Rooted With Purpose
To kick off our CounterCulture series, I preached from one of my favorite passages of Scripture, Romans 12:1–2. If Paul reminded us of anything, it’s this: we’re all being formed, either by the swirl around us or by the Spirit within us. The prophet Jeremiah adds a picture that has stuck with me:
“Blessed are those who trust in the LORD… They shall be like a tree planted by water, sending out its roots by the stream. It shall not fear when heat comes, and its leaves shall stay green; in the year of drought it is not anxious, and it does not cease to bear fruit.” (Jer 17:7–8, NRSVUE)
Where are you planted?
What part of your life is immovable, non-negotiables, when the day gets loud?
What habits carry you when emotions run hot or energy runs low?
Jeremiah doesn’t promise perfect weather. He assumes heat and drought. The difference isn’t the forecast, but the ROOTS. Roots go where the heart trusts. If I trust hurry, my roots reach for more hurry. If I trust approval, my roots chase more applause. But if I trust the Lord, my roots reach for the stream that never runs dry.
That’s why a daily ritual matters. Not because God loves you more when you nail a routine, but because where you start shapes what you’ll have when the heat comes. I like mornings because, before email and headlines, I plant myself where Living Water is already flowing.
Here’s a simple way I’m inviting our church to be immovable—not rigid, but rooted:
Be still. Two or three minutes to breathe and unclench.
Open Scripture. One psalm or a few verses from the Gospels, slowly.
Offer your day. “God, I give you my body, mind, and schedule.”
Name one fruit. “Today, grow patience in me with _________________,” or “Make me generous toward _______________.”
Pray a name. Hold one person before God.
Deep roots become visible fruit. I see it every week in our Giving Garden—quiet tending beneath the surface that turns into fresh food for neighbors. That’s the Christian life: rooted in grace, bearing fruit for others.
Plant yourself with God, and you can whisper with the saints, “I shall not be moved.” Not because you’re strong, but because the Stream is.
This Sunday, Nov. 9, we continue our CounterCulture series. If you’ve been feeling the heat, come be replanted by Living Water. Bring a friend who could use some shade and a little hope. We’ll make room at the water.
With Gratitude,
Rev. Rodney Whitfield
Senior Pastor
Aldersgate UMC