spoke of his disciples being ‘in’ him as branches are ‘in’ the vine,7 while Paul sees us as being ‘in Christ’ as limbs are ‘in’ the body.8 In both cases the relationship in mind is a vital, organic union which makes possible the sharing of a common life. The fact that Paul here adds ‘in God the Father’ seems no reason why the ‘in’ relationship should mean something different. Elsewhere Paul describes our new life as ‘hidden with Christ in God’;9 is this not almost the same as saying that the church