"A Theology of Regenerative Agriculture"

Pr. Michelle and I typically choose who's going to preach based on our schedules and not the lectionary so imagine my delight when I opened up today's gospel reading and it was the parable of the sower. I get to talk about soil health to a captive audience! Thank you, Holy Spirit!

Now I don't need to explain the meaning of the parable too much because Jesus does it for us. He tells us that seed sown on a path is like the one who hears the good news but let's evil snatch it out of their heart. The seed sown on the rocks is like the hearer who listens but doesn't take the message to heart. The seed sown in the thorns is like the hearer who allows greed to overtake the good news and therefore doesn't receive it. And the seed sown in good soil is like the hearer who listens, understands, and internalizes the gospel so that it multiplies and can be shared.

To me, this parable is talking about a theology of regenerative agriculture.

Regenerative agriculture (or regenerative farming) is a fancy term that means using the land in ways that improve and repair it rather than exploit and deplete it. Or, as our indigenous siblings have been calling it for millennia, "common sense". Regenerative agriculture aims to nourish the soil at all times so that the soil can receive the seed and nurture it into life. Practically speaking, it's things like feeding the soil with loads of organically-produced fertilizer, planting nitrogen-rich cover crops, fostering animal and crop diversity, and respecting the soil structure through no-till planting. (Sorry, Scott :) And, it just so happens that regenerative farming practices heal the climate by pulling carbon from the atmosphere and sequestering it in the ground. Tilling and plowing releases carbon from the earth while regenerative farming creates much-needed carbon sinks while usually increasing crop yield and reducing expenses. So why the heck doesn't everyone. use regenerative farming practices if it's such good news?

Well, Jesus tells us why today. Because there are competing forces at work within us and against us. Oftentimes the corporate birds are circling overhead, waiting to snatch up any seed of climate justice that might threaten their profit yield. Thorns often obscure our vision of truth. And there is the lure of cheap grace - the quick feel goodness of shallow faith that doesn't get stinky and dirty. That lure is strong and creates a crust on the soil of our souls that keeps the Word from penetrating and taking root.

You'll notice that in Jesus's parable, three of the four sower scenarios fail. And the parable doesn't talk about the gardener, does it? Just the sower. What kind of soil do the seeds fall on? What kind of heart and mind does the good news enter? Those seem to be the questions at hand today. How do we cultivate soil where the seed of the kin-dom of God will germinate? What makes the "good soil" that Jesus wishes for us?

Well, for starters, it's alive! National Geographic reports that "just a gram of dirt can contain as many as 50,000 species''.¹

 The faith that Jesus wishes for us, or the "good soil" of the parable is a curious, energized faith that is buoyed by the promise of the kin-dam of God. Our Lutheran Confessions say, "O, it is a living, busy, active, mighty thing, this faith''.² And it's a vibrant faith formed, not in isolation, but through the pulse of community. This faith grows and evolves as we do, becoming more active through lived experience, new learnings (which may sometimes be unlearning), and relationships with all of creation. This "good soil" that Jesus describes is full of vitality, primed to internalize the good news and live fully into it.

Another hallmark of regenerative soil is that it's created from decaying organic matter. Let's talk compost for a minute. Every gardener in this room knows that compost is a key element of "good soil", as it inputs nutrients back into the soil to feed those soil inhabiting organisms that make life flourish. A rich compost may be made of decaying plant matter, animal manure, and/or worm casings. Or preferably all three. I don't think that it's a coincidence that the dark brown material left after decomposition is complete is called humus, which is the Latin word for soil as well as the root word for human and humility³. Jesus describes "rocky ground, where the seeds did not have much soil and they sprang up quickly. But when the sun rose, [the seedlings] were scorched, and since they had no root [no humus in which to grow] and they withered away." While I don't believe in redemptive suffering, meaning that suffering is a gift because it makes one more Christ-like, I do think that the rotten parts of this life can deepen our faith, create a richer humanity. Show of hands - how many of you have encountered God in the manure of life? The parts that stink and feel like rotting? How many of you have witnessed new life emerge from the transformative humility of those times? Yeah, me too.

And this living, regenerative humus is fragile - only about 7.5% of the Earth is topsoil and it grows about 95% of our food⁴. Soil degradation is when the soil loses its capacity to support life. The soil becomes devoid of the air, water, nutrients, and structure it needs to bear fruit one hundredfold. While soil degradation can be a naturally occurring process, it is being accelerated by the Global North's overwhelming insistence on efficiency. We pollute the soil with pesticides and industrial fertilizers trying to minimize crop losses but at the great expense of the biodiversity that feeds the soil. We try to force creation to work on our time, steamrolling God's time with disastrous consequences. Cultivating "good soil" takes time and I saw that at work in my week at Camp Lutherwood. Throughout the week, I witnessed that "good soil" being formed in small acts of kindness and revelation among campers and in the absolute joy that the young adult counselors shared for their work. God worked at the leisurely pace of camp to create deep connections. For me, I felt a palpable relief from social pressure, as digital connectivity was severely limited. Meaning, emails went mostly unanswered, texts unreceived, and efficiency stalled. And it was regenerative to my soul.

In today's parable of the sower, it is the soil that matters. Jesus reminds us that God's Word has infinite potential to grow and nourish us all if it lands in hearts cultivated by faith. If heard by a faith-filled heart, the Word can regenerate exhausted minds, repair broken relationships, and capture fear and oppression like a carbon sink. The seeds of Jesus's ministry will not all sprout - remember that in the parable most of the seeds don't grow to maturity. So how do we nourish our own "good soil" - our faith made alive by diversity, renewed after decay, and fragile in the face of worldly demands? How do we nourish that faith so that it is resilient and healing for all the world?

Later in Matthew, Jesus will command us, "You must love [God] from deep within, with the strength of your arms, the thoughts of your mind, and the courage of your heart ... You must love your fellow human beings in the same way you love yourselves". (Matt. 22:37-39, First Nations Version). To nurture and regenerate our "good soil", we must love God, ourselves, and one another completely. We must care for creation, ourselves, and one another with intention and in ways that sustain the web of everlasting life of God's kin-dom. When we do that, there is no space for exploitation, degradation, or depletion. When the soil is "good", the seeds will naturally grow abundantly and heal us all.

After the service today, I invite you to take a walk out to Zoar's little garden, where seeds have been sown in truly good soil. Marvel at the lettuce, onions, carrots, tomatoes, beans, and flowers that are feeding people in the Community Dinner and providing habitat for pollinators. And take a special look at the raised bed that holds the Three Sisters, an ancient Native American style of regenerative farming that positions three different crops to create a circle of flourishing. Hear the Word in the corn, beans, and squash trio and understand it with the "good soil" of your faith. Let the compost heap of humility fertilize your faith with what it needs to come alive. And open your hearts for the good news of Jesus Christ to feed your soils - your souls - for the healing of the world.

Amen

¹ Heggie, Jon. "Why Soil Matters (and What We Can Do to Save It)." National Geographic, November 1,2017.

https://www.nationalgeographic.com/environment/article/paid-content-why-soil-matters-and-what-we-can-do-to-save-it.

² Kolb, Robert, and Theodore G. Tappert. Book of Concord: Confessions of the Evangelical Lutheran Church. Minneapolis, MN: Augsburg Fortress, 2000. Solid Declaration, Article IV: Good Works, 576.11

³ Davis, Brenna. "Humus, Humans and Humility." National Catholic Reporter, August 11, 2025.

,https:/ /www.ncronline.org/news/humus-humans-and-humility.

⁴ National Geographic "Why Soil Matters"

A Theology of Regenerative Agriculture