Bearing Fruit

“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, who lives and reigns with you and the Holy Spirit, one God for ever and ever. Amen.” Collect for Proper 17B

I like the word graft in this week’s collect. According to a quick internet search the definition is, “a shoot or twig inserted into a slit on the trunk or stem of a living plant, from which it receives sap.” When we lack energy, we say we are sapped of it, and so it makes me wonder as we enter a new program year, how might we use the image of grafting to order our own lives?

We had such a wonderful and energetic Sunday. The ministry fair was full of life, our worship was beautiful, and there was a sense of purpose around our common life that was very heartening. I’d be remiss if I didn’t express my deep and profound gratitude for the celebration of our ten years of mutual ministry together. The beautiful dove, a smaller replica of the one in Gosnell Hall, and the communion vessels you commissioned as a gift are deeply treasured by me. Thank you seems a small expression of how I feel, but please know I’m very thankful.

These wooden carvings, which come from the Bethlehem Chapel represent an important image of what it means to be grafted into community. We gather in a physical place, but we are a set of personal narratives and experiences that also make up the Body of Christ. The scaffolding event five years ago was one experience of this community, but the transformation of that fractured wood is a symbol that extends far beyond September 19, 2019. We are grafted into the love of Jesus Christ at our baptism, and how that is expressed in our community is how it bears fruit. Love really is the sap we need to nourish us in the life of faith. We find that in our sacramental life gathered around the altar, but we also find it at coffee hour, and during dinner on Wednesday nights. There are so many ways to seek the nourishment we need to then bear fruit in the world. Maybe the patterns that have worked in the past need a little adjustment. Maybe what nourished you in the past no longer encourages your growth. Perhaps you’ve overextended yourself and need to pull back to fully assess that which is really feeding you.

My hope is that wherever you find yourself you are open to the nourishment that is here in this place. If you haven’t found it yet, reach out to one of the clergy. We’d love to hear what you’re longing for and help you find the right place here in community. 

Peace, Beth +