Meditation

Read John 15:1-5

Jesus said, “I am the vine; you are the branches. If you remain in me and I in you, you will bear much fruit; apart from me you can do nothing.”—John 15:5 (NIV)

As I write, many of us around the world are “locked down” because of a pandemic. Many churches have canceled worship services, Bible studies, Sunday school classes, committee meetings, and mission projects.

At first, we were dismayed at the thought of closing our church campus. Our concerns were lessened when some of our members began live streaming our worship services and making recordings that could be viewed at any time. Our pastors created a telephone tree—a network of people who would contact others on a regular basis to support each other, worship together by phone, share joys and sorrows, and pray together. Others reached out by email or private messages through social media. The network spread wider and was transformed into something new.

When the current health crisis has abated and our church can resume its regular activities, our congregation plans to continue its new ways of ministering to our neighbors, friends, those who are homebound, and others. Today’s reading reminds us that Jesus is the vine that connects us to one another and to God. Jesus is with us no matter how we connect.

Prayer: Gracious and loving God, thank you for providing us with creative ways to follow you and the reminder that church is not a building but a community of your faithful followers. In Jesus’ name we pray. Amen.

Thought for the day: There are many ways to connect to God and to one another.

—Doug Wingert, Arizona