Pruning

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bear fruit, energy, pruning, spiritual growth, The Sophia Center for Spirituality, truth

I never liked the task of pruning. Even removing the suckers from tomato plants seemed too destructive and painful (for me as well as the plant!) People told me it was important for the plant that I remove the suckers – and even branches from growing trees. I thought it was just to make everything look neat and even beautiful. It was my least favorite task in outdoor work until I read an article that told me “the sucker should be removed to prevent it from sucking away the plant’s energy.” (http://www.maximumyield.com) (That sounds a little like what should be done for small children with a big bag full of Halloween candy.)

Jesus liked to use examples from nature to talk about spiritual growth and this morning it was about the necessity of pruning. With himself as the vine and God as the vine grower, he imaged the disciples (and us) as the branches in need of pruning in order to bear more fruit. It’s helpful to hold that image when I recognize or am told that I’m straying off my path. It’s sometimes very difficult to look into the mirror of truth about ourselves, but as I grow, allowing the pruning gets easier as I come to see the freedom in new growth.

It’s almost time to tidy up the plants outside. While I’m at that task, I will check on what needs to be clipped from the inside too. Won’t you join me?

 

 

 

 

 

 

Good Seed

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bear fruit, disciples, embrace, generosity of heart, Gospel, grateful, harvest, Jesus, Luke, perseverance, sowing seeds, The Sophia Center for Spirituality

Although we are moving through the season of harvest here in our country now, the gospel for today reminds us of the necessity of sowing seeds on good ground. (LK 8:4-15) The disciples of Jesus didn’t understand the parable in which his message was “hidden” so he did something that rarely appears in these gospel texts. He explained the meaning! As he spoke of the different kinds of “soil” in which the word of God might be sown, they heard the pitfalls of life in how the yield of what was sown might be more or less. In the end, we find that as for the seed that fell on rich soil, they are the ones who, when they have heard the word, embrace it with a generous and good heart, and bear fruit through perseverance. (vs.15)

So today it may be time to look at what we have seen growing around and within us because of our generosity of heart and perseverance, being grateful for what has blossomed as well as for what needed to be weeded out. For all of it, may we give thanks to the Lord of the harvest.

 

 

 

 

 

 

Love Is The Answer

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Acts of the Apostles, appointed you, bear fruit, Christian, difference, discernment, disunity, Father, I who chose you, John, love, new era, The Sophia Center for Spirituality

(Acts 15:22-31)
After the Council of Jerusalem had come to a conclusion (see posts of 5/6&7), the leaders wrote a letter to “all the brothers in Antioch, Syria and Cilicia of Gentile origin” to tell them that “it is the decision of the Holy Spirit and of us not to place on you any burden beyond these necessities” which consisted only of dietary rules and those concerning unlawful marriage. In order that the message would be clearly communicated to everyone in the same manner, they sent representatives to the communities to deliver the letter. Thus the discernment was completed and a new era began which opened up the possibility for anyone to become Christian regardless of their former affiliation or way of life.

Coincidentally (perhaps) the gospel reading for this morning (John 15:12-17) includes the following: “It was not you who chose me, but I who chose you and appointed you to go and bear fruit that will remain, so that whatever you ask the Father in my name he may give you. This I command you: love one another.” May our prayer for today be one of wideness of heart so that difference need not mean disunity and that we may come to embrace all others for the sake of love.

A Sturdy Vine

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bear fruit, branches, fidelity of purpose., grapevine, Jesus, John, lessons, spiritual practices, strength, The Sophia Center for Spirituality, vine

Each time I read about the vine and the branches in John’s gospel (15:1-8) I am reminded of the time I tried to dig up the old grapevine that sat in the middle of our yard. It was certainly older than I and we thought it was time for it to retire. It was one of the best spiritual practices I had ever engaged! We were both quite steadfast: me following the branches into the ground over days of digging and pulling until all merged into one, and the vine always one step ahead of me in tenaciousness. I ended finally by cutting it below ground level, blessing it for the lessons it had taught me of strength and fidelity of purpose.

This morning Jesus says he is the vine and we are the branches. He calls us to make our home in him to bear fruit. Those words offer me an image of warmth, being cradled as the nutrients for growth, the life force, the light of the sun and of God flow into me from the strong central core of my being, Christ. There can be no branch without that firm, steady center. Remain in me, Jesus says, as I remain in you. Together we will bear much fruit. With that promise I go forward into this sunny day.

Rich Soil

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bear fruit, gardening, generosity, goodness, Luke, perseverance, seed, sower, The Sophia Center for Spirituality

Any gospel story about farmers or others growing things is always heartening to me as I become more and more conscious of the beauty and the things of earth. The lessons are generally easy to discern as well. This morning there was a verse in the long parable about the sower and the seed (LUKE 8:4-15) that not only stood out but gave me a comforting insight. It was at the end of the text.

As for the seed that fell on rich soil, they are the ones who, when they have heard the word, embrace it with a generous and good heart, and bear fruit through perseverance.

The text says nothing about perfect flowers or just enough color or the admiration of everyone for a successful crop. It’s rather about generosity, goodness and perseverance. It can’t get any better than that!