The Vine 25 April 2021 Knox Bayfield Rev Dolson
It is with deep sadness that we mourn the death of Jessie Alice (Wainwright) Peterson. Jessie passed away peacefully at Stratford General Hospital on April 22 in her 95th year. Jessie is survived by her daughters Heather Tobin, Donna Shepley, and Marlene Adams and their families. Cremation has taken place and a private family service will be held at a later date.
Call to Worship
Psalm 23
The Lord is my shepherd, I shall not want. He makes me lie down in green pastures; he leads me beside still waters; he restores my soul. He leads me in right paths for his name’s sake. Even though I walk through the darkest valley, I fear no evil; for you are with me; your rod and your staff- they comfort me.
You prepare a table before me in the presence of my enemies; you anoint my head with oil; my cup overflows. Surely goodness and mercy shall follow me all the days of my life, and I shall dwell in the house of the Lord my whole life long.
Hymn# 358 There is a redeemer
Assurance of Pardon
1 John 3
Join me in prayer
Lord, have mercy on us. We so often talk about love but our actions reflect our hearts. We talk about love but we neglect the poor. We talk about love but we fail to love one another. Lord, have mercy on us. Forgive us, and abide in us by the power of your Spirit so that our lives may show our love for Jesus Christ, in whose name we pray. Amen.
We boldly seek God’s grace, trusting in Jesus Christ, the One who loves us and laid down his life for us. This is the good news of the gospel: in Jesus Christ we are forgiven. Thanks be to God.
May the peace of Jesus Christ be with you. And also with you.
Prayer For Illumination
Psalm 23, John 10
God, good shepherd, by the leading of your Spirit, help us to listen for your voice and follow in your path all the days of our lives. In Jesus’ name. Amen.
Readings
Psalm 23; Acts 8:26-40; 1 John 4:7-21; John 15:1-8
May God bless our understanding of this, God’s holy word. The Word of the Lord.
Hymn # 11 The Lord’s my shepherd
The vine
The Easter readings on this 4th Sunday of Easter speak of community, love, and relationships. The letter of 1st John was intended for a Christian community that was divided. The intent of the letter is to encourage the readers to restore fellowship and to remind them that they are all flawed. Those who say they are in the light but continue to hate their brothers and sisters in the faith remain in darkness. The author repeats that those who love God must love other their neighbour. God is love. All things begin in love, flow from love, are perfected through love, and return to love.
This letter is a reminder that we know God by seeing what God has done, but seeing is not enough. We know God in the fullest and most authentic sense only when the love of God flows through us. Love is an action that yearns to be lived out. To know the God of love is to live the love of God. God’s love is perfect, our love is not. Yet, in our imperfection we are not to hold back. John’s letter encourages our persistence insisting that it is not possible to love God and refuse to love others.
Love is described as the universal hunger in the human heart. John’s letter uses the Greek word agapē, which we understand as love that gives without expecting a return. God is love, agapē. Jesus died in an act of agapē. This passage helps us to understand that God’s love defines us. Love is not an ideal; it is a reality within relationship.
It is in our understanding of agape that we better come to know God. Perfect love casts out fear. Fear in itself serves as a warning sign to protect and for prevention of harm. However, when faith is rooted in fear it can paralyze and become twisted. The fruit of fear becomes distrust, suspicion, and resentment. Fear of God is rooted in the understanding of fear as a warning for prevention of harm and to initiate action. Faith is rooted in much more than fear. Love heals the wounds created by grudges or revenge seeking. Roots that run deep with love, sympathy, tenderness, and compassion. Love strengthens the heart.
In the book of Acts there was a growing number of first-century Jews and Gentiles who discover revolutionary ways to understand their relationship with God and God’s Messiah Jesus. Philip followed the Spirit’s instructions to go to a certain place where he met with the Ethiopian. The brief encounter with the Spirit directs Philip’s journey and leads him to the encounter. I wonder how this might inspire us to be more attentive to the nudging of the Spirit.
Peter came upon the Ethiopian reading the prophet Isaiah out loud. Some of the Gentiles were proselytes -full converts to Judaism. Some were God-fearers – those who had not been circumcised. In the book of Acts this morning, the Ethiopian eunuch may have been a God-fearer. We know a few things about this man from the description. He seems to be wealthy since he has a chariot, is educated and able to read Greek, is dedicated to learning the scriptures, and humble enough to know that he needs help to understand. When a stranger, Peter, approaches … the Ethiopian offers hospitality by inviting Peter into his chariot. Barbara Brown Taylor writes, ‘For a modern parallel, imagine a diplomat in Washington, D.C., inviting a street preacher to join him in his late model Lexus for a little Bible study. The inclusion in this story runs both ways.’
The passages emphasize the communal and relational nature of the Christian faith. The vine metaphor helps us to understand that each branch is part of the whole. We are encouraged to reflect on the fruit we bear as followers of Christ? Love, charity, public works, mission work? Is it in providing for or caring for the poor, the sick , the prisoner, the widow or the orphan? Is it in being graciously cared for so that others are allowed to provide care?
The Christian life begins in love and is carried out in love. This love does not stay within the walls of the church. It is not restricted to the people of this congregation. It reaches out into the world in diverse ways. This is good news indeed during a pandemic. How can we reach out during this time of restricted activities? During this spring season as we watch the trees break out into bud, the early flowers appear in the gardens, and the dandelions in the yard, it is a good time to reflect on how we can grow and blossom in God’s creation. Perhaps this time of restricted activity allows the opportunity to reflect on how this little church with a big heart can take action. Perhaps it is time to imagine a new way of doing something familiar. Perhaps in turning your thoughts and your heart to the community you will bear new fruit.
In a vineyard, the best grapes are produced closest to the central vine. The lateral branches are pruned and kept short. Gardeners and flower enthusiasts will know that some plants benefit from being ‘deadheaded’. The removal of spent flowers allow new blooms to emerge. Pinching the first flowers of other plants will result in more plentiful blossoms.
How do we nurture one another during these challenging times? When someone is having a difficult time, there can be an urge to advise them to “hang in there.” Often this is not helpful. It is good to be mindful of the Hebrew Shalom, which means peace, harmony, and wholeness. Shalom speaks to the deep yearnings of our lives. Shalom is with us within the hurts we endure. Hope for relief from suffering. Hope that God will bless us in this life and beyond. We follow in the ways Jesus taught the disciples that they were not to go it alone. In our study of the scriptures, we find that Jesus often taught with metaphors.
Metaphors are powerful. the metaphor does not define rather it points to something that is familiar. Have you heard or exclaimed, Am I talking to a brick wall? Another is, fear is a beast that feeds on attention. Our faith language is filled with metaphors. Jesus describes himself as the vine and God as the vine-grower. Vines can become unruly and invasive if left to themselves. They will become a tangled mess. In order to have healthy, thriving vines the vine-grower cuts away unproductive branches and prunes branches that are productive. It is in the pruning that the vine thrives. People, like vines, need care and nurture to thrive in community. Communities that walk in the way of Christ embody an African proverb of Ubuntu. What is ubuntu? Because we are, I am. It comes from the indigenous peoples of South Africa and speaks of inter-relatedness, inter-dependence, radically compassionate community, and profound commitment to the well-being of all. We best understand this as those who see and hear Jesus are moved to respond through their own acts of love. Jesus takes the everyday image of the vine and transforms it into a symbol of community, mission, and love. Community characterized by interdependence, mutual respect, and the ongoing presence of Christ.
Jesus taught the disciples to not rely on their own strength. The metaphor helps them to understand that on their own they would be cut off from their life source. They would bear no fruit. Can we hear this message today? In the midst of a culture focused on individualism, is it possible to hear these words? Perhaps the impact of the pandemic has helped us to better understand what Jesus taught. It is in community and in our relationships that we gain strength and grow.
How will this community do so? One way is in how you reach out to one another. During this time of isolation your connections have an opportunity to strengthen. It is in our vulnerability that we are best able to connect with one another. Perhaps this is a time to re-imagine how we might grow and be in this different time. How will our lives change and what will remain constant? Like the vine that must be pruned, how must our lives be pruned and shaped for healthy growth?
Peace be with you. Shalom.
Hymn # 650 He leadeth me
The Offering Of Our Life And Labour To The Lord
Quote: Stewardship is organizing your life so you can give yourself away. Anonymous
God’s love abides in anyone who has resources and shares with the brother or sister in need. With love for God and neighbor we offer our lives to help those in need. 1 John 3:17
Blessing Of Gifts & Prayers Of The People
Join me in prayer:
Omniscient – all knowing and all seeing – God, we pray for the church in every place and every good form. We pray for the nations of the world. May leaders of all communities use their power to help the poor and defend the vulnerable.
We pray for this community. Strengthen the caregivers who work to heal the sick, welcome the outcasts, and help sisters and brothers in need. O holy One, we lift up all who toil during this time of the pandemic. May your Spirit linger with them as they bravely serve in essential roles.
We pray for friends and loved ones. May all who are suffering find comfort in your presence and know that you walk with them through dark valleys.
Gracious God, we give you thanks that you have shown us the meaning of love
through Jesus Christ.There are many within our church family in need of your special care at this time. We lift up all those who prefer to remain un-named as they face immense challenges of health and finances. We lift up Ron, Sandy, Rudy, Peggy, Betty Lou, Jane, Bonnie, Rob, Courtney and Kyla. O holy and healing Creator, we lift up your faithful daughter Jessie Petersen. May your Spirit guide her soul to a place of comfort and strength. Be with her daughters Marlene, Donna, and Heather as they mourn the loss of their mother. Be with her family and friends as they nurture and share memories of Jessie’s presence in their lives.
Silence…
O holy One, by your Spirit who breathes within us, strengthen our faith, use our gifts, and work in our lives to bear witness to Christ who taught his disciples to pray, …Our Father who art in heaven, hallow’ed be thy name. Thy Kingdom come, Thy will be done, on earth as it is in Heaven. Give us this day our daily bread and forgive us our trespasses as we forgive those who trespass against us. Lead us not into temptation but deliver us from evil, for thine is the kingdom, the power and the glory, forever and ever. Amen.
Hymn #620 Go now in peace
Benediction
Psalm 23, 1 John 3, John 10
In the name of the good shepherd, love one another. May the goodness and mercy of God follow you all the days of your life, and, at your life’s end, may you dwell in the house of the Lord forever. Amen
Postlude #623 Holy, holy, holy
Questions for Reflection
What does it mean to lay down our lives for one another (1 John 3:16)? Think about people who have been “good shepherds” for you, sharing the love and showing the way of Jesus Christ. Who has helped to lead you in right paths or walked with you in dark valleys? Who has given you comfort and calmed your fears? Who has shown you hospitality and grace, making a place at the table for you, even when you felt surrounded by enemies? How have you done these things for others?
Morning Prayer
Good shepherd, walk beside me through the joy and trouble of this day, and lead me in right paths for your name’s sake. Amen.
Evening Prayer
Good shepherd, remain with me in the dark and stillness of this night, and let me lie down in safety to restore my soul. Amen.
Daily Prayer
We are your people, O God, the sheep of your pasture, the flock you have gathered. Lead us beside still waters; teach us the way of righteousness;
and feed us at your table; through Jesus Christ, our good shepherd. Amen.
Scripture readings next week – 5th Sunday of Easter
Psalm 22:25-31; Acts 8:26-40; 1 John 4:7-21; John 15:1-8
623 Holy, holy, holy Words: traditional Music: F Schubert
Refrain: Holy, holy, holy, God almighty Lord!
Holy, holy, holy, everywhere adored!
God without beginning, God eternal One
reigns and rules forever all beneath the sun Refrain
Power and love and wonder circling round God’s throne
Praise our God most holy, Lord of Life alone Refrain
358 There is a redeemer
There is a redeemer, Jesus, God’s own Son,
precious Lamb of God, Messiah, Holy one.
Refrain: Thank you, O my Father, for giving us your Son,
and leaving your Spirit till your work on earth is done.
Jesus my Redeemer, name above all names,
precious Lamb of God, Messiah, oh for sinners slain. Refrain
When I stand in glory, I will see his face,
and there I’ll serve my King forever, in that holy place. Refrain
11 The Lord’s my shepherd Psalm 23
The Lord’s my shepherd, I’ll not want. He makes me down to lie In pastures green; he leadeth me the quiet waters by.
My soul he doth restore again, And me to walk doth make within the paths of righteousness even for his own name’s sake.
Yea, though I walk in death’s dark vale, yet will I fear no ill, for thou art with me, and thy rod and staff me comfort still.
My table thou hast furnished In presence of my foes; my head thou dost with oil anoint and my cup overflows.
Goodness and mercy all my life shall surely follow me and in God’s house forevermore my dwelling place shall be.
650 He leadeth me
He leadeth me: oh blessed thought! oh words with heavenly comfort fraught!
Whate’er I do, where’er I be still ‘tis God’s hand that leadeth me.
Refrain: He leadeth me! He leadeth me! By his own hand he leadeth me!
A faithful follower I would be, for ‘tis God’s hand that leadeth me.
Sometimes ‘mid scenes of deepest gloom, sometimes where Eden’s flowers bloom,
by waters still, o’er troubled sea, still ‘tis God’s hand that leadeth me! Refrain
Lord, I would clasp thy hand in mine, nor ever murmur nor repine,
content, whatever lot I see since ‘tis my God that leadeth me! Refrain
And when my task on earth is done, when by thy grace the victory’s won,
e’en death’s cold wave I will not flee, since God through Jordan leadeth me. Refrain
620 Go now in peace
Go now in peace; though friends must part, Your presence lives in every heart.
Your gifts to us no words can tell: Go now in peace in Christ go well.
Go now in hope, and hopeful stay, Though shadowed valleys hide your way;
Through good and evil, joy and pain, With God, in Spirit, you remain.
Go now in faith, through time and chance, Until we join the wedding dance
As partners of the Three-in-