Week of Abiding: A Communal Devotional Journey into the Vine and Branches
Day 1 – Remain in the Vine
Opening Call
L: "I am the vine, you are the branches." (John 15:5)
G: "Whoever abides in Him bears much fruit; apart from Him, we can do nothing."
Reflection
L: Today, we acknowledge that all spiritual vitality flows from our relationship with God. Just as a branch cannot survive without the vine, we cannot truly live apart from God's presence.
G: Our first work is not to strive, but to abide.
Shared Prayer
L: O Divine Vine, source of our life,
G: Draw us into deeper union with You.
L: Teach us to rest in Your presence, to listen for Your voice,
G: And to find our strength not in effort, but in communion.
All: Let our souls drink daily from the stream of Your love.
Scripture and Revelation
L: “The great mistake is that, when you seek to grasp the vine of life, you grasp only its shadow.” (Urantia, 130:2.7)
G: Let us grasp the true vine—God’s living presence, not perishing shadows.
Spiritual Practice
L: Let us sit in silence for 2–3 minutes. As you breathe, say in your heart: “I remain in You, and You remain in me.”
Day 2 – Embrace the Pruning
Opening Call
L: “Every branch that bears fruit, He prunes, that it may bear more fruit.” (John 15:2)
G: We accept the pruning hand of the Divine Gardener.
Reflection
L: We welcome God's hand, even when it cuts. We trust every difficulty is an invitation to grow.
G: Pruning is painful, but it is purposeful.
Shared Prayer
L: Master Gardener of our souls,
G: We do not resist Your pruning hand.
L: Reveal to us what must be removed—
G: Habits, fears, illusions, or comforts.
All: That we may bear more fruit in Your name.
Scripture and Revelation
L: "The soil essential for religious growth presupposes a continual pruning of selfish tendencies." (Urantia, 100:2.8)
G: Let the shears of trial shape us for divine fruitfulness.
L: “The soul which pursues truth and beauty must suffer the pangs of pruning before it can soar.” (Plato, Phaedrus 276d)
G: May our suffering give wings to our spirit.
Spiritual Practice
L: Let us take a moment to reflect: What is being pruned in me right now? Inwardly, offer it to God.
Day 3 – Bear the Fruit
Opening Call
L: “By their fruits you shall know them.” (Matthew 7:20)
G: May we be known by the fruit we bear in love.
Reflection
L: We were created to bear fruit—to radiate goodness, to bless others, to embody divine reality.
G: Our hands, words, and choices are the branches through which the Vine lives on.
Shared Prayer
L: Spirit of Truth and Love,
G: Make us fruitful in thought, word, and deed.
L: Let kindness flow through us,
G: Let wisdom speak from us,
All: Let love be born in us anew this day.
Scripture and Revelation
L: “You shall know them not by what they profess, but by what they produce in the spirit.” (Urantia, 180:2.5)
G: Let our lives be the sermon of truth, love, and service.
Spiritual Practice
L: As a group or individually, choose one act of love or service to carry out today.
G: We offer this act as sacred participation in the Vine’s ministry.
Day 4 – Beware the Withering
Opening Call
L: “If anyone does not abide in me, he is cast out as a branch and is withered.” (John 15:6)
G: Let us stay connected, that we may not wither.
Reflection
L: Disconnection begins subtly—with neglect, pride, or forgetfulness.
G: But the Vine never moves. It waits for us to return.
Shared Prayer
L: Faithful Father,
G: When we wander, call us back.
L: When we grow cold, rekindle our fire.
G: Forgive us when we live without You.
All: Reconnect us and restore our souls.
Scripture and Revelation
L: “God is never afar off; He is the ever-present center of all creation.” (Urantia, 4:4.1)
G: Let our wandering end in remembrance and return.
Spiritual Practice
L: Take a moment of silence. Ask inwardly: Where am I disconnected?
G: God, reignite the divine connection within us.
Day 5 – Abide in Joy and Fulfillment
Opening Call
L: “In Your presence is fullness of joy.” (Psalm 16:11)
G: In abiding, we find peace and purpose.
Reflection
L: Abiding is not striving—it is alignment. In union with God, we find fulfillment.
G: Joy is not outside us—it is the fruit of abiding within.
Shared Prayer
L: O Joyful Vine,
G: Let Your life fill every branch of us.
L: Let peace settle deep in our souls,
G: Let our purpose blossom in Your will.
All: Abide in us today, and we will abide in You.
Scripture and Revelation
L: “Religion yields the fruits of the spirit and brings forth the supreme satisfaction of spirit-led living.” (Urantia, 100:4.6)
G: Abiding births fulfillment—not fleeting, but eternal.
Spiritual Practice
L: Let us close this week with gratitude.
G: Where have we felt most alive in God this week?
(Optional sharing circle or written reflection.)
Closing Benediction for the Week
L: You are a living branch of the Vine.
G: You are rooted in divine life.
L: You are pruned with love, sustained by grace, and destined to bear fruit that endures forever.
All: Abide, and be made whole.
Michael Of Nebadon
University of Salvington
