Dear sisters and brothers in Christ,

 

“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.” (John 15:5, The Message)

 

The season of autumn has two main stages. First, there is a time of harvest; when crops that have been growing throughout the last stages of summer bear their yield and are gathered for all the fall goodies and festivities we love. The second stage is often overlooked as a time of pretty leaves changing, but it is a vital part of tree and plant growth that helps prep the tree for spring.

 

You see, as the angle of the Earth shifts and the sunlight and temperatures decrease, the tree has to make a choice. Drop its leaves and enjoy growing this spring or keep its leaves and whither during the winter. You see, the tree has to work harder to protect itself and gain necessary nutrients during the winter. It isn’t a time for growth, but a time to prepare for growth; so it must rid itself of excess burdens, such as leaves, if it wants to thrive and grow again in seasons to come. In other words: if there is not pruning or dropping of the excess, there will be no more fruit!

 

As we enjoy the autumn month of October, one of my personal favorites, we should be doing the same thing as disciples that our trees and plants are doing. First, let us celebrate the harvest of the fruits of our ministries. What have we done well? Who have we helped? Who have we loved? Have lives been changed? Then we need to seriously ask ourselves about our priorities and choices. What do we need to drop so we can prepare as disciples for growth and fruit-bearing? 

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              What are the leaves hanging on your tree of life that are draining you instead of sustaining you? Is it a task? Is it a person? Can you let it drop? Also, what would you like to focus on this fall and winter as a source of growth for you as a disciple? What are the essential nutrients you need, and how are you ensuring you receive them?

             Most importantly, we remember that we are not the vine, but just the branches; meaning, we are the fruits and growth of God, and we can only continue to grow by the blessings and grace of God. Jesus Christ is our vine…that life-giving connection between us and all we truly need to live and grow. This summer, we have had some powerful storms and after each one, limbs have been on the ground ripped from their trunks. If our limb is not healthy, not strong, then the storms of life are more likely to rip us away from God as well. Once the branch is on the ground no longer attached to the trunk, it withers and dies.

             Some of God’s most powerful messages are reflected in the nature of God’s creation. As you watch the trees this fall, use them as a reminder to stay connected, to nourish yourself, and to look to grow and bear fruit. For this is not just the way of trees, it is the way of the disciple.

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     Peace and blessings,

         Pastor Amanda