Life on the Vine: Cultivating the Fruit of the Spirit in Christian Community Book

What an excellent book. Kenneson writes a reflection on the fruits of the Spirit, what they mean historically, why modern American culture makes it difficult to embrace them, and how to move to a place where the church and its member would more fully embody these spiritual gifts from God. He does a remarkable job in the nine body chapters of the book in opening up the meaning of the fruits biblically and how they might be lived today. He points to American cultural tendencies, especially of individualism, self-interest, consumerism, pride, and self-assertion, that makes living out the fruits difficult and their value easy to ignore (where are patience and gentleness valued today?). And he ends each chapter with a series of particularly pointed questions for reflection by individuals and churches. I appreciate his recognition that the life of the Spirit is lived in the body and the fruits of the Spirit are nurtured best in community.

Every discussion of a fruit reveals depths and also provides small, pointed revelations (why did his discussion of patience have to bring up driving?). He sees love as central and "these other eight dispositions, taken together, characterize a life lived in, by and through God's love." At the other end of the list, self-control is not so much a matter of willpower, as of allowing the Spirit to form the other eight fruits fully and thus displace the self from the center of our lives. But I rattle on. A thoughtful and incisive book that aims at the heart of the Christian faith - it answers important questions and asks even more important ones for each individual and community. Highly recommended.