“I am the true vine, and my Father is the gardener. He cuts (or lifts) 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. “I am the vine; you are the branches. If you remain in me and I in you, you will bear much fruit; apart from me you can do nothing. If you do not remain in me, you are like a branch that is thrown away and withers; such branches are picked up, thrown into the fire and burned. If you remain in me and my words remain in you, ask whatever you wish, and it will be done for you. This is to my Father’s glory, that you bear much fruit, showing yourselves to be my disciples. “As the Father has loved me, so have I loved you. Now remain in my love.” John 15:1-9

“Heard through the grapevine:” When wires were first being strung from telephone poles and homes and businesses, these wires utilized in America’s first telegraph stations often swooped and draped in twisted, random patterns. The workers who strung the lines and onlookers alike believed the tangled masses resembled grapevines, eventually birthing a common idiom still used today. Of course, we cannot reference this idiom with mentioning the catchy song by Smokey Robinson and The Miracles, “I Heard it Through the Grapevine”.

The parable of the Vine in John 15 is so significant in our understanding of how the word feeds us, and connects us to Jesus, to G-d, and to each other. If Jesus is not our vine, then we, as individual branches, run the risk of withering away when the scorching heat of sin and satan burn away at our lives and our souls. As Jesus says, “No branch can bear fruit by itself; it must remain in the vine…” — for if it does not remain, it will die (spiritually). How do we remain in the vine? By dwelling in the Word of Jesus, in the love of Jesus, and in the Grace of Jesus. When we dwell in the word, then we are nourished every day.

Pastor Dave

“The Lord said to Moses and Aaron, “Say to the Israelites: ‘Of all the animals that live on land, these are the ones you may eat: You may eat any animal that has a divided hoof and that chews the cud.

“‘There are some that only chew the cud or only have a divided hoof, but you must not eat them. The camel, though it chews the cud, does not have a divided hoof; it is ceremonially unclean for you. The hyrax, though it chews the cud, does not have a divided hoof; it is unclean for you. The rabbit, though it chews the cud, does not have a divided hoof; it is unclean for you. And the pig, though it has a divided hoof, does not chew the cud; it is unclean for you. You must not eat their meat or touch their carcasses; they are unclean for you.” Leviticus 11:1-8

“Bring home the bacon:” In 1104, a tradition was born in the ancient town of Dunmow in Essex. One day, a couple begged for a blessing of their union a year and a day after their marriage. The Prior of the Augustinian monastery was so struck by their devotion to each other that he gave them a flitch, which is a side of bacon. The 900-year-old ‘Dunmow Flitch’ still takes place today, once every four years, with couples trying to persuade a jury that they have “not wisht themselves unmarried again”. The successful pairs get to “bring home the bacon.” This “Flitch” became so well known around the country, and was mentioned in Geoffrey Chaucer’s “Canterbury Tales,” written at the end of the 14th century. Specifically, in “The Wife of Bath’s Tale” comes the line: “But never for us the flitch of bacon though, that some may win in Essex at Dunmow.”

Bacon is good. I can only say that I do not know anyone who does not like bacon. Yet, the biblical mandate was not to eat anything that either or both chewed the cud or had a divided hoof. In fact they were not only to eat them, but some of these animals were even forbidden to be touched. There were various reasons they avoided such animals — the pig was one who had a divided hoof. One of the disgraces that comes to the “Prodigal Son” is that he has to feed swine — and laments for their pods to eat, he is so hungry — thus his life has come to such a low point.

I would love to win a side of bacon — and yet to “feed on the Word of G-d” is often just as satisfying. Take time every day to feed upon the word, and come to services to take Jesus into your very soul through Holy Communion.

Pastor Dave