Our blog this month comes from Tim Gray. Tim is an experienced marketer and fundraiser working for World Vision. where his role is to support the marketing effectiveness of World Vision offices in Europe. At present he is interim CEO for World Vision Italy which gives him the opportunity to work with talented Italians and enjoy great ice cream.

Tim and his wife Diane (pictured with their three sons) have been active members of Shenley Christian Fellowship for many years.

I like wine. It’s one of my pleasures in life. We now have so much choice since the revolutionary days when Blue Nun or Liebfraumilch appeared on the shop shelves. Wine to me is one of God’s great gifts. Wine makers blend grape varieties to create something wonderful, to enjoy on its own, or to complement good food (another of God’s blessings). When we host our family and friends I like to take time choosing the best wine and meal combination for an enjoyable social occasion.

This summer our holiday was on the Isle of Wight. One day we visited Adgestone Vineyard. They have a reputation for great homemade cream teas, so we took the chance to pop in for elevenses! I admit to a second motivation which was to look around the vineyard.

Growing vines

Recently I’ve been thinking a lot about some verses in the Bible where Jesus talked about growing vines (John, chapter 15 verses 1-17). Here is a snippet.

“I am the vine, and My Father is the vinedresser. Every branch in me that does not bear fruit He takes away; and every branch that bears fruit He prunes, that it may bear more fruit. I am the vine, you are the branches. He who abides in Me and I in him, bears much fruit. By this my Father is glorified.”

This scripture has had a profound effect on me. The insights have spoken into my life and deepened my faith. A book called Secrets of the Vine by Bruce Wilkinson has been a helpful companion during my reflections. I thought I’d use this blog to share a little, although I’ll not do it justice here.

Jesus’ words help us understand what we need to do in order to enjoy an abundant life where the fruits of our life will bless those around us and bring joy to our own hearts. But, although Jesus shares what God will do to help us find such abundant living, some of God’s methods are not easy to understand or receive at the time.

I’m sure, like me, you can look back on times where your life was not producing any fruit, other times some fruit, and sometimes loads of fruit!

Abundant Life

The great news is that God wants us to enjoy abundant lives producing much fruit for as often and long as possible. But, to harvest a greater, higher quality fruit, we have to put ourselves in the hands of God, the vinedresser. Just like these vines with thin trunks and cluttered branches and leaves, we will need care and nurturing by the vineyard owner to become fruitful but it can often feel harsh.

In our Christian life we journey through different seasons. This analogy of the vine helps us to understand the purpose of different types of experience along the way:

Your life produces no fruit - this may be when something is getting between you and God, a practice, habit, behaviour or attitude that stops you showing his glory. Just as the vinedressers cut off unproductive branches God will likewise intervene to convict us of a destructive sin that needs to be removed from our lives. During these times God is disciplining us, ask Him to reveal any parts that need to be removed.

Your life produces some fruit – you are living in a right way with God and doing what He is guiding you to do. But God wants you to enjoy a life of blessing and abundance – to bear even more fruit for Him. So, even at this time, you may experience some doors closing or relationships or opportunities being removed from your life. During these periods God is pruning – at times it may seem like being disciplined but, just as the experienced vinedresser prunes the vine, removing branches to enable the remaining ones to have more sunlight and produce a more abundant harvest, so does God. He removes less productive ‘branches’ from your life, taking away activities, responsibilities, and desires to help focus on what remains and/or to make space for him to use you in new ways so to be even more fruitful.

This is demonstrated in this photo of a maturing vine at Adgestone Vineyard. It has been decisively and vigorously pruned. The branches in early summer reach out into the space, benefiting from the sunlight, and are fed by the stocky, strong vine to which it they are attached. The vine is nurturing and sustaining the branches to produce abundant fruit. ”I am the vine, you are the branches.”

Your life is producing much fruit – when not in seasons of discipline or pruning God asks that we learn how to abide (stay) in Him. This means to dedicate quality time and activities that help you get to know him more deeply, much as you would do in relationships with those you love.Through abiding we draw spiritual nourishment for the Lord and can allow the power that comes from him to flow through us, leading us on to growing abundance and life enriching experiences in Christ.

Pruning

During the past two years I have experienced a time of "pruning"; many doors have closed as things have moved in a different direction to what I had anticipated or where I thought God was leading. I am not sure if God has finished pruning yet, I think not, but that’s OK. I trust Him to do the right things and, in time, it will lead to me being in the right place enjoying and doing the right things for Him.

So, on a warm summer morning while my family finished off cakes, tea and pop, I enjoyed a walk along the rows of vines on the south facing slopes of the vineyard. I was intrigued to check out the more mature vines, the ones that had been dramatically pruned. For sure the trunks of these vines where far thicker than the younger vines, and I understand the thicker trunks are able to feed more generously the emerging fruit to produce abundant harvest – and in time the more mature, larger, juicier grapes contribute to the finer wines in the next vintage. 

As I walked, I prayed about what God was doing in my life. I imagined, too, what it might have been like listening to Jesus share this analogy in the vineyard near Gethsemane, helping them to understand God’s way of creating His Kingdom. I raced along the rows of vineyards with my boys – they didn’t feel the effects of the cream tea as I did. Before we left I bought a few bottles of wine that I have continued to enjoy through the summer and God continues to do His work in me.

Cheers!
Tim