Sunday, June 30
- Scripture: John 15:5 – I 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.
- Reflection: We are guided by this scripture to maintain connection to Christ as the vineyard keeper and vine. To allow ourselves to be cultivated, fed, tended and cherished. Then to be placed into service and purposefulness by Holy Love.
We always have the choice to say yes or no. Yet God seeks us out, even when we have turned away, rejecting Love’s presence. Love abides. Waits, patiently, for the time we may again choose ‘yes.’
Connection is the crucial theme in this text. Trust and openness become passages through which Love enters. Sometimes, too, our wounds become ‘cracks that let the light in’ as the songwriter Leonard Cohen once wrote. Human struggles and suffering make us more vulnerable, cause us to drop our guard, and permit or even welcome the presence of healing, compassion, and comfort. If we can allow ourselves to be that open more consistently, Holy Love is ready to be present to us.
Spiritual disciplines help us stay more mindful and connected in all times and seasons to the Holy Spirit. Prayer of all kinds, meditation, study, reading scripture, body-mind-spirit practices such as yoga or nature walks, writing and journaling, expressive arts such as dance and singing or playing music, and other forms of worship can help us connect. As spiritual beings, we are advised to cultivate the habits that help us maintain connection to what is holy and holistic in our lives.
Abiding in Love, too, means choosing the Way. Framing our lives by the values and lessons we have learned from the life and ministry of Jesus.
Our connection to God is so intrinsic, this image tells us, that we are an extension of what is deepest and holiest and most sustaining. Yes, we are messy. Yet God chooses us. Draws close to us. And works through us. - Spiritual Practice Prompt: Prioritize one spiritual discipline today. Make time for it.
Song:
- New Wine by Hillsong: https://youtu.be/1ozGKlOzEVc?si=Wkj9u1XuB8D02-la
- I Drink Wine by Adele: https://youtu.be/jDvYDzFOK9A?si=OEUuw4iFz9fnpJAk
Naked you are blue like the night in Cuba, you have vines and stars in your hair … ― Pablo Neruda
June 30 Daily Devotional