abiding in Christ

Good morning friends,
I'm back in Rochester after a great week with colleagues reflecting on life and ministry. Thanks for the prayers and good wishes; it's good to be back. Today's reading continues Jesus' discussion with the disciples at the last supper. He talks about how important it is for us to stay with him (abide in him). We are like branches of a vine and Christ is the root of the vine. Without him, we wither and dry up, but with Christ we can do anything. That promise for the first disciples is still ours today.

God bless,
Sam

John 14:25 -15:17

²⁵”I have said these things to you while I am still with you. ²⁶But the Advocate, the Holy Spirit, whom the Father will send in my name, will teach you everything, and remind you of all that I have said to you. ²⁷Peace I leave with you; my peace I give to you. I do not give to you as the world gives. Do not let your hearts be troubled, and do not let them be afraid.

”I am the true vine, and my Father is the vinegrower. ²He removes every branch in me that bears no fruit. Every branch that bears fruit he prunes to make it bear more fruit. ³You have already been cleansed by the word that I have spoken to you. ⁴Abide 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. ⁵I am the vine, you are the branches. Those who abide in me and I in them bear much fruit, because apart from me you can do nothing. ⁶Whoever does not abide in me is thrown away like a branch and withers; such branches are gathered, thrown into the fire, and burned. ⁷If you abide in me, and my words abide in you, ask for whatever you wish, and it will be done for you. ⁸My Father is glorified by this, that you bear much fruit and become my disciples.

⁹As the Father has loved me, so I have loved you; abide in my love. ¹⁰If you keep my commandments, you will abide in my love, just as I have kept my Father’s commandments and abide in his love. ¹¹I have said these things to you so that my joy may be in you, and that your joy may be complete. ¹²“This is my commandment, that you love one another as I have loved you. ¹³No one has greater love than this, to lay down one’s life for one’s friends. ¹⁴You are my friends if you do what I command you. ¹⁵I do not call you servants any longer, because the servant does not know what the master is doing; but I have called you friends, because I have made known to you everything that I have heard from my Father. ¹⁶You did not choose me but I chose you. And I appointed you to go and bear fruit, fruit that will last, so that the Father will give you whatever you ask him in my name. ¹⁷I am giving you these commands so that you may love one another.

commandments and leadership

Good morning brothers and sisters,
Today after worship some of us will head across the street for lunch and some discussion of our Bible reading. If you've been reading through the Bible, it's a great time to compare notes. If you haven't but are interested in starting the journey, it's a great chance to dive in. After that there is an ecumenical worship service at St. Ambrose celebrating St. Francis of Assisi and blessing pets. If you'd like to celebrate your furry, feathered or scaled friend, bring them on over to the gym at St. Ambrose at 1 for a blessing.

Our reading from Exodus completes the Ten Commandments and shows how visibly impressive the appearance of God was for Israel. Our reading from Matthew tells the parable we'll be discussing in worship today. This is a favorite of mine because it warns us of the danger of believing we own the religious community rather than guiding it on God's behalf. Today in worship we'll listen for God's calling and seek strength at Christ's table for the journey that lies ahead. I hope you'll be there.

Blessings,
Sam

Exodus 20:21-21

12Honor your father and your mother, so that your days may be long in the land that the Lord your God is giving you. 13You shall not murder. 14You shall not commit adultery. 15You shall not steal. 16You shall not bear false witness against your neighbor. 17You shall not covet your neighbor’s house; you shall not covet your neighbor’s wife, or male or female slave, or ox, or donkey, or anything that belongs to your neighbor.



18When all the people witnessed the thunder and lightning, the sound of the trumpet, and the mountain smoking, they were afraid and trembled and stood at a distance, 19and said to Moses, “You speak to us, and we will listen; but do not let God speak to us, or we will die.” 20Moses said to the people, “Do not be afraid; for God has come only to test you and to put the fear of him upon you so that you do not sin.” 21Then the people stood at a distance, while Moses drew near to the thick darkness where God was.



*Sunday

Matthew 21:33-46

33“Listen to another parable. There was a landowner who planted a vineyard, put a fence around it, dug a wine press in it, and built a watchtower. Then he leased it to tenants and went to another country. 34When the harvest time had come, he sent his slaves to the tenants to collect his produce. 35But the tenants seized his slaves and beat one, killed another, and stoned another. 36Again he sent other slaves, more than the first; and they treated them in the same way. 37Finally he sent his son to them, saying, ‘They will respect my son.’ 38But when the tenants saw the son, they said to themselves, ‘This is the heir; come, let us kill him and get his inheritance.’ 39So they seized him, threw him out of the vineyard, and killed him.



40Now when the owner of the vineyard comes, what will he do to those tenants?” 41They said to him, “He will put those wretches to a miserable death, and lease the vineyard to other tenants who will give him the produce at the harvest time.”



42Jesus said to them, “Have you never read in the scriptures: ‘The stone that the builders rejected has become the cornerstone; this was the Lord’s doing, and it is amazing in our eyes’? 43Therefore I tell you, the kingdom of God will be taken away from you and given to a people that produces the fruits of the kingdom. 44The one who falls on this stone will be broken to pieces; and it will crush anyone on whom it falls.”



45When the chief priests and the Pharisees heard his parables, they realized that he was speaking about them. 46They wanted to arrest him, but they feared the crowds, because they regarded him as a prophet.

the parable of the vineyard

Good morning friends,
The religious leaders aren't the only ones who become more aggressive in once Jesus enters the city. In our reading for today Jesus tells a parable warning of terrible judgment against the religious leaders and getting close to proclaiming openly who he is. The prophet Isaiah also has a parable about a vineyard, and several other times in the Old Testament a vineyard is used as a symbol for Israel. In this case God puts his vineyard in the care of some tenants to oversee it. Since the vineyard was a well known way of talking about Israel, the religious leaders figure out pretty quickly that they are the tenants who ought to have cared for God's vineyard and ought to have gladly given God the first fruits of the harvest.

That's not what these tenants do. Instead when the landlord sends servants (prophets) to collect his share the tenants beat them and send them away empty handed. So the landlord sends his only son (Jesus) thinking he will be respected. Instead, the tenants kill him, bringing judgment on themselves. Of course this story isn't just about the religious leaders of Jesus' time; it speaks to leaders in every time who are entrusted with the care of God's vineyard. All of us who lead are responsible to make sure that the vineyard bears good fruit and that we give the first fruits to God, remembering whose vineyard it is. The story also reminds us that God takes the stone rejected by the builders and makes it the foundation for a wonderful building. In this week that takes us through Christ's rejection we also look for ways we might be rejecting something God wants us to value highly.

May God bless you richly with reflection and transformation in this Holy Week,
Sam

Luke 20:9-19

9He began to tell the people this parable: “A man planted a vineyard, and leased it to tenants, and went to another country for a long time. 10When the season came, he sent a slave to the tenants in order that they might give him his share of the produce of the vineyard; but the tenants beat him and sent him away empty-handed. 11Next he sent another slave; that one also they beat and insulted and sent away empty-handed. 12And he sent still a third; this one also they wounded and threw out.

13Then the owner of the vineyard said, ‘What shall I do? I will send my beloved son; perhaps they will respect him.’ 14But when the tenants saw him, they discussed it among themselves and said, ‘This is the heir; let us kill him so that the inheritance may be ours.’ 15So they threw him out of the vineyard and killed him. What then will the owner of the vineyard do to them? 16He will come and destroy those tenants and give the vineyard to others.”

When they heard this, they said, “Heaven forbid!” 17But he looked at them and said, “What then does this text mean: ‘The stone that the builders rejected has become the cornerstone’? 18Everyone who falls on that stone will be broken to pieces; and it will crush anyone on whom it falls.” 19When the scribes and chief priests realized that he had told this parable against them, they wanted to lay hands on him at that very hour, but they feared the people.