Attached

Following Pastor Darcy's mini-two-part series on John 15 and our need to be attached to Jesus as our true vine. The messages entitled "Pruned in Love" and "Pruned to Love" are all about love - resting in the love of God in Christ, and the out-flow of that love to others.

Following the last message, which fell on Father's Day (actually one week before Father's Day), Darcy gave a special gift to the men. He wanted to give them something as a gift, in order to remind each of them that we are meant to be attached to Jesus and to one another. The metaphor was simply meant to be a reminder that we are called to belong and be known by Jesus and others.

We gave the key-chain out, made up of 4 bicycle chain links attached to a key ring, and found out that it "connected" to a lot of men, all for unique reasons. One by one I began to hear how this simple key-chain served as a source of encouragement to each man, in very unique ways. So I asked one man if he would share his metaphor so I could Blog it. Maybe you too would like to e-mail your "metaphor" so others can be enouraged? 

Here's one man's metaphor. I hope you are encouraged as I was when I read it.

"For a lot of my life, I have tried to be strong for those around me, like a rigid piece of metal that can be counted on not to bend. As you know, this hasn’t been the best approach for me lately. The bicycle chain is strong and useful precisely because it bends; a straight rod would not be able to move the bike forward. I think of the nodes in the chain where two links come together as places of community, where (for instance) you and I, or I and my family, come together. We can be weak individually, but when glued together in community, we are stronger and more helpful than we can be, trying to be strong on our own."

This is one man's description of what the key-chain "metaphor" meant to him. Maybe you would like to send me your description of what the key-chain meant to you. I can post it along with this one.