Sermon: Fruit That Will Last

John 15:9-17

Okay. I have a confession to make. . . Every once and a rare while, if I’m home at 4:00 and if I like the topic of the day. . . I sometimes. . . watch. . . Oprah. I don’t know why I feel a little embarrassed to tell you that. It’s actually a wonderful show. Anyone else want to admit to watching Oprah? Thank you. See, I told you it was a good show.

I guess it’s just that I don’t want to be one of those Oprah people. . . probably for the same reason I wouldn’t want to be a teeny bopper. Oprah people might easily be caricatured as middle-age women who love giveaways, cry at the drop of a hat, and follow Oprah around as a modern guru. I’m not middle-aged, I cry (but only sometimes), and Oprah’s definitely not my guru. But that being said, Oprah has done some amazing things, and she’s certainly introduced some incredible people to the world through her show.

And one of those people is Mehmet Oz, or more regularly known as Dr. Oz. Do any of you know who Dr. Oz is? He’s a world known cardiologist who’s been a regular correspondent on the Oprah show. For the last few years, he’s come on semi-regularly to creatively teach about the human body and discuss holistic ways to be healthy – not just physically healthy, but emotionally and spiritually healthy too. They’re all connected for Dr. Oz. He’s done some incredible work of making doctor speak – which is gobbledygook to some people – not only understandable but kind of fun. His main goal has been to inform people that they are their best advocates when it comes to their own health. Of course, there are forces out there that are beyond our control, but there are some concrete ways that we can actually be proactive about living well. Dr. Oz even co-wrote a book about this. It’s called YOU: The Owners Manual: An Insider’s Guide to the Body that Will Make You Healthier and Younger. And that book has spawned a lot of books like it. Clearly, Dr. Oz has had a huge audience, and it’s made a difference for a lot of people.

And so last Tuesday on one of those rare occasions that I was home at 4:00, I tuned into Oprah, and I watched a poignant and meaningful episode. It was a goodbye episode for Dr. Oz who is leaving the show to start his own. Basically, the episode was to say thank you and replay some meaningful and funny clips over the years. And I have to tell you that I was completely blown away by some of the segments. And for the record, I want it known that they were worthy of being tearjerkers!

At one point, Oprah turned Dr. Oz around to show him huge, studio-sized tv screen of pictures. They were all pictures of people who had written in to say that they had heard a piece of information from Dr. Oz on the show that led to literally saving their lives. The spread was huge. And of course, those were only the people who had written in. There have to be so many more floating out there. Dr. Oz has had a gigantic audience.

Well, five or six of those people on the screen were present at the show and got an opportunity to tell them that he had saved their lives without ever knowing it. It was moving to watch each one of those people embrace Dr. Oz. He seemed completely floored and humbled in the experience.

And I thought. . . My goodness. . . When people live as their truest selves. . . when people exercise their fullest gifts. . . when people live as themselves for others. . . amazing things happen. And the effects of those decisions broaden in ways that no one would be able to anticipate. It is flooring and humbling. It’s all part of bearing fruit – sometimes fruit that’s much larger than any of us can know or anticipate – fruit that will last, that will exist beyond us --- fruit that occurs through us but also moves beyond us. Because at the end of the day, the fruit isn’t ultimately pointing to us. We’re bearing fruit that is ultimately and most truly God’s fruit, God’s dream of fruit flowing through us. That is flooring and humbling. God’s fruit is blossoming through our very lives.

That’s incredible. And that’s especially true when we love one another. And if there’s one thing I know about this place and this community, it’s that. We do love really one another. The scripture passage from tonight is part of three very moving chapters in the gospel of John. In these chapters, Jesus addresses his disciples in the upper room for the last time before his death. Last week, we talked about Randy Pausch giving his last lecture, and we asked, “If you knew that you were speaking for the very last time, what would you want to say? What would you want people to know?” In the gospels, this passage comes from Jesus’ last address to those closest to him. I guess we could say that these words are part of Jesus’ “Last Lecture.”

Jesus invites us to abide in his love – to remain in it, to sojourn in it, or as our second translation said tonight, to make ourselves “at home in it.” And as we do that – as we are rooted to that love. We continually discover that the love of Christ is abundant, so abundant that it overflows, cascading into the lives of others. When we are rooted in the love of God, we are called to share the love of God. We do, and we will. Opportunities to do that and to live that way are right around every corner. And that is fruit that transforms the world.

How amazing it is that you can be a part of how that love travels to others. . . How amazing it is that our little community can be a part of how that love flows. . . Love is constantly coming in at through this community. Right here! We’re participating in it. How flooring and humbling it is to know that God’s love can blossom up here, embracing us and calling us to live as ourselves for others. That’s what it’s all about.

About a week and a half ago, Patrick and I were eating lunch at Double Dave’s. I asked him earlier today if I could share a bit of our conversation with you. He and I were talking about what it’s like to have ministry as a profession. I said this to him: “You know, years ago, even when I was a teenager, people would tell me all the time – David would especially tell me – ‘Renee, all the things you’re experiencing, you’re gonna be able to use for other people. You’ll share yourself with them, and when they find themselves in similar situations, they’ll know that you understand.’”

I went on to tell Patrick, “When I used to hear those sort of things, those people out there were very amorphous and general, people of some hypothetical future. But today as a pastor, those people and those moments are constantly becoming more specific all the time. I find myself using all my experiences with specific people. Sometimes I share those experiences. Sometimes I simply remember them as a way to hopefully connect with an experience that’s different than mine. In ministry, I use the whole range of where I’ve been – what’s been formative, what’s been helpful, and what’s been painful. It’s amazing how that works.”

And then Patrick said something beautiful. I think he’s on to something. “Well, gosh. . . Being a pastor is basically like. . . a ministry of being a person.” Yeah, that’s it. And it’s not just the ministry of pastors. Christian ministry is basically a ministry of being a person – learning, exploring, becoming who you’re called to be – and living with others who are learning, exploring, and becoming too. It’s a ministry being a person with and for persons. That basically describes ministry. That’s simple and beautiful.

And there’s really only one thing that I would want add to that beautiful description. We are persons choosing to be with persons, but as we do that, we aren’t pointing to ourselves. We’re like John the Baptist out in the wilderness, constantly pointing to Jesus Christ. “He must increase, but I must decrease.” We’re pointing to the one who is the True Human. He’s the one who teaches us to be human in this world. We are rooted in him, abiding in his love – abiding in his personhood. That’s what it’s about. And when we think and live this way, we will be called to bear fruit, fruit that will last.

Tonight we will remember some specific people who will continue to be connected to us but who will be physically elsewhere when we return in the fall. Some of our seniors are present. And there are others who are traveling to other parts of the world to continue growing in their Christian personhood. . .Argentina, Alabama, France, and Spain. We will miss you, but we also know that the fruit of who you are and will continue to be for us will last. And our fruit will last within you. The fruit of this place is always growing and blossoming. . .


(For the rest of the sermon, individuals shared experiences from the year, answering two questions: 1) How has God produced fruit in you through Austin Agape? 2) What are some of your favorite moments from this year?)

-Renee Roederer, Campus Minister