The Rev. Dr. John Tamilio III, Pastor
© 2024, Dr. Tamilio
I wonder how Jesus would speak to a modern audience. He used examples and metaphors that would have been familiar to his listeners in first-century Palestine. This is why he used farmers, fishermen, and shepherds as characters in his parables. Today, he would probably use technological ideas, because they are ubiquitous: they are part of everything we do — from smartphones to smart TVs, to the computers we use for work and play and the ones that run our cars. The Gospel Lesson for today is about Jesus as the vine, God as the gardener or vine-dresser, and Jesus’ followers (that means all of us) as the branches. His contemporaries would have grasped this clearly. As William Barclay writes, “The vine was grown all over Palestine as it still is. It is a plant which needs a great deal of attention if the best fruit is to be got out of it.”[1] Barclay goes to great lengths explaining how vines grow and how they are tended. Here is what struck me the most about what he said:
A young vine is not allowed to fruit for the first three years and each year it is cut back to develop and conserve its life and energy. When mature…It bears two kinds of branches, one that bears fruit and one that does not; and branches that do not bear fruit are drastically pruned back so that they will drain away none of the plant’s strength.[2]
There are several sermons right there. We do not want dead wood-depleting resources needed for the hard work that needs to be done. That may sound extreme but think about it: kingdom work is not meant to be taken lightly. It requires our total commitment, the giving of our whole selves. It sounds harsh, but it is true that a chain is only as strong as its weakest links. Every gardener knows that it is important to get rid of the weeds that threaten to choke surrounding vegetation, and every arborist will cut down any branch that compromises the health and structure of a tree.
Jesus is not promoting social Darwinism. He is not saying that we need to get rid of the weak, the sick, or the maimed. But he is saying that the Church needs to be of the same mind, with a common purpose at heart. Our refusal to take part in politics is a perfect example. We are not a political organization that wears religious garb. That is not how we read the Gospel. Therefore, if any members were to try to get us to be politically active, and would not take “no” for an answer, then that person would be a branch that needs to be cut back. Sounds harsh, but I believe that is what Jesus is saying. We are to follow him and promote the Gospel, not use his name to further a political or social ideology.
But this also suggests something — namely, that we are all of the same mind. This does not mean that we think exactly the same way about everything. I have no desire to be the leader of a cult. There is a great quote by Saint Augustine that serves well as a guide for all of this. When discussing theology and solidarity among the church, Augustine said, “In essentials, unity; in non-essentials, liberty; in all things, charity.” This great Early Church Father has calibrated our compass with just ten words! In essentials, unity; in non-essentials, liberty; in all things, charity. In other words, there are certainly some things on which we can disagree with one another. I’m sure that most of us have different beliefs about the meaning of the sacraments (Holy Communion and Baptism), just as we do about how the logic of the Trinity, just as we do about what the End Times will look like. These differences of opinion are non-essentials. They express slightly different views of the doctrines we espouse. However, the fact that we celebrate Holy Communion and Baptism are essentials. The belief that Jesus Christ is the fully human and fully divine Son of God is not up for debate. That is also essential. So, if any of our members wanted to promote the idea that Jesus was nothing more than a prophet and a good moral teacher, we would say, “Nope!” We will have charity in our hearts, meaning that person would still be welcome in our congregation, but we would not change our theology. In essentials, unity; in non-essentials, liberty; in all things, charity.
This begs the question what are our essentials? What are the doctrines and practices that have no wiggle room? Here is one way to think about it. In 2002 Rick Warren, the Founding Pastor of the Baptist megachurch Saddleback Church in Lake Forest, California, in 2002 Warren published the bestselling book The Purpose Driven Life. Seven years prior, Warren wrote The Purpose Driven Church. In this book, Warren claims that every church should have a purpose statement — a very short summary that everyone in the church can easily memorize. The church needs to be able to define it, communicate it, organize their ministries around it, and apply it. Warren writes, “Condensing your purpose statement into a single sentence is absolutely important. Why? Because it will have limited value if people can’t remember it!”[3] Any project that does not align with that mission statement is jettisoned. Every project that does is something the church should adopt. In other words, the ministry of Saddleback Church is one that reflects the essentials to which its members adhere.
So here is what I propose: we recently voted on a new Statement of Faith that was approved unanimously by our members and is now part of our Bylaws. What if we were to develop a short vision or mission statement: one that encapsulates our collective ministry? Such a statement would capture our essentials, those that unite us to the vine that is our Living Lord.
I would love to hear the points that you feel are “essentials” — the points that capture what we believe. Feel free to email them to me this week. Think about the core values of this congregation as you understand them. Think of our worship, outreach, and educational endeavors. Think of the idea that we are a good neighbor church in this community. Think of the various ways we are known in this community. I would love to construct a statement (no more than two sentences, and hopefully one) a statement that would tie all this together.
Jesus is the vine, and we are the branches. Our life comes from him. We are nourished by him and fed by him. We are to reach our limbs high in the sky as an act of praise, to draw the blessings that flow from the Son of Righteousness into our hearts. Our branches need to bud and bear the fruits of generosity, compassion, peace, mercy, grace, humility, hope, charity, faith, and love. Amen.
[1] William Barclay, The Gospel of John, vol. 2, rev. ed. (Louisville: Westminster John Know Press. 1975), 173.
[2] Ibid., 173-174.
[3] Rick Warren, The Purpose Driven Church (Grand Rapids: Zondervan, 1995), 99.