The Lord God planted a garden in Eden in the east and put there the human he had formed. In the fertile land, the Lord God grew every beautiful tree with edible fruit – Genesis 2:8-9

This is a Public Service Announcement on behalf of your local Presbyterian Church. Listen closely because this is evidently complex and hard to understand! Ready? Here we go: “We love God. We follow Jesus. We are guided by the Spirit.”

What’s especially cool about the local Presbyterian congregation here in Tarboro is how beautifully this church engages with our community. Everything about HMPC declares, “Not only are we here because we love God, but because we love God we love this town too, and we plan to do everything we can to be great neighbors.”

Great neighbors for 150 years and counting. Great neighbors who are behind some of the most innovative and progressive ministries this town has ever seen. Great neighbors to the extent that we want our facilities and our grounds to enhance the quality of life downtown.

Neighbors who take exceptionally good care of the property. So much so that Tarboro Garden Club representatives couldn’t help but notice when they drove around town recently, looking for the right place to plant the seasonal “Garden Club Yard Award” sign.

Vice-President Debbie Helmer stopped by the church Wednesday, with her husband Stuart, to officially present the sign to Rebekah and Farrar Martin on behalf of the club.

This is “Where it Happens”!

You see, while it may be trendy for the chronically judgmental to “hurl slings and arrows” at traditional denominations like the Presbyterians (nowhere near perfect, but who is?), hundreds of congregations like this one quietly continue to share the good news, worship God in spirit and in truth, teach God’s good word, feed the hungry, advocate for children, reach out to the marginalized, work for justice, work for peace, work for healing, send out missionaries and make a difference every day.

These are churches that hang in there for the long haul and become so integral to community that towns like Tarboro have much of their identity wrapped up in the core of faith and service that anchors everything.

Recognition by the Garden Club may not sound like “ministry” but it is. It’s just one more piece of the kaleidoscope of witness that presents the kingdom of God to this community via the multifaceted presence of Howard Memorial Presbyterian Church.

And that includes the garden. The tradition “mainline” churches are in many ways the heart of the community experience. I don’t believe any one of us could say we would like to see a positive turn toward the values and the mutual trust that has defined America… and at the same time abandon the places that gave birth to and nurtured our faith.

It simply does not compute. This is where community begins and is constantly reborn – and, for a few months, it has a “Garden Club Yard Award” sign out front!

Peace – in every way – DEREK