Dear Friends,

Once again, as with last week, our Sunday Gospel is situated in a vineyard. In many ways, I find the imagery of this setting soothing and somewhat seductive. Vineyards conjure up images of the sweet smell of earth and fruit, the sound of bees hummingly doing what bees do, and the sense of ripeness and "all is right with the world". The serenity of this scenario, however, is shattered quickly in this parable as those entrusted with tending the vines turn to violence to satisfy their greed. In many ways, and like many parables, on the surface of it, this makes no sense. What makes these tenants think that becoming batterers and murderers, who kill the heir to the vineyard will be beneficial to their cause? This is surely not the way to ingratiate oneself to the landlord.

As the parable opens we are told of the good care that the landowner exercised in operating his vineyard. The vines were carefully planted, fences offered protection, presses were in place for crushing the grapes and towers were on site to ensure a view towards oversight and a place to sleep during the night. It seems idyllic. What more did the tenants want? Apparently they wanted more! Despite the drama to be found in the depiction of greed and violence, this story is really a story about the Owner of the vineyard. It's a story of Endurance and Constancy. The Owner keeps trying to get the tenants to see reason, but they can't get beyond their greed. They're so caught up in their own warped world view that they do themselves in. While we don't actually hear how the Owner deals with these errant tenants, the chief priests and elders to whom Jesus told this parable are convinced that they'd be put to death. But the "rest of the story" finds Jesus quoting Isaiah and declaring that "the stone the builders rejected has become the cornerstone... and it is wonderful in our eyes." This reminder culminates in Jesus' warning that the kingdom will be taken away from these priests and elders and "given to a people that will produce its fruit."

This is where we enter the story! We are the new tenants, the vine-tenders of the Vineyard called to produce fruits. We are tenants of an Owner who has profound compassion and endurance. Rather than thinking of the vineyard as the kingdom of God, I think it's more 'fruitful' to think of the vineyard as a metaphor for our souls. We have been carefully planted by our Owner, but perhaps our 'fences' have been breached, and the fruit of our spirits crushed in non life-giving ways. Perhaps our "towers" have proven more a burden than a place of rest. How can we tend our inner vines and produce the fruits of the spirit? How can we be grapes of grace in our world?

Sunday's 2nd reading from the letter of Paul to the Philippians offers us a 'recipe' or perhaps 'protocol' says it better. This letter encourages us to pray (with petition...and with thanksgiving"), to ponder ("think about these things"), and to perform ("keep on doing what you have learned and received"). Undoubtedly, the former tenants of the vineyard in the parable would have come to a different end had they been praying, pondering and performing justly rather than plotting. As we reflect on these readings, I suggest that we spend some time contemplating the question of whether we are plotting OR praying, pondering and performing according to God's desire? These readings offer us a wonderful opportunity to tend to our souls and our connections to one another; to treat our spirits and our relationships with the tenderness we would extend to a vine entrusted to our care.

As a community committed to justice and to joy, the Spirit of Life Community, does pray, ponder and perform acts of justice. We try wholehearted to "be Christ" to one another, to tend to the needs of one another and to those in need in our world. And together, we celebrate our belief that we are being transformed by God's grace as we gather together in prayer. We warmly invite you to come, and gather with us at our Table and join in our experience of the "kin-dom" of God! We are an inclusive, open, affirming and interactive community, deeply committed to being a people of 'justice and joy.'

With prayers for you as you tend to the vineyard of your soul this week,

Find more about past weekly reflections and podcasts in our ARCHIVE PAGE.