Readings:
Ecclesiasticus 10:12-18 or Proverbs 25:6-7
Psalm 112
Hebrews 13:1-8, 15-16
Luke 14:1, 7-14

Collect:
God of glory,
the end of our searching,
all that prevents us from seeking your kingdom,
and to give all that we have
to gain the pearl beyond all price,
through Jesus Christ our Lord. Amen.

Reflection

As our ‘dwelling in the word’ series, focusing on trees in scripture, draws to a close this week, I wonder what we have learned? I wonder what we have heard God saying to us, individually and collectively? I wonder what new insights we have encountered? I wonder if we are looking at trees differently from how we might have done before…?

I know I am! Trees are fascinating, and the more I learn about them, the more richly I encounter them in scripture and beyond, as a metaphor for growth and fruitfulness (among many other things). One my favourite fascinating facts about trees is that they communicate with each other, through their root systems. Scientist believe trees can communicate about abundance or scarcity or nutrients and water, and about potential dangers.  

That hidden entanglement of roots reminds me that, however strong and independent they may look, trees are reliant on one another, as well as on the wider ecosystem in which they grow. So it is with us humans too: however strong and independent we may look, we are all reliant on one another, on the whole creation of which we are a part and, of course, ultimately reliant on God. 

When I was on my pre-priesting retreat, one of the talks we listened to was about the idea of abiding, with a particular focus on John 15: “I am the vine; you are the branches”. I was intrigued to learn that many biblical scholars now think that a more accurate translation might be: “I am the vineyard; you are the vines.” In that image, Jesus becomes not just a plant of which we are a part, but a whole ecosystem into which we are planted, and by which we are sustained and connected with one another. 

I rather like the idea of seeing our life in Christ as an ecosystem. It reminds us that every part of our life, everything we need to survive, everything in which we grow and bear fruit and find our place, all of it is bound up in our relationship with Jesus. And it reminds us too that our relationship with Jesus is not only an individual one. We are bound to one another in our shared life in Christ. 

There are so many images and parables involving trees and plants in scripture. In fact, did you know there are 37 different species of trees mentioned in the Bible! This scriptural imagery, together with the wonders of God’s creation which we see in the trees and plants around us, is a rich source or reflection on what it means to live and grow rooted in Christ, and bearing the fruit of the Spirit. 

Ruth Harley