Episcopal Church 
of the Resurrection
1433 NW R.D. Mize Road
Blue Springs, Missouri 64015
(816) 228-4220
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Saturday, May 5 at 7:00 pm
 Join us for our Cinco de Mayo dinner at 7:00 pm on Saturday, May 5 in the undercroft. Spend an evening with friends and enjoy delicious Mexican food and margaritas!
You may even hear the priest sing (accompanied by his lovely and talented wife Debbie).
Invite and bring a friend. Prepare to have a wonderful time and support an important cause!
Adults $15.00;
Children under 12
$5.00;
Margaritas
$2.00
All proceeds will go to purchase a new organ for Resurrection!
Please sign-up in the Narthex or contact Diane Gerlach
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WHAT DID JESUS MEAN WHEN HE SAID,
"I am the True Vine" (John 15:1)?
From Fr. David
"I am the True Vine" (
John 15:1
) is the last of seven
"I am"
declarations of Jesus recorded only in John's Gospel. These "I am" proclamations point to His unique divine identity and purpose. Jesus said, "I am the True Vine" to closest friends gathered around Him. It was only a short time before Judas would betray Him; in fact, Judas had already left to do his infamous deed (
John 13:30
). Jesus was preparing the eleven men left for His pending crucifixion, His resurrection, and His subsequent departure for heaven. He had just told them that He would be leaving them (
John 14:2
). Knowing how disturbed they would feel, He gave them this lovely metaphor of the True Vine as one of His encouragements.
Jesus wanted His friends, not only those eleven, but those of all time, to know that He was not going to desert them, even though they would no longer enjoy His physical presence. His living energy-His spiritual reality-would continue to nourish and sustain them just as the roots and trunk of a grape vine produce the energy that nourishes and sustains its
branches
while they develop their fruit. Jesus wanted us to know that, even though we cannot see Him, we are as closely connected to Him as the branches of a vine are connected to its stem. Our desire to know and love Him and the energy to serve Him will keep flowing into and through us as long as we "abide" in Him.
Jesus went on to remove any misunderstanding about what He meant (
John 15:4
). He said that no branch can even live, let alone produce leaves and fruit, by itself. Cut off from the trunk, a branch is dead. Just as a vine's branches rely on being connected to the trunk from which they receive their energy to bear fruit, Jesus' disciples depend on being connected to Him for their spiritual life and the ability to serve Him effectively. The fruit we produce is that of the Holy Spirit-love, joy, peace, patience, goodness, kindness, gentleness, faithfulness, and self-control (
Galatians 5:22-23
). Our source of life and spiritual fruit is not in ourselves; it is outside us, in Christ Jesus. We can live, live rightly, and serve Him effectively only if we are rightly connected to Him in a faith/love relationship.
Then Jesus underscored His point even more strongly by saying, "Apart from me you can do nothing" (
John 15:5
). This illustration of the vine and branches is no thoughtless generality or careless simile. It is absolute, stark reality. No believer can achieve anything of spiritual value independently of Christ Jesus. He also reminds us that there are some who are "in" Him who bear no fruit. But these are not, as some would suppose, true branches that just happen to be fruitless. All true branches bear fruit. Just as we know a healthy, living tree by the good fruit it produces, so do we recognize fruitless branches as having no connection to the True Vine. This is why Jesus tells us, "By their fruit you will know them" (
Matthew 7:16-20
). Those who do not produce good fruit are cut away and burned. The reference here is to apostates, those who profess to know Christ but whose relationship to Him is insincere. He neither called them nor elected them nor saved them nor sustains them. Eventually, the fruitless branches are identified as not belonging to the Vine and are removed for the sake of truth and the benefit of the other branches.
So, we depend on Jesus for everything, starting with our very life-"For in Him we live and move and have our being" (
Acts 17:28
)-and including our reconciliation with God through Him (
Romans 5:10
). No one can serve God effectively until he is connected with Jesus Christ by faith. Jesus is our only connection with the God who gave life and who produces in us a fruitful life of righteousness and service.
A
lmighty God, whom truly to know is everlasting life: Grant us so perfectly to know your Son Jesus Christ to be the way, the truth, and the life, that we may steadfastly follow his steps in the way that leads to eternal life; through Jesus Christ your Son our Lord, who lives and reigns with you, in the unity of the Holy Spirit, one God, for ever and ever. Amen
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BOOK CLUB
Monday, May 7, 2018 at 7:00 pm
The Finding Faith Through Fiction Book Club will meet at 7:00 pm on Monday, May 7 in the undercroft.
This month's selection has been changed to
"The Invention of Wings"
by Sue Monk Kidd.
The book is the fictionalized history of the Grimké sisters, Sarah and Angelina (Nina), who were at the forefront of the abolitionist and women's rights movements, wound around the intriguing narrative of a young slave, Hetty, who was given to Sarah as an 11th birthday present. Sarah despises slavery, even at that early age, and out of principle attempts to reject the gift.
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EUCHARISTIC MINISTER TRAINING 
Saturday, May 12, 9:30 am
Please consider being trained as a Eucharistic Minister, if you are 18 years and older and have a desire or feel a calling to serve in our church service . This ministry is very fulfilling to those you serve as well as yourself.
Eucharistic Visitor training will also be included in the training f
or members interested in taking communion to shut ins, hospital patients and people in nursing care facilities.
The Rev. Deacon Donna Stanford
will conduct the training at the Church of the Resurrection.on Saturday, May 12 beginning at 9:30 am.
RSVP by calling Episcopal Church of the Resurrection at 816-228-4220 or sign-up in the Narthex.
For more information or questions please feel free to call the parish phone number, e-mail Rev. David Lynch at
[email protected]
or click here.
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CPR/AED TRAINING 
Saturday, June 2, 9:30 am -1:30 pm
Resurrection will offer a CPR/AED and "What to do before help arrives" class on June 2, 2018, from 9:30 am to 1:30 pm in the Undercroft. Refreshments will be provided.
This training will fulfill all requirements for initial Heartsaver certification and Heartsaver renewal certification. A sign up sheet is in the Narthex.
Middle school age groups and above are welcome to sign-up. Cost for the course will be $50.00 which covers cost of books and certification with the American Hear Association. Class size will be limited to 16 participants. Even if you cannot kneel or get down on the floor to practice, you can learn from this class. The life you learn to save may be your own!
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COMING UP
Important events and dates
Sunday, April 29:
Emergency Planning Committee meeting between services at 9:10 am
Saturday, May 5: Cinco de Mayo Dinner at 7:00 pm
Monday, May 7: Finding Faith Trough Fiction Book Club at 7:00 pm
Wednesday, May 9: Vestry Meeting at 7:00 pm
Thursday, May 10: Bridge Club at 7:00 pm
Saturday, May 12: Eucharistic Minister/Eucharistic Visitor training at 9:30 am
Saturday, June 2:
CPR/AED class at 9:30 am
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