What Could Have Been Done More to My Vineyard?

grape vines at our family farm

The fifth chapter of the book of Isaiah contains a passage often called the song of the unfruitful vineyard.  In these verses, God is revealed as the vineyard owner who has lavished the grape vines with great care and attention only to wind up with wild grapes, fruit that is totally unusable. God laments with the disappointment of an aggrieved lover who has lavished the beloved with every good thing, only to see the blessings and grace being rejected in favor of corruption and violence.

It's a powerful image, and verse 4 appears to have struck a powerful chord with John Wesley. The Wesley Study Bible reports that he refers to it at least fourteen times in sermons between 1748 and 1788, and notes that Wesley uses it as the central text for his Sermon 107, entitled "On God's Vineyard."  Wesley introduces this sermon by explaining just what he means by "the vineyard."  At its broadest, he says, it includes the whole world, and then it can be narrowed down to the Christian world, to the Reformed branch of the Church, and then finally, to "the people commonly called Methodists."

bare grapevines

Well, if you know anything about the song of the unfruitful vineyard, you already know that whatever Mr. Wesley has to say in comparing the "people called Methodists" to wild grapes, it won't be flattering or complimentary.  At the beginning, he asks: "What could God have done more in this his vineyard, ... which he hath not done in it?" He gives a brief history of the movement, mentioning some of the criticisms aimed at Methodists, and he points out the great blessing that has come to so many during the revival as a result of God's grace.  God rightfully could have expected the fruit of the Spirit to be spread over the whole Church, Wesley says, but instead, the Methodist movement has brought forth wild grapes of "enthusiasm, imaginary inspiration, ..." as well as pride, "prejudice, evil surmising, censoriousness, judging, and condemning one another; -- all totally subversive of that brotherly love which is the very badge of the Christian profession; without which whosoever liveth is counted dead before God.  It brought forth anger, hatred, malice, revenge, and every evil word and work; all direful fruits, not of the Holy Spirit, but of the bottomless pit!"

Wesley notes that they may be in union with one of the Societies but that having a lot of companions is not enough; "But have you enough that are athirst for God, and that labour to make you so?  Have you companions enough that watch over your soul, as they that must give account; and that freely and faithfully warn you, if you take any false step, or are in danger of doing so?  I fear you have few of these companions, or else you would bring forth better fruit!" 

Upon reading these words, I cannot help thinking about the present state of affairs in United Methodism.  With what words would Wesley chastise us for bearing not just poor fruit but for bearing thorns as sharp as daggers in our conversations with and about each other?  I think it almost certain that he would ask us, as he asked his original listeners, if we expect Christ to be in our midst whenever we meet together in his name, and that he would urge us to be thankful to the Giver of every good gift, reminding us that we can never praise God enough until we praise God "with angels and archangels, and all the company of heaven!"

What might happen to our branch of the vine called Methodism if we spent more time truly expecting the Spirit to be with us when we gather for conversation and Conference and less time accusing, berating, and attacking each other? What if we were so "lost in wonder, love, and praise" that we might seek the common good together, be in mission to make disciples for Jesus Christ together, honor the divine image in the face of our neighbors together -- even as we slide towards inevitable division.  May we not part with civility and love since we cannot sustain what has been the United Methodist Church?  Might our "way forward" be "ways forward" found by forming other expressions of Wesleyan holiness that can still work in God's vineyard together in some fashion?   It remains to be seen, but I cannot help but wonder, what could have been done more to the vineyard?