Practicing Resurrection - Bear Fruit

John 15. 9 - 17

"And I appointed you to go and bear fruit, fruit that will last... I am giving you these commands so that you may love one another.”

The vine and branch imagery continues in this Sunday's gospel with talk about the fruit that abiding in God's love produces. In yesterday's image of a picture taken in Heidelberg by my friend Kathy, the fruit of the wisteria was magnificent. Here in Northeast Florida, the fruit of the vines are also gorgeous ...bleeding hearts, passion flowers, morning glories.

In Nan Merrill's Psalms for Praying which I have mentioned here before, her interpretation of Psalm 98 appointed for Sunday describes perfectly what the fruit that abides in God's love produces...

"By the strength of your Indwelling Presence, we, too, are called to do great things;

We are set free through Love's forgiveness and truth."

Abiding in God bears the fruit of confession, forgiveness, reconciliation, redemption and resurrection! In this Easter season we can be reminded of images of resurrection in the fruit we bear, fruit that will last if we only stay connected to the vine.