Many thanks to my colleague the Rev. Kimber McNabb who provided most of the ideas and words for this sermon. You can read the original at her blog —https://revkimber.blogspot.com/2024/04/jesus-proclaims-i-am-to-each-forest.html

In the Gospel of John, Jesus proclaims a variety of I AM statements: I AM the Bread of Life, I AM the Light of the world, I AM the Door, I AM the Resurrection and the Life. I AM the Good Shepherd. I AM the Way, the Truth, and the Life. The final I AM appears in today’s Gospel: “I AM the Vine.” (John 15:1-8)

Why is this image the last I AM revelation from Jesus? And why is it included as one of the Easter Gospel readings?

Martin Luther’s words can get us started. He wrote, “Our Lord has written the promise of Resurrection, not in books, but in every leaf in springtime.”

It’s interesting, isn’t it, how often Jesus uses the natural world to describe God’s realm and truth. Admittedly, the Gospels were written in a predominantly agrarian culture. I suppose Jesus could have talked about the tallest buildings in Jerusalem and how they were built. He could have talked about the Roman aqueducts and the ingenuity involved. He could have talked about the Roman chariots and their power. But that’s not what we have a record of in the Bible. We have stories of seeds, birds and trees.

The vine metaphor is quite relevant for us today. Recently I read about a beautiful living practice that expresses a vine and branches idea. It expands the ‘I AM the vine’ into our context today. “I AM the Vine” speaks hope and resurrection to a people living in a world today in crisis.

I AM the vine – resurrected in DAISUGI.

Daisugi is an ancient Japanese forestry technique developed in the 14^th century in the Kitayama region of Japan. It is an example of silviculture; the science and art of growing and cultivating forest.

The practice chooses an established old growth tree, usually a variety of Japanese cypress. This mother tree is cropped straight across, removing its top canopy. Cedar shoots are grafted onto the cropped branches of the mother tree. These shoots are pruned every few years to ensure straight and knot free lumber come harvest time.

So the picture is a large tree trunk with strong branches reaching up. From what would be the middle of the tree there is a straight line. From here a whole forest grows on top of the other tree.

The cultivated forest takes 20 years to mature. At harvest time the strong established mother tree remains ready to grow the next forest.

Forests that are nourished from Mother Tree mature quicker and produce more wood than other cedar forests. The wood is more flexible, denser, and stronger than standard cedar. This process has created a sustainable supply of raw material for over 700 years.

Revisiting Jesus’ statement, I AM the Vine, during the season of Easter, brings forward the promises Jesus spoke before his death and brings them into the realm of resurrection. This opens a myriad of possibilities for life, for resurrection appearances amid whatever the suffering and crisis of the day.  The All Creation Sings hymnbook concludes one of its creation prayers:

“In the name of the one who from a wounded tree birthed a new creation”—pg 47ACS

So, the question, “What difference does this image make as the last I AM revelation of Jesus?” From a wounded tree – from the cross – I AM did not die. I AM rooted in all that was, and is, and is to come, is resurrected – I AM alive!  I AM a hearty vine with energy and love and wisdom to cultivate a forest of branches to produce abundant fruit.

Canadian forest ecologist, Suzanne Simard, in her book “Finding the Mother Tree” discusses the interconnectedness of trees and how -rather than competing for resources- they share nutrients and resources with each other. Mother Trees are relational, with vast underground networks connected over the centuries. They are energy and the source of ancient life.

Jesus saying, “I AM the Vine,” takes us back to Genesis with I AM moving over the waters in creation and the Word creating by speaking “let there be.” In the garden was the Tree of Life, a Mother Tree, connecting all the way through to I AM the Vine; connecting all the way to today.

The Tree of Life – Mother Tree, to the tree of the cross, to a rooted vine, to a faithful forest.

When I heard about the living practice of daisugi I was excited. I am a lover of trees. When I think about growing a whole forest on top of one tree, I am filled with so much hope for the earth’s future and its health. The abundance of this practice is astonishing. And to know that that forest matures faster, stronger, more flexible and durable, because of the sustenance flowing from the Mother Tree – amazing! And to know that the growing of a new forest can be done continually. Wow!

When I hear about the living practice of daisugi I am excited. I am a lover of Jesus. When I think about baptism and being grafted into God’s family, I never considered being grafted onto the vine as being that which has roots to the Mother Tree. Because of Jesus rootedness, the disciples matured – strong, durable, flexible- as they shared Jesus’ story with others. The early church grew quickly by their witness.

In our context, consider the living practice of daisugi as one to be practiced in the church. Would we be less fretful of what is and more hopeful of what will be, if we understood and experienced rootedness? If we considered our present congregation as one forest, in a line of consecutively cultivated faith forests on the vine, the Mother Tree, I AM?

Can we wrap our heads and hearts around the living practice of every 20 years the beautiful straight and knot-free trees bearing fruit? Meaning cut into lumber; fruit is distributed and used, as the next forest begins to grow. It means that every 20 years we let go, in some way we let the church of the day give up its life to be resurrected again; resurrected strong, durable, and flexible.

Sometimes we get stuck trying to keep the old forest growing, rather than harvesting the forest, sharing the fruits and letting the next forest grow. We forget that the forest was never meant to be permanent, only the trunk – the Source of Life- which continues rooted and grounded and full of life.

The I AM the Vine is spoken as the final I AM because it is Jesus’ proclamation that branches will come, bear fruit, and die. But the Vine remains, as does the life that comes from the Vine – for it has a deep ancient source, the Mother Tree.

As Easter people we bear witness to resurrection appearances. We have witnessed life and death and life.

On this side of Easter, 2000 years later, we bear witness to the millions of forests that have grown from Mother Tree. The forests have embraced, believed, and lived the promises of Jesus brought forward into the resurrection. Jesus proclaims I AM! To each forest, Jesus proclaims I AM the Vine, therefore, you are!

Thanks be God. Amen.