Thought for the Week: Responding to the 'True Vine' in Christianity - Rev Dr William Morton

It bore grapes from time to time but I was always disappointed that the grapes were not larger and sweeter! I remember too being fascinated to see the roots of the vine, and their convolutions, drawing moisture from far below the surface of the ground. It was important that the roots connected to nutrients in the earth.In tomorrow’s gospel, from St John 15, connectedness takes on a special meaning. Jesus describes Himself as the Vine, and his disciples as the branches. Vines, as I discovered, require strong roots in order to survive, and deep ones at that.

They do not function as vines if they are not connected. It is the same with our faith. In Saint John 15: 4, Jesus reminds us that we need to be part of the vine if we are to live the lives that He wants.

He says: “Abide in me as I abide in you. Just as the branch cannot bear fruit by itself unless it abides in the vine, neither can you unless you abide in me.”

The test of whether we are followers of Jesus is what we produce in our lives. We cannot claim to be followers of Jesus unless we are prepared to be the people he wants us to be.In the sacrament of Holy Baptism, the person being baptised is ‘grafted in’, connected, to Christ, the true vine.

None of us can live a life in isolation - from God, and from others – or, at least, we shouldn’t. It involves being connected to Christ and His Body, the Church. Claiming to be a Christian in isolation, totally distanced from church attendance, and being part of God’s worshipping family, is a contradiction in terms.Further to the analogy of Jesus the Vine, one of my predecessors in Londonderry, the late Dean Victor Griffin, to the question, “Can I worship God by living and offering a holy life to Him, without going to Church?” suggests this answer: “Not according to Holy Scripture.” The Christian life should always be one of connectedness to Jesus Christ, the True Vine.