God’s Bouquet

A bouquet of many different flowers illustrates the point that God’s Bouquet--like the church--contains many different types of flowers with plenty of space for more. God calls us to keep trying to find and invite ALL the different flowers to be part of the Grand Bouquet. In God’s bouquet—they all fit in. 

Themes:

Diversity of God’s Kindom. This story was inspired by the choral anthem “Mine Is the Church” that compares the church to a “Grand Bouquet.”

Preparation:

Assemble a small floral bouquet (not arranged) with a variety of wild and garden flowers. Include some that are past their peak, some that are dying, some that are large, small, many colors, etc. This works best in late summer or early fall when you’ll have many flowers to choose from. 

What to say:

Do you recognize any of these flowers? This is a special bouquet—it’s God’s bouquet. It’s different than those arrangements you see at the florists: those are carefully arranged, they have a special symmetrical shape, only certain flowers are eligible for those arrangements. This bouquet is God’s bouquet. It has all kinds of colors and flowers:

• It’s irregular in shape—it is not necessarily symmetrical.

• Some flowers are big—they jump right out at you and say “here I am!!”

• Some flowers are small—so small that you have to look carefully to find them—they may even be hiding behind some of the bigger flowers.

• A number of these flowers you don’t ordinarily see in a bouquet: a Fire Thorn has prickly thorns and it sprawls out any which way; some shaped so they stand up tall, some in clusters very small.

• Some spread way out.

• Some are older—even starting to get a little brown.

• Some are tiny new buds.

And there’s water in the vase—kind of like God’s love—taking care of the flowers. Nourishing them, feeding them.

But some flowers are missing from this bouquet:

• No lilacs

• No peonies

• No _________ (fill in as you wish)

If we want to make this truly God’s bouquet, then we will need to find those also and include them. We may have to hunt for them; we may need to give them a special “invitation.”

I think this bouquet is like our church—there are lots of different flowers, plenty of space, and “spirit” nourishment for everyone. God calls us to keep trying to find and invite ALL the different flowers to be a part of the Grand Bouquet.

In God’s bouquet—they all fit in.

Amen.

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From DumbartonUnited Methodist Church Favorite Children’s Stories 1995 – 2006. Edited by Mittie Quinn. 2006. Used by permission.

Contributed by Mittie Quinn

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