“I
am the true vine, and my Father is the vine-grower.” ~John 15:1-6
A few weeks ago as Kathleen and I were on vacation we spent a lovely afternoon with our twins and their spouses at a winery in Guerneville.
As
we enjoyed a lovely Spring afternoon, there were a couple of workers pruning
the grapevines.
It’s a common sight in the wine country this time of year…
…yet what I only just learned was that the April 2021 pruning was done with the Fall 2022 harvest in mind.
As this pruning is regularly done over and over, there’s nothing arbitrary about it.
Overlapping that with the above Bible verse: this is done intentionally with a forward looking view as part of a long term investment where God is in control as the vine grower.
Now…the power of God is love…
…love made known in Jesus’ resurrection.
Which makes this love uncontainable and inescapable.
For us to be forward looking insists the church is not to escape the realities of the world…
…anymore than the church can draw a circle around love by deciding who’s in and who’s out.
For us to remain faithful in love can require regular pruning…
…which may mean we need to think long and hard about traditionally held perspectives.
Or how we react when those are challenged.
Our work crew gathers ‘virtually’ Sundays at 10AM. Send us your email (prinevillepc@gmail.com) and we’ll send the invite.
Together We Serve,
Pastor Mike
Please note: We have resumed optional in-person worship. Following COVID19 guidelines by national, state, and local agencies:
· For fully
vaccinated people masking is optional during worship
· Otherwise masking is required during worship.