Skip to main content
Al Munday

The Task is not to Toil but to Tarry

Seedling — an early exploration

•1 min
spirituality-and-practiceformationcontemplation

“The task is not to toil but to tarry” was the title of my sermon on Jesus as the true vine in John 15. This outline is a starting point for expanding the sermon into a full essay.

Essay skeleton

  • Jesus as the true vine — John 15: remaining in him is the source of fruitfulness.
  • The wider biblical story: Eden’s tree → Israel as vine → Christ the true vine → Revelation’s tree of life.
  • “The task is not to toil but to tarry”: sonship versus slavery; belonging rather than anxious striving.
  • What abiding feels like: the Covid “open line” illustration—an ongoing awareness of another’s presence.
  • Why abiding needs cultivating: the attention economy competes for our awareness.
  • Three roots of abiding: Scripture, church and stillness.
  • Contemplation: develop the baby illustration here. Retrieve the original sermon notes for the details.
  • Abiding together: the implications for the church as a community.
  • Conclusion: return to the refrain, with fruitfulness flowing from abiding.