”I am the true vine, and my Father is the vinegrower. He removes every branch in me that bears no fruit. Every branch that bears fruit he prunes to make it bear more fruit. You have already been cleansed by the word that I have spoken to you. 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. I am the vine, you are the branches. Those who abide in me and I in them bear much fruit, because apart from me you can do nothing. Whoever does not abide in me is thrown away like a branch and withers; such branches are gathered, thrown into the fire, and burned. If you abide in me, and my words abide in you, ask for whatever you wish, and it will be done for you. My Father is glorified by this, that you bear much fruit and become my disciples.” John 15:1-8

It’s been a quiet week at Crown and Cactus Lutheran Church, that little congregation over between Mesa and Gilbert and Chandler. With the approach of 100 degree temperatures the last of the snowbirds have departed and the folks who have summer homes in Flagstaff, Payson, or the Rim are getting restless. Stubborn snowfalls have persisted though, and some are reluctant to get up there and be cold. Nonetheless, many have said their good-byes and are likely to be seen only occasionally through the summer months. Still, since the families with children are still around, the program at Crown and Cactus continues without much change. In fact Stacey Thorson started working on VBS plans right after Easter and she already has started weekly promotions. 

On Monday morning at the staff meeting, Pastor Baldridge, who had been enjoying the routine of the Easter season, was jolted back into reality by Janice Porter, who asked if they would be doing anything different for Mother’s Day this year, and if they were, she’d like to know the plan. He smiled, while stifling a groan, and said that he hadn’t given it a lot of thought, and wondered if she had any ideas. He’s always had mixed feelings about Mother’s Day and some years has resented having to adjust the congregation’s worship planning to fit cultural expectations. Of course he can’t ever say anything about this–it would never do to give the impression that the pastor was not supportive of mothers. 

Janice had a number of ideas. Last year Stacey had given her a DVD with songs the children would be learning at VBS and she’d gotten a small children’s choir together to sing a couple of those songs at worship on Mother’s Day. This year, with Stacey’s encouragement, she’s asked her daughter, Lacey, to see if Chris and Syd might come back to help out. They’d really been well received at VBS last summer and it seems like an opportunity too good to pass up. 

Pastor Baldridge was a little put out that they’d already started working on this plan without asking for his input, but he’s even more glad that they do things on their own without waiting for his permission. He turned to Lacey to see if she’d talked to Chris about this. As it turned out she had asked him and Syd about it a couple of weeks ago at their Thursday gathering. They’d shown some initial interest–the experience they’d had last year was their introduction to Crown and Cactus, and both agreed that it had been life-changing. But they also know that wonderful events are hard to replicate, and they had some fears about being disappointed. So they’re going to let her know this Thursday. Janice and Stacey already knew this, but they’re going to do the same thing–if Syd and Chris come on board, it’ll be wonderful, but they both believe they can get the kid’s choir together on their own. 

So they’re pretty much set for Mother’s Day. They’ll use the Sunday School time the next two weeks for rehearsals and be ready to go on the 12th. Again Janice has picked a special anthem for the adult choir to sing too. Now that she has more voices she’s picked a more complicated contemporary choral arrangement based on John 17. It’s upbeat and she knows the people will like it. 

Some time was spent in discussing details related to the fellowship time after worship and whether there should be a special recognition of mothers, but it was generally felt that the additional music would be enough. Pastor Baldridge assured them that he would make reference to mothers in the sermon and in the prayers–and they’re pretty confident that he’ll do that in a tasteful and inoffensive way.

Lacey had these things on her mind on Thursday when she and Brad headed to downtown Tempe. They’d gotten in the habit of eating at different places each week and trying to make contact with managers and owners of restaurants. Lacey knows that the people who have become her congregation are not universally welcomed by business owners on Mill Avenue, and she wants to at least be aware of concerns.

They got over to the Sun Devil Bar about 7:00 and had some time to visit with the manager. He’s been so helpful in giving them designated space for their meeting in a back room, and has no difficulty with them spilling out into the patio area. Lacey gives him a couple hundred dollars a week for the space out of the special account Carl Shurz has set up for her miscellaneous expenses. Carl has actually been quite generous in his allocation–he likes Lacey and thinks she’s doing important work.

This week Lacey had arranged with Syd to lead a study of John 17 as part of the group’s time together. Syd has been studying the bible pretty intently for the last months and has impressed the librarians at the Tempe Library with his dedication. He’s there at least a couple of times a week and has a special spot where he can do his research and reading. When Syd got there Lacey could tell that he was nervous and she did all she could to calm him. As people arrived, most of the regulars, and as usual, some new folks, Lacey gave everyone a personal greeting while everyone settled in. Chris and Niles led some singing, and when all was ready Lacey introduced Syd. She said, “Syd has been studying the bible for many months now and he has a way of seeing new things in the texts that are assigned for the different Sundays. I’ve asked him to share some of his insights tonight on John 15.”

There was a bit of a buzz and some good natured hazing as Syd stood before the group. He’d done some performing in the past, but being a drummer hadn’t really prepared him for the nervousness he felt now. At first he spoke so fast and softly people couldn’t hear what he was saying, and there were a lot of “ums” and hesitations. When he saw Lacey mouthing the word “slower” and smiling, he found his pace and his tone.

After reading the brief text that had started with Jesus saying, “I am the vine, and you are the branches,” Syd talked about how scary this passage had been for him. He didn’t like the part where Jesus had said that any branches that do not bear fruit will be cut off and thrown into a fire. It sounded like a threat, and he didn’t really care for a Jesus who threatened people. But then he had come to see that Jesus wasn’t threatening anyone–he was simply telling the truth. And he wasn’t really talking about our salvation–that’s a gift from God, and nothing can take that away from us.

Then Syd said, “But he is talking about our lives in this world, and Jesus was all about bearing fruit. He believed that the Holy Spirit has gifted every person and equipped them to produce love, joy, and peace.” Syd paused and then continued, “In this passage he’s saying that for grape vines to be productive they have to be pruned.” He went on, “One year when I was out wandering I got a job in a vineyard in Northern California and I worked with some of the pruners, mostly carrying away branches. Some of the branches looked healthy, but the pruners knew exactly how much to take away. I asked once what would happen if they stopped pruning. The guy just laughed and said, ‘They’d go wild. All the nutrients would go into making more branches and leaves, and the grapes would just shrivel up.’”

Syd said, “I’ve thought a lot about that and my similarities to a grapevine. Like many of you I had parents who believed it was their job to trim me back, to prune me, and not let me run wild. Now I’m not a grapevine and I’m not planted so I just left home rather than submit to the pruning. I didn’t know that’s what I was doing then…I just wanted to have a good time. And what happened? I ran wild! I did exactly what I pleased and until a couple of months ago, I wasted my life.”

Lacey could see some of the youth who were listening begin to nod. They knew where Syd was coming from–not all had the same story–some had been horribly abused and kicked out by their parents. But others had simply been resistant to pruning, and went off on their own to “do their own thing,”

When Syd had finished with some comments about his more recent experiences with pruning, and the benefits that had come his way, Lacey engaged the whole group in conversation. She encouraged them to talk with each other about what it was like to submit to pruning and what it was like to run wild. As they talked she saw some tears and shrugs–some got it and others didn’t. And it’s very hard for a young person to understand that the discipline of their parents had been for good, and not for evil. For most it’s a slow-arriving insight!

As they left for the night about 11:30 Lacey sought out Syd to thank him for his talk. He was embarrassed and didn’t think he had done well. He said, “I felt in my heart what I wanted to say but all the words that I chose didn’t come close to expressing what I felt. I wonder if your Pastor Baldridge ever feels that way.”

Lacey laughed out loud and said, “My goodness, yes! He once told me he felt that way every Sunday.”

Syd did say that he and Chris had talked and that they would be willing to work with her mom on the songs for Mother’s Day, and when Niles had heard them talking about their VBS experience last year, he’d asked to be included.

Lacey was thrilled. She knew that Stacey would be ecstatic. As they drove home she and Brad talked about what Syd had said. Brad could really identify. Syd’s story was almost exactly like his own. For years he’d had no appreciation for his parents whatsoever. Now he understands what they were trying to do. Lacey said, “I think that would be a good thing for you to write in your Mother’s Day card.”

To which he said, “Humpff!” He still doesn’t appreciate the pruner’s shears, even when the pruner is his wife.

And that’s the word from Crown and Cactus Lutheran Church, where all the men are faithful, the women are committed, and the children are all growing in grace.