VAN METER UNITED METHODIST CHURCH
Nurturing children, supporting families,
creating community as we share our faith
Cathy's Corner
Dearly Beloved
Grace and peace to you, Van Meter UMC Family!
Have you ever thought about how amazing trees are? Trees are like sentinels, silently growing
wherever they are planted, withstanding sweltering heat and bitter cold, doing their best to
thrive despite drought, floods, storms, fierce winds, and damage from animals and humans.
How do trees survive given all the challenges they face? What can we learn from trees about
relationships, growing in faith, and creating community?
Did you know what appears to be a forest of individual aspen trees is actually a single living
organism? Each “tree” is a stem sprouting from an extensive underground root system. This
phenomenon, called a ‘clonal colony”, means that aspens are among the largest and oldest
living organisms on Earth. When one aspen stem faces challenges, like drought or disease,
resources are redirected through the root system to support it.(1)
Giant redwoods, the world’s tallest trees, have a different but equally powerful way of helping
each other. Despite their immense height, potentially reaching 350 feet or more, these giant
trees have surprisingly shallow root systems. Redwood’s secret power that helps them stay
upright during storms, is their roots intertwine and interlock with the roots of neighboring
redwoods, creating a vast supportive network.(2)
Our theme for Consecration Sunday is Rooted in Faith, Growing Together.
In what is your life and faith rooted?
Paul the apostle, wrote to the Colossian Christians; So then, just as you received Christ Jesus as
Lord, continue to live your lives in him, rooted and built up in him, strengthened in the faith as
you were taught, and overflowing with thankfulness. Col 2:6-7 NIV.
Like with aspen and giant redwood trees, Jesus is the extensive “underground root system that
gives us life. But we must intentionally work to root our lives in Jesus day by day. When we do;
Jesus becomes our solid, lifegiving foundation. The more we root ourselves in Jesus, the deeper
and more intertwined our roots become. Then, even when uncertainty comes, when life changes
unexpectedly, and everything feels like it’s falling apart, our strong, interlocked network of
roots holds us up, and helps us stand firm in the storms of life.
A natural result is thankfulness that overflows, helping us encourage other people to grow in
Jesus, especially people who may feel uprooted, who are looking for a place to belong, to put
down roots, to grow in faith as part of this community of faith.
Let’s root ourselves more deeply in Jesus, continuing to grow together, that an ever expanding community is formed, where all belong, growing together in faith and love.
In Christ’s great love, Pastor Cathy
(1) Adams, Bob, Rooted Together: Relationship Wisdom From Aspens and Redwoods. 2-23-25. Rooted Together: Relationship Wisdom from Aspens and Redwoods | Accessed 10/26/2026.
(2) Ibid.
