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Today's Lenten Devotion
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The Vine and the Branches
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.
-- John 15:5
Through this series of Lenten email devotions, we have pondered Jesus as: The Bread of Life; The Light of the World; The Good Shepherd; The Resurrection and the Life; The Way, The Truth and The Life; five of the "I AM" sayings that define His overwhelming gift of grace in our lives. Perhaps you, like I, have been led to re-examine: How I am responding to His gift of grace? As Jesus takes His last walk with the disciples, toward the Garden of Gethsemane, He makes it pretty clear what He wants from us: Abide in Him and bear much fruit.
I completed a pledge card last fall that committed 10% of my then salary. Unemployed since December, one of my concerns is how ministries might suffer (locally, regionally or globally) because the offering I'd planned on making has been diminished? As a member of Synod Council, I am aware of the painful cutbacks for Rutgers Campus Ministry, which threaten its very existence; cutbacks in Latino Outreach in NJ, and cutbacks so many other areas of ministry in NJ ... the very fruit that could be flourishing abundantly if we, the branches, were only better connected to the Vine. The Vine doesn't produce the fruit in and of itself. The branches produce the fruit. It's up to us to abide in Him and bear much fruit.
I know that of the 10-15% benevolence that my congregation shares with the NJ Synod, 50% is then faithfully passed on to the global ministries of the Evangelical Lutheran Church of America, funding not only ministries here in the US and Caribbean, but also bringing the gift of hope in Jesus Christ for Tsunami victims and refugees in Sudan, safe drinking water for people of Tanzania, missionaries in Indonesia, and a long list of other ministries around the world, including our own young Kristin Morton, serving in Weald, UK! We are blessed to be a blessing, to bear much fruit…fruit that will last.
And how am I responding to His gift of grace with my time and talents? At least that is an area I can feel a little better about. I invested many days of preparation to lead three workshops at the NJ Synod's Conference of Congregational Ministries (CCM), held last Saturday at Steinert High School in Trenton: two training sessions for Mission Interpreters; one workshop for stewardship leaders. On the ride home, it occurred to me that I'd just spent the day in a "Vineyard". I'd just spent a day with about 700 other Lutherans from all over NJ that were also wondering, "How am I responding to the gifts of grace of Jesus Christ?"
They came to learn about being a resource in their congregation: "How can I use my gifts to help my congregation: give more, be more welcoming, use Fair Trade coffee or chocolate, bring more justice and peace into the world? How can I use my gifts to help my congregation raise up leaders, advocate for the poor, or find the funding to launch a new outreach?" They came to learn: "How can I respond to the gifts of grace that are mine in Christ Jesus to reach out to young people; to the un-churched in my community; to help find housing for the 53 refugees that arrived in Trenton last week at Lutheran Social Ministries of NJ?" They came to learn more about abiding in Christ Jesus and bearing more fruit. What energy! What joy! What hope!
Sweet Jesus,
You are the vine! As we abide in You, abide in us, and bless all your branches with your life-giving sap that we may bear much fruit ... fruit that will last; fruit that will glorify our Father; fruit that will grow your kingdom here in NJ and in the world! Amen.
Linda S. Magill
lindabythesea@yahoo.com
www.njsynod.org
www.elca.org
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