I am the vine, ye are the branches: He that abideth in me, and I in him, the same bringeth forth much fruit: for without me ye can do nothing.
John 15:5
Jesus spoke these words on his last evening with the disciples, a few hours before his arrest. Of all the things he could have said, he chose a picture from the vineyard: stay in me.
Anyone who has walked through the vineyards of the Mandement in September knows that a branch does not strain to make grapes. It simply stays on the vine, and the life of the vine does the work. Cut off, even the strongest branch dries out in an afternoon.
We tend to measure our faith by our activity: how much we serve, how many meetings we attend. Serving matters. But Jesus puts remaining first. Prayer, the Word, the Lord's table and the company of other believers are not extras; they are how the branch stays attached.
If you feel dry this autumn, the answer may not be to do more. It may be to come back, sit down, and stay.
Pastor David Lampe
Prototype: sample posts written to show the layout, not by Pastor David Lampe.