Living in the Vine, Week 4: Pruning, Day One

Mar 19, 20233 min read

Pruning

Jesus said, “I am the true vine, and my Father is the vine-dresser.

Every branch in me that bears no fruit he cuts away,

and every branch that does bear fruit he prunes,

to make it bear even more” (John 15:1–2).

Pruning helps trees to bear more fruit. Even when I bear fruit, even when I do things for God's kingdom, even when people express gratitude for coming to know Jesus through me, I need a lot more pruning. Many unnecessary branches and twigs prevent the vine from bearing all the fruit it can. they have to be clipped off. This is a painful process, all the more so because I do not know that they are unnecessary. They often seem beautiful, charming, and very alive. But they need to be cut away so that more fruit can grow.

I am aware that I might have settled too soon for the few fruits that I can recognize in my life. I might say, "Well, I am doing some good here and there, and I should be grateful for and content with the little good I do." But that might be false modesty and even a form of spiritual laziness. God calls me to more...The great challenge is to continue to recognize God's pruning hand in my life; then I can avoid resentment and depression and become even more grateful that I am called upon to bear even more fruit than I thought I could. ~Henri Nouwen

The timing of pruning for grapevines is very crucial for the well-being of the plant. In the winter the energy of the vine has been sent down to the root systems for repair and nourishing. Pruning needs to be done in the late dormant season, usually in February - late March, in the weeks past the threat of freezing and before new growth begins to emerge. The pruning removes older, non-productive wood, removes diseased or damaged vines, encourages new growth, opens up the canopy to sunlight and air flow, and keeps the vine size to a manageable size. If left unpruned, one vine can produce 400 buds, which would overwhelm the plant's energy and block light and air. Up to 90% of old wood is removed each year. It seems drastic, but this will guarantee healthy and strong vines and consistent fruit production.

Pruning takes courage. When I prune the plants in my yard and inside my house, I often feel hesitant to cut away what is still alive and beautiful, fearful that it will be too big of a shock for my plant. But as I come to know the plant, I trust what it needs.

Nouwen writes that our "branches" can often seem "beautiful, charming, and very alive." A pruned vine is not very pretty. How tempting it might be to hold on to all our pretty leaves and flowers. and lose sight of the promised harvest of greater fruit to come.

In our own lives, what might pruning look like? Certain life events might prune us against our will-- like an illness, or loss of a loved one, or loss of an income. Those events can strip us of anything extraneous while we struggle to cope with the loss or change. We are in survival mode.

It's important to ask ourselves - and pray for wisdom to know - "What is the unique fruit God has created us to bear?" And what "wild branches" might be diluting our time and energy to fully bloom and grow and ripen?

The following song, Tend by Emma Rose, speaks beautifully to letting God tend our "wild branches," trusting that God is a wise vine-dresser, and knows what we need and what can be released.

Song: Tend - Emma Rose, https://youtu.be/HSB4poSt7UE

(lyrics on youtube)

Prayer (from Ephesians 3:17-19, NRSV)

I pray that.. Christ may dwell in your hearts through faith,

as you are being rooted and grounded in love.

I pray that you may have the power to comprehend,

with all the saints, what is the breadth and length

and height and depth

and to know the love of Christ

that surpasses knowledge,

so that you may be filled

with all the fullness