“Christ is the vine…New Branches, New Life,” served as the theme for St. Paul’s Lutheran Church of Karnes City’s 110th Anniversary Celebration. This theme was derived from John 15:1-8 where Jesus states that he is the vine and we are the branches and that apart from him we can do nothing: apart from abiding in Christ’s love, we have no life. In Christ is our life. In Christ we are fed. In Christ we are nourished. In Christ what is dead and choking off growth is cut away, and what is growing is pruned back so that it may produce abundantly.

What might all this mean for us? In Christ we are connected one to another through the generations as part of the living vine by water and word, by bread and wine. As we abide in Christ and Christ in us, we sink our roots deep in his love and branch out far and wide to entwine others in the embrace of the abundant fruitful life in Christ’s love.

St. Paul’s News and Notes: The Sacrament of Holy Baptism was celebrated for Landrey Renee Chevalier, the infant daughter of Kim Retzloff and Andy Chevalier, granddaughter of Ronnie and Patsy Retzloff. Landrey’s sponsors are Clay and Emily Weston. Assistant to the Bishop Rev. Mike Robinson will be leading, The Gifts of God for the People of God: Celebrating God’s Abundance; Abiding in Hope, at St. Paul’s on Saturday, May 12, 9 a.m. - 12 noon with lunch to follow.