Connected to the Vine

Karen Walker Freeburg
Northern Baptist Theological Seminary, Lombard, IL

Assistant Professor of Ministry and Christian Spirituality
Director of Supervised Ministry

Eighteen years ago my husband Keith and I moved our young family into the Southwestern village of Shorewood on the edge of the cornfields and the seemingly endless horizon.  One of my favorite locations in our community was a small apple orchard unexpectedly located next to the highway.  Within a few years of our move, suburban sprawl began to creep into our lives.  The cornfields became subdivisions and a sign was raised on the edge of our apple orchard announcing the “Apple Tree Plaza coming soon”.  Where there had once been trees, which in the rhythm of the seasons produced bounteous fruit, there was now only memory.  Where there was once flourishing life, there was now only a picture of life.  What was real, had been methodically reduced to nothing.  Despite the promise of it’s name, Apple Tree Plaza no longer contained the slightest connection to fruit bearing trees.

 I wonder how the Spirit would testify about us, the members of the body, when remembering “the place” where we were once planted in Christ, the true vine.  All of our activity, our ordination certificates, purpose driven youth ministries, 50 to 70 hour work weeks: they mean nothing outside of God’s spirit.  We are fabricating a center for ourselves rather than being centered in the True Vine.  Our busyness says, “I’m a real servant.” Our being needed by our church members says, “See, I have value”. Our worship of things other than God can be seen in our attachment to comfort: using credit to obtain status; constantly upgrading our houses, computers and cars; placing our hopes in more significant pulpits and titles.  All of these things help to numb us from the gnawing emptiness we experience when we are not connected deeply to Christ. Separated we can’t produce a thing. But we are not a people hopelessly broken and connected to sin!  God’s word invites us to look deeply into our hearts in order to see how we are resistant to His cleansing; the pruning, which will allow us to live productively for the kingdom.  In response to that love, the things we connect ourselves to other than God have to go. Repent, be baptized, pick up the cross; be made new; love lavishly, as Christ has taught.   

When I first began to study Psalm 80, I kept visualizing Jesus, the true vine.  I wanted him to look strong, gnarled and solid.  But I learned that the well-trained vine’s strength is most often found in its weakness; its frailty can weather storms and create a better and fuller harvest. He promises to strengthen us-refine us- out of the abundance of his glorious riches.  Being rooted and established in His love, we have power though His spirit in our inner being- faith- to know His love.  That we may be filled-connected to the fullness of God, and serve Him though our unity with the son.