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Focus on Rural Life: The Size of the Bale

We worship on the Traditional Lands of the Coast Salish People and here in the Valley with our neighbours, The Cowichan Tribes. Mixed into this blend is a strong agricultural community. 

Over time, we have watched as some in agriculture have transformed from the small family farm to the more industrial style of farming, particularly in the dairy, poultry, and pork farms. 

At the same time, we notice some trends leading back to the smaller family farm. Farmers are very industrious. They figure out how to provide “pasteurized” or “government inspected” products on a smaller scale. 

Each spring, I watch a certain farm field where:

  • Volunteers sow an oat crop like it was done 50+ years ago;

  • Green shoots sprout, and blades of oats mature and ripen, without aid of fertilizers or irrigation;

  • “Stooks” are formed, loaded onto racks and put through a threshing machine a week or two later.

It all happens against a backdrop of “today’s farmer” fertilizing, irrigating, harvesting, and storing product in large ground silos—those large round bales that need a tractor to get moved—"a giant move” from the small square bales that we stacked neatly from aged 10 – 12 years! 

The question is: How do we move from "haystacks to large round bales?"

How does a small church move to become a mega church?

Or should the small church move to become the mega church? 

Part of the push to think “big is better” is a matter of economy. 

The small family farm discovered an economy for the small farm. Is it possible that the small church can "take a quart of milk” out of their formula to study the value of the small parish? 

I constantly observe the many activities provided by the smaller parishes. As they participate with charitable organizations, social justice groups, meal programs, and community outreach projects, a certain “economy” is created. Many of these organizations are able to meet together and sustain “community” in ways that the “mega church” just cannot provide. 

We can take our cue from Jesus’ ministry of travelling from village to village. (At the same time, we do acknowledge that there were some large Missions to encourage and inspire the community—think of as the feeding of the 5000.) 

As a parish, we will soon join with Bishop Anna in the pursuit of a new parish priest. In many ways,  we will be like “the landowner who hired vinedressers.” 

We do not know who our new parish priest will be. What we do know is that he or she will need: a desire for new beginnings, an invigorating faith, and a love for building new strategies. S/he will be someone who honours the past while building towards a future.  

The size or shape of the bale will not matter. The desire will: what matters is “being in Christ.” 

“For in Christ Jesus you are all children of God through faith. As many of you as were baptized into Christ have clothed yourselves with Christ. There is no longer Jew or Greek, there is no longer slave or free, there is no longer male and female; for all of you are one in Christ Jesus.”

Galatians 3:26-28 (NRSV)

 In Christ,
Archdeacon Brian+