Combined Worship Celebration – Connected to Christ, Growing Together
Readings: John 15:1-17 Preacher: Phil Swain
This recording comes from our Combined Worship Celebration as all three worshipping communities celebrate who we are as one church family. Our theme was Connected to Christ, Growing Together, and reflected on John 15 and Jesus’ image of the vine and the branches. It is a great passage for us as a church, because it reminds us that Jesus is at the centre of all we do, that we are called to keep growing, and that none of us does this alone.
Reflection Questions
Exploring the Passage (John 15:1-17)
- What does Jesus’ image of the vine and branches teach us about our dependence on him?
- Jesus speaks about pruning, remaining in him and bearing fruit. What do you think each of these images means in the life of a disciple?
- In verses 9–17, Jesus connects remaining in his love with loving one another. Why do you think love is such an important sign of a fruitful Christian life?
Exploring the Sermon Themes
- The banner reminds us of the people whose faith, generosity and commitment helped shape TUC. What have you personally received from those who have gone before you in faith?
- The sermon suggested that connection to Jesus is not simply one pillar of the church’s vision, but the vine from which discipleship, community and sustainable growth all come. How might this change the way we think about church planning and ministry?
- Which part of TUC’s vision most connects with you at the moment: growing as a disciple, building relational community, or helping create a sustainable church for the future? Why?
Going Deeper
- Where in your life do you sense God may be pruning, reshaping or inviting you to let go of something so that new growth can emerge?
- What helps you remain connected to Jesus in the midst of a busy or demanding life, and what tends to weaken that connection?
- As TUC enters a season of transition, what gift, experience or practical contribution might God be inviting you to offer so that others can be supported and the church can continue to bear fruit?
Sermon Text
About two months ago, Presbytery—the regional body of the Uniting Church—came to Turramurra to conduct a Growth and Mission Consultation. You may remember being asked to fill in a survey as part of that process.
The consultation had two main purposes. One was to get a sense of how the church was travelling as part of the proposal to extend my time here at TUC, while the other was to bring a fresh set of eyes to our vision and to where God might be leading us over the coming years.
During one of the conversations, Church Council was asked whether we had a “sacred text”—a passage from the Bible that resonates deeply with our church and its vision, something that captures both where TUC is at and where we sense God may be leading us.
It was a really interesting question, and as we talked together, a number of wonderful passages emerged. Some of them we are going to explore in an upcoming sermon series during August, but one passage that kept bubbling towards the top was the reading we heard this morning from John 15:
“I am the vine; you are the branches.”
It is a passage that seems to speak beautifully into who we are as a church, and this morning I want to use that image to reflect briefly on the vision we have discerned for TUC and, in particular, on the invitation for us to remain connected to Christ and to keep growing together.
John 15 already has a strong connection with the story of our church because one of the banners made when the St Margaret’s and Trinity congregations came together is this image of the vine. Each of the leaves represents one of the families who were part of the church at that time, and apparently there is also a caterpillar hiding somewhere in the banner. I am not sure whether the caterpillar has any deep theological meaning, but the leaves certainly do tell an important story.
They remind us of people who offered their faith, their prayers, their wisdom, their time, their leadership and their generosity. We are here today because of those who have gone before us, and in many ways we are standing on their shoulders. We have inherited the fruit of their commitment, and it is right that we pause and give thanks for all they have contributed to the life of this church.
But the banner does not only speak about the past, because a vine is not static. It is alive. It keeps growing, producing new branches, new leaves and new fruit.
We can be deeply grateful for the faithfulness of those who came before us, but we cannot simply rest on what they achieved. The story of this church is still being written, and this is now our part of that story. That brings us back to the reading from John 15.
These words come at a critical moment in Jesus’ life. The Last Supper has finished, and Jesus is preparing his disciples for everything that is about to happen—for his betrayal, his arrest and his death.
The disciples are about to enter a time of enormous uncertainty, and in the middle of that uncertainty Jesus gives them this image: “I am the true vine, and my Father is the gardener.” And then: “I am the vine; you are the branches.”
For a long time, whenever I pictured a vine, I imagined all the green growth spreading out along a trellis. But the vine is actually the central trunk of the plant, the part connected to the ground, drawing in the water and nutrients which give life to everything else.
So when Jesus says, “I am the vine,” he is saying that he is the source of life. We are the branches through which the fruit appears, but the branches can only grow and bear fruit while they remain connected to the vine.
As Jesus says: “No branch can bear fruit by itself; it must remain in the vine.” And then he makes it even clearer:
“If you remain in me and I in you, you will bear much fruit; apart from me you can do nothing.”
That is really the starting point for everything we hope to be as a church. Our mission planning process gave us three major areas of focus: transformational discipleship, relational community and sustainable growth. The Growth and Mission Consultation affirmed those priorities, but it also challenged us to name more clearly what holds them all together—our connection to Jesus.
In fact, perhaps being connected to Jesus is not simply a fourth pillar sitting alongside the other three. Perhaps Jesus is the vine from which all the other parts of the vision grow.
Our discipleship, our community and our plans for sustainable growth will only bear lasting fruit when they flow from our life in Christ. That is why the first and most important part of our vision is that Jesus must remain at the centre of all we do. Our worship, our decisions, our relationships and our whole life as a church need to be shaped by Jesus.
Without Jesus, we may still be busy. We may continue to run activities, hold meetings, maintain buildings and fill our calendars, but busyness is not the same as fruitfulness.
When we remain connected to Jesus, we find life. We are shaped by his love, nourished by his grace and opened to the transforming work of the Spirit. Through us, the life of Jesus becomes visible in the world.
So … what is the purpose of a branch? It is to grow and to bear fruit. This connects with the first of our three vision priorities: transformational discipleship and leadership.
As branches, we need to receive the life that flows from the vine, and we do that through worship, prayer, learning, serving and the many other spiritual practices that help us open ourselves to God.
In our vision, we said that we want to help people follow Jesus in ways that are authentic, thoughtful, compassionate and lived out in daily life. We want our groups, activities, programs and events to do more than simply keep people busy or entertained. We want them to help people take another step in faith—to grow in their understanding of God, deepen their relationship with Jesus and allow that relationship to shape the way they live. We are called not simply to remain as we are, but to keep growing and bearing fruit.
And notice that Jesus says branches—plural. There is not simply one branch growing from the vine. There are many, and that leads us to the second part of our vision: relational community.
Church is not simply an event we attend once a week. It is a shared life that we build together. We want TUC to be a community where people are known and seen, where people are valued, loved and supported, and where no one feels they have to carry life alone.
One of the practical ways we are seeking to deepen that sense of community is through Circles, our renewed approach to small groups. The hope is that more people will have a place where they can build real relationships, talk honestly about faith, pray together and help one another grow. Because no branch bears fruit by itself. We need Jesus, but we also need one another.
Jesus also speaks about the work of the gardener, and part of that work involves pruning. Pruning can sound harsh, but it is not punishment for its own sake. The gardener removes what is preventing healthy growth so that the branch can become stronger and more fruitful.
That can be true in our personal lives… it can also be true for a church. We cannot necessarily keep doing everything we have always done in exactly the same way. Sometimes faithful growth means changing, simplifying or even letting go of something so that our energy can be directed towards what God is calling us to now. That connects with the third part of our vision: sustainable growth.
Jesus is the vine, we are the branches and God is the gardener. The passage does not mention a trellis, but let me extend the image just a little.
You see, grapevines are not trees, they do not naturally grow up and out, rather then have a tendency to grow down and along the ground … where they get dirty and don’t grow much fruit. Grapes grow best when they get lots of sunlight and fresh air, when they find something off the ground to attach itself to – like a tree or a trellis.
When the gardener sees a branch struggling on the ground, they will reach down and “lift it up”, cleans the dust of it with some water and ties it up to a tree or trellis. Then it has a better chance to bear fruit.
I really like that imagery … if you feel that you are struggling at the moment, not being very fruitful for Jesus … maybe you need someone to … lift you up, maybe a spot of pruning and give you some space and sunlight so that you can flourish again.
A trellis is the structure that supports the branches and helps them grow in a healthy direction. Here at TUC, our trellis includes our ministry team, Church Council, leaders and volunteers. It includes our buildings, our finances, our systems, our energy and our culture. These things are not the source of the church’s life—Jesus is the source of our life—but they provide the support which can help ministry grow and flourish.
In our vision, we said that we want to be faithful with our resources and kind to our people, shaping a church that is creative, wise and life-giving rather than exhausting.
We do not want to be fruitful for one very busy year and then leave everyone worn out. We want to shape a church which can continue to grow, serve and bear fruit throughout the 2030s and beyond.
That is especially important for us at the moment. Over the past month, a number of people have quietly asked me how I am feeling about the next three to six months. With Kevin and Daniel moving on to other opportunities, some people are understandably concerned that too much of the ministry load might fall onto me.
I am very grateful for that concern, and we will certainly miss everything Kevin and Daniel have contributed, but the ministry staff are only one part of the trellis. This church is where it is today because many people offer their gifts, leadership, energy and time. Ministry has never been something done only by paid staff. It is something we share together as we carry one another’s burdens and contribute to the life of the church in whatever ways we can.
I mentioned in the week email a week and a half ago that God stirred within an idea about this. Borrowing the name from the Wayside Chapel, I think God is stirring me to start up a short term ministry support community – “an inner circle” — people who may be willing to pray, respond to practical needs, offer pastoral support or help with a short-term leadership tasks.
It will not mean signing your life away or committing to everything that is asked. It will simply mean saying, “When a need arises, you may ask me, and I will prayerfully consider whether I can help.”
I will share more about that soon, but this morning I simply invite you to remain open to the possibility that God may be calling you to become part of the “inner circle” support structure, helping the life and ministry of this church continue to grow during this season of transition.
And that brings us back to the banner. Every leaf tells a story. Those leaves remind us of the people whose faith, prayers, commitment and generosity helped create the church we have inherited, and today we give thanks for them.
But the vine is still alive. New branches are still growing, new leaves are appearing and new fruit is still possible. The story of TUC is not finished. This is now our part of the story, and the question before us is what we will do with it.
And so I encourage you all … remain connected to Jesus, and allow his life and love to flow through us. At the same time, allow God to keep growing and changing us, rather than simply holding on to what has always been. And continue to build a community where people are known, loved and supported.
Hear the challenge … what can we offer or do so that this church continues to bear fruit in the years ahead?
Jesus says: “You did not choose me, but I chose you and appointed you so that you might go and bear fruit—fruit that will last.”
That is the invitation before us: to remain in Christ, to keep growing together and to bear fruit that will last.
Amen.