Vine & Branch" style="display: none;" />
Introduction
For a few glorious summers, Jane, the girls and I had the privilege of living and working on the Big Island of Hawaii. Island life, when you’re not on vacation, comes with a unique set of opportunities and also quirky challenges. One of the strangest things we were warned about there was to be careful not to get “the bends”. You may know that this condition happens when divers come up from certain depths too quickly. It’s usually only a problem for scuba divers who can go much deeper than the typical snorkeler. However, the Big Island of Hawaii, in addition to fantastic beaches, had an almost 14,000 ft volcanic island on it that has a paved road almost to the top. It’s not uncommon for people to dive or snorkel on a tropical beach and then jump in a car to drive up the top of Mauna Kea where there is often snow. There are few places on the earth where this is possible, and also one of the few places you can get “the bends” in a car driving up a mountain, miles from the ocean.
For the past month we’ve been exploring changing our name. We’ve been thinking about it through the lens of Scripture (primarily John 15:1-8), pondering on it in relationship to our ethos and practice of ‘Belong, Become, Believe’, considering how it reflects who we are, who we want to be and how we will know if we’re on the right path. This Sunday we’re going to report back on all the feedback we’ve gained and then the following Sunday we will break into smaller “table groups” and have one last discussion. If things continue apace and we don’t hit any major challenges, we’re looking at making the change official on the 16th of next month. This may seem like a foregone conclusion, but taking our time to acclimate to the change is essential. We don’t want to get a case of “the bends”.
Looking forward to what we can all find,
Grace and peace y’all,
John Ray and the teaching team
Scriptures
Responsive Reading for Vine and Branch
Reader: Friends, today we affirm our identity and aspiration with the following declaration.
Everyone: Jesus you are the True Vine and we, your church, are a branch
Reader: Sisters and brothers and siblings, apart from the Vine, we can bear no lasting fruit.
Everyone: Holy Spirit help us to remain in you and you in us.
Reader: It is God’s will that we have life and have it in abundance.
Everyone: Jesus is the Way, the truth and the life. We abide in Him.
Reader: As we abide in Him not just for our own sake, but for the sake of others and the healing of all creation, to the glory of the Creator.
Everyone: We abide in you Jesus, align our hearts and minds, souls and spirits to yours.
Reader: In the Name of the Creator, Jesus the Messiah and God the Holy Spirit, Amen.
