Jim spoke really well yesterday morning and challenged me with a new take on the vine and branches passage from the bible.

He asked if we were fruitful or fruitless. Quite often the take on this passage is centred around what we achieve, the number of people we witness to, how quickly we get bums on pews and so on. Not yesterday. Yesterday it was refreshing to hear this instead.

Yesterday we were challenged regarding how we are living. Are we living out ‘Kingdom values’ in our everyday lives. Am I living a distinctly alternative lifestyle which is obviously different from those around me. Would people in my road, or others that I know, be aware that I am a Christian just because of the way that I treat them?

I was challenged because the answer is ‘no’. A definite, unequivocal ‘no’. My neighbours around me know I am a Christian because they see us go off to church on a Sunday and because our children like to talk about it. People on the train may guess when I get out a theology book or magazine to read.

If we get his right, suggested Jim, then the rest would follow – others would become attractive as they would see an attraction in how we lived.

I have been re-challenged because my lifestyle is not distinct, alternative, or attractive in any way. People could not possibly guess my faith by looking at me, and I am not totally convinced that they would by spending time with me. It’s nice to think they would, but I think I might be fooling myself.

As a challenge yesterday, we had top think through how we would like to change. How we could be more fruitful in our lives. To be honest I can’t cope in an ‘on the spot’ decision like that. For something this important, this challenging, I decided I needed to take some time to think about this.

So now I am thinking …