Pruning through invitation
I stayed with my great friends in France whose house is called La Coursonne. It means the buds which are left on the vine when the vineyard owner has pruned back the vine. From the buds growth comes, and the growth is even stronger because all the unnecessary part of the vine has been cut away. Pruning is a very painful process. “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. I have found in invitation there is a pruning as you become a serial inviter. The pain of hearing a no on a repeated basis, is part of the pruning process, but it develops the fruit of patience. Invite someone today to take a closer look at Christ and his church and begin the pruning process.
