Sermon 6-13-2010
Proverbs 7:1-4 John 15:9-17
“Keeping in Touch”
PRAYER
When my girls were in elementary school, it was emphasized how important it was to know about your heritage and roots. In third grade one of the assignments was to create a family tree. My mother and I got involved in the homework to help Marisabel. We discovered interesting things in our roots and heritage, for example: Women were the primary leaders of the household, males in the family tree were not as strong in character or numbers. Four years later when Astrid was in third grade the same assignment was given to her. The ground work was pretty much done for her and she just needed to add her artistic touch.
Are family trees an important part of your life? Have you done your family’s tree?
“When Jesus uses the imagery of the vine he knew what he was talking about. In Palestine the vine was grown all over the place, as it still is. It is a plant which needs a great deal of attention if the best fruit is to come from… The ground has to be perfectly clean… to grow (abundantly) and drastic pruning is necessary… (the seeds) are set in the ground at least twelve feet apart, for it will creep over the ground at great speed. A young vine is not allowed to fruit for the first three years and each year it’s cut back drastically to develop and conserve its life and energy. When mature… it bears two kinds of branches, one that bears fruit and one that does not, the branches that do not bear fruit are pruned back, so that they will drain away none of the plant’s strength.
Christians whose Christianity consist of profession without practice; words without deeds; are like useless branches, all leaves and no fruit.”
(Barclay, John. vol.2 pg. 173-174)
In the text Jesus is inviting us to abide in him, “Abide in me as I abide in you. Just as the branch cannot bear fruit by itself unless it abides in the vine, neither can you unless you abide in me.” John 15:4. Jesus is inviting us to abide in his love. “As God has loved me, so I have loved you…” v.9
“What are the benefits of being intimately connected to Jesus?
How do you perceive yourself to be abiding in Jesus?
What is the meaning of abiding? To be a Christian means that we are “in Christ and Christ is in the Christian” (idem, 175)
“Christ “abides” or “dwells in” us, and we abide in God through Christ. For some
this close-knit connection will be very appealing and comforting, others may find it frightening or perhaps even stifling. Being part of the vine that is Christ implies that we are coming from the very roots of God. We are “rooted” in God. Think about what that term means. We talk about “getting to the root of the matter” or going back to our roots.” Think about your roots… your family heritage? How important are your roots to you? What difference do they make as you go about your life today? Apart from the vine, humanity can do nothing. Imagine the congregation as a part of Christ’s vine.”
(Nan Duerling. The Word and You. v.3, pg. 168-169)
You are a part of the vine, as you are a part of this congregation. How can I
produce any fruit if I am not connected with Christ?
“The word abide is relational and communal in meaning.” (idem).
This image of fruitful branches can be compared with a community of faith like the church, which is connected by their life together. Jesus’ invitation is to keep in touch with a community of faith here or wherever you go in the near future. `Engage yourself in service to others and in ministries of social justice that talk about making a difference locally and in the world. Keeping in touch means to stay connected, to stay permanent and to have vitality. In order to grow spiritually, to bear fruit, and to be productive you need to be nourished. It is because we receive from God’s love that we can give it and share it with others.
Jesus is inviting us to be his friends. “Let us make a human analogy. All analogies are imperfect but we must work with the ideas which we posses. So here is person who is weak. He has fallen… he has made a mess of things; he is on his way down… now suppose that he has a friend of a strong and lovely nature, who rescues him from his degraded situation. There is only one way in which he can retain his reformation and keep himself on the right path. He must keep this friend.” (Barclay, John. vol.2 pg. 175)
“Friendship, nowadays is an all too scarce commodity in our world… Unfortunately, the term “friend” is often reduced to acquaintance, and the ingredients of a deep relationship, such as empathy, support, and mutual struggle, are lost… (In the text Jesus is calling his disciples friends. He is also calling us friends) “…is not an ordinary friendship to which Jesus summons persons,; it is a friendship that he himself has initiated, and that results in commitment and trust …friendship with Jesus is a relationship that is characterized by ‘loving one another as I have loved
you.’ (Brueggmann, Texts for Preaching. Year B, pg. 317-318)
Let me read to you a couple of sayings about friendship from: “God’s Little Instruction Book on Friendship.” By: W. B. Freeman. (Honor Books, Inc., Tulsa, Oklahoma, 1996.)
How can I keep in touch with the vine? How can I be fed spiritually?
Jesus is inviting us to keep in touch through the word of God. Proverbs tells us that as we follow the word we find wisdom, understanding and knowledge. We keep in touch with God by finding time for prayer, meditation, worship and service to others. Jesus’ commandment is to love him as he has loved us, to keep in connected with him and with each other, as part of the same vine, as part of the same family tree.
In our family tree, we do not choose our relatives. Some branches in the tree are not the most fruitful, and perhaps we would really like to cut off some of them if we could, but as a family we generally abide together no matter our differences and disagreements. We too as a church family may have some similar feelings, but at the end of the day, we still have our family.
In the Christian vine, we have a gardener that has chosen us. He has chosen us to abide, to be our friend and to love us unconditionally as he has been loved by God. Amen!
BENEDICTION
Jesus said I am the vine you are the branches!
I am your maker and I am calling you again to abide with me,
to be my friend, to be renewed, reborn and recreated in my love! Amen!
Blessing for the Graduates:
In the choices, in the challenges, on the roads I walk,
Keep me with You Guiding God so I may hear your voice.
In the choices, in the challenges, on the paths I tread,
Help me to know You Gentle God so I may do Your will.
We dedicate work and study time to you, O God.
Endurance, challenge and gifts come from you…
The time has come to move ahead with you…
With thanks in our hearts and praise in our lips, for the lives
and the accomplishments of these graduates and
for the glorious day of Graduation, we thank you, Amen!
