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| Image by Mr. Tin MD |
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A GREETING
Every day I call on you, O Lord;
I spread out my hands to you.
(Psalm 88:9b)
A READING
‘I am the true vine, and my Father is the vine-grower. He removes every branch in me that bears no fruit. Every branch that bears fruit he prunes to make it bear more fruit. You have already been cleansed by the word that I have spoken to you. Abide in me as I abide in you.
(John 15:1-4)
MUSIC
A MEDITATIVE VERSE
Your mother was like a vine in a vineyard transplanted by the water,
fruitful and full of branches, from abundant water.
(Ezekiel 19:10)
A POEM
But give me holly, bold and jolly,
Honest, prickly, shining holly;
Pluck me holly leaf and berry
For the day when I make merry.
- "Give Me Holly," by Christina Rossetti
VERSE OF THE DAY
For there shall be a sowing of peace; the vine shall yield its fruit,
the ground shall give its produce, and the skies shall give their dew;
and I will cause the remnant of this people to possess all these things.
(Zechariah 8:12)
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| "The Unicorn Rests in a Garden," also called "The Unicorn in Captivity," is the best-known of the Unicorn Tapestries, dating to the early 15th century. The scene depicts more than a hundred botanical specimens, which scholars have been able to name. Among the most figured: the holly and the pomegranate.(Source) |
The image of the ‘vine’ that Jesus offers the disciples in John 15 is a metaphor for God’s people. It is an invitation to abide with him in the promise that with God we can all bear fruit. Throughout much of the autumn months, however, as we journeyed into the changing seasons, we may not have been feeling particularly fruitful. Though we hope and believe that we abide with Jesus, we may have been feeling as if our own branches were drying up.
Then, as we drew closer to the life-giving energy of the nativity story, our spirit perhaps started to reseed itself with the colours of new life. Advent has been our sabbath rest time of the spirit, in preparation and waiting, when we have sought to be still and listen for God, and when we have been more likely to renew our own creative light. Now as we journey through the days of Christmas toward Epiphany, we can try to make room for the beauty of Creation that lives within us. We can begin to see how we are all a part of the true vine that flows out of the stump of Jesse, through Jesus and into the world.
The lyrics of today’s music selection date to medieval times and offer a theological reflection on the holly plant, a powerful and enormously significant plant throughout much of the middle ages, both in pre-Christian and Christan contexts. Holly and ivy often grow near to each other, because the butterflies and bees that pollinate holly lay their eggs also on ivy leaves. Perhaps for this reason the plant has often been associated with courtship and marriage. Holly, which produces both flowers and berries, was believed to be a protector against evil spirits. Each verse of the carol allows us to hear how the flowers and berries of the plant, seen symbolically as both Mary and Jesus, become intertwined with the holly’s vigorous enduring capacity to survive in all seasons. In a way, the Jesus of the ‘true vine’ is entwined here with the image of the fruitful holly.
In these days of Christmas, how can we feel our discipleship being born anew? What fruitfulness of new projects or ideas are waiting to be born in us?
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A STORY OF HOLLY
In this video, a UK gardener explains (among other things) the relationship between holly and the English holly blue butterfly. The butterflies lay their eggs on the holly buds in the spring, and on ivy in the fall.
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LC† Seeds of Hope is a project of Lutherans Connect, supported by the Eastern Synod of the Evangelical Lutheran Church in Canada and the Centre for Spirituality and Media at Martin Luther University College. To receive the devotions by email, write to lutheransconnect@gmail.com. The devotional pages are written and curated by Deacon Sherry Coman, with support and input from Pastor Steve Hoffard, Catherine Evenden and Henriette Thompson. Join us on Facebook, and on Twitter. Lutherans Connect invites you to make a donation to the Ministry by going to this link on the website of the ELCIC Eastern Synod and selecting "Lutherans Connect Devotionals" under "Fund". Devotions are always freely offered, however your donations help support the ongoing work.
Thank you and peace be with you!