Our Heavenly Gardener

Over the years, a number of people who have visited our church have told me how much they like the garden behind the stage in the sanctuary.  The long window behind the preacher or the worship team looks out onto a Japanese garden providing a clean and peaceful backdrop.  There have been many times when I've gone in the sanctuary by myself to think and pray.  The garden has provided a peaceful setting in the midst of whatever is going on.  

As a church, we have been blessed to have Tom Yasumura as our longtime gardener.  Tom, who is a Nichigo church member, curated the garden and keeps it well-tended as he does the rest of the church.  It's a great ministry to take care of God's property.  In the book of John, Jesus speaks of another gardener, His Heavenly Father.  In chapter 15, Jesus says, "I am the true vine, and my Father is the gardener. He cuts off every branch in me that bears no fruit, while every branch that does bear fruit he prunes so that it will be even more fruitful. You are already clean because of the word I have spoken to you. Remain in me, as I also remain in you. No branch can bear fruit by itself; it must remain in the vine. Neither can you bear fruit unless you remain in me."

Jesus is the vine and we are the branches.  We must abide in Him if we are to grow and be fruitful in His kingdom.  God is the gardener.  He tends us like the branches of a tree.  As a good gardener, God provides what we need to flourish.  This is encouraging to me.  We don't simply will ourselves to grow.  We aren't responsible for figuring everything out on our own.  We don't bear fruit by ourselves.  As God prunes and cleans us, we become more like Him and bear the fruit of Christlikeness in our daily lives.  Our only job is to abide in Christ.  We must do everything we can to remain connected to Him.  For if we disconnect, like a useless branch, we will wither and die.

Thank you Tom for the reminder that Jesus is the vine, we are the branches, and God is our gardener.  He will tend us and make us fruitful if we abide in Christ.

God bless,

Pastor Darren