As we head into the season of Lent, we are intentionally choosing to abide more with Jesus. In fact, we’ve made that a key goal of the season, to learn more about the practice of abiding with Jesus.

Sometimes when we create new sermon series and discern where we want to go as a church, we throw out fun titles, creative picture ideas, creative stage concepts and logo designs. One thing in particular about this next series is still causing me to think and I hope it has the same effect on you:

LIFE IN THE VINE

Wait, what? Don’t you mean Life ON the vine? Like… Jesus is the vine and we are a bunch of grapes hanging there with Him. Things hang ON vines, not IN vines. How can I be a hanging grape INSIDE a vine? See my frustration??!!!

It’s not just a catchy play on words, but an invitation to someone and something deeper. We are not abiding ON Christ. We’re not just sitting on His lap and gazing at Him. Though we could be. The invitation is to be IN Christ.

Do you remember the study of prepositions in school? I learned a preposition was anything that could fill in this blank: The squirrel goes ____ the tree. In the tree, around the tree, on the tree, up the tree, etc. Each one communicates something different and is distinct.

We are invited to be IN Christ. How can we do that and what does it look like? This is our goal for the Lenten season. I pray you will find time in your schedule to mark out Wednesday nights and join us to go deeper into the vine.

Leah
Director of Worship & Media