John 15:1-2
‘I am the true vine, and my Father is the vine-grower. He removes every branch in me that bears no fruit. Every branch that bears fruit he prunes* to make it bear more fruit.
So I can eat chocolate again, eh? What was your Lenten offering that you are now able to indulge in? Sweet. Truly. Lent is over. Finally we can get back to normal and if you are a church goer, not quite ordinary time but sort of. So then, what was is it we did in Lent? Was this a great exercise? A 40 day program to last us the rest of the year perhaps?
I don't think that is the idea at all. Our road to wholeness and holiness is a life long journey, not a 40 day boot camp. I hope to think we set ourselves up with some good habits and a life long exercise regimen that will serve us well as we move forward every day. In today's simple passage from John, perhaps we can view God as our personal exercise coach. Someone who not only wants to see us move forward to our greatest potential but someone who in fact loves us and almost worships us. Crazy though, huh, God worshiping us? I think that is a stretch but I do know, at the very least from Easter, that God loved me so much he was willing to put out his arms out and die for me. That's a whole lot of loving if not worship.
Moving forward though we have to be committed to our lives and not be complacent. I think we have to have a mindset of continuity and a willingness to be pruned by God. Become a healthy fruit bearing vine, always pruning. Maybe a visual of a fruit bearing bonsai tree with every so meticulous and caring prunings. Oh my, another vsual just popped into my head, God as Mr. Miyagi. Ok, now, sand the floor!
‘I am the true vine, and my Father is the vine-grower. He removes every branch in me that bears no fruit. Every branch that bears fruit he prunes* to make it bear more fruit.
So I can eat chocolate again, eh? What was your Lenten offering that you are now able to indulge in? Sweet. Truly. Lent is over. Finally we can get back to normal and if you are a church goer, not quite ordinary time but sort of. So then, what was is it we did in Lent? Was this a great exercise? A 40 day program to last us the rest of the year perhaps?
I don't think that is the idea at all. Our road to wholeness and holiness is a life long journey, not a 40 day boot camp. I hope to think we set ourselves up with some good habits and a life long exercise regimen that will serve us well as we move forward every day. In today's simple passage from John, perhaps we can view God as our personal exercise coach. Someone who not only wants to see us move forward to our greatest potential but someone who in fact loves us and almost worships us. Crazy though, huh, God worshiping us? I think that is a stretch but I do know, at the very least from Easter, that God loved me so much he was willing to put out his arms out and die for me. That's a whole lot of loving if not worship.
Moving forward though we have to be committed to our lives and not be complacent. I think we have to have a mindset of continuity and a willingness to be pruned by God. Become a healthy fruit bearing vine, always pruning. Maybe a visual of a fruit bearing bonsai tree with every so meticulous and caring prunings. Oh my, another vsual just popped into my head, God as Mr. Miyagi. Ok, now, sand the floor!
So I can eat chocolate again, eh? What was your Lenten offering that you are now able to indulge in? Sweet. Truly. Lent is over. Finally we can get back to normal and if you are a church goer, not quite ordinary time but sort of. So then, what was is it we did in Lent? Was this a great exercise? A 40 day program to last us the rest of the year perhaps?
I don't think that is the idea at all. Our road to wholeness and holiness is a life long journey, not a 40 day boot camp. I hope to think we set ourselves up with some good habits and a life long exercise regimen that will serve us well as we move forward every day. In today's simple passage from John, perhaps we can view God as our personal exercise coach. Someone who not only wants to see us move forward to our greatest potential but someone who in fact loves us and almost worships us. Crazy though, huh, God worshiping us? I think that is a stretch but I do know, at the very least from Easter, that God loved me so much he was willing to put out his arms out and die for me. That's a whole lot of loving if not worship.
Moving forward though we have to be committed to our lives and not be complacent. I think we have to have a mindset of continuity and a willingness to be pruned by God. Become a healthy fruit bearing vine, always pruning. Maybe a visual of a fruit bearing bonsai tree with every so meticulous and caring prunings. Oh my, another vsual just popped into my head, God as Mr. Miyagi. Ok, now, sand the floor!
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