I am the true vine, and my Father is the vinegrower. He removes every branch in me that bears no fruit. Every branch that bears fruit he prunes to make it bear more fruit.
[From Worship Resources Year B: Beginning Advent 2014 up to Advent 2015, Herald Publishing House, p. 147]
I started digging in the dirt this morning. It felt so good to get grit under my fingernails again! As I started turning the soil, I stopped in awe of the mysterious way in which tiny little seeds turn into such bounty by the end of the summer—how tomato and zucchini and bell pepper “vines” generously weave in and out of each other. What is now just a patch of dirt will soon be overwhelmed by branches, little yellow flowers, and then fruit. I’ll have to go searching for all those tomatoes playing hide and seek with me.
And it’s inevitable—one pesky zucchini wins that game of hide and seek—and I eventually end up walking away from the garden with what looks like a green baseball bat—knowing full well it will not be tasty. That’s when I know I must prune. If I am to truly care for my garden, I must get rid of some branches so the plants can focus on producing the best, most delicious fruit.
In John 15:1–2, Jesus says, “I am the true vine, and my Father is the vinegrower. 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.”
You see, if we are to become true disciples, if we are to bear the most delicious fruit, we must have a strong, stable connection to the vine—we must have a strong, stable relationship with Jesus.
Prayer Phrase
“See, I am making all things new” (Revelation 21:5).
Weaving a Life
Hold, or imagine yourself holding, a piece of patterned cloth. Examine it carefully. Notice overlapping threads, mingling colors that form the design. Write a journal entry or meditate about the threads and patterns of your life. What design do you see? How does the life pattern you are weaving create justice and wholeness in God’s world? What new pattern is God calling you to weave?
Today’s Prayer for Peace
Engage in a daily practice of praying for peace in our world. Click here to read today’s prayer and be part of this practice of peace.