Hey Advent Family,
“Remain in me, as I remain in you. Just as a branch cannot bear fruit on its own unless it remains on the vine, so neither can you unless you remain in e. I am the vine; you are the branches. Whoever remains in me and I in him will bear much fruit, because without me you can do nothing.” – John 15: 4-5
Is it possible to become complacent with our place in the vineyard? Can we become so focused on producing good fruit that we forget to remain connected to the Vine?
One phrase I occasionally heard among professional church musicians always frustrated me: “Good enough for church.”
I never understood that attitude. Music has the extraordinary ability to connect us with the Divine. Why wouldn’t we want to offer our very best to the Lord? But over the years, I came to realize that offering our best isn’t always as simple as it sounds.
I began singing professionally in church in the early 1990s. There were times when I sang three or four weekend Masses, followed by two or three funerals during the week. Psalm 23 was requested at nearly every funeral. I loved the music and the ministry, but somewhere along the way, the familiar began to feel routine. I realized I was operating on autopilot; singing lyrics rather than leading sung prayer. I could leave church after the last Mass of the weekend without remembering the Scripture that had been proclaimed or the message of the homily.
I was still singing. I was still showing up. I was doing the work. But was I really listening?
That realization disappointed me. I had become so focused on what I was doing in the vineyard that I was losing sight of the One who had invited me there.
Jesus tells us, “I am the vine, you are the branches.” He reminds us that a branch cannot bear fruit unless it remains connected to the vine.
Perhaps that’s the danger of becoming too comfortable in our place in the vineyard. We can become so accustomed to what we’re doing that we lose sight of God’s presence in the midst of it. Doing something well is not necessarily the same as doing it with an awareness of His presence.
It is easy to fall into familiar routines, whether at work, at home, or in our relationships with others. We can become so focused on getting things done that we forget to be fully present, both to those around us and to God.
Jesus doesn’t simply ask us to produce more fruit. He asks us to remain in Him.
Sometimes we become so preoccupied with being workers in God’s vineyard that we forget we are also recipients of His grace. Our place in the vineyard is not determined by what we produce, but by our relationship with the Landowner.
To Ponder:
Is there something in my life that has become so familiar or routine that I may have lost sight of God’s presence within it?
Let’s Pray, Lord, forgive me for the times I become so busy doing Your work that I forget to spend time with You. Help me remain connected to You, attentive to Your presence, and open to Your grace in the ordinary moments of my day. Amen.
Still listening, still learning, still answering His call.
Cecilia Carroll
Advent Square Director