1: I am the true vine, and my Father is the husbandman.
2: Every branch in me that beareth not fruit he taketh away: and every branch that beareth fruit, he purgeth it, that it may bring forth more fruit.
3: Now ye are clean through the word which I have spoken unto you.
4: Abide in me, and I in you. As the branch cannot bear fruit of itself, except it abide in the vine; no more can ye, except ye abide in me.
5: I am the vine, ye are the branches: He that abideth in me, and I in him, the same bringeth forth much fruit: for without me ye can do nothing.
6: If a man abide not in me, he is cast forth as a branch, and is withered; and men gather them, and cast them into the fire, and they are burned.
7: If ye abide in me, and my words abide in you, ye shall ask what ye will, and it shall be done unto you.
8: Herein is my Father glorified, that ye bear much fruit; so shall ye be my disciples.
9: As the Father hath loved me, so have I loved you: continue ye in my love.
10: If  ye  keep my commandments,  ye shall abide in my love;  even as I have kept my Father's commandments,  and abide in his love.
11: These things have I spoken unto you, that my joy might remain in you, and that your joy might be full.
12: This is my commandment, That ye love one another, as I have loved you.
13: Greater love hath no man than this, that a man lay down his life for his friends.
14: Ye are my friends, if ye do whatsoever I command you.
15: Henceforth I call you not servants; for the servant knoweth not what his lord doeth: but I have called you friends; for all things that I have heard of my Father I have made known unto you.
16: Ye have not chosen me, but I have chosen you, and ordained you, that ye should go and bring forth fruit, and that your fruit should remain: that whatsoever ye shall ask of the Father in my name, he may give it you.
17: These things I command you, that ye love one another.

Our lives are so full, aren’t they? There is work, school, doctor’s appointments, scout meetings, ballet lessons, church meetings… the list goes on and on. We have to keep calendars, don’t we, or appointment books in order to get it all straight. We are often filled with such anxiety about making sure that we don’t miss any of our appointments. We’re so up tight that it often spills over into our dreams.

Have you ever had a dream where you are rushing around to keep an appointment, and everything seems to be going wrong? I’ve talked with several people who seem to have this general theme in common. Usually in this dream you are constantly looking at the clock, and you just know you are going to be late. But, try as you will, you can’t seem to get moving. Everything seems to be going in slow motion. Your joints seem stiff and inflexible. You just can’t get going. You make all the preparations for your appointment, and use some sort of transportation to get there. As you approach the meeting place you glance at your watch… Whew!! You got there just in the nick of time! But then, you notice…. You’re still in your pajamas! Or maybe you forgot your shoes!

I often have very detailed dreams. My dreams are so detailed, and are in such vibrant color! The sounds, smells, and feelings are often so intense! Many times I wake up tired! If any of you have studied psychology, you would have a field day with me! Anyway, I’d like to tell you about one specific dream I had recently….

After the usual anxiety about making it in time for my appointment, I found myself – no, not in my pajamas! – but in a white lab coat. I was walking through the corridors of a hospital, a clipboard on my arm, on my rounds visiting patients. I went from room to room. I had an entourage of eager residents, doctors fresh out of medical school, around me, hanging on my every word. I was apparently responsible for training them.

I continued pointing out the intricacies of each case, asking my students probing questions here and there. Suddenly, I dropped my pen. As I bent down to pick it up, I glanced at the name tag on my lab coat. There, printed on the gold-plated pin, was someone else’s name! It wasn’t my lab coat after all! I had no authority what-so-ever to be there!

I ran from the room, through the corridors, and down some stairs to the locker room. I opened my locker and saw my lab coat still hanging there. The name tag read “Emilia Florio – Pharmacy Tech”. I had no authority to be training new doctors! I had been appointed to prepare medications in the pharmacy. So, although I had made it to the hospital on time, I had still missed my appointment!

In our text Jesus is speaking about keeping our appointments. He says “You did not choose me but I chose you. And I appointed you to go and bear fruit, fruit that will last, so that my Father will give you whatever you ask him in my name”. Jesus is not talking about being on time for our appointments, although that certainly may be appropriate. He is talking about recognizing the fact that we are chosen for a specific purpose, that is, to bear fruit. This fruit is the ministry that we as a church and as individuals are to produce as a result of our love for God and for one another. How we bear that fruit depends on our specific appointments. There are two components to this. The first question is, what are we as a church, here at St. Paul’s, appointed to do? I think that over the past year we are working to discern that together by identifying who we are, and what God’s vision is for us. Our leadership has participated in retreats to work this out, and, as you know, there have been several congregational meetings and congregational chats. Many exciting ideas and challenges have surfaced. I pray that God will continue to guide us as we go through this discernment process.

But there is also an individual component as well, and that is what I’d like us to explore this morning. We are a community which tries to discern and accomplish God’s will together, but what is your individual responsibility, what is my individual responsibility, in that? We are commanded to love, and we show that love by keeping our appointments. Our love is made evident by what we do. We don’t need to do works to convince God of our love; God can look into our hearts and know. But our works are done so that others can see, and benefit from our love, and glorify God. We are appointed; we need to keep our appointments.

How do we do that? How do we know what our specific appointments are? How do we know we have on the right lab coat, with the proper name tag?

1. If we keep our appointment our lives will evidence fruit. Not just a grape here or there, or an occasional pomegranate or orange, but much fruit! A virtual cornucopia of fruit; an overflowing fruit bowl of the stuff! Our works of love will just unconsciously and unceasingly flow! They will become so natural that we may not even be aware of them! And the cool thing about all this is, we will have very little to do with it! Just as the branches of the grapevine are attached to the vine, and the sap flows from the vine to the branches to nourish them and produce fruit, so, too, Jesus’ love, like that sap, flows through us, to produce an abundance of fruit.  Just as the vine abides in the sun so that the fruit will ripen, we, too, need to abide in the love of God’s son. All we need do is abide in Jesus’ love. Abide, rest, remain in his love.

2. If we keep our appointment, our fruit will be lasting fruit! It’s interesting that the word used here for lasting is the same word used previously to mean abide. The fruit we produce will also abide, or remain, in Jesus’ love.  In other words, because we have been faithful in keeping our appointments, those whom God has brought to himself through us will also keep theirs.

3. If we keep our appointment, God will give us whatever we ask him for in the name of Jesus.  How is this possible?  Does this mean that I can ask for that summer house on the Riviera, or that new car, and because I am rightly discerning God’s plan for me, and am following that plan, that I’ll get these things?  Maybe.  There is nothing wrong with summer houses or new cars. But I’m thinking that if I am truly keeping my appointment, I will automatically ask for things that are in line with God’s plan.  God will grant those desires which will keep me focused on what he has planned for me; on what my appointment is.  My specific appointment will become so prominent in my life, that it will overshadow everything else.  I will be virtually fixated on it.  And because God will grant me everything I need to keep this appointment, the bearing of the fruit will become easy.

What is the appointment God has made with you? This is a question I constantly ask myself, too. What awakens your passion, your creativity and your sense of being true to yourself? In other words, what is your calling? Are you confused about what your particular appointment with God might be? That’s okay. This discernment is a process. It takes years for a grape vine to produce a healthy crop of grapes. But abiding in the vine grower’s care, it will produce grapes! Guaranteed! That is its entire purpose.

Know, too, sisters and brothers, that God has a specific, unique purpose for each of you, and for me, too. Discerning what that is may not be easy. It takes abiding in God’s love; developing a close relationship with him through prayer and worship. It means getting involved in the life of the church; trying different opportunities to serve that the church can provide. Going back to my dream, it may mean trying on different lab coats until you find one that fits perfectly and has a nametag with your name on it! And when that happens, the fruit you will produce will become so abundant, so permanent, and so easily borne, that you will not have to question any longer. You will be Keeping Your Appointment!

May God continue to bless you
and pour out his gifts through you.