Roots Down, Branches Out, Bearing Fruit

John 15:1-8

“I am the true vine, and my Father is the vinegrower.

He removes every branch in me that bears no fruit. Every branch that bears fruit he prunes to make it bear more fruit.

You have already been cleansed by the word that I have spoken to you.

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.

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.

Whoever does not abide in me is thrown away like a branch and withers; such branches are gathered, thrown into the fire, and burned.

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.

Colossians 2:6-7; 3:1-17 (Common English Bible)

 So live in Christ Jesus the Lord in the same way as you received him.

Be rooted and built up in him, be established in faith, and overflow with thanksgiving just as you were taught.

Therefore, if you were raised with Christ, look for the things that are above where Christ is sitting at God’s right side.

 Think about the things above and not things on earth.

 You died, and your life is hidden with Christ in God.

 When Christ, who is your life, is revealed, then you also will be revealed with him in glory.

So put to death the parts of your life that belong to the earth, such as sexual immorality, moral corruption, lust, evil desire, and greed (which is idolatry).

The wrath of God is coming upon disobedient people because of these things.

You used to live this way, when you were alive to these things.

But now set aside these things, such as anger, rage, malice, slander, and obscene language.

Don’t lie to each other. Take off the old human nature with its practices and put on the new nature, which is renewed in knowledge by conforming to the image of the one who created it.

In this image there is neither Greek nor Jew, circumcised nor uncircumcised, barbarian, Scythian, slave nor free, but Christ is all things and in all people.

Therefore, as God’s choice, holy and loved, put on compassion, kindness, humility, gentleness, and patience.

Be tolerant with each other and, if someone has a complaint against anyone, forgive each other. As the Lord forgave you, so also forgive each other.

And over all these things put on love, which is the perfect bond of unity.

The peace of Christ must control your hearts—a peace into which you were called in one body. And be thankful people.

The word of Christ must live in you richly. Teach and warn each other with all wisdom by singing psalms, hymns, and spiritual songs. Sing to God with gratitude in your hearts.

Whatever you do, whether in speech or action, do it all in the name of the Lord Jesus and give thanks to God the Father through him.

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I follow a number of church’s Facebook pages. The other day I watched a video that the First Presbyterian Church of Benton Harbor, Michigan, posted on their page. They spoke about how they decided to stay in their downtown church building rather than moving somewhere that would reduce operating costs. Their reasons had to do with the needs of their neighborhood, and the ways they were supporting and assisting the people living around them, and the additional ways they saw that they could. They concluded that to leave would diminish the services being provided to their neighbors.

They expressed their decision, as well as their mission, in a short phrase that they called their “motto” – Roots down, branches out.”

What a cool way to express their identity and their purpose, God’s call to them.

Today is Trinity Sunday. It is a day to acknowledge the holy mystery of the Triune God – God in three persons. The common way we refer to the three “persons” of God are Father, Son, and Holy Spirit.  We call the first person, God, Father because Jesus called him Father, Abba, even though we know that any description of God is limiting, and that God is described in scripture in many ways – God is like a rock, God is like an eagle, God is like a hen, God is like a shepherd, God is like a mother. To consider any one description of God is to limit God or to place God in a box.

We call the second person, Jesus, the Son because God called him My Son.

And we call the third person the Holy Spirit because Jesus told us the Holy Spirit would come to us after he had ascended, and so that is just what happened, on the day of Pentecost. And the Holy Spirit, the Advocate, has been with us ever since.

But how do we think of God as three and as one? Many people have tried to provide a fitting analogy or explanation for how this can be.

Some talk about how we can experience water in three forms – liquid, gas, and solid.

Some talk about shamrocks – three leaves, one stem.

Some suggest considering God as the wellspring or source, Jesus as the river, and the Holy Spirit as the water.

Some talk about the roles of each – God as Creator, Jesus as Redeemer, Holy Spirit as Sustainer.

Clearly this is part of the holy mystery that is God, and to me, the fact that it cannot be fully understood or explained is a source of comfort. God is like no other. God is fully God, and Jesus is fully God, and the Holy Spirit is fully God. And thanks be to God that this is true, even when it cannot be fully explained or understood.

But as I read this week’s scripture texts, including this portion of the gospel according to John that speaks of the vine and the branches, it seemed to me that there is an aspect of that, that we can add to the list of ways to think about the trinity.

Jesus says to us, “I am the vine, and my Father is the vinegrower.”

God is the Master Gardener. Jesus is the vine to which we are attached as branches. As long as we are connected to the vine, we can produce fruit, we can be fruitful. The nutrition, the nourishment from which the fruit comes, this is the work of the Holy Spirit in us. And whatever good fruit we can bear is the direct result of our connectedness, to Christ, and through Christ to one another.

It’s all about the connection. And this is also how many theologians have come to consider the Holy Trinity, the Triune God – that it is less about distinguishing the three elements or aspects of the Trinity, and it is more about acknowledging the connectedness, the relationship between the three.

The three participated together in Creation.

·      God created

·      The Spirit moved across the water

·      and God said; God spoke the Word; and the Word is Jesus.

The three participated together at Jesus’ baptism, as the Holy Spirit descended upon Jesus, and God said, “I am well pleased with you”.

The three participated together at the crucifixion, as Jesus cried out, Father, into your hands I commit my Spirit.

The three participated together in the conquering of death through resurrection, as Jesus told Mary he was ascending to God, and as he breathed the Holy Spirit on the disciples, allowing them to receive it, as told in the gospel according to John.

The power of God is exhibited in the relationship between and among the Triune God, the three in one.

Let’s take a look at this video about the Trinity, as described by Richard Rohr.

(play video: Pattern of the Trinity - produced by The Work of the People.)

The power of God in relationship is the power of love. The power of love is unmeasurable, unexplainable, unending. The power of love is what flows through us as we remain connected, as branches to the vine which is Jesus Christ. The power of love is what people experience through us when we are bearing good fruit. The power of love is what is increased when we are pruned, when even our losses help us to love more deeply and more compassionately. The power of love is the New Life that flows through us and in us.

This is what the apostle Paul means when he calls us to be rooted in Christ. This is why he reminds us that we are God’s choice, holy and loved; this is why he encourages us, as we remain on the vine, to bear the good fruit of compassion, kindness, humility, gentleness, and patience. To put on love over all these things. To let the peace of Christ control our hearts.

This is what First Pres in Benton Harbor is talking about when they say, roots down, branches out. As they abide in the vine, as they branch out from the trunk of the tree of life, they bear witness to Christ by bearing this good fruit into their neighborhood.

This is what we are called to do. We come here to be equipped as disciples, so that we can go out and bear witness to the love of the Triune God.

On this Trinity Sunday, let us give thanks for the love that is shared between and among the Triune God, and for the amazing grace that allows us and calls us to participate with this holy mystery trinity in the loving work of God, here in this congregation and out there, in all the moments of our lives, and with all the people desperately needing a glimpse of True Love.

In the name of the Gardener, and the Vine, and the Nourisher. Amen.