Branches of the Vine

One of the greatest images Jesus gives us about the Christian life is the image of the vine. In this beautiful passage, he compares living in the Body of Christ to a flowering plant - he is the vine, we are the branches, and God the Father is the gardener. At the heart of the image is the idea that we are all connected -- to each other and to Christ -- and it is the connection which helps us grow in our faith. For the next few weeks we are going to explore this image and see what it means for us as we attempt to be the best Church we can be. Today we look at the fact that we are connected to the vine. As we read in the famous passage from Philippians 4, we can do all things through Christ. This means that when we are connected to our source, nothing is impossible. But when we pull ourselves off from Christ -- that is when we wither and die. In order to fully grow, it is vital that we keep ourselves connected to the ultimate giver of life -- through prayer, discipleship, and missional action. May we always go to the source to gain our strength.