Product Overview
In a world fixated on outward appearances, discover the joy of cultivating an inward relationship with the Spirit, where virtues like love, joy, and self-control blossom naturally.
"The fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, and self-control." – Galatians 5:22-23a
The apostle Paul paints a beautiful picture when he describes the fruit of the Spirit, but all too often we reduce this list of virtues into a checklist of attributes to pursue and strive for. Pastor and author Eugenia Gamble contends that this understanding is backwards. The Holy Spirit is the One who grows and develops those attributes within us as we pursue our relationship with God. By tending that relationship, the virtues of God develop and blossom as a fruit grows on a well-tended tree.
Tending the Wild Garden explores the true meaning behind each of the virtues in Paul’s list, guiding us to discover anew what it means to be a deeply loved child of God indwelt by God’s Spirit. Gamble helps us to move beyond the checklist mentality of traditional understandings of the fruit of the Spirit, to cultivate our relationship with God, and to uproot the "weeds" that could threaten the flourishing of the fruit in our lives. Let the fruit of the Spirit be more than just words on a page—they’re
the living expressions of God’s love within you. Dare to cultivate a
life overflowing with love, joy, peace, and so much more.
Key Features of this Bible Study:
- Ten chapters/sessions introduce the garden and explore
each of the nine aspects of the fruit of the Spirit
- Six daily devotions in each chapter offer daily Scripture, reflections, and spiritual practices
- Questions provide insightful discussion prompts for personal and group use
In addition to the devotion and study resources found in the book, find digital resources at www.wjkbooks.com/TendingTheWildGarden that provide inspiration for preachers, a downloadable book club guide, images for use in worship and study, and social media images to help share the message of your congregation's use of the book.
Free videos for individual and group use are available on the WJK YouTube Channel.
Reviews
"When reading about the fruit of the spirit, we often think about how we just don’t measure up to the expectations of love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness and self-control. In this reflective book, Eugenia Gamble invites us to let go of measuring and instead to tend the garden of our souls. When carefully nurtured, this fruit reveals God’s image in us." – Elizabeth F. Caldwell, author of Pause: Spending Lent with the Psalms
"Gamble skillfully evokes ecological metaphors in this grace-filled reflection on the Spirit's ongoing work within each of us. This study approaches the fruit of the spirit with the care of a gardener tasked with nurturing a preexisting plot - there is a stewardship of the Holy Spirit's work that encourages a thoughtful, cooperative partnership. Gamble's exploration of Paul's list from Galatians creates a sense of belonging and union with the work co-created by the Spirit within each of us. Seeing the fruit as something planted by the Holy Spirit, rather than a goal to attain through personal piety, encourages readers to embrace the freedom experienced in God's creation." –Andrew Pomerville, President and Professor of Practical Theology, Louisville Presbyterian Theological Seminary
"Tending the Wild Garden invites us to deepen our relationship with God, guiding personal and collective reflection and action, tending to our spiritual gardens, and ‘weeding’ that which hinders our growth and the fruit that will be a blessing individually and collectively. I found Chapter 8, Tending to the Shoots of Faithfulness, to be particularly moving. Gamble’s candid and vulnerable sharing of stories, here and throughout the book, was deeply meaningful. I found myself accepting the invitation to '…put on [my] garden gloves and dig deeply' into my own Spirit’s garden." – Vilmarie Cintrón-Olivieri, Co-Moderator, 223rd General Assembly (2018), Presbyterian Church (USA), & Regional Liaison for the Caribbean.