Monday, April 30, 2012

Sailors & Yard Work: 4th Monday in Easter, 2012

Yes, I know. This is the time of the year when even we boaters put in time around land - putting in gardens, trimming bushes, pruning trees and what not. It is not as if both activities are not inter-related. It is just that some of us who live aboard our boats have yards (or for you English "gardens") of water with no need to push a lawn-mower.

Still, at this time of year, we find ourselves joining together in a larger project. For those of us at the Semiahmoo Marina this has meant that we were involved this past Saturday in cleaning up the marina in preparation for this coming weekend's Blessing of the Fleet and Opening Day (of the boating season - some of us have been boating all winter, much to the envy of some of the rest of us, no?)

So as I was pruning back a lot of evergreen bushes to help prepare the parking lot to be resurfaced at a later date, I got to praying that God would prune me, too. I can't help it. I'm a pastor. This is the Easter season. I know that pruning leads to growth and it seemed an appropriate time to make such a prayer.

Little did I know that this coming Sunday's (May 6, 5th Sunday in Easter's) text was John 15:1-8 about Jesus the True Vine and belonging the vine, and pruning so that we might bear much good fruit.

Where are you finding yourself bear good fruit? Helping others with a rigging detail? Changing to LED lights? Being supportive of a friend in his/her time of grief? Setting out "old" to you gear in front of the dumpster so another might find a "new" piece of equipment? Being an encouraging part of the community?

Blessed Be

Joel

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