Chosen?

"You did not choose me, but I chose you and appointed you to go and bear fruit, fruit that will last."

Jesus spoke these words to his friends and followers nearly two thousand years ago, and I believe that he continues to speak them to us today. Maybe it will help us to hear them more clearly , and to understand what they mean for us, if we spend a few moments thinking about what they might have meant for some of the people who heard them when they were first spoken.

Mary, you did not choose me, but I chose you and appointed you to go and bear fruit, fruit that will last. When you were a young woman, just betrothed to Dad, and that angel appeared to you to tell you that I would be born to you, even though you had never been with a man. You did not choose me. Nobody can ever choose who their child will be, but you had even less control over it than most people. You did not choose me, but I chose you. In some ways I was the fruit that you bore. I am the fruit of your body, but also the fruit of your love and care as I grew and became a man. That fruit will last forever. I will die, but I will defeat death and be raised to live again forever.

But there is more fruit that you will bear. You did not choose me, but the way in which you humbly accepted and obeyed my Father, is an example that will inspire countless women and men forever more. Your witness to my life, death and resurrection will bring life and hope to people across time and places that are beyond your imagination.

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F's for Fruitfulness

As some of you may know, I have a vegetable plot. It’s not a very big vegetable plot, but it has produced its first crop this year. Some spinach. Not very much spinach so far, but enough for a couple of salads and a meal for Liz and me. The rest of the plants divide up into two different kinds. For some of them I can see the process of the produce developing. The blossom has been on the apples and the cherries, and the fruit has set. It doesn’t guarantee a crop, but at least I know we’re on target. The peas are flowering, a promising sign that there might be pods containing sweet, fresh, peas later in the year. But, for others I can’t see what is going on because it’s underground. I can see the tops of the potatoes and the carrots, but I’ve no idea whether or not the roots and tubers are forming in the right way, or if they’re being eaten by bugs, or other nasties. And it’s no good prodding around, digging them up to have a look. That would be completely counter productive. I’ve just got to wait and see. It’s the same with the tomato and pepper seeds sitting in little pots on the bathroom window sill (I know, I started them a bit late). Are they germinating? I have no idea, and I mustn’t go digging to try and find out.

This morning I’d like to invite us to think about fruitfulness. But not really about the fruit and crops that might be growing (or not) in our gardens, but about the fruit of our lives. Some of this is growing out in the open, we can see it coming. Some of it is growing deep in our souls, hidden from general view.

This is also going to be a world first. This is the first time, I think, that I am going to preach a three point sermon, with each point starting with the same letter as the over all theme. Are you ready for it?

Our main theme is fruitfulness, and my first point is, “Forlorn."

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