Apple Trees and Me

A few weeks back (May 10) I gave a sermon on Jesus’ metaphorical teaching from John; “I am the vine, you are the branches” (John 15:5a). The discussion centered on our role as the branches; we are the conduits through which God’s grace and blessings bear fruit in the world. We do not create the fruit, we bear the fruit. God needs all of us to be the branches through which his sustenance feeds and nurtures the fruit that is needed in this world.

As the end of May approached I began taking notice of all the apple trees blooming in their annual ritual of beauty, preparing to bear apples. The apple tree blossoms brought thoughts of new life, one of my favorite and hope-filled aspects of faith.

The apple tree must blossom, in a sign of new life, in order to be pollinated to produce the delicious apples that will be coming in a few months. A next door neighbor has an apple tree in their backyard that is a highlight in the landscape of this neighborhood. Without the stunning blossoms the apple tree would sit almost lifeless, unable to produce what God created it for. The flowers of the apple tree, while a sign of the beauty in new life, also serve a very necessary function in order for the tree to produce the fruit we have come to expect.

In the life of a Christian we experience new life when we intentionally choose to enter into a relationship with God. This new life experience is not limited to that one moment; rather it is one we experience again and again as we deepen our relationship with and our understanding of our Creator. When we truly enter into and deepen that relationship it begins to show in our lives; and just like the apple tree, the flowers that bloom in our own lives are a sign of the new life we experience. The nourished, outward signs of our faith then become necessary for the Holy Spirit to pollinate us with the gifts we have each been given.

Once the apple tree blossoms there must be a continuation of a natural system and order for the tree to bear fruit: 1) the tree must remain firmly rooted in the nutrients of the soil; 2) the branches must remain connected to the trunk; and, 3) the branches must remain intact and whole in order to be conduits of sustenance and nutrients to the developing fruit.

Just as the apple tree must remain firmly rooted, so our faith and relationships with God must remain firmly rooted in our source of sustenance and nourishment. Just as the branches of the apple tree must remain connected, so we too must remain connected to God’s Son (who is the tree trunk). And, just as the branches must remain intact and whole to be conduits of nutrients and sustenance in order to bear the fruit, so we too must strive to remain intact and whole in order to bear the fruit God needs in this hungry world. When God created you he had in mind specific fruits of the Spirit for you to bear; you have a choice to allow God to use you as a conduit to help share those gifts with the world. And you have a choice to allow the Holy Spirit to pollinate the blossoms of your faith so that the fruits of your gifts may bear love and grace to the world.

As you venture out and enjoy the beauty of nature in its many and varied forms, witnessing new life developing and maturing, may it be a reminder of God’s blessings that come to and through us on the way to others; and a reminder of the new life that can continue to show in our lives when we continue to be a part of this life-giving and fruit-bearing plant that is a creation of God.

May God richly bless, nourish and sustain you

Peace -
Pastor Dave

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