The Seed Disperser - September 2022
Discover more from The Seed Disperser
The Seed Disperser - September 2022
This month's feature - Seeds
What’s in this month’s Seed Disperser
Coming up
A Pinch of Spice
Book of the month
5 Senses to Prayer
Inspiration this month
Seeds
Special offer
5 Senses to Prayer Virtual Prayer Room
On a personal note
Planting and planning
First fruits of Avocado tree
Coming up - A Pinch of Spice
The theme for this year’s Counting Down to Christmas is A Pinch of Spice. Our Advent resource includes 31 daily emails starting from Saturday 26 November 2022 until Monday 26 December 2022.
This year we’re delighted to offer A Pinch of Spice Kits to use alongside our daily emails*. We have a limited quantity and orders must be placed by 26 October 2022. Each kit includes 31 envelopes, each with a little more than a pinch of spice inside. We’ve also included an additional ‘retreat experience’ for use any time during Advent or Christmas and this is accompanied by spicy treats sourced from around Aotearoa.
Be in quick to place your order for A Pinch of Spice Kit by 26 October 2022
* Please note the kits are only available for those living in Aotearoa. Subscribers who live internationally or would prefer to source their own spices, will receive a list of spices to gather after subscribing.
Distinctive tastes and smells are part of our Christmas festivals and celebrations. Some of these food and decorating traditions date back centuries, and others have much more recent origins. Whether old or new to us, the smells and tastes of our own Christmas engage our senses in our celebration of the birth of Christ.
A pinch of spice goes a long way. When used as a flavour enhancer, a pinch of spice brightens up a dish or drink. The smell or taste invites us to be alert, to sit up and take notice. Intriguingly as well as alerting us, the opposite can happen, and we find some familiar spices soothing. Spices are often warming, and our physical response to the smell or taste calms us. The smell or taste of a pinch of spice, especially if it’s one we know and love, can bring us comfort and reassurance.
The Christmas story is a familiar one. In this lead up to Christmas 2022, we use a pinch of spice to help us sit up and take notice of the Christmas story in a fresh way for this season in our lives. We also use a pinch of spice to find comfort and security in our faith in Jesus Christ, Son of God.
Caroline will be writing more about this year’s Counting Down to Christmas over the next few weeks on Substack. Sign up to receive these updates for free. The paid feature will start on 26 November for paid subscribers only.
Book of the month - 5 Senses to Prayer
Our Book of the Month for September is 5 Senses to Prayer. This collection of prayers is the first book in what is set to be a three book series. With experiential prayers across five senses, and broken into sections on Adoration & Praise, Thanksgiving, Confession, Intercession, Petition & Supplication and Responding, there is a wide range of prayers for use personally, in group worship or in prayer rooms or prayer stations. Caroline has been writing and using experiential prayer for many years and has an extensive collection. We’ve included a couple of her prayers in this edition of The Seed Disperser. She also writes new prayers every week and publishes these in our subscription based resource, 5 Senses to Prayer Virtual Prayer Room.
Inspiration this month - Seeds
Seeds are fascinating aren’t they? Held within each seed is the potential for growth and creation. It’s a cycle that takes learnings from the past and creates something fresh and new. In turn, the growing plant produces seeds to ensure ongoing life so the cycle continues.
Seeds that produce edible produce contain within them the capacity to feed people and animals. Some seeds will grow into plants or trees with fruit that can feed thousands, other seeds grow just enough for a single meal for one.
One little seed can make a difference.
In our inspiration feature this month we present a collection of small bits and pieces… these are seeds of ideas for pondering and perhaps there’ll be something here that can be planted and grown.
Mustard Seeds
Finally, Jesus said:
What is God's kingdom like? What story can I use to explain it? It is like what happens when a mustard seed is planted in the ground. It is the smallest seed in all the world. But once it is planted, it grows larger than any garden plant. It even puts out branches that are big enough for birds to nest in its shade.
Mark 4:30-32 (CEV)
Jesus replied:
It is because you don't have enough faith! But I can promise you this. If you had faith no larger than a mustard seed, you could tell this mountain to move from here to there. And it would. Everything would be possible for you.
Matthew 17:20-21 (CEV)
Mustard Seed Prayer
Hold a mustard seed in the palm of your hand. Consider the size of the seed and how Jesus said we should have faith the size of a mustard seed. Hold the seed tightly and pray for faith. Pray for a specific situation where you are struggling to see how God could be involved in improving things. Give thanks to God for the mustard seed in your hand and pray that God would take your small amount of faith and you would be strong in this situation.
From Caroline Bindon’s collection of experiental prayers
Here’s an article with some interesting facts about mustard seeds and mustard trees.
Hazelnuts
“And in this he showed me a little thing, the quantity of a hazel nut, lying in the palm of my hand, as it seemed. And it was as round as any ball. I looked upon it with the eye of my understanding, and thought, ‘What may this be?’ And it was answered generally thus, ‘It is all that is made.’ I marveled how it might last, for I thought it might suddenly have fallen to nothing for littleness. And I was answered in my understanding: It lasts and ever shall, for God loves it. And so have all things their beginning by the love of God.
In this little thing I saw three properties. The first is that God made it. The second that God loves it. And the third, that God keeps it.”―Julian of Norwich, Revelations of Divine Love
Here’s an article with some interesting facts about Hazelnuts
Planting Seeds
Here in Aotearoa it’s the season for planting seeds. With the current pressures across the globe of cost of living increases and food insecurity, planting an edible garden has become more than a hobby.
There are many groups and individuals working and volunteering to help people set up their own vegetable gardens and setting up community gardens where individuals can meet up with others and garden together.
Here’s an article on one woman’s journey developing community-led solutions to getting families into gardening.
Here’s an artcle about how community gardens increase well-being and reduce food insecurity.
Here’s an article about a community venture to make compost
“Do your little bit of good where you are,
it is these little bits of good put together that overwhelm the world”Desmond Tutu
Planting Seedlings Prayer
We are like God’s seedlings. We’re not fully-grown plants yet. We’re a work in progress. Plant a seedling to respond to God and show how you want God to be the gardener in your life so that you will grow strong, healthy and robust in your faith. As you plant your seedling pray a prayer of declaration and response to God.
From 5 Senses to Prayer - A Collection of Experiential Prayers by Caroline Bindon
Special offer - 5 Senses to Prayer Virtual Prayer Room
5 Senses to Prayer Virtual Prayer Room is one of the resources we offer through Substack. This month we’re offering a discount where new subscribers will pay only one third of the regular retail price. This offer is available for subscription until 31 October 2022 and is a forever deal, meaning the rate will not increase at any time through your subscription. You can also sign up and receive a free one month trial.
Regular price: $30 (USD) annually
Special price: $10 (USD) annually - this is approximately $17.00 (NZD)
On a personal note
It’s seed planting season in our household. There has been plenty of garden activity weeding the vegetable patch, planting seedlings in pots and making plans of what is going into the garden this summer for eating. It’s become a family affair with everyone involved.
We have just harvested a single avocado from our Avocado tree that we planted about five years ago. A celebration for the first fruit is planned so we can all get a taste. The tree’s spring growth offers promise for avocados to come.
