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Gardening as a spiritual practice, caring for particular pieces of earth and all that grows on them, connects me with creation. It opens up the agricultural world of scripture to me in a way that would otherwise be impossible for a lifelong city dweller.
Community gardening has taught me I cannot control outcomes. For 14 years, I’ve been a leader in a garden ministry on the West Side of Chicago. We grow produce that we share with our neighbors, but we also cultivate relationships: among the volunteers, who come from diverse backgrounds; with the elementary school across the street; and with the people who come into the garden. Yet, I have no power over even so much as the germination rate of seeds in a packet, let alone the temperature, the sun, or the rain.
Composting grows my acceptance of the fullness of the life cycle. Seeing plants decompose to turn into earth, I remember that we come from dust and return to dust. Sometimes I turn my compost tumbler three times, repeating a prayer: Oh God of resurrection, you bring new life out of death.
This message is excerpted from “The spiritual life of gardening” by Celeste Kennel-Shank in the June 2025 Café online magazine.