God prays through us – Rom 8:22-27, John 7:37-39 (Pentecost Vigil)

 Pentecost Vigil; Basilica of the Sacred Heart.

I am the proud sponsor of a pipe. Not a pipe you smoke, or a pipe that carries water or oil, but a pipe of a pipe organ. A church I used to be a member of, long before I entered seminary, was installing a new pipe organ and, as part of the fundraising efforts, they offered the opportunity for people to pay to sponsor a pipe. Larger pipes were available for larger donations, and smaller ones for those with less resources. I was a student at the time, so I ended up sponsoring one of the higher-pitched E♭ flute pipes. Now, when I paid my money, there was an attached promise that not only would I get a certificate (which I got), but that when the organ was ready to be played, there would be an evening reception for all pipe-sponsors, at which we would be allowed play our pipe. As far as I know, that happened, but I’d already moved a long distance away, and never got to go.

 

God tends to our fruitfulness – John 15:1-8

 Fifth Sunday of Lent, Year B; Breen Philips Hall.

Last week, we heard from Jesus’ Good Shepherd speech in John. We heard Jesus say that he 100% commits to us, that we are His and He is ours, that He’s willing to suffer for us, to know rejection for us, and lead us on in our pilgrimage. Today, in this image of the vine and the branches, Jesus uses a different image to say a lot of the same things, but there are some different emphases.