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The Pastor’s Piece for October 2026

Listen to another parable. There was a landowner who planted a vineyard, put a fence around it, dug a winepress in it, and built a watchtower. Then he leased it to tenants and went away. Matthew 21:33

This verse from Matthew’s text starts out our Gospel reading for this 1^st Sunday in October. It’s harvest season now, and Thanksgiving is right around the corner. In ministry, harvest is the time of year when we take time to remember what we have been given responsibility for as we review the past year and plan for the next. In the rest of the verses that follow, Jesus tells this story about a vineyard that was owned by a man who lived too far away to take care of it, so he had someone else stay there to watch over it for him and take care of the vines. When the grapes were ripe and ready, the owner would give a share of the grapes to those tenants who had been taking care of them instead of the owner taking them all. It was part of their pay for taking care of the vineyard. The story goes that when the grapes were ready, the owner sent some of his servants to the vineyard to get the owner’s grapes and leave the rest for the tenants. But instead of giving the servants the grapes, the tenants treated them badly and even killed one of them, but some ran back and told the owner what had happened. Then the owner sent another group of servants to the vineyard and the same thing happened. Finally, he sent his own son to the vineyard because he thought the tenants would treat him better. But they did not, instead the tenants were so mean they threw the owner’s son over the fence of the vineyard and killed him too. Well, as you can imagine, the owner became angry and he went to the vineyard with some of his other servants. He threw the tenants out and took the vineyard away from them and found someone else to take care of the vineyard. And he paid the new tenants the money he was going to pay the first ones, and instead of just giving the new tenants their share of the grapes, the owner gave them his share too. The bad tenants lost everything because of the things they had and had not done. When Jesus told this story, he had been talking with some of the important leaders at the temple; the people who were supposed to be taking care of God’s temple and God’s people, just like someone takes care of a vineyard. But instead of taking care of everything, the leaders were being mean and cruel and were even stealing from God’s temple. Jesus told them this story to remind those leaders they weren’t supposed to be doing those things. I think there is something that we can be reminded of by this story also as we enter into this harvest season.  I think it’s good for us to remember that we are like the people entrusted with caring for the vineyard in the story.  It’s good for us to remember that God has asked us to take care of his creation and his people and his world through our ministry.  How have we done this over this past year? How can we do it together over the next? This story reminds us that God wants us to take care of each other the way God would take of us, and take care of the entire world the way God would take care of it. I bet in your family you have things that you are required to do just because you are a family member. You have to do things like help keep the house clean or help wash the dishes after a meal or take out the garbage each week or rake the yard. Your family, if it is like most families, probably expects you to share in the work of your home. As children of God, we too are expected to share in the work of God's kingdom and grow in our faith and knowledge of God. This is why over the years we go to Sunday school, attend Confirmation, participate in bible studies and attend worship. Like in our homes, we are to help support Jesus' church. That is why we give back to God and take an offering every Sunday in worship.  We are to tell others about the forgiveness and love that God has for all people in Jesus Christ. That is why we invite others to join our family of faith. In the story of the wicked tenants Jesus observed that the temple leaders in his day were not being the kind of family members that God wanted. They were more concerned about themselves than doing what God wanted them to do.

Jesus wants us to know that as a part of his family we have important responsibilities to tend to. With that in mind, I offer this prayer for us as we enter the harvest season together: Lord God, as children of your kingdom, guide and empower us to be about the work of your vineyard. Help us to forgive, love, and invite others into this family of faith. Help us to follow your Son’s teachings and take care of each other the way that you take care of us. Amen.

May the peace of Christ rule in your hearts today!

See you in church, +LLL

Project: Keep Kids Warm

Last year over 300 kids received winter jackets, snow pants, boots, hats, and mittens they needed to stay warm. Monetary donations are being accepted to purchase these articles. If you would like to make a donation send to: Wesley United Methodist Church, P.O. Box 342, Ishpeming, MI 49866.

Council:
Bill Hartman – President
Gary Parkkonen – Vice President
Bonnie Johnson – Secretary
Keith Polkinghorne – Treasurer

Our quilters are always on the look out for flat sheets of any size for our quilting projects.  They can be dropped off at the church fellowship hall on Wednesdays or Sunday after worship service.  Monetary donations are always welcome also.