May 2025
A Contemplative Exercise for May 2025
The following is a possible framework for the Witnessing of the Word. It can be personalised or altered: its purpose is to serve as an example of how this Saying might be used primarily in the context of a Prayer Group, but it may be used by individuals too. It is not intended to be definitive. In the context of a group: the periods of silence should be appropriate for your group - probably not less than 5 minutes, or more than 15 minutes.
Saying for the month: ‘I am the vine, and you are the branches’ John 15:5 (GNT)
To begin the exercise, first spend a short while in relaxation and preparing to be still; you may want to relax your way through your muscles or you may find it helpful to become aware of the sounds around you and then put them aside as you offer this time of prayer to God.
Say this introductory invitation to prayer, then keep a further minute or two of silence: ‘Come to me, all you who are weary and heavy laden, and I will give you rest’ (Matthew 11.28).
Introduction to the first silence - a preparation for listening with the mind:
‘I am the vine, and you are the branches’.
Our Saying for May comes from direct words of Jesus. These are words to his ‘Team Disciples’ that we find in the handful of chapters in John’s gospel that are sometimes described as the final discourse. We might consider these chapters, 15-17, of John’s gospel to be Jesus’ intimate words to his closest followers. Perhaps they occur during their last meal together and then also whilst Jesus and his team walk from this last supper in the Upper Room to the Garden of Gethsemane. I imagine that Jesus may be sensing a desperate need to be sure that his team is equipped and ready for what is about to occur and certainly there may have been some urgency during this purposeful ‘walking seminar’.
It is possible that they passed the temple complex on their route through and out of Jerusalem and so this may have prompted the topic of the Vine since a sculpted vine decorated one of the temple walls. During Herod the Great’s construction programme it seems that a huge gold vine was placed at the entrance to the sanctuary, with grape clusters as tall as six feet. It may be that it was as Jesus and his disciples passed by the temple that Jesus declared himself to be the True Vine and moved the conversation into fruit bearing … as he says: ‘I am the vine, and you are the branches’.
Such imagery is not unique to Jesus. We find the same picture given in the Hebrew Scriptures. For example, in Isaiah chapters 4 and 5, there is not only a vineyard but also a beautiful, glorious and magnificent branch of the Lord. We might picture Jesus as the head of our family tree. We, as the branches, are his offspring and it is Jesus’ beauty and wisdom and fruitful character that we inherit; that he passes down to us.
We are encouraged to stay attached to Jesus, this true vine. Perhaps there is both urgency and a vital point Jesus is making here: stay with me, lean into me as your source of life, keep close and grafted into me.
It is in the privilege of abiding in God, in remaining in Him, that we receive true nourishment, the real food and abundant life that we need versus what we might want or desire. It seems that it is only as we allow Holy Spirit life, the breath of Jesus and Jesus’ presence here, to nourish us that Holy Spirit fruit can develop. This fruit perhaps grows whatever the season produces – sunny and bright or stormy and turbulent - and these Jesus-characteristics may then become a source of nourishment for others. Also, as we gently abide, maybe putting our head on Jesus’ shoulder, we may sense that we are invited to rest, and to blossom and flourish in the Lord’s beautiful garden.
We take this Saying into our minds then, allowing the saying to speak to us: ‘I am the vine, and you are the branches’.
A time is now kept for silence of the mind – perhaps between 5 and 15 minutes. The silence concludes with a short thanksgiving, and/or feel free to repeat the Saying.
The first silence ends with the words: Father, we thank you for the gift of your Word.
Introduction to the second silence - a preparation for listening with the heart:
‘I am the vine, and you are the branches’.
Now we take this Saying into our hearts, as we allow Jesus’ words to speak in us, to let it touch us and let it work more deeply upon our lives. As we do this we return to the visual, practical image of the vineyard where Jesus is the vine and we are the branches, who are invited and encouraged to abide and remain grafted into our Lord.
In Israel, vines grow and flourish vigorously, especially on the hillsides where the lower temperatures of the higher altitude afford a longer growing season. I wonder how much this applies to those of us perhaps feeling we are in the twilight of our years; is there an encouragement that God’s garden offers a longer growing season of usefulness and fruitfulness for us?
In addition, we might note that it is not only the unproductive vines that receive attention. The Gardener notices each individual fruit-bearing vine and gently applies some pruning so that their yield increases. Skilful paring back involves striking a balance between allowing the light to get to the branches and the fruit so it flourishes whilst not overdoing this as then the hot Mediterranean sun will scorch the tender ripening fruit and new growth. Is there anything for me – for us - to let go of during this pruning process by our divine Gardener?
Do we take heart from the knowledge of gardening practices, that it is the well-established vines that have such deep roots that they need less watering and irrigation than all the other fruit crops? Or does this prompt us to query just how deep our own roots are? Is it Spring for us, maybe we are emerging from a deep Winter, feeling that it is mid-February to mid-March and our branches are pretty bare? Do we need the gentle attention of our Gardener so that we might flourish again and our potential fruit spring into life as we draw in nourishment from our dear Vine?
In Isaiah chapter 5, we find that the vineyard has divine gardener attention. It is dug and cleared of stones before the choicest vines are planted. As we allow Jesus’ words to take root in our hearts,
‘I am the vine, and you are the branches’
... is this an opportunity for reflection and an honest conversation with the Gardener? Are there stones and weeds getting in the way of the ‘Jesus and Holy Spirit sap’ rising in our lives? Is it a lack of time and attention or maybe worldly worries and issues that have interfered with us genuinely abiding in our dear Lord?
We might respond to our true Vine and allow his words and nourishment to penetrate our life and heart deeply:
‘I am the vine, and you are the branches.’
A time is now kept for silence of the heart – perhaps between 5 and 15 minutes.
The second silence ends with the words: Father, we thank you that your Word is alive and within us.
Introduction to the time of intercession – taking God’s word outwards into the world.
‘I am the vine, and you are the branches’.
Say the name of a person or a group of people, and after a short pause, repeat the saying. For example:
‘Alison and your family … “I am the vine, and you are the branches” ’.
As we allow the word to speak through us, we might direct Jesus’ word towards those people and situations where there is suffering, hurt and an absence of joy and where abiding in Christ would bring comfort.
Remembering that Jesus is the Head of the Family Tree, of the church, we might offer Jesus’ Saying for May to the Church, to its leaders and members, those who are struggling, those who are persecuted.
We may also consider situations at home or abroad where kingdom values and life are so desperately needed so that people, governments, businesses can truly flourish
Conclude this time of intercession with words of thanksgiving: Father, we thank you that your Word has gone out through us to those for whom we pray.
The Conclusion
Feel free to use the Fellowship Prayer (below) or another closing prayer to conclude your time of contemplative prayer:
Loving Heavenly Father, we thank you for all your unsearchable riches which pour forth from you as light from the sun, in boundless profusion and generosity, whether received, ignored or rejected. And now we offer to you, in so far as we are able, as an emptiness to be filled with your divine fullness, ourselves, our souls and bodies; all that we are, all that we have and all that we do. Amen
You may wish to say the Grace together before departing.