Proper Tools (27 of 49)
Lectionary, Year B, Proper 07
Christopher B. Harbin
2nd Corinthians 6:1-13
Growing up, we had sufficient, but we did not have the kind of abundance I often saw around me. I learned early on to make do with what was at hand. I learned to adapt to the situation and circumstances around me, to seek inventive solutions utilizing the resources at hand, and not to worry about which latest gadget might get the job done faster, easier, or more efficiently. I had seen too many others using the same mentality of getting by with the resources at hand. Sure, I saw large buildings constructed with huge cement mixers and cement pumps. Mostly, however, I saw similar constructions accomplished with shovels, buckets, wood, and string. Both tactics worked. In some arenas, however, the status quo tools simply do not address the need. When it comes to building God's Reign, not just any tool will do.
When I designed a strawberry planter for the church orchard, my first thought was not to head down to the store to find something for sale according to someone else's design. My first thought was not to spend money. My first thought was to assess what resources I had on hand. I already had more than one rain barrel that was not being used. I talked Phil into drilling holes in one of them. We talked about putting a pipe in the middle of it to water the plants all the way down the barrel. I did not have PVC lying around for that. I did have 2-liter bottles in my recycle bin. I punched holes in them, cut off the bottoms, nested them, and inserted them upside down into the middle of the barrel. Knowing the soil would hold them in place, I taped them together to hold them upright long enough to fill the barrel with composted wood chips from the tree trimmers and potting soil.
If you are going for beauty, this is probably not the most appropriate design. If you are going for compactness, functionality, and frugality, this fit the bill just fine. The result i ...
Lectionary, Year B, Proper 07
Christopher B. Harbin
2nd Corinthians 6:1-13
Growing up, we had sufficient, but we did not have the kind of abundance I often saw around me. I learned early on to make do with what was at hand. I learned to adapt to the situation and circumstances around me, to seek inventive solutions utilizing the resources at hand, and not to worry about which latest gadget might get the job done faster, easier, or more efficiently. I had seen too many others using the same mentality of getting by with the resources at hand. Sure, I saw large buildings constructed with huge cement mixers and cement pumps. Mostly, however, I saw similar constructions accomplished with shovels, buckets, wood, and string. Both tactics worked. In some arenas, however, the status quo tools simply do not address the need. When it comes to building God's Reign, not just any tool will do.
When I designed a strawberry planter for the church orchard, my first thought was not to head down to the store to find something for sale according to someone else's design. My first thought was not to spend money. My first thought was to assess what resources I had on hand. I already had more than one rain barrel that was not being used. I talked Phil into drilling holes in one of them. We talked about putting a pipe in the middle of it to water the plants all the way down the barrel. I did not have PVC lying around for that. I did have 2-liter bottles in my recycle bin. I punched holes in them, cut off the bottoms, nested them, and inserted them upside down into the middle of the barrel. Knowing the soil would hold them in place, I taped them together to hold them upright long enough to fill the barrel with composted wood chips from the tree trimmers and potting soil.
If you are going for beauty, this is probably not the most appropriate design. If you are going for compactness, functionality, and frugality, this fit the bill just fine. The result i ...
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