Jesus, True Vine

Scripture          Read John 15:1-17
Focus Verse     John 15:1, 5a    
I am the true vine, and my Father is the gardener … you are the branches.

Commentary:  Vineyards were an ordinary part of agricultural life in ancient Israel and were used in scripture as a metaphor for Israel, especially by poets and prophets to highlight a state of separation between God and the people which resulted from the community's rebellion.  Jesus, as those who came before him, uses the image of a vine to illuminate divine judgment in the context of divine love.  

If gardening is a spiritual pathway for you, you probably understand this image more than most as you lovingly tend the growing plants, vines, flowers and vegetation.  You know how much it takes and you know the devastation of working so hard only to have a plant die.  Many years ago when I lived in Red Deer, Alberta, Canada I planted 3 rows of corn, and I was just a couple of days away from picking it when we had a freeze ... all that beautiful corn, gone, dead on the vine.  Jesus uses this illustration to talk about how close we need to stay to God in order to grow and thrive and to bear the "fruit" we are called to offer to the world. Over the years I have found some spiritual practices help me to stay closer to God and closer to who I was created to be than others but different people need different practices.   

Reflection: What spiritual practices keep you faithful to God and close to God’s purposes for your life?
    
Prayer Breathing in … Jesus my True Vine
Prayer Breathing out … Help me grow 

If music is a spiritual pathway for you, I've chose "O Come All Ye Faithful," via YouTube, because in order to stay close to God and grow and bear fruit we have to be faithful to our spiritual practices.  I hope you enjoy this arrangement and joyful performance by Pentonix which mixes a little bit of old with a little bit of new ... a great practice for growth!