I AM – The Vine

Greetings Dear Reader,

"I am the vine. You are the branches. Those who live in me while I live in them will produce a lot of fruit. But you can't produce anything without me.”

The great truth here is that we are an extension of Christ in the world.  It is mutual.  We are in Christ and he is in us growing our effectiveness.  As we follow and draw closer we become more a reflection of what he offers the world. 

It is the connected nature of the life in Christ that matters.  It is about unity and growth and infinite diversity all living in harmony.  It is harmonization of effort to bring the world back to good. 

An aspect of this that drives me is that the branch cannot survive disconnected from the vine.  From the vine it draws its sustenance to produce fruit.  From the vine it finds the strength to grow, flower, and produce.  It is our duty to grow and reproduce.  It is my obligation to be an extension of Christ making life.

We are bound to Christ and that is where we should be.  It is in him that we find life and the power to extend it through him.

Wishing you joy in the journey,

Aramis Thorn

Mat 13:52 So Jesus said to them, "That is why every writer who has become a disciple of Christ’s rule of the universe is like a home owner. He liberally hands out new and old things from his great treasure store.”

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Figuring Out God – All Out of Wine

Greetings Dear Reader,

Weddings have been large celebrations for thousands of years.  They one of the primary things we do that involve feasting and family.  They have been grand on the political scale, uniting nations.  They have always involved uniting families on some level.  They almost always have good food and good libations.

By the door in many first century Jewish households were large jars.  They were ceremonial jars reserved for the washing of the dead.  Jesus is at a wedding that has run out of wine.  He is on the verge of going public with his hidden identity.  His mother, in typical mother fashion, volunteers him to solve the problem.

He instructs the servants to fill the jars intended for washing the dead with fresh water.  This violates so very many traditional mores.  The servants do as instructed.  He instructs them to take what is in the jars intended for death water to the head of the feast.  The new wine is served to the guests and they are amazed at is quality.

Jesus turned water into wine.  Christ followers have been trying to turn it back into grape juice for two thousand years.  We think we have God figured out concerning alcohol.  We do not.  What matters more here is that Jesus does do the unexpected.

I feel as if the world is out of wine.  We spend more time washing the dead than in true celebration.  God has decided to bring life from death.  The water meant for washing the dead becomes the best wine of the celebration.  If we figure anything out about God is that he makes life and will not be denied.

Wishing you joy in the journey,

Aramis Thorn

Mat 13:52 So Jesus said to them, "That is why every writer who has become a disciple of Christ’s rule of the universe is like a home owner. He liberally hands out new and old things from his great treasure store.”

(͡° ͜ʖ ͡°)