Will you pray with me?  Lord, may the words of my lips and the meditations of all our hearts
be acceptable in your sight, our rock and our redeemer.  Amen.

 

“You are the branches, and I the vine,”

said Christ unto his kin.

“Abide in me, let me in you,

and rich fruit you will win.

 

“The sap that flows in this true vine

is the very stuff of life.

Drink of it and be grafted on,

and fear not death nor strife.

 

“Love deep, love deep,

as you’ve been loved,

by the Parent and by me.

 

“Love deep, love deep,

as you’ve been loved,

and a new world there shall be.

 

“You are the branches, and I the vine,”

says Christ to them who’d be free.

Give over your life for those you love,

and you find new life in me.

 

“Give over your life, your will, your work,

for those I came to know,

and you will find that in such acts,

the fruit of God does grow.

 

“Lay down your time, your heart, your hands,

for those I came to save.

Love deep, love deep, be grafted on,

Be branch of God, not slave.”

 

“Not slave to work, not slave to self,

not slave to wealth or fear,

But free, strong branch of the Vine divine

the Creator God drawn near.”

 

Now, we well know when Jesus speaks,

of branch and fruit and vine,

he means to say to them who despair,

“Children, peace be thine.”

 

He means to say to all who’d hear,

that when you branch from Him,

that when you love friends more than life,

the realm of God breaks in.

 

The realm of God breaks in and they

who’d lived in fear and doubt

find love abundant, life divine,

and rich fruit all about.

 

Rich fruit for them who love, who serve,

and flagging souls uplift

rich fruit, too, for the ones who are served,

and receive the well-placed gift.

 

“I chose you,” says Jesus, “to be the ones,

to be grafted on this vine,

I chose you and I call you now,

to service in your time.

 

“Grow out from me, grow out, grow out,

branch out, all, everywhere!

Love them as I first loved you,

and fruits of joy you bear.”

 

Now, notice here, and notice well

What Christ would have you know:

Serving Christ’s children in Christ’s love

its own reward does grow.

 

For the fruit of loving as Christ loved,

is joy, abundant, true,

Regenerative, transformative,

Joy the fruit we’re due.

 

Joy the fruit we’re due, he says,

when, grafted, growing strong

we love deep, support, and care for well,

all those to God belong.

 

We do not love “because we should”

“’cause it’s just right to do”.

We love because Christ promised joy,

New life, our right, our due.

 

We love because we in loving find,

our goal, our end, our suit:

the gift Christ bears in every branch:

our joy, God’s sweetest fruit.

 

Now, grim, pinched folks there are out there

who say that service should be,

handouts given by well-heeled ones,

to those in poverty,

 

Or that the way of it’s for “perfect” ones,

ashamed of their own blessedness,

to offer their care and provide their support,

to those who’re completely a mess.

 

They never would say it, but always imply it,

that the servant’s above the one served,

whole-er and holier, better, together-er,

more perfect, and this most deserved.

 

They help because one should help, not out of hope

of transforming, or for anything new.

And the fruit that appears is withered and sere,

and tastes nothing of sweetness or dew.

 

No joy they find, nor none expect,

by guilt and “shoulds” enthralled.

And their service, which may help the served,

helps the servants not at all.

 

Christ does say to serve because it’s right;

That’s clear enough; it’s true.

But the primary reason for caring in season,

is so Christ might transform you.

 

So, let those who never met our God

Serve altruistically.

We serve ‘cause it feels good, and Christ,

says that’s how it should be.

 

We know that we’re all of us broken and bruised.

Still, God’s own branches all,

sometimes able, often not

all a mess, all called.

 

All called to find that on Christ’s vine,

at least as often as not,

the servant’s the one who, by the service,

is the one who transformed got.

 

Transformed by joy, when by reaching out,

beyond the bounds that were,

the brokenness we had been secretly hiding,

is brought out in the open and cured.

 

Transformed by Christ’s love, when in separate hearts reaching

out in rejoicing or grief

a branch meets a branch under God’s over arching,

and the Vine breaks out in new leaf.

 

“You are the branches and I am the vine,”

says Christ, and he calls us to meet

the broken and holy, the exalted and lowly,

and find out that Christ’s fruit is sweet.

 

Now, I want to tell you that right here among you,

are ministers strong, wise, and fine

whose cooking, whose driving, whose calling, whose striving

in Christ has borne fruit on the vine.

 

They spend time with sick ones and shut-ins,

even check on those who are well.

Their love-notes go out by the hundreds,

they let caregivers rest for a spell.

 

Grafted into Christ’s love and Christ’s caring,

they extend it well far beyond

the limits that any imagined

in their seeking to love and respond.

 

So, I want to tell you that right here among you,

are those who’ve been served, and who serve,

and that sitting beside you, behind you, before you,

these bearers of Christ’s fruit deserve

 

Recognition.  So my proposition

is to have them stand up and face

this congregation, with whose great approbation

their fruitfulness we will embrace.

 

We start with those who month after month,

meet to plan and care

The Congo. Care and Support Committee.

Arise, and stay right there

 

And now all you who have been touched

by the Care Crew ministry

by the words or actions of Christ’s living branches,

extended graciously.

 

Stand up, stand up if you’ve gotten a card,

or a note, or expression of care.

Stand up, stand up if you written a card,

Stand up, and stay right there.

 

You who’ve gotten a meal, stand up,

for your soup or casserole!

And you who made the meals, arise,

you’re on this honor roll!

 

Now, you who have gotten a ride, stand up!

And you who have given one, too.

You who have gone out visiting, stand,

and you who’ve received visits, too.

 

Now served and servants, Christ’s branches all,

who here before us stand.

We thank you, we bless you, we thank God for you,

and we’d like to give you a hand.

 

*applause*

 

Now people of Christ, look all around,

and say our God is great!

All who are loved, and all who love,

in Christ participate.

 

“You are the branches, and I the vine,”

said Christ unto his kin.

“Abide in me, let me in you,

and rich fruit you will win.

 

So may the blessing of Almighty God be on

you, served and servants each,

and may joy, may joy, may joy, Christ’s fruit,

be ever in your reach.

 

“Love deep, love deep,

as you’ve been loved,

and the Vine sprouts new again,

 

“Love deep, love deep,

as you’ve been loved.”

Amen, amen, amen.