Today's Lectionary TextJohn 15:1-8“I am the true vine, and my Father is the vinegrower. He removes every branch in me that bears no fruit. Every branch that bears fruit he prunes to make it bear more fruit. You have already been cleansed by the word that I have spoken to you. Abide in me as I abide in you. Just as the branch cannot bear fruit by itself unless it abides in the vine, neither can you unless you abide in me. I am the vine, you are the branches. Those who abide in me and I in them bear much fruit, because apart from me you can do nothing. Whoever does not abide in me is thrown away like a branch and withers; such branches are gathered, thrown into the fire, and burned. If you abide in me, and my words abide in you, ask for whatever you wish, and it will be done for you. My Father is glorified by this, that you bear much fruit and become my disciples. Today's Devotional
Whenever I think about fall, I am reminded my annual adventures to pumpkin patches. My parents would take us to Vala’s, a local pumpkin patch near Omaha. There were haunted houses, corn mazes, and a giant dragon who they would “feed” pumpkins to.
But the best part was always getting on a tractor and going out to the huge field of pumpkins. We would endlessly search for the perfect pumpkin to take home and carve. Wandering the pumpkin patch, you’d see all the plants growing on their vines, however I know I was never looking at the vine, I was always looking just at the pumpkin. I wanted to see the fruit of the vine, I wanted to see what was at the other end. Jesus talks about how he is the vine, and we are the branches. He points out that in order for us all to bear good fruit, we must abide in him. However, it can be so easy to disregard the vine and not see its importance. We want to look for the good fruit: the best pumpkin in the patch, we often miss how that fruit got there. I find sometimes this comes in the form of wanted to take the credit for the work God has done, letting my ego get in the way, instead of admitting God is the source. We are so focused on the harvest; we forget the process of God always working in us to provide. It can be easy to see the vine as unimportant on a plant, however in our own lives when we disregard the vine, we are missing our source: God. Are you remembering the vine? Are you remembering your source? And know the true vine, the true power is in God, the source of all goodness. -Maddi Baugous
Prayer for ReflectionGod of the harvest, help to remember you are the vine and we are your branches. Let us go into the world bearing good fruit of joy and justice. Amen.
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