The Vine.
A simple name.
A generic name.
A meaningful name.
In John 15, Jesus takes quite a long time teaching his disciples that he is the True Vine and that apart from him they would never bear any fruit. He encouraged them to abide, remain, stay in The Vine (in Him) so that they might bear fruit, that they would obey his commands, and that their joy would be complete.
At the Vine, we desire that young men would abide in Christ. We intentionally named it The Vine so that when asked where they stayed, they would respond, "I stay in the Vine" and so remember and confess again that they are in Christ. That they abide. That they remain. That they stay in Him, and therefore also reap the benefit of all of His promises as well.
So what's in a name? Sometimes nothing, but in our case it's everything. The Vine is our life. The Vine give us life, and if we didn't abide in the Vine we would bear nothing; we would do no good thing.
Lately I've been learning about fruit-bearing plants. Raspberries, strawberries, blueberries, blackberries, and grapes. With the exception of grapes, all of them are bushes. Regardless, of them share some similar needs and characteristics. Many, if not all, of them need to be routinely pruned and cleaned so that the plant spends more energy developing fruit instead of new growth. Most varieties also need cross-pollination in order to maintain strength and longevity. Finally, almost of all them should not bear fruit in the first 2-3 years lest the plant fail to reach its full fruit-bearing potential.
That being said, I am encourage that coming into our second year, we have learned a lot. We are clarifying rules earlier, coming to consensus on consequences, laughing together, praying together and setting a great tone of expectation for the year. We have three brothers this year - Ed, Rob, and Kevin (in order of oldest to youngest). Ed is returning for second year. Both Rob and Kevin are freshmen in the house, and are also at Christ Community Health Services for the Urban Medical Year Intern. All three have very different stories and backgrounds and have a lot to offer for the others in the house.
We are praying that some of the big changes we have made this year will result in real fruit as we abide in the Vine. The Vine will have nightly family dinners, which will be a huge win for making the guys available in the home. Additionally, there will be monthly activities at the house which are funded by their rent and the contribution of the Mitchell Heights Parishes. The guys are fantastic. We could not have asked for a better group, and we are looking forward to how God will use them to bless this neighborhood, share the Gospel, and share with others the Name that is above every name - The Vine.
