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| The Vine and the Branches, P. Solomon Raj, 2009 |
Sermon preached during the Eucharist at St Stephen Walbrook at 12.45pm on Thursday 6th May 2021 based on the text of John 15.1-8 and referencing Acts 8.26-end
Good News in 100 words
Jesus promised that those who believe will abide with him in eternal life. In today’s
gospel reading, Jesus calls on us to abide in the present; illustrating
discipleship as being like branches of the true vine; bearing the fruits of God’s
grace. He says that fruitfulness comes from abiding – not ‘growth’. Abiding is
hard to define and even harder to measure, but when it comes to the crunch, we know
how important it is. Abiding is the measure of a loving relationship. The Good
News is we don’t need to wait until the ‘eventide’ to abide. We can abide
today!
Transcript
“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.”
Abide.
It’s not a word we say very often.
The last time I remember doing so was singing that
great hymn ‘Abide with me’.
“Abide with me, fast falls the eventide”.
There’s certainly a sense of farewell - of departure -
around the words of this gospel reading, the last of Jesus’ seven “I am”
sayings; a passage which forms part of an extended speech on the night before
his crucifixion. One last time, Jesus points his closest followers towards what
life as his disciples will mean after his death and resurrection.
Earlier, Jesus has offered the comforting assurance
that, at the last, he is going to prepare a place for each of us, in his
Father’s house, where we can abide with Him in eternal life.
But now also, in the present, Jesus calls us to abide.
Not reluctantly, as if upholding the terms of some negotiated settlement -
‘abiding’ by the rules - but as something to embrace eagerly – hungrily - abiding
as the fruitful branches of the true vine - the essence of Christian life
itself.
As well as enjoying the fruits of the vine, I have
some experience tending one! We rented a house where we discovered a single
grapevine which, over the course of about ten years, we managed to train to
cover the space between the garage and the house. I was always amazed at how
strong and supple this seemingly fragile plant was - and what endurance; it
survived swinging toddlers, tipsy party revellers and more than one gale-force
wind. I used to take photos looking down from an upstairs window to chart the rapid
growth of the vine.
In Jesus’ parable, it’s not the growth of the vine
that is important; in fact growth is hardly mentioned at all. What’s most
important is the fruitfulness of the vine - a fruitfulness which, Jesus
explains, can only come from abiding in him and he in us. Abiding is a word
used throughout John’s Gospel to describe the essence of discipleship.
“Those who abide in me and I in them bear much fruit,
because apart from me you can do nothing.”
The church, a living witness to the Word made flesh; often
struggles to rise to the challenge of those words – finding it hard to find a
balance between doing and being - between growth and abiding. It can
be tempting to focus on doing all we can to grow the kingdom here on earth - to
get that little bit closer to our abode with God - forgetting that Jesus has
called us to abide in him and he in us in the here and now. We don’t know how
to measure abiding. We can’t shoehorn the divine mystery into a key performance
indicator. But - by abiding with others - we can glimpse its presence.
"Organic reach" is now part of the language
of the digital world - the latest culture in which we, the church, are called
to abide - now more than ever – and an endeavour in which this church was an
early pioneer. Organic reach can tell us about who is accessing the London
Internet Church, which was established here and celebrates its fifteenth year
of ministry in 2022. Organic reach tells us how many times a page or a post has
been seen and shared. We know, for instance, that a significant number of people
who watch our daily Night Prayer videos are doing so from countries where
Christians live under threat of persecution and find it hard to attend communal
worship.
The tools we have to analyse websites like the London
Internet Church can tell us how far and wide its message has travelled - but
they can’t tell us how fruitful this growth has been. It’s not until we hear
from people at first hand - abide with them - that we get a glimpse of its true
impact. Yesterday at Morning Prayer we were joined by telephone by someone who
told us that their life has been enriched by the ministry of the London
Internet Church; during Lent we were joined at our Study Group on Zoom by
another person who told a similar story.
A glimpse of the fruitfulness from abiding in the true
vine - a fruitfulness that glorifies God.
As we gather here in the City, however strong our
connection to the world of business, perhaps we can all appreciate something of
the perils of uncontrolled growth rather than a careful and more considered
‘scaling up’ of operations. The risks of chasing ever higher targets for the
top line - market reach, turnover, unit sales - accepting every new commission
or order that presents itself without being able to deliver on our promises,
failing to maintain a high-quality service or product.
Unrelenting growth is stressful, exhausting. It can
lead to burnout - becoming as dry as the fruitless twigs of the vine cast into
the fire.
Even if growth appears to offer some rewards - cash,
kudos - what does this matter if, when we look around after a long day at work
- we see that we have grown apart from those we care about. Our families, our
friends.
How often do we hear, in the heat of the moment,
somewhere amidst the tears, a cry of “Where were you when....” “Where were
you....”
Whilst we might rarely use the word - and although it
might be hard to measure - much harder to measure than growth - when it comes
to the crunch, we really value abiding. We know that abiding - not relentless
growth - is what bears real fruit. “Abiding” is the most important measure of a
loving relationship.
Jesus assured us - his disciples - of the promise of
abiding with him in eternal life. But today he also says to us:
‘Don’t just wait until the last - don’t wait until the Eventide - to abide.
Abide today! Because doing so brings unrivalled fruitfulness and if we all bear
fruit what a glorious feast we can share.’
A long-standing member of this congregation has spent
the past twenty years doing an amazing job supporting families who have been
bereaved; whose loved ones have been killed in accidents or natural disasters.
Most recently this has involved traveling at short notice to the site of plane
crashes; meeting with families who have frantically flown out seeking news of
their loved ones, who might be passengers or air crew. Our friend’s role is not
one of counselling but support - accompanying families - being there wherever
they are needed - perhaps offering help with the small stuff - getting a phone card
or a change of clothes. Abiding is about doing but it is also - and perhaps
more so - about being.
Maybe it’s only through practicing abiding -
practicing discipleship - that we can really understand it, which is why Jesus
says don’t wait until the last - don’t wait until the Eventide - to abide.
Abide today! Get practicing!
Abiding isn't just about standing still. As we heard in our reading from Acts,
bearing the fruits of the vine - participating in God’s mission - whisked
Philip from Jerusalem to Gaza, to Azotus and Caesarea as an agent of
transformation.
Abiding in the true vine involves transformation - of
ourselves and others. It isn’t about keeping things “the same as they have
always been” however much that might appeal to those of us who are naturally
reticent when it comes to change; particularly those in the church. One hears
about the heated debates that take place in some churches when the vicar
introduces something new - a new style of service sheet - or a new service!
Imagine what people said the first time someone brought a gospel into
church!
I was talking recently with someone about the changes
they’ve noticed during the pandemic - a time when many have been required to
abide with each other - physically - for longer than perhaps ever before.
The most shocking thing for them was not that people had
made big life transforming changes - but who had done so.
Mr Pipe and Slippers. Mrs Dependable. Miss Continuity.
The surprise was that these safe pairs of hands - who so rarely veer off-piste
- have surfaced from the lockdown sporting a severe self-pruning; the surprise was
that it is those people have taken jobs with a lower salary, decided to spend
more time with their families or pursue a long held dream - not the people who
are always on the move, always on the go, always - on the surface at least -
embracing change.
But perhaps that isn’t so surprising. Jesus tells us that it is precisely those branches who
abide who are truly open to the transforming power of the Spirit – these
branches will accept the pruning necessary to ensure they remain fruitful, not
just for themselves but for those around them and for the glory of God. Those
who do not abide, wither away and die.
“If you abide in me, and my words abide in you, ask
for whatever you wish, and it will be done for you.”
Being Christian - being disciples - participating in
God’s life and mission - shewing forth in our lives the fruits of his grace -
means learning to abide as branches of the true vine - the source of our
strength; without whom we can do nothing - but with whom we enjoy a fruitful
life of endless possibility.
Jesus has promised those who believe will abide with
him in eternal life. When we can once again be with those we love and say all
the things we didn’t get a chance to say before. When we will be
reconciled. Complete.
But the Good News is we don’t have to wait until then
- we don’t have to wait until the Eventide to abide! Abide today! Abide now, as
we gather here at the altar. Abide later, as you go back home or to the office.
Because doing so brings unrivalled fruitfulness. Abiding alongside others as
branches of the true vine transforms us. That’s how we glorify God.
In the name of Jesus, the true vine.
Amen.
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