Last Wednesday morning, a number of us sat together in the Chapel for Morning Prayer. As we read the Gospel of Mark, tree-trimmers worked around the building. The outer world appeared to be reflecting the inner world! “Every branch that does not bear fruit he prunes…” Buzz. Crack. Boom. “If a man does not abide in me, he is cast forth as a branch and withers…” Whine. Screech. Crash. We said, “OK God, we got the message!”
We prune trees to encourage growth and to maintain a strong structure. I don’t believe that God would ever prune you out of the Kingdom of Heaven. But, I do think that God wants us to prune some things out of our lives so that we can grow closer to God in a resilient way. There are multiple ways to see this pruning.
One is the practical: Clean out your closets and drawers so that people can use what you no longer need. How can you be the answer to someone’s prayers?
One is habitual: Discern the worth of how you are spending your limited time on this earth. Do some things need to be trimmed back so that other things can be added in?
One is internal: Assess your beliefs about yourself and your life. Are they really true? If you saw the world through God’s eyes, what would you believe about yourself?
Good steps, but what I find amazing is that they are connected. If we engage in physical actions such a clearing out our closets and drawers, the steps of the movements reflect into our inner lives. In other words, the practical pruning can inspire habitual and internal pruning. So, it seems that to prune more room for God, all we have to do is start with our hands and one cupboard at a time. Seems doable.
Having said all this, how convenient that the St. Bart’s Rummage Sale is kicking off its donation drop-offs! Starting this weekend, you can donate all your extra items that you have chosen to prune from your outer life. The purchasers will benefit. Our outreach partners will benefit. You will benefit by making more space in your outer and inner life, so that you can grow like the pruned trees – strong and bearing fruit for God’s Kingdom. It's a win-win-win.
Mother Nina+
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