“Blessed be God, who has not rejected my prayer, nor withheld his love from me.” That feels good. Let’s say that psalm verse out loud, together: “Blessed be God, who has not rejected my prayer, nor withheld his love from me.” How great it is that our God – the same God who took on…

At first reading, the words of Jesus in this passage from John are not very inspiring. “If you love me, you will keep my commandments.” It is that little word “if.” From our grandparents down to our grandchildren, we have all lived with or kept company with people who talk as though their love for…

Is this passage of Scripture familiar? The quote, “I am the vine and you are the branches” does stand out and feels like a message that really fits in this season of Easter. It seems especially appropriate when you think of it as preparation for the approaching feast of Pentecost as well—especially in the sense…

Once a young man mentioned to his pastor that he had a love of poetry but that he noticed poetry was never mentioned at church. “Would it be possible,” he asked the pastor, “to introduce poetry sometime into the service?” The following week the pastor obligingly produced a poem. After explaining to the congregation why…

Jesus as the vine with us as the branches is a very powerful model for the Christian life. It sets things straight as to how we are to be and what we are to do. As the text says, “cut off from me you can do nothing.” So this text calls us to be branches….

Jesus imagery in the gospel this morning speaks to us of the rooted context of the maturing Christian life. We are called to abide in God, trusting that the Vine will supply the needs to the branches, that one comes from the other, that we are connected. It is only in abiding, the peaceful, calm…