Hoping you’re all enjoying the garden whilst the sun shines and perhaps doing a bit of pruning?
I’m enjoying the daily reflections in Bible Reading Fellowship notes at the minute –( speak to Janet Neilson if you’d like a copy!)- and last Tuesday’s was based on John Chapter 15– Jesus the true vine .Verse 5 says;
‘I am the vine you are the branches. Those who remain in me and I in them will bear much fruit.’
You may be wondering where purple socks come into this ! Back in 2016 our very lovely minister gave me a gift of’ Holy Socks’ when I was having various cancer treatments. They are lavender with purple grapes on – my granddaughter Ellie was particularly impressed with the colour and subtle design I remember. I wore them to hospital on my chemotherapy days , and I have to say they are still going strong .They came with a card containing a meditation on the vine, which has been stuck to the side of our piano .It is a very beautiful meditation which I’d better not share for fear of breaching copyright rules but I’ve made up a prayer based on the theme;
Let me abide in the vine that is in you , my Lord and Saviour.
Let me give up my fruitless branches willingly.
Let me not fear your pruning, but look to bear more fruit .Amen.
In John 5 verse 7 Jesus promises that if we abide in Him and He in us , then whatever we ask shall be done . Fairly mind-blowing when you think about it.
In the vine meditation abide was reflected on as being a very beautiful and peaceful word .It suggested that asking to abide in Christ is the best and only thing to ask for, as everything else will flow from that. It then ends the meditation reflecting that no effort on our part, no matter how great, will produce the peace of abiding in Christ –because it is a gift to us ,given already by the grace of God.
Looking forward to seeing you all again at St George’s – and showing off my socks!
Morag Ranson