IN THIS SEASON OF EASTER WE HEAR MANY STORIES ABOUT WHAT HAPPENED AFTER THE FIRST EASTER… WE HEAR STORIES OF APPEARANCES OF THE RISEN CHRIST & WE REMEMBER HOW THE CHRISTAN COMMUNITY BEGAN TO GROW & SPREAD...
OUR 1ST READING, FROM ACTS, TELLS US OF A CONVERSION EXPERIENCE. PHILIP, ONE OF THE FIRST DEACONS OF THE CHURCH, WHO HAD BEEN INVITED TO SERVE BY THE FIRST DISCIPLES, IS INVITED TO TRAVEL ON FOOT BETWEEN JERUSALEM & GAZA. WHILE ON THE ROAD, PHILIP MEETS AN ETHIOPIAN OFFICIAL WHO IS TRAVELLING BACK FROM A PILGRIMAGE TO JERUSALEM. THIS IS A FINANCIAL ADVISER TO THE QUEEN OF ETHIOPIA & HE IS TRAVELLING BY CHARIOT. WE ARE TOLD THAT THE ETHIOPIAN WAS NOT ONLY TRAVELLING “IN STYLE” BUT THAT HE WAS ALSO READING THE JEWISH SCRIPTURES, THE BOOK OF THE PROPHET ISAIAH, AS HE TRAVELLED BACK TO HIS HOME COUNTRY…
WE KNOW BECAUSE WE ARE HERE TODAY IN A CHRISTIAN CHURCH THAT SOMEHOW THE GOOD NEWS OF JESUS CHRIST DID TRAVEL OUT FROM ISRAEL AND SPREAD AROUND THE WORLD… THIS STORY TELLS US ONE EXAMPLE OF THE WAY THE GOOD NEWS SPREADS. CONVERSION HAPPENS IN MANY DIFFERENT WAYS - FACE TO FACE ENCOUNTERS WITH A PERSON OF FAITH IS CERTAINLY ONE WAY THAT CONVERSION CAN HAPPEN. PHILIP RIDES IN THE CHARIOT WITH THE ETHIOPIAN OFFICIAL AND AS THEY TRAVEL PHILIP SHARES HIS UNDERSTANDING OF THE GOOD NEWS & SOMETHING HAPPENS! WHEN THE CHARIOT COMES TO A STREAM OF WATER, PHILLIP BAPTIZES THIS PERSON INTO THE CHRISTIAN FAITH. PHILLIP HELPED GROW THE EMERGING CHURCH…
WE HAVE BAPTIZED A CHILD INTO THE CHRISTIAN FAITH HERE TODAY. WE HAVE INVITED THE PARENTS OF AVA TO MAKE A COMMITMENT TO RAISE THIS CHILD AS A DISCIPLE OF JESUS CHRIST UNTIL SHE COMES TO CONFIRM THAT FAITH FOR HERSELF… UNTIL AVA MATURES A LITTLE BIT WE ALL COMMIT TO HELP THIS CHILD OF GOD & HER PARENTS AS THEY RAISE HER UP IN THE FAITH…IN THE VERY MIDST OF THIS BODY OF CHRIST WE EACH PARTICIPATE IN GROWING THE CHURCH.
NEXT SUNDAY, MAY 17TH, WE WILL CONFIRM A GROUP OF 8 YOUNG PEOPLE. WE WILL HEAR THEM REAFFIRM THEIR BAPTISM & WE WILL WELCOME THESE YOUNG PEOPLE AS FULL-FLEDGED MEMBERS OF THE ROCKY HILL CONGREGATIONAL UNITED CHURCH OF CHRIST… NEXT SUNDAY WE WILL PARTICIPATE IN GROWING THE CHURCH.
IN JUST A FEW MORE WEEKS, ON SUNDAY MAY 31ST, THERE WILL BE AN OPPORTUNITY FOR ANYONE INTERESTED IN JOINING THIS BODY OF CHRIST TO DO SO. THOSE OF YOU WHO ARE CONSIDERING TAKING THIS IMPORTANT STEP & WHO DESIRE TO BECOME FULL VOTING MEMBERS OF THIS CHURCH ARE ENCOURAGED TO LET US KNOW SO WE CAN MAKE APPROPRIATE PLANS FOR YOUR NEW MEMBER BREAKFAST & CLASS BEFORE WORSHIP ON SUNDAY, MAY 31ST. ON MAY 31ST WE WILL ALL PARTICIPATE IN THIS PROCESS OF WELCOMING NEW MEMBERS INTO THIS BODY OF CHRIST. OUR LESSON FROM ACTS FOR TODAY REMINDS US THAT WE ALL PARTICIPATE IN THIS LONG & HISTORIC PROCESS OF GROWING THE CHURCH OF JESUS CHRIST…
JUST AS PHILIP TRAVELLED WITH THE ETHIOPIAN SEEKER WE TOO TRAVEL TOGETHER AWHILE ON THIS JOURNEY OF FAITH… WE EACH LEARN & WE ALSO SHARE TOGETHER ALONG OUR JOURNEYS… WE PARTICIPATE IN GROWING OUR OWN FAITH AND WE ALL PARTICPATE IN GROWING THE CHURCH OF JESUS CHRIST.
SO NOW LET US CONSIDER TODAY’S OTHER READING, THE ONE FROM JOHN’S GOSPEL… THERE WE HEARD JESUS DECLARE THAT HE IS THE TRUE VINE AND THAT GOD IS THE VINEGROWER. JESUS INVITES US INTO THIS GARDENING IMAGERY SO THAT WE MIGHT BETTER UNDERSTAND WHAT IT MEANS TO BE HIS DISCIPLE… JESUS INVITES US INTO THE IMAGERY OF THE VINES & THE BRANCHES OF A VINEYARD SO WE MIGHT UNDERSTAND WHAT IT MEANS TO LIVE IN GOD…
THIS METAPHOR OF MASTER GARDNER, VINES & BRANCHES HELPS US EXAMINE BOTH OUR RELATIONSHIP TO JESUS AND OUR RELATIONSHIP TO GOD.
I DON’T KNOW ABOUT YOU BUT I LOVE TO PRUNE IN THE GARDEN!
EVERY SPRING I GET OUT MY PRUNING TOOLS & I GET INTO MY YARD & MY GARDEN TO GET THINGS IN SHAPE FOR THE NEW SEASON… IT’S A VERY SATISFYING THING TO CUT OUT ALL THAT DEAD WOOD & THE TANGLED BRANCHES & STUFF THAT NO LONGER LOOKS TO BE THRIVING.
IT FEELS GOOD TO ME TO OPEN UP THE GARDEN AND TO ALLOW NEW GROWTH TO FLOURISH… IT IS NOT ONLY GOOD THERAPY FOR ME TO TEAR OUT THAT WHICH IS NOT GROWING WELL; IT IS ALSO CLEAR THAT THE ENTIRE GARDEN THRIVES WHEN IT IS NOT TOO TANGLED OR OVERGROWN…
I UNDERSTAND THAT IF YOU ARE A ROSE GARDNER OR A VINEYARD STEWARD YOU REALLY UNDERSTAND THE IMPORTANCE OF PRUNING TO THE LIFE & PRODUCTIVITY OF THE VINE… ROSES ARE JUST NOW COMING OUT OF THEIR DORMANT SEASON & ALL DANGER OF FROST IS NEARLY PAST(WE HOPE) …
THAT MEANS IT IS PRUNING TIME! PRUNING ROSES IS A TECHNICAL PROCEDURE WHICH, I’M TOLD, REQUIRES BOTH SKILL & PATIENCE. A GOOD ROSE GARDNER HAS TO KNOW THE KIND OF ROSE, THE BRANCHING PATTERN OF THAT TYPE OF ROSE, AND THE AGE OF THE ROSE -TO DO A SUCCESSFUL SPRING PRUNING… AND I IMAGINE THE SAME IS TRUE FOR GRAPEVINES…
ACCORDING TO MY GARDENING BOOKS, THE FUNCTION OF PRUNING ROSES, & PERHAPS EVEN MOST PRUNING, IS:
NOW LAST WEEK YOU MAY REMEMBER JESUS SPOKE ABOUT HOW GOD WAS THE GOOD SHEPHERD… TODAY JESUS SPEAKS ABOUT GOD AS THE MASTER GARDNER…
GOD AS THE MASTER GARDNER IS ANOTHER ONE OF THOSE ANCIENT IMAGES, AN IMAGE THAT RUNS THROUGH THE OLD TESTAMENT. THIS METAPHOR (GOD AS THE GARDNER, JESUS AS THE VINE, AND US AS THE BRANCHES OF THE VINE) – THIS METAPHOR HELPS US SEE THAT WE ARE SIMPLY PART OF A GREATER WHOLE. THIS METAPHOR ALSO HELPS US SEE THAT IF WE ARE TO BE GOOD BRANCHES THEN EACH OF US NEEDS TO BE STRONG, HEALTHY, & WELL TENDED SO WE CAN PRODUCE GOOD FRUIT… IF WE ARE TO PRODUCE GOOD FRUIT, THEN WE MUST BE EFFECTIVE CHANNELS FOR GOD’S POWER & GOD’S LOVE TO FLOW THROUGH US…
DURING THIS TRANSITION TIME HERE AT ROCKY HILL CONGREGATIONAL UNITED CHURCH OF CHRIST, DURING THIS TIME BETWEEN SETTLED PASTORS, ONE OF OUR TASKS IS TO ENGAGE TOGETHER IN SOME HEALTHY AND APPROPRIATE SELF-EXAMINATION AND SELF STUDY.
INTERIM TIME IS DESIGNED TO HELP US BETTER UNDERSTAND HOW WE ARE DOING AS BRANCHES OF THE VINE IN THIS PARTICULAR GARDEN WHERE YOU ARE PLANTED…
INTERIM TIME IS DESIGNED TO HELP US BETTER UNDERSTAND WHAT IT MEANS THAT GOD IS THE MASTER GARDNER, WHAT IT MEANS THAT GOD WANTS US TO BE WELL TENDED & HEALTHY SO THAT WE CAN PRODUCE GOOD FRUIT…
AS YOUR INTERIM PASTOR I COME TO HELP YOU EVALUATE AND EXAMINE HOW THIS PARTICULAR GARDEN IS GROWING… I AM HERE TO HELP YOU LOOK AT WHAT THIS GARDEN MIGHT NEED TO HELP IT FLOURISH EVEN BETTER…
CONTINUING WITH THE GARDEN METAPHOR FOR TODAY: DURING INTERIM TIMES WE LOOK TOGETHER AT THE HEALTH OF THE BRANCHES GROWING IN THIS GARDEN… WE LOOK AT THE HISTORY OF THIS GARDEN… WE LOOK AT THIS GARDEN’S PRODUCTIVITY… WE EXAMINE HOW VARIOUS BRANCHES IMPACT ON ONE ANOTHER…WE CONSIDER HOW SOME PRUNING MAY INCREASE PRODUCTIVITY AND OTHER PRUNING MAY ENHANCE THE LIFE OF THE ENTIRE GARDEN… WE EXAMINE & CHECK TO SEE IF THE GARDEN HAS ENOUGH OF ALL IT NEEDS – WHETHER IT MIGHT BENEFIT FROM NEW PLANTINGS… DURING INTERIM TIMES WE CHECK TO SEE IF THERE IS ROOM FOR NEW GROWTH… WE INVESTIGATE WHAT ELSE MIGHT BE ADDED: MORE FERTILIZER, MORE WATER, MORE LIGHT, MORE COLOR, MORE DIVERSITY, BETTER SOIL - ALL THINGS WHICH MIGHT HELP THIS GARDEN GROW STRONGER AND FLOURISH EVEN BETTER, ALL THINGS THAT MIGHT ENHANCE THE GOOD FRUIT THAT IS BEING PRODUCED HERE!
DURING INTERIM TIMES WE ALSO CHECK ON THE SUPPORT SYSTEMS FOR THIS GARDEN – HOW ITS HERITAGE SUSTAINS IT & HOW STRONG THE LINKAGES ARE TO OTHER GARDENS… GOD IS STILL THE MASTER GARDNER AND WE SEEK GOD’S GUIDANCE TO ENHANCE THE PRODUCTIVITY AND EFFECTIVENESS OF THIS GARDEN.
DURING INTERIM TIMES WE ALSO TRY TO LOOK OUT AHEAD AT THE FUTURE OF THIS GARDEN, WHAT ITS FUTURE PROSPECTS ARE & HOW WE MIGHT IMPROVE THIS GARDEN SO IT CAN BE THE BEST GARDEN AROUND. WE LOOK AT ISSUES OF LONG-TERM GROWTH AND TOGETHER WE VISION HOW THIS GARDEN MIGHT CHANGE & ALSO BE TRANSFORMED BY THE POWER OF THE HOLY SPIRIT AT WORK HERE…
JESUS SAID, "I AM THE VINE, YOU ARE THE BRANCHES. WHEN YOU'RE JOINED WITH ME & I WITH YOU, THE RELATION INTIMATE AND ORGANIC, THE HARVEST IS SURE TO BE ABUNDANT. SEPARATED, YOU CAN'T PRODUCE A THING. (THE MESSAGE – EUGENE PETERSON)
WE ARE EACH LOVED & TENDED UNCONDITIONALLY BY A GOD WHO FUNCTIONS AS OUR MASTER GARDNER… LET US CONTINUE BECOMING FRUITFUL BRANCHES ON THE VINE TOGETHER! AMEN