L’Arche was founded with Christian roots, and today, L’Arche NC is a nonfaith organization that welcomes people of all backgrounds. We partner with a wide range of religious and social organizations, which helps us live out our vision of being an inclusive community of communities. At L’Arche NC, we recognize that people of every belief system and tradition seek meaning, purpose, and belonging—and we strive to create a space where everyone feels at home.
Last Sunday, friends of L’Arche North Carolina joined Edenton Street UMC for worship. It was a beautiful Spring morning to share in community together. I had the honor of sharing a sermon; it was my first time doing so since L’Arche NC welcomed our Core Members and Assistants to move into the house. The lectionary text for the Sunday was Luke 13:1-9, the parable of the barren fig tree.
I’ve copied my sermon below; or, you can watch the YouTube clip, which also includes our L’Arche friends reading some of the prayers (beginning at 20:00), scripture, and assisting with communion.
Loving God, thank You for the gift of community – help us to receive Your Word today with open hearts and to grow in love for one another. Amen.
- The Fig Tree: Waiting to Be Seen
Beloved friends of L’Arche North Carolina, members of Edenton Street, and guests,
Today, we reflect on Jesus’ parable of the barren fig tree from Luke 13:1–9.
A landowner comes to a fig tree in his vineyard and finds no fruit for the third year in a row. He’s ready to cut it down—ready to write it off. But the gardener steps in with a plea: “Leave it alone for one more year. I’ll dig around it. I’ll fertilize it. Let me care for it, and then we’ll see.”
This parable is about more than a tree. It’s about how we respond to one another when we don’t immediately see results, productivity, or success. It’s a story of grace—and a call to faithful, patient, relational care.
Because the truth is: Gifts don’t grow alone—they grow in community.
At first glance, the fig tree looks like a disappointment. No fruit, no value—just taking up space. In a world that often measures people by their output, the landowner’s response feels familiar: If it’s not useful, remove it.
But the gardener sees differently. He doesn’t see a failure—he sees potential. He believes the tree may still bear fruit if it’s given what it needs: time, nourishment, attention, and love.
How many people around us—how many of us—have been written off because our gifts didn’t show up on someone else’s timeline? Or because we weren’t supported in the right way? (pause)
Last year, my wife and I bought a fig tree to plant at our house. We put it in our backyard near a fence. We were so excited about our new tree that we even named it Figgy. And, of course, we created a parody song from Will Smith’s 1997 hit, “Getting Jiggy with It,”… and sang “Getting Figgy With It.”
However, shortly after we planted it, I noticed the leaves started turning yellow. A few days later, they turned brown… and a couple of weeks later, our tree had no leaves left on it!
Like the gardener in our parable – I didn’t want to give up on it! I wasn’t sure what was wrong. Did it have too much shade? Was the North Carolina clay dirt that surrounds it stifling its growth?
Someone I knew suggested we pot her (yes, we gave Figgy she/her pronouns), so we moved her to a container in the fall with better soil, gave her more sunlight—and slowly, new leaves began to sprout. Today, Figgy sits by the window, basking in the sun, full of vibrant leaves. I think it’s also important to point out that while she doesn’t produce fruit right now, she brings many other gifts to my wife and me… such as joy and entertainment as we watch new leaves grow. And, if you didn’t know this, fig trees, are effective at removing harmful volatile organic compounds (VOCs) like formaldehyde, toluene, and xylene, which are often found in indoor environments due to cleaning products and other household materials. So, as we moved her indoors, she’s helping us live a cleaner life.
And don’t worry—when she outgrows this area, I’ll make sure she moves on to a better, brighter environment outside when she is ready.
You see, sometimes, the gifts are there… but the soil is hard. The roots are tired. The surrounding community hasn’t tended well enough. We can’t expect fruit to flourish without first offering care.
And the same is true in our human communities. At L’Arche, we’ve learned that people’s gifts often remain hidden until they’re surrounded by love, trust, and support. Some members at our Together events at the Bulla Center join us after years of being told what they can’t do or that society has pushed off to the side and ignored them. But when they’re welcomed into a community that sees them as beloved—when they’re listened to, included, and celebrated—we begin to see the fruit that was always there waiting to grow. Laughter, creativity, leadership, joy, deep compassion—it all begins to blossom when the environment is right.
Gifts don’t grow alone—they grow in community.
They grow when someone chooses to see us, to believe in us, to journey alongside us as we grow.
2. The Gardener’s Response: A Model for Beloved Community
Friends, in our story, the gardener doesn’t just wait and hope—he acts. He commits to getting his hands dirty. He says, “Let me dig around the roots. Let me feed the soil.” He doesn’t blame the tree. He takes responsibility for its care.
That’s the work of beloved community. We don’t wait around for people to prove themselves—we create conditions where their gifts can take root and flourish. We say: “You belong here, whether or not your fruit has shown yet. We’ll help you grow.”
And research backs up what Jesus already knew: people thrive in the context of caring relationships. Today, studies show that chronic loneliness and social isolation can be just as harmful to our health as smoking 15 cigarettes a day. For adults with intellectual and developmental disabilities, the statistics are even more sobering—many report feelings of deep isolation, limited access to inclusive spaces, and fewer opportunities to form reciprocal friendships or share their gifts with others.
But at L’Arche, we see the power of belonging to change that every single day.
Belonging isn’t just about being invited—it’s about being missed when you’re not there. It’s about knowing that your presence matters. That someone notices when you’re not around. That you’re not just included—you are needed.
I think of one of our Core Members, who often shares stories about past experiences where he was bullied or left out. He knows what exclusion feels like. But at L’Arche, every person is invited, included, and celebrated—not for what they do, but for who they are.
Before he moved into the L’Arche house—our last Core member to do so —we gathered in the kitchen to talk about his move-in date. One of the other Core Members, already living in the home, overheard the plans from her bedroom, ran down the hallway and into the kitchen, and shouted, “OH YAY! I love him!”
That’s what belonging looks like. It’s not just “You can come.” It’s “We’ve been waiting for you. We’re better with you here.”
This is the kind of love the gardener shows. He doesn’t abandon the tree because it hasn’t produced. He stays. He tends. He believes. He creates the environment where growth becomes possible.
And that’s what we do in beloved community. Core Members, assistants, volunteers, and friends—each person brings a unique gift. But those gifts don’t flourish in isolation. They’re discovered, nurtured, and celebrated together. We dig around each other’s roots. We offer presence and encouragement. We laugh, cry, pray, and live life side by side.
Because gifts don’t grow alone—they grow in community.
That’s how the unseen becomes visible. That’s how potential becomes fruit.
3. God’s Vineyard: Where Every Person Has a Place
The vineyard in Jesus’ parable represents the kingdom of God—a place where each tree, each person, is planted with intention. And in this kingdom, no one is discarded. No one is forgotten. No one is beyond hope.
God is not the impatient landowner who gives up when things don’t grow on schedule. God is the gracious and faithful gardener who gets close, leans in, tends, nourishes, and waits with love.
And at L’Arche, we try to live as a small reflection of that vineyard. It’s not perfect, but it is deeply intentional. It’s a place where people of all abilities, backgrounds, and stories are cherished—not for what they produce or accomplish—but simply for who they are. It’s a space where people are seen and celebrated as beloved. And in that seeing, gifts begin to grow.
Because gifts don’t grow alone—they grow in community.
And since it’s March, let me say it this way: even in a season dominated by brackets, upsets, and stats—what we remember most is not the score. What we remember is the bond.
There’s a 2016 ACC Tournament postgame interview clip that resurfaces on social media around this time of year—maybe you’ve seen it. Boston College had just played their final game, and Dennis Clifford, their 7-foot-tall senior center, was asked what he would miss the most about playing college basketball. Without hesitation, with tears in his eyes, he said:
“Going out to eat with the team.”
Not the wins. Not the dunks. Not the games.
What he would miss the most… was the table.
The togetherness. The shared life.
Because deep down, we all know—community happens around the table. That’s where connection lives. That’s where belonging is built.
Jesus knew this. His ministry didn’t just happen in temples or in sermons—it happened over meals. With tax collectors and fishermen, Pharisees and sinners. Jesus sat at tables where others said people didn’t belong—and He made those tables into places of grace.
In the kingdom of God, the table is wide. And everyone gets a seat.
This past week, our L’Arche Core Members and Assistants hosted some guests for a community dinner. We squeezed 15 people around a long table. During the meal, we went around and shared what we were grateful for. When it was one of our Core Members’ turn, he looked at the entire table, smiled, simply said:
“Company.”
Company.
Not the fancy meal. Not the event. Not the setup.
Just being together. Just being known. Just belonging.
That is the vineyard. That is the Kingdom. That is beloved community.
At L’Arche, we’re not building programs—we’re building relationships. We’re not tallying stats—we’re setting the table. And we’re doing our best to live as the gardener lives: creating the conditions where people are seen, included, and given what they need to grow.
Because gifts don’t grow alone—they grow in community.
They grow at the table. They grow in laughter. They grow in presence.
They grow when someone says, “We saved you a seat.”
Conclusion: The Slow, Sacred Work of Growing Together
As I wrap up my message this morning, I’d like to close by pointing out that Jesus’ parable is not just a story to make us feel better—it’s a challenge. It asks us:
Who have we written off too soon?
Where do we need to dig deeper?
What kind of community are we creating—for others and for ourselves?
Let us be like the gardener: patient, hopeful, committed to love in action. Let us build communities that don’t measure worth by fruit alone, but by the care we offer and the belonging we create.
And may we, like L’Arche, be places where the hidden gifts of each person are brought to light—because they are nurtured, welcomed, and embraced in community.
Gifts don’t grow alone—they grow in community.
Let’s keep growing together.
Amen!
Click here to watch the video of The Gathering. Our L’Arche friends begin reading the prayers at 20:00. Please feel free to skip forward until that point.
