Transcript
Speaker: The following podcast is a Jill Devine Media production. Christianity has become known for judgy people, strange words, ancient stories, confusing rules, and a members -only mindset. This is why I stayed away from the church for so long, but it's not supposed to be that way. I'm Jill Devine, a former radio personality with three tattoos, a love for a good tequila, and who's never read the entire Bible.
Speaker: Yet here I am hosting a podcast about faith. The normal goes a long way podcast is your home for real conversations with real people using real language about how faith and real life intersect. Welcome to the conversation. We are coming down to the final days of Holy Week. I hope that you've been able to enjoy the intentional time that you
Speaker: have spent in prayer over the last few days with Laura Fleetwood. I'm Jill Devine and today marks Thursday, Maundy Thursday. Here's Laura Fleetwood with today's guided prayer. Welcome to Thursday of our guided prayer sessions during Holy Week. Today is Maundy Thursday.
Speaker: We're going to continue our reading of the book of John that walks us through the days prior to Jesus' crucifixion and resurrection. Before we do that and before we go into guided prayer, we begin with two minutes of focusing our attention on the present moment. So turn your attention to your breath.
Speaker: Let the day fall away and just be here. Just you and God.
Speaker: The beautiful thing about practicing bringing our attention to the present moment is that as Jesus followers, we have the added benefit of meeting him here, of reconnecting to his spirit through our attention on our breath.
Speaker: and our awareness that he is with us always.
Speaker: In John 15, Jesus says, I am the true vine, and my father is the gardener. He cuts off every branch in me that bears no fruit. While every branch that does bear fruit, he prunes, so that it will be even more fruitful.
Speaker: You are already clean because of the word I have spoken to you. Remain in me as I also remain in you. No branch can bear fruit by itself. It must remain in the vine. Neither can you bear fruit unless you remain in me. I am the vine, you are the branches. If you remain in me and I in you, you will bear much fruit. Apart from me, you can do nothing.
Speaker: If you do not remain in me, you are like a branch that is thrown away in withers. Such branches are picked up, thrown into the fire, and burned. If you remain in me, and my words remain in you, ask whatever you wish, and it will be done for you. This is to my Father's glory, that you bear much fruit, showing yourselves to be my disciples. As the Father has loved me, so have I loved you.
Speaker: now remain in my love. If you keep my commands you will remain in my love just as I have kept my Father's commands and remain in His love. I have told you this so that my joy may be complete and that your joy may be complete. My command is this, love each other as I have loved you.
Speaker: Greater love has no one than this, to lay down one's life for one's friends. You are my friends if you do what I command. I no longer call you servants because a servant does not know his master's business. Instead, I have called you friends. For everything that I learned from my father, I have made known to you.
Speaker: You did not choose me, but I chose you, and appointed you, so that you might go and bear fruit, fruit that will last, and so that whatever you ask in my name, the Father will give you. This is my command. Love each other.
Speaker: So much more happens on Maundy Thursday. I invite you to come to worship either at Messiah at 6 .30 PM or at another local church. But today in our guided prayer, we're going to focus on Christ's words about being in the vine.
Speaker: He is the vine, you are a branch. Lord, we ask you to show us how to remain in you, how to remain connected to you as the vine. Please show us what that could look like in our life.
Speaker: Help us not to live separate from you. Your words remind us that we are in you and you are in us.
Speaker: So when we're not living in that way, it's because we have put up a barrier. We have removed ourself from that connection. Please forgive us and help us to return again and again to be connected to you, to live in you and through you.
Speaker: Lord this holy week you are showing us the way the way that you lived for us and now we ask you to show us the way that you want us to live for you when we remain connected to you we know that you will help us carry out your command
Speaker: to love one another as you have loved us. Will you help us do that today? Please fill us with your love.
Speaker: so that because we are connected to you, that love can spill out over those around us. The people in our lives that we know, the people in our lives that we don't know, but that you send to us,
Speaker: We want to remain connected to you. Please help us to do that today and every day. And when we forget, Lord, bring it to our attention, help us to return to the present moment and be reminded of your love for us and that you are always here every moment of every day.
Speaker: In Jesus name we pray. Amen.
