rusticus said:

Jesus told us we must not pull out any weeds!

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lol

My garden is where I often go to meet God. Something about it brings me closer to him, like a church that is grown rather than built, it is so much more real than we often find in modern society.

Although, this summer, I'm sorely tempted to wish fire and judgement on the slugs!

Gardening is definitely non-denominational!