John 15:4a, 5b Remain in me, as I remain in you says the Lord; whoever remains in me will bear much fruit.
Have you ever played tug of war? I remember participating in this activity at our field day in Lion’s Park in 6th grade. The objective of the game is for each team to pull the rope along with the members of opposition team to their side. As soon as the second mark on the rope from the center red mark crosses over to center line, the team to pull the rope to their area wins the game. Do we feel the “tug” on the rope from those outside forces that oppose the teachings of Jesus? Do we have enough strength to resist those outside forces? Do we try to contend with it without the support of others and the Master Teacher, the Christ? Like fruit on the vine, we the Body of Christ are connected to each other. We depend on the strength of each other, and we turn in our struggles to the source of our strength, Jesus himself with the voice of the Holy Sprit in communion with the Father of all Creation. We cannot do it on our own. How do we relate with this binding force in our lives? Are we willing to sacrifice for others in helping them carry the load? As we sing “Vine and Branches” by Trever Thompson this weekend, let us pray for each other and work for the salvation of ourselves and others.