Vine and Branches

The strong bond that unites the vine and the branches has to do with the sap that flows through them. Jesus does not here use the word “sap,” but nonetheless gives a lengthy excursus on love in a way ...

My first call to ministry was in Eastern Washington state. It turned out to be one of the most prolific winemaking regions in the country. One of the things I learned from a local winery was really qu...

Good vines require cutting and more cutting. A mile of runners won’t give you one more grape, so get rid of branches that do not bear fruit. Do you want to keep everything? Then expect nothing. Cut. A...

The image [of the vine and the branches] is that everything that a disciple might do without Christ is of no account, and not even of interest.

The image of the vine is archetypal in the Old Testament as a description of God’s love for his people.

The vine never says to the branches, “be in me,” because they already are, from the word go! Jesus has never said to the disciples “be in me,” because they already are, by the Father’s grace. He simpl...