Vine and Zoom & Prayers for Deck and Dock 2020

We’ve been connecting virtually over the last few months and it does put a strain on us all. I’ve been thinking about a different metaphor for our connections. Two Muskoka chairs facing a lake/mountain scene is the picture on the cover of my book Spiritual Friendship. It represents two friends, in reflective, prayerful conversation listening to God, one another and the world around them. Spiritual friendship, as we have come to understand and encourage it, is a connection between some friends in which their practice of listening or contemplative prayer as individuals combines with that of another(s) for intentional times of listening to the moves of Spirit in each other’s life.

Lately with all our connecting virtually, I’ve been wondering if Jesus’ metaphor of Himself as vine and us as friends and branches is far superior. Here are a few snippets from Jesus’ conversation with his friends; “I am the true grapevine, and my Father is the gardener.  He cuts off every branch of mine that doesn’t produce fruit, and he prunes the branches that do bear fruit so they will produce even more.  You have already been pruned and purified by the message I have given you.  Remain in me, and I will remain in you. For a branch cannot produce fruit if it is severed from the vine, and you cannot be fruitful unless you remain in me…. “I have loved you even as the Father has loved me. Remain in my love.  (John 15:1-4,9 NLT)

The picture is of friends emerging from a branch of a vine in conversation with one another in the midst of a vineyard, with a cosmic Gardener moving among the vines doing some cleanup, and a sense of life and fruitfulness as part of the experience. All embraced and nurtured in love.

Two friends sitting in a chair is helpful, but two friends already connected to the vine being cared for by the Father, cleaning and pruning has a different and crazy richness. Picture us together already connected to one another – perhaps some section of the vine with many branches producing fruit.

For 2000 years this Jesus vine has been growing, not unattended, and not without intention. It has been producing relationships of love, self-giving and fruitfulness. My early picture of the picture of the Divine Gardener was of a stern, clipper-wielding figure who was looking for dead vines to fuel his nearby fire.

What I missed was the emphasis on fruitfulness as the goal - purifying pruning done for the benefit of each branch for the good of the vine and all its attached branches. It isn’t a self-destructive behaviour; it is love in action to produce fruit from a vineyard in the midst of a world of pests and enemies to that vine.

I’ve been thinking recently about Jesus’ repeatedly saying that he wants us to experience the same love of the Father that he enjoys – “my Father loves you as much as he loves me”. So, the Gardener loves the vine and its branches, its fruit, its wine. The Cosmic Gardener nurtures the vines to experience love.

Our work expresses this in manifold ways – it’s good to know we are not alone; we are connected and tended by a Loving God. We have been busy in His vineyard, and we hope fruitful.  Thank you to those who have continued to support us and invite us on this journey together.

Please click for our annual Prayers of Deck and Dock. We hope they encourage your connections to the Vine.

Goodness of the vineyard grow among us.

Norm

PS. Thank you for your continued support. If you would like to make a donation please click here.