Theme: Fallow is not a dead end — it is the quiet beginning
Scripture: Matthew 13:1–9
Opening Reflection
Every garden has a season that looks empty. The beds are bare, growth is hidden, and the future feels uncertain. The soil lies fallow — not abandoned, but waiting.
In the Christian tradition — and especially in the Methodist way of seeing — we trust that God’s grace is at work even when we cannot yet see the results. Long before seeds are sown or shoots appear, something is already happening beneath the surface.
This series begins there, with Jesus’ Parable of the Sower, and grows out of the conversations and shared learning of Dreaming Beyond, a webinar series I co-lead as part of the Learning Network of the Methodist Church. The next webinar is on
May 5th from 1:30pm to 3pm BST https://www.eventbrite.co.uk/e/1970415152764?aff=oddtdtcreator
Following the quiet rhythms of the garden — fallow rest, discernment, sowing, pruning, and harvest — Listening to the Soil invites us to slow down and attend carefully to the ground of our lives and congregations. It calls us to listen together across generations for signs of God’s renewing work, even in seasons that feel still.
In gardening and farming, “fallow” describes soil that is intentionally left unplanted for a season — not because it has failed, but so it can rest, recover nutrients, and become fertile again. Fallow soil is cared for, not forgotten.
Grace Beneath the Surface
In Methodist theology, grace is always at work before we are aware of it — preparing, inviting, and shaping us for life with God. Fallow seasons help us notice this. When nothing new is being planted, we are freed from the pressure to perform or produce, and we are invited instead to watch for where grace is already present.
We do not manufacture growth, and we are not responsible for forcing fruit.
Discipleship becomes the shared practice of tending the ground with care:
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noticing where grace has already taken root
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removing what hinders love
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allowing rest when the soil is weary
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responding faithfully when new seeds are offered
In this way, the Parable of the Sower is not a scorecard for success, but an invitation into a way of life — one rooted in attentiveness, patience, and hope.
Listening to the Soil
Fallow soil can look lifeless, but beneath the surface it is quietly active. Microorganisms continue breaking down organic matter, restoring nutrients that will feed future growth. Roots rest and strengthen underground, sending energy deeper rather than upward. Frost loosens compacted layers, allowing air and water to move more freely. Fallen leaves decay and enrich the soil’s structure. What appears empty is, in fact, becoming more receptive to life.
Our lives and congregations often experience similar seasons. These may come after long periods of activity, during times of discernment when decisions are not yet clear, or amid major changes — such as the closing of a church building or the reshaping of long-held ministries. These moments can feel unsettling or even painful. They may look, from the outside, like decline or loss.
Yet fallow seasons can quietly transform a community’s capacity for growth. Compacted habits begin to loosen. Energy returns to deeper roots: relationships, prayer, shared identity, and calling. Wisdom gained from past seasons enriches the soil for what may come next.
Fallow ground asks us not, What should we do next? but What is God already preparing here?
Intergenerational Connection
One of the richest ways to notice God’s work in fallow seasons is to listen across generations.
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Invite an older member to share a story about a season of waiting, letting go, or trusting God’s timing.
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Ask a child or young person what small or quiet growth they have noticed — in themselves, in others, or in the community.
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Reflect together on how patience, loss, and hope have shaped faith over time.
Often, one generation can name what another cannot yet see. Together, we learn that faithfulness is not always loud or visible — sometimes it is simply staying present to the soil.
Reflection Prompts
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What feels dormant or fallow in your life or church right now?
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What kind of “soil” are you bringing into this season — tired, hopeful, cluttered, open?
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How might God be preparing the ground for something new across generations?
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What signs of hidden work are already happening in your church community, even in the midst of change?
A Prayer for Fallow Soil
God of growth and quiet surprises,
Prepare our soil for what you will plant.
Help us notice the seeds already present
and trust the work you are doing beneath the surface.
Give us patience for what is slow to grow,
courage in times of change,
and grace to listen deeply across generations.
Remind us that even when the ground looks bare,
you are bringing life.
Amen.