Tag: vine and branches

A Fruitful Life

Modern personnel practices in secular business settings emphasize the importance of performance appraisals. Some of that spills over into our perspective on our life as followers of Jesus Christ. That is not necessarily a good thing.

Business and the economy are concerned with performance and productivity. People are useful as long as they are able to contribute to the bottom line. People easily become cogs in the wheels of commerce.

Jesus was concerned about fruitfulness. He said, "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. I am the vine, you are the branches. Those who abide in me and I in them bear much fruit, because apart from me you can do nothing" (John 15:4-5).

I recently helped a family say goodbye to a loved one. He was a renowned surgeon, husband, father, and Christian gentleman. During those last minutes of his life, they were not concerned in the least with his performance. They spoke of the wonderful life he lived and the stewardship of his gifts as a physician that allowed him to heal, save lives, give people another chance. "That was why he was put here," they said. He understood that God had made him a physician and guided his hands in God's healing work. He lived a fruitful life.

Every life he touched made a difference to others. We'll never know how many. Something The Rev. Robert H. Schuller said came to mind. "Anyone can count the number of seeds in an apple, but only God can count the number of apples in a seed." Fruitful people go around planting seeds. Those seeds germinate, take root, sprout, grow, and produce fruit. And so the process continues from generation to generation.

Here's a question: When you die, do you want someone to say about you, "He always had good performance appraisals," or do you want it said, "He lived a fruitful life"?

Do what you have to do to earn a living, keep your job, and provide for your family. Be a top performer. But don't confuse being a cog in the wheel with living a fruitful, abundant, Christian life.

I'll see you in Church!

July 19, 2016
With God’s Help, I Will

The Catechism of The Episcopal Church can be found on pages 844-862 in The Book of Common Prayer. This brief summary of the Church’s teaching is also known as “An Outline of the Faith.”

Among the teachings we find in the Catechism is a description of how the mission of the Church is carried out and by whom:

Q. Through whom does the Church carry out its mission?
A. The Church carries out its mission through the ministry of all its members.

Q. Who are the ministers of the Church?
A. The ministers of the Church are lay persons, bishops, priests, and deacons.

Q. What is the ministry of the laity?
A. The ministry of lay persons is to represent Christ and his Church; to bear witness to him wherever they may be; and, according to the gifts given them, to carry on Christ’s work of reconciliation in the world; and to take their place in the life, worship, and governance of the Church.

That means every member is a minister and every member has a ministry.

During this time of transition, we are going to emphasize this teaching in a variety of ways. The vestry has appointed a discernment task force to work with me in this emphasis. The first thing we did was to bring the vestry a plan for increasing the effectiveness of our committees, guilds, and ministry groups. The plan, adopted by the vestry at its May meeting, provides for recruiting additional participants, rotating participants and leaders, and providing up to date descriptions of the expectations of each committee, guild, and ministry group. We are now in the process of implementing this plan, which we believe will add to the vibrancy and fruitfulness of The Episcopal Church in Jackson Hole.

Our emphasis has included a series of sermons and articles that called attention to five practices that shape and sustain fruitful congregations. The concept of fruitfulness is rooted in the teachings of Christ; “I am the vine, you are the branches. Those who abide in me and I in them bear much fruit, because apart from me you can do nothing. You did not choose me but I chose you. And I appointed you to go and bear fruit, fruit that will last, so that the Father will give you whatever you ask him in my name” (John 15:5, 16).

Fruitful congregations understand that every member is a minister, called by and connected to Jesus Christ. From him they draw the divine resources to carry out his work in the world. They intentionally repeat and deepen certain fundamental activities, seeking to perform them with excellence: Radical Hospitality, Passionate Worship, Intentional Faith Development, Risk-Taking Mission and Service, and Extravagant Generosity. In this parish, these five practices are carried out under the leadership and engagement of our committees, guilds, and ministry groups.

During the month of June, we are asking each member to “Get Involved” in one or more ways in response to the Christ’s call. We’ve published a brochure that provides brief descriptions of many ways to get involved along with a Ministry Interest Indicator, which you may use to let the discernment task force, the staff, and me know where you believe you are being called to serve.

You may already be involved. If so, great! Let us know if you want to continue to be involved in that way. Or, you may sense that it is time to move to another ministry. We’d like to hear from you about that. And, if you are not involved, tell us where you believe Christ wants you to bear fruit.

“Get Involved” brochures are available in the Narthex, Hansen Hall, and the Parish Office. You can also access the brochure and the Ministry Interest Indicator online. CLICK HERE.

Healthy transitions between settled rectors are times for the congregation to be especially engaged in the life and mission of the parish. I hope you will see this as a time to discern your ministry at St. John’s and pursue it “with God’s help.”

I’ll see you in Church!

June 4, 2015
An Epiphany From a Muscadine Grape Vine

Jesus said, "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. I am the vine, you are the branches. Those who abide in me and I in them bear much fruit, because apart from me you can do nothing” (John 15:4-5).

The powerful imagery of Jesus’ description of the relationship between him and his followers became clear to me one day when I was jogging on the trail beside Buffalo Bayou west of Downtown Houston, Texas. At one place along the trail, there are several pine trees that are completely wrapped up by muscadine grape vines. The last time I had run past this site, the grapes were still green. That day they were ripe and stood out boldly from the vine and its branches.

What wasn’t so easily discernible was where the vine left off and the branch began. I had never really
looked closely enough at vines and branches to notice that. Jesus’ words came to mind. The fruit that is borne by a grape vine comes as a result of the oneness of the vine and its many branches. If you cut off a branch, it will no longer be capable of bearing fruit. Actually, if there are no branches, the vine will not bear fruit until it grows new ones.

As followers of Jesus Christ, we are able to bear fruit as long as we are connected to the vine and draw nourishment from it. It may be difficult for anyone to distinguish between Christ’s life and the lives of his followers, just as it is difficult to distinguish the vine from the branches. The fruit Christ wants to give to the world is the result of the mystical union of the vine and its branches – his life and our lives. The more branches there are connected to the vine, the more fruit there is.

During the Easter season, I’m leading a Sunday morning series based on Robert Schnase’s book, Five Practices of Fruitful Congregations. The five practices are Radical Hospitality, Passionate Worship, Intentional Faith Development, Risk-Taking Mission and Service, and Extravagant Generosity. In each case, the desired result is greater fruitfulness. And in each case, that increase in fruitfulness depends upon our connection to Jesus Christ and to one another, a relationship that resembles that of a vine and its branches.

Apart from Christ, the true vine, we can do nothing. Actually, we can do plenty of things. We are amazing and resourceful creatures. But the fruit of Christ comes only from abiding in Christ and Christ abiding in us. It's not always easy to stay connected. But that's the way it works!

May 3, 2012