This review first appeared on the Alan's Eyes and Ears Blog.
Rooted in Good Soil, by Tri Robinson. Paperback.
A third-generation farmer, as well as being a pastor, Tri Robinson has
an interesting vantage point from which to analyze Jesus' parable of
the sower. Robinson notes that the differences in outcomes in the story
are due to the underlying condition of the soil. Robinson combines his
knowledge of Scripture and farming to explain how we can develop the
"good soil" required for spiritual growth.
The chapter relating the Trinity to the forces of soil, sun, and rain
was the strongest part of the book. In it, Robinson tells vignettes from
his life to show his own personal understanding of the roles of Father,
Son, and Spirit in his own life. The chapter on the miracle of
photosynthesis was also strong, discussing personal growth in a way I
had not heard before.
The founding pastor of a large Vineyard church in Idaho, Robinson has written about the intersection of faith and the natural world before. His prior works, Saving God's Green Earth, and Small Footprint, Big Handprint,
both argue for evangelical approaches to environmentalism and
sustainability. He argues persuasively that a biblical worldview
includes care and concern for creation.
This is not a theological tome, but is instead a readable treatise of
discipleship, from a man who has been a church leader for many decades.
Source: borrowed from a friend.