We Are the Vine

Sermon May 10, 2009

The solution percolated in the imaginations of farmers in Zentsuji, Japan for about 20 years. Then it finally came to fruition.

Here was the problem. Japanese refrigerators are small and space is at a premium. A watermelon takes up a lot of room in the fridge. And there is a significant amount of wasted space surrounding this large spherical fruit.

The creative farmers of Zentsuji finally developed a technique for growing square watermelons. Not only do they fit better in the fridge, they are easier to stack, and they don’t roll when being cut.

While still on the vine, the growers place the developing melon into a tempered glass cube which happens to be the exact dimensions to fit into the standard Japanese refrigerator. The melons naturally assume the shape of the box.

The only problem with the melons appears to be the cost. They cost the equivalent of $82 each, compared with about $15-$25 for a regular round watermelon.

There is a picture of the square melons on the bulletin board, and for you skeptics, be assured, it has been verified by snopes.com.

In the scripture lesson we heard this morning, the story takes place at the end of Jesus’ life just before the crucifixion. He is telling them those most important things that they need to know before he dies.

In the story, Jesus uses the image of the vine as a metaphor for the relationship between God, Jesus, and those who follow Jesus. God is responsible for the vine. And Jesus is vine. The disciples are the branches, attached to the vine, nourished by the vine, dead without the vine. And the job of the branches is to bear fruit.

Sometimes to bear fruit pruning is necessary. Removal of whatever stands in the way of fruitfulness consistent with the life and teachings of Jesus. This can involve the removal of attitudes, behaviors, assumptions, habits, fears that prevent us from living fully in the spirit of Christ. Whatever prevents us from living the gospel, needs to be pruned. And all of us are in need of pruning in one way or another from time to time.

This beautiful vine imagery assures us that when we live connected to God, the source, through Jesus, we will thrive and flourish and be fruitful. We will be nurtured and tended so that we grow in ways that reveal the best of the human spirit. We will bear the fruits of the Jesus life: love, compassion, justice, forgiveness, generosity, empathy, and humility.

In the gospel of John, Jesus is the vessel of the spirit of God while he is alive. According to John, when Jesus dies, that spirit is given to his followers. They become bearers of God’s spirit. They, as the faith community, provide the connection to God and the nourishment needed to bear fruit. As Jesus says it, they are friends, in other words, they are equals, this is not a dominant and subservient relationship. They will carry on his ministry in full measure.

As the gospel of John tells it, after his death, Jesus comes back to the disciples and breathes the spirit upon them. They are given what he was given. They are to carry on his ministry and mission to the fullest.

So today, it is the church, the body of Christ as Paul refers to it, that manifests the presence of Jesus Christ in the world, that is a vessel of the spirit. The church, then, has been given the function of the vine, in the beautiful imagery of the vines and the branches. The church is to be a connection to God. The church is to nourish and sustain the members of the faith community so that they can be fruitful. The church is to cultivate our connection with God so that we bear fruit in the spirit of our best humanity. The church is to help us see the pruning needed for this to happen. The church is to help us flourish and thrive in the spirit of Christ.

It is important to remember that the branches are to bear fruit for the world. So part of our focus needs to be those who are not part of the vine. It is appropriate for the church to be looking outward, to society and the needs of the world. This is important, lest we become simply self serving, betraying the spirit of Christ and in need of pruning.

But this outward focus is to be balanced with concern for the faith community itself. It is important that we think about the role of the vine, sustaining the branches, the people of the faith community, so that we can bear fruit for the world. It is important for the vine, the church, to keep the branches thriving and healthy and bearing fruit.

In this spirit, on this Mother’s Day, we will hear from several mothers in our congregation about what they feel they need from the church, the vine, in order to flourish, thrive, and bear fruit.

Parenting is one of the most challenging callings of the day, and parents in the faith community are striving to raise children who will live the values of Jesus, cultivating peace, justice, compassion, generosity and mercy in the world. This is definitely an exercise in swimming up stream even more than in ages past, because today children are unavoidably saturated with media messages promoting other values and agendas. Parents are hungry for the support of the church to help them maintain a strong sense of spirituality and connection to God and maintaining a commitment to live the values of Jesus. As one of our mothers put it: “. . .I hope the church and the church family helps me guide my children through the word of God, and [that] I hope the Church will help strengthen my children’s faith, be it in God, Jesus, or just humankind.” The church, as the vine, has an extremely important role to play in nurturing and supporting mothers, fathers, and families.

Let’s hear from some of our mothers about what they feel they need from the church:
Zuly
Jennifer
Colleen

These mothers have helped to remind us that the church, like the vine, has an incredible role to play in sustaining and supporting the members so that they can bear fruit. This is a high and holy calling. It is beautiful to be reminded that we have been entrusted with this sacred charge. Though church may seem sidelined in society, we know that the church, embued with the divine spirit, has enormous power and potential.

In testimony to the significance of the church, I share with you an email I received from Robin Nijbroek, a member of the church whose family is spending the year in Suriname. I had invited her to share her thoughts about what she needs from the church, and this is her response:

kim:
believe it or not, but i have not checked my email since last tuesday. [dana and becky have been visiting and they just left (it is 4 am on sunday morning– i am too sad to go back to bed while ravic is taking them to the airport so i am checking email. )] anyway, i wish that i had gotten this email on time so that i could have written an appropriate reply. the church means so much to me and i dont think i realized how much until i got here. when people ask what i miss about home, church is the first thing i mention. i am especially missing church on days like today when i know you are doing something that would be so meaningful to me. [please tell judy that i love getting the sermons.

and] happy mother’s day to you! [we have a dog here that wandered onto our property and quickly got herself pregnant. she just had her puppies yesterday. she is a mutt in the truest sense of the word but it is still one of the most beautiful things you will ever see- to see those tiny things with their eyes still closed searching to find her milk. wow. ]
give my love to everyone there.
robin

Church, faith community, body of Christ – we are the vine! As those creative, imaginative Japanese farmers developed the square watermelon, let us in the spirit of Christ, address our energies, our intellects, our creativity, our imaginations, our hearts, to the flourishing of this precious vine, so that the world may taste the sweet fruit we bear of the sacred self-giving love of Christ Jesus. Amen.