Nathan E. Lewis

The name of Evergreen Presbyterian Church was chosen to reflect the biblical imagery of the spiritual growth of God’s children. Psalm 1 teaches that the righteous person is “like a tree planted by streams of water who yields its fruit in season and whose leaves do not wither.�? Psalm 92:12-15 describes the spiritual growth of the righteous: “The righteous will flourish like a palm tree, they will grow like a cedar of Lebanon; planted in the house of the Lord, they will flourish in the courts of our God. They will still bear fruit in old age, they will stay fresh and green, proclaiming, ‘The Lord is upright; he is my Rock, and there is no wickedness in him.’”

Did you know that the olive tree is evergreen? This tree is a primary symbol for the church in the Old Testament. In the New Testament, as Paul explains the addition of the Gentiles to the church, he uses the olive tree as his illustration. “If some of the branches have been broken off, and you, though a wild olive shoot, have been grafted in among the others and now share in the nourishing sap from the olive root, do not boast over those branches.�? Evergreen desires her name to remind her members that they are nourished by God, the root, who causes the branches to grow and to produce fruit.
The evergreen is a good image to keep in mind for anyone interested in growing spiritually. An evergreen constantly displays vitality in its color and endurance through harsh conditions. Some seasons may bring phenomenal growth. At the Evergreen site in Beaverton, Mrs. Jesse Hill’s Sunday School class planted a sequoia in honor of her many years of teaching young children. In the first year following its planting, the tree went into shock and nearly died. But the following year, this five-foot tree grew three feet! In two years time it has doubled in height.
The church grows in number of members and it also grows as each member matures spiritually. The more each member of a church knows and understands about God and his Word, the more potential for growth the church possesses. The more holy in behavior a church membership becomes, the healthier the church. The more active in serving God a church is, the stronger it is. The spiritual food for the church is God himself as well as his Word, which brings life. The bread of life is Jesus who is “the way, the truth, and the life.�? The source of our growth, therefore, is profoundly flowing from God himself. A personal relationship with God through Jesus connects us to the source of our spiritual growth.