Forming Community and Bearing Fruit
Text: John
15:1-8, 16-17
Aldersgate
I.
Symbol for
Central Mass
a.
Yesterday pre-conference
b.
Johnny Appleseed
c.
Basket of apples
d.
What’s the real fruit of the apple tree?
II.
Jesus offers an
image of vine and branches and invites us to think about bearing fruit, living
communally and the One who is the keeper of the vine
a.
Tended by the vine keeper –
i.
“A vineyard
grower knows that while grapevines will grow without someone to care for them,
they do not thrive, and they often will not bear useable fruit without care and
pruning.
ii.
Bruce Wilkinson
records conversation with vineyard owner in Secrets of the Vine
1.
New branches have natural tendency
a.
to trail down
b.
grow along the ground
2.
when a branch grows along ground
a.
leaves get coated with dust
b.
then it rains and they get muddy and mildewed
c.
become sick
3.
“What do you do?” asked Wilkenson,
“Cut it off and throw it away?”
4.
“Oh, no!” the owner exclaimed.
a.
The branch much too valuable
b.
Get a bucket of water
c.
Go through vineyard
d.
Lift up each branch and wash it off.
e.
Then wrap around trellis or tie it up
f.
Pretty soon its
thriving
iii.
God is kind of
like that with us, right?
1.
how many times have you gotten in trouble, messed up
your life in some way
a.
now kids, don’t let your parents fool you
b.
they’ve had some problems in their lives
i.
even the most
saintliest of mothers has not led a perfect life
ii.
it’s the human
condition
c.
I remember when my daughters were younger
i.
wanting to help
them avoid the problems that I had when I was young
ii.
I remember
wanting to help them learn from my mistakes and not do the same thing
iii.
And then
realizing that they were going to make mistakes – everyone does
2.
so many times, God has lifted me up, gently dusted me
off, and tied me back to another branch
b.
Bear fruit
i.
Empty branches
removed
ii.
Fruit bearing
branches pruned to bear more fruit
iii.
Ethiopian eunuch
example of one who bears fruit
1.
early Christian historian Eusebius
a.
says Ethiopian returned home and became an evangelist
b.
Christianity, of a form loosely related to the Coptic
Church of Egypt
i.
was the state religion in
ii.
legend has it
that the Eunuch in this story is the one who took the faith there
c.
recently heard about colleague’s visit to
i.
many churches
trace heritage back to this man
ii.
they believe
this Ethiopian was very fruitful
2.
fruitfulness is a byproduct of communal living
c.
Jesus wants us to pay attention to communal nature of
this passage
i.
One of the
things I’ve noticed about vines branches wind all around each other
1.
Eugene Peterson wrote
a.
“No life of faith can be lived privately.
b.
“There must be overflow into the lives of others.
2.
need each other
a.
John Wesley understood this
b.
To renew the church, formed small groups
i.
Where people
could help each other
ii.
called them
class meetings
ii.
abiding in the
vine equals connectedness, permanence, vitality
iii.
Mutuality of
living with Jesus is gift and a task
1.
Not a one way street
a.
Receive gifts
i.
prayer
ii.
becoming
disciples
iii.
glorifying God
b.
Take on tasks
i.
growth
ii.
usefulness
iii.
nourishment
c.
both linked to bearing fruit
2.
sounds a lot like parenting
a.
gifts
b.
and tasks, that’s what parenting all about
III.
funny that we
should be talking about bearing fruit on Mother’s Day
a.
A teacher asked some school-age children about
mothers
i.
Why did God make
mothers?
1.
Think about it, it was the best way to get more
people.
ii.
How did God make
mothers?
1.
Magic plus super powers and a lot of stirring.
iii.
What ingredients
are mothers made of?
1.
God makes mothers out of clouds and angel hair and
everything nice in the world, and one dab of mean.
iv.
Why did God give
you your mother and not some other mom?
1.
God knew she likes me a lot more than other people’s
moms like me.
v.
What’s the
difference between moms and dads?
1.
Moms know how to talk to teachers without scaring
them.
2.
Dads are taller and stronger, but moms have all the
real power cause that’s who you ask if you want to sleep over at your friend’s.
b.
One Mom when asked about her role had an interesting
answer.
i.
A few years ago
she went to renew her driver’s license.
ii.
The clerk,
wanted to know her occupation.
iii.
She hesitated a
moment and the clerk asked "What I mean is, do you have a job or are you
just a...?"
iv.
"Of course
I have a job," the mom snapped. "I'm a mom."
v.
"We don't
list 'mom' as an occupation,” said the clerk. "Housewife covers it."
vi.
This Mom forgot
all about that until a few weeks ago when she had to go for another renewal.
Same place. Same clerk.
vii.
The clerk didn’t
remember her, of course, but the mom remembered the clerk.
viii.
“Your
occupation?” the clerk asked.
ix.
What made her
say it? She does not know. The words simply popped out.
x.
"I'm a
Research Associate in the field of Child Development and Human Relations."
xi.
The clerk
paused, ball-point pen frozen in midair and looked up as though she had not
heard right. The mom repeated the title slowly emphasizing the most significant
words.
xii.
Then the clerk
stared with wonder as her pronouncement was written in bold, black ink on the
official questionnaire.
xiii.
"Might I
ask," said the clerk with new interest, "just what you do in your
field?"
xiv.
Coolly, without
any trace of fluster in her voice, the mom replied, "I have a continuing
program of research, (what mother doesn't) in the laboratory and in the field,
(normally she would have said indoors and out).
xv.
Of course, the
job is one of the most demanding in the
humanities, (any mother care to disagree?) and I often work 14 hours a day, (24
is more like it).
xvi.
But the job is
more challenging than most run-of-the-mill careers and the rewards are more of
a satisfaction rather than just money."
xvii.
There was an
increasing note of respect in the clerk's voice as he completed the form, stood
up and personally ushered the mom to the door.
xviii.
As she drove
into her driveway, buoyed up by her glamorous new career, she was greeted by
her lab assistants – ages 13, 7, and 3.
xix.
Upstairs she
could hear her new experimental model, (a 6 month old baby) in the child
development program, testing out a new vocal pattern.
xx.
She felt she had
scored a beat on bureaucracy! And she had gone on the official records as
someone more distinguished and indispensable to humanity than "just
another Mom."
xxi.
She’s thinking
about ordering a plaque for her door. Under her name it would say, "Senior
Research Associate – Child Development and Human Relations"
xxii.
She told her mom
that grandmothers are now Executive Senior Research Associates. And her sister?
Associate Research Assistant.
c.
So, in a way, with Jesus’ words, “I am the vine, you
are the branches …”
i.
He invites each
of us, not just moms,
1.
to accept a position as Research Associate in Bearing
Fruit and Forming Community
2.
Are you willing to join Jesus’ prestigious firm?
a.
Let’s be about the business of Holy Vine, Unlimited
b.
Bearing fruit
c.
Forming community
d.
And giving glory to God
e.
Amen