Calvary Presbyterian Church
The Rev. Debra May Cerra
May 10, 2009

1 John 4:7-21 (NRSV)
Beloved, let us love one another, because love is from God; everyone who loves is born of God and knows God. 8 Whoever does not love does not know God, for God is love. 9 God's love was revealed among us in this way: God sent his only Son into the world so that we might live through him. 10 In this is love, not that we loved God but that he loved us and sent his Son to be the atoning sacrifice for our sins. 11 Beloved, since God loved us so much, we also ought to love one another. 12 No one has ever seen God; if we love one another, God lives in us, and his love is perfected in us. 13 By this we know that we abide in him and he in us, because he has given us of his Spirit. 14 And we have seen and do testify that the Father has sent his Son as the Savior of the world. 15 God abides in those who confess that Jesus is the Son of God, and they abide in God. 16 So we have known and believe the love that God has for us. God is love, and those who abide in love abide in God, and God abides in them. 17 Love has been perfected among us in this: that we may have boldness on the day of judgment, because as he is, so are we in this world. 18 There is no fear in love, but perfect love casts out fear; for fear has to do with punishment, and whoever fears has not reached perfection in love. 19 We love because he first loved us. 20 Those who say, "I love God," and hate their brothers or sisters, are liars; for those who do not love a brother or sister whom they have seen, cannot love God whom they have not seen. 21 The commandment we have from him is this: those who love God must love their brothers and sisters also.

John 15:1-8 (NRSV)
"I am the true vine, and my Father is the vinegrower. 2 He removes every branch in me that bears no fruit. Every branch that bears fruit he prunes to make it bear more fruit. 3 You have already been cleansed by the word that I have spoken to you. 4 Abide in me as I abide in you. Just as the branch cannot bear fruit by itself unless it abides in the vine, neither can you unless you abide in me. 5 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. 6 Whoever does not abide in me is thrown away like a branch and withers; such branches are gathered, thrown into the fire, and burned. 7 If you abide in me, and my words abide in you, ask for whatever you wish, and it will be done for you. 8 My Father is glorified by this, that you bear much fruit and become my disciples.

Abide

Today is Mother's Day. Many of us are mothers. All of us have had a mother. Our  understanding of motherhood includes cajoling, guiding, and giving - as well as taking away, in the form of grounding, being put on "time out," or being sent to our room. Isn't this a bit like God's role as the Vinedresser? God tends, mother guides. God counsels, mother teaches. God prunes, mother takes away, or puts on "time out," or in some way lets us know that we will behave!
            In both cases, the aim is to grow good fruit. For Mother, we are to become strong and wise and educated and courageous and ethical and use very good table manners. For God, well, for God we are to abide in God. Abide. Find our home in God. Stake our claim in God. In doing so, we are embraced by God’s love.  
Our Gospel reading this morning calls us to abide in Jesus. But what does Jesus mean when He says, “Abide in me”? Abide can have an edge of negativity – to put up with something, to tolerate or stomach something. Abide can also engage a sense of contentment – to wait for someone, to find something or somebody acceptable. When we think of abiding, living or residing in a place or enduring or withstanding something may come to mind.
When we abide with Jesus, we should be growing in His likeness. As we abide in Christ, we take time to learn about Him; we spend time in prayer with Him; we seek His guidance and listen to Him. The outcome of abiding in Jesus is that His ways become our ways.
But abiding in Jesus takes time. How do we find that time; the time that we need to abide in Him?
Every one of us can claim a busy life – in fact, our society has become proficient in multi-tasking no matter where we are. We fill our lives with more responsibilities and projects and happenings than ever. And our hectic schedules can draw us away from time with God. We need to be careful that busyness does not fill our days, keeping us from abiding in the aroma of God’s love.
 This is where pruning comes into the picture. Jesus wants to free us from some of the burdens of life, the busyness, projects, and responsibilities that splinter us in unhealthy directions. Friends, when we focus on Jesus and ask for help in walking in His footsteps, we are asking for pruning. Without Christ’s pruning, it is likely that we will live out only a fraction of our potential. 
            Think for a moment about the pruning process in the vineyard: the dead or dying vines are removed; the dense areas are thinned so that the plant can receive nourishment, water, and sunshine; the cutting back of the plant encourages new growth and better fruit.
            That’s what God want to do with us. When Jesus talks about pruning, He is aware of all those aspects of our lives that zap our energy and steal our time. He wants to prune each one of us perfectly and with individual attention. Jesus knows what we need and He also knows what unnecessarily burdens us. You see, what one might need removed from his or her life, another may need to have it remain. And Jesus knows what’s best.
Jesus Christ prunes with love and tenderness, compassion and grace. Jesus said: “I am the Vine, you are the branches. When you're joined with me and I with you, the relation intimate and organic, the harvest is sure to be abundant. Separated, you can't produce a thing. Anyone who separates from me is deadwood, gathered up and thrown on the bonfire. But if you make yourselves at home with me and my words are at home in you, you can be sure that whatever you ask will be listened to and acted upon. This is how my Father shows who he is—when you produce grapes, when you mature as my disciples.” (5-8)
Pruning can be painful. When plants are pruned, it’s not just dead wood that is removed. Sometimes the living parts are also cut away. And when this happens, many times the plant produces moisture or sap on the pruned area. As a child, I thought that this might be the plant crying because of its pain. Maybe I was right.
            In our reading from John’s Gospel, Jesus is talking about relationships – His relationship with His disciples and with us and our relationship with Him. Jesus is the vine; we are the branches which grow from the vine. Just like branches will cannot live without the vine, without Jesus Christ we can do nothing. BUT with Him we can do all things. We, the branches, are alive because of Jesus, the Vine. When we are attached, we are nourished. When we are nourished, we grow. And when we grow, we bear fruit – fruit that makes a difference in God’s kingdom. This is abiding in Christ in its fullest sense.
Friends, God knows where our lives need pruning. It is up to us to decide how we will accept that pruning. Will we allow the pruning from God to have purpose in our lives? Or, will we gripe about it while we let the pruning go to waste?
“It’s how we respond to God’s pruning that makes all the difference. We can complain, rebel, compromise, or run away. Or we can experience the joy, comfort, and rest that comes to believers who keep their eyes on Jesus rather than the pain.”
Rev. Rosemary Brown tells a story about a little girl in her church named Mickey. Mickey was four years old. She was a precious, adorable, out-going little girl who loved to sing. One Sunday morning, Mickey ran down to the front of the Sanctuary just before the start of the morning worship service and with great excitement, she said: "Pastor Rosemary, can I sing a song this morning?" Not wanting to say "no" or to become a stumbling-block to this vivacious little girl, she said: "Of course you can." Then, Pastor Rosemary announced to the congregation that four-year-old Mickey would sing the call to worship to start the service.
Rosemary Brown picked up Mickey and stood her on the front pew. Mickey turned around to face the now expectant and smiling group of people in church that day and sang: "Jesus wuvs me dis I know for da Bible tells me so. Yes, Jesus wuvs me." Then, throwing her hands straight up in the air (like she had just scored a touchdown) Mickey announced with a triumphant voice: "And, dat's dat!" And then Mickey sat down.
Mickey was right, wasn't she? What more do we need to know? Jesus loves us and that's that. When we focus on Jesus, our lives will be fruitful and meaningful. We may be scared or confused or lonely; we may have to make a hard decision or face a tough challenge; we may feel rejected or cast aside by someone; we may have lost a loved one or face our own death – and those are tough times – pruning times. We need to remember that, even in the pain of pruning, the love of Jesus is evident. Our pruning, as tough as it may be, will allow us to bear much fruit – for Jesus and His kingdom.
Jesus said, “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. If you abide in me, and my words abide in you, ask for whatever you wish, and it will be done for you. My Father is glorified by this, that you bear much fruit and become my disciples.” (5,7,8) Sisters and brother, the pruning may be difficult and even painful at times, but the reward is worth it! Remember little Mickey’s message: Yes, Jesus wuvs me. And, dat’s dat! Abide in Jesus, our Lord and Savior – today and forever!