Good Vintage

I imagine the matters of botany in the vineyard business are involved. There would be issues of nourishment, training the vine branches with supports, pruning, and possibly grafting branches into the vine. All of these efforts are to bring about the best fruit possible from every branch.

We recall the language of the metaphor in the opening lines of John 15, in which Jesus teaches:

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

I noticed the Collect of the Day - Proper 16, which we used last Sunday, had similar allusions to vine growing.

Photo: Laurence Freeman, France

Lord of all power and might, the author and giver of all good things: Graft in our hearts the love of your Name; increase in us true religion; nourish us with all goodness; and bring forth in us the fruit of good works; through Jesus Christ our Lord. Amen.

The words, “graft,” “increase,” “nourish,” and “fruit” all point to a key Hebrew faith image. In many places, the vineyard is a reference for the people of God. The above prayer is sprinkled with the language of the vineyard.

Before going further with the imagery of vines and fruit, I will say I mentioned in recent writing the word “religion” needs to be redeemed for modern people of faith. The word “spiritual” is popular and “religion” is unpopular. I recall to you the root in the word is likely the Latin word “ligare” which means to join, link, or attach. Religion, in this sense, points to the reattachment of the human to the divine. If we connect and abide in the source of our being, the vine, we can enjoy our part in providing good fruit that God intends in restoring and refreshing the human family.

I love how this collect, a prayer we can internalize all week, asks God, the giver of good things, for love, true connection, nourishment, and fecundity. I want all those things. I want them for you and me. Let this be a vintage year. I believe God will bring forth in us the fruit of good works. We could use it, as could our community, and certainly the world.