11-23-2016

Good Morning All,

John 15:2; “Every branch in me that does not bear fruit he takes away, and every branch that does bear fruit he prunes, that it may bear more fruit.”

    The parsonage where we live has two apple trees.  This year, we had apples everywhere.  We have propped up two of the branches to keep them from breaking.  There have already been about four branches that are broken from the weight of the apples.  We pick up a five gallon bucket about every day of the ones that have fallen to the ground and are bruised.  Our grandson used to think this was fun; now he is not so convinced.  The apples are good sized but it would be nice if they were a little bigger.  The obvious answer is to prune the trees, but how much?

    I asked one of my know-it-all farmers.  He said that he had had the same problem and had asked the extension agent about pruning apple trees.  I was expecting some extensive answer; instead I was told that I should prune the trees enough so that I could throw a cat threw the tree and miss all the branches three out of five times.  I am not sure the cat will like this method of measuring.  I am guessing this means to prune it a lot.

   Pruning plants has always been interesting to me.  We injure the plant to improve is production.  We remove some of the limbs so the others will bear more and better fruit.  I have never asked a tree if it liked to be pruned.  I am guessing that, given the choice, it would not want to be pruned.  Yet if we do not prune this one tree down, eventually it will die because of the damage that the broken limbs will cause.  It may die because of the insects and diseases that may strike at its open wounds.  Pruning will be better for the tree in the long run but in the short term; the tree may resent me for doing it.

    The same is true in our faith life.  There may be things, events or even people who are harming our faith.  There may be things that we treasure greatly, we may even be almost worshiping them, that stand in the way of our faith growing and producing more fruit.  Losing those things may seem very painful at the time but it is possible that their removal from our life is the best thing for us.  You may find yourself with a group of friends who find going to church just a waste of time.  They may be enticing you away into going with them.  God may choose to cause this friendship to slow down or even stop in order to help you produce more fruit.

    Sometimes this pruning may take place because of unseen circumstances.  Just like a tree may be damaged in a wind storm and come back stronger; God may take some very painful events in our life and use them to help us grow in our faith.  Many times, these events bring us to our knees but they also strip away all the false and worthless props and supports that we think are useful but in reality are not.   The only thing we have is God’s mercy to carry us.

    This mercy may be in the form of a church member or family member who is there for us.  A person whom God has sent to help us as we struggle through life’s most challenging events may be God’s answer.  Pruning may be painful but through God’s mercy; it will be productive.

Father, as you prune us stay close to us.  Keep us from falling.  Help us to remember that all things work for good for those whom you love.  In the precious name of Jesus we pray, amen.

God’s Peace,

Pastor Bret