The Parable of the Sower

The Parable of the Sower and Epping Upland C.of E. School 

By The Revd Olivia Maxfield-Coote

Jesus was a great storyteller. He often taught using stories involving relatable images and situations.

Jesus' stories are rich in meaning and continue to hold significance and relevance to our lives today.

In the parable about the sower, Jesus' word is the 'seed' which only bears fruit if the hearers are responsive and receptive and not if they are overcome by negative voices, or worries or aren't grounded deeply enough in all that is good.
The parable of the sower fits with the ethos of Epping Upland and its focus on being a nurturing and caring environment. The school seeks to provide the best soil to enable the children to flourish, to make the best choices and to be good citizens.
There is also an agricultural link, in that the school is surrounded by farmland. Good stewardship of creation is therefore a deeply significant subject for the pupils at Epping Upland as they recognise more readily the impact of climate change on our food production.

In the parable of the sower, Christians are reminded that we need to tend our souls like soil so that we recognise the word of God and act upon it. In Epping Upland we hope that the parable will help our children and staff to focus on what elements in their lives they need to nurture in order to be the best that they can be and bear lots of fruit for the world around them.