The Bishop: Getting our priorities straight

BY BISHOP W. EARL BLEDSOE
North Texas Conference

 One of my favorite scriptures in the Bible is the parable told by Jesus about the vine and the branches in John 15:1-17. The two operative words for me in this parable are: “abide” and “fruit.” Jesus boldly proclaimed to those first would-be disciples that if they would abide in Him and He in them they would bear much fruit.

What does abiding mean? For me it is remembering to keep the main thing–the main thing. Christ is the key to our relationship with God and with one another. If you think about it, we are where we are in the church because at some point in our life we said “yes” to Jesus and by faith received Him and committed our lives to Him. This relationship is a very special one that is nurtured through what John Wesley called “attending upon the ordinances of God.” These ordinances include, but are not limited to, worship, scripture, prayer, and other acts of devotion. These and others keep us “rooted” in Christ. I believe Jesus was referring not just to individuals doing their own personal things, but churches in community living as the branches of Christ.

The second operative word for me is “fruit.” Jesus said if you abide in me and I abide in you, you will bear much fruit. What might that fruit be? Again, on a personal level,  one might think of personal improvement or spiritual growth; however, what might fruit look like for the church?

I believe it is when the church as the body of Christ is able to love God and others beyond its doors with the same love as Christ loved the church. It’s that radical love that calls a church beyond its walls to connect with people. When this happens, churches grow, disciples are made, and communities are transformed.