”Abide in me as I abide in you. Just as the branch cannot bear fruit by itself unless it abides in the vine, neither can you unless you abide in me. I am the vine, you are the branches….” – Jesus, John 15:4-5

So here we are, two weeks into the “Lenten Lecture Series” and I feel a mixture of blessing, affirmation, overwhelm and gratitude. At the same time I wonder if I can possibly keep up the momentum.

“Well you wrote the book,” someone said. “All you have to do is stand up and talk about it.”

Problem solved!

This week we covered quite a lot of material, but the unifying theme was that of belonging, and how we are engrafted into God’s family.

I told one of my favorite stories, from the day I helped with the olive harvest in Tuscany (See “Olive Harvest in Tuscany“), where I learned this beautiful idea from the owner of the land – Giovanni: “The promise of Jesus is not about production, it is good news about belonging!”

“The promise of Jesus is not about production, it is good news about belonging!”

Read Romans 11

As the season of lent is also very much about reflection and about focus, I think this thought from Wednesday evening is important: “Lent, then, is very much about abiding – and of course we cannot abide if we do not first understand that we belong….” 

Today, and throughout this week, I want to encourage all of us to abide – to rest – in the beautiful truth that we belong to Jesus.

Click on the video link if you would like to listen to this week’s lecture – DEREK

Loved with everlasting love,
Led by grace that love to know;
Spirit, breathing from above,
Thou hast taught me it is so.
Oh, this full and perfect peace!
Oh, this transport all divine!
In a love which cannot cease,
I am His, and He is mine.
- George Wade Robinson (1838-1877)