Six Trees

In the wilderness a voice splits open the wind,

a hard cry—

REPENT

Even now the axe gleams,

lying at the root of the trees,

cold as truth,

waiting for the weight of a just hand.

Every tree that bears no good fruit

leans already toward its ending,

toward the fire

that hungers for what has hollowed itself.

Yet—

in the very place where trunks lie fallen,

in the silence of stumps long dead,

another word stirs:

A SHOOT SHALL COME OUT OF THE STUMP OF JESSE

No blaze, no blade—

only the small green insistence

of mercy growing out of what we thought was finished.

A branch finds its way through ash,

rooted in depths neither fear nor judgment can reach.

So the two voices meet:

one calling us to turn

before the edge descends,

the other whispering that even when the cutting comes,

life has a way of beginning again.

In the shadow of the axe,

hope still curls upward;

in the promise of the shoot,

truth still asks to be reckoned with.

And we stand between them—

trees failing to bear fruit worthy of light,

yet stumps waiting to feel the tremor

of unexpected grace. (1)

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Trees are wonderful things aren’t they.

The tallest tree in the world is "Hyperion" – a Giant Redwood in California at 116m tall – In order to protect it they won’t let you take any actual photos of it – so here is a photo of another slightly smaller giant Redwood.

{show a picture comparing the hight of a giant Redwood with Big Ben, the Statue of Liberty, and more normal trees}

The oldest tree in the world is Methusaleh – a Great basin Bristlecone pine at 4853 years old. Again in order to protect it we don’t have any actual pictures of the actual tree

So here are some pictures of the oldest tree in the UK

{show two pictures of Llangernyw Yew}

The oldest tree in the UK - Llangernyw Yew, Conwy, in the churchyard of St. Digain's Church – thought to be around 4000 years old.

Just turn in your small groups and discuss – what is your favourite tree? – a particular tree that is particularly meaningful for you in any way?

{take feedback}

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"A shoot shall come out from the stump of Jesse,

and a branch shall grow out of his roots.

The spirit of the Lord shall rest on him,

…..

He shall not judge by what his eyes see,

or decide by what his ears hear;

but with righteousness he shall judge the poor,

and decide with equity for the meek of the earth;

….for the earth will be full of the knowledge of the Lord

as the waters cover the sea.

On that day the root of Jesse shall stand as a signal to the peoples; the nations shall inquire of him, and his dwelling shall be glorious." (Isaiah 11:1-2,4, and 10)

Our first tree – and it’s a stump. You remember the shock a couple of years ago when the beautiful ancient tree of sycamore Gap was cut down – and how local people felt when all that was left was a stump?

Well – in our reading – hope itself has been cut down and all that is left is a stump. Our reading from Isaiah begins in 722 – the Northern Kingdom – ten of the twelve tribes – have been conquered by Assyria – and Isaiah throughout his writing predicts that because of the sin the Southern Kingdom of Judah is going to follow suit.

Jerusalem will be felled – the long line of kings going back to great David – felled.

Hope seems Gone.

But then Isaiah prophesies hope

Look at this picture of a tree stump

{show a picture of a dad stump with a fresh shoot coming out of it}

The stump was cut down and looked totally barren and dead – but then – after a pause – new shoots begin to emerge from what seemed dead. A whole new tree will eventually emerge.

You know the story how David was the youngest son of a man called Jesse- he himself was the runt of the litter – yet God picked him to slay Golliath and become the great King of Israel. Well now after Israel and Judah have been dragged off into exile – Isiah predicts that although all looks dead and desolate – a new king shall emerge from that line of Jesse, like a tiny shoot emerging from the stump of a felled tree

"A shoot shall come out from the stump of Jesse,

and a branch shall grow out of his roots."

A we sing in the carol

“O come, O come, Immanuel,

and ransom captive Israel

that mourns in lonely exile here” - which for them in Isaiah’s time meant the physical exile of being dragged off and deported to Assyria or Babylon