For example, I grew up Catholic. Why did we feel like priests were on a pedestal? What if we noticed and realized then that a child somewhere had been molested? Probably we could have exposed the problem and helped avoid countless other children being molested. Probably countless donations would not have later been lost in lawsuits.

My dad was a plumber so I learned about water heaters and such growing up. The gas company these days has a zero tolerance policy for leaks. If you report a leak, or a periodic inspection detects one, the line will be shut off until repaired. The repairs will need to be done by you if inside your house or the gas company if outside your house. But it wasn’t always so. Over the years I had occasionally heard in the news about a house somewhere that blew up from an unrepaired leak.

What about UBF “works” and glory-seeking mentality? To be fair, what about some other denomination’s health and wealth mentality? If reform efforts had been accepted in 1976 or 1989 or 2001, how many troubles and travesties could have been avoided? Is it not the “perfect social and emotional storm” when sincere young people, who are searching for meaning and purpose in life, encounter the extremes of religion? Some are drowned in a sea of anxiety or despair. Others float a while but lose confidence and direction, thereby succumbing to worldly problems. Lucky few overcome to search and be set free by the Holy Spirit of Life.

Decades ago probably was not too early. Decades more is certainly unjustifiable, if not intolerable. NOW is here behooving us to make the most of it.

Can we afford socially, emotionally, intellectually, physically and spiritually, not to act today? Today is the day.

In Christ alone we live and move. He alone is our Head. We are the Body. The parts of the body have different function but shared value. The Holy Spirit guides and grows. Fruit of the Spirit blesses and enables. God the Father alone is worthy to be praised. He alone may be worshiped and glorified. To do otherwise is to our own detriment.

The father of the prodigal son is an exact representation of God. We proudly demand our inheritance early and squander it quickly on wild living. But God loves us more than money, so he not only accepts us back, he welcomes us. All we have to do is come to our senses and return to God.

We are not (and never were) worthy of God’s forgiving love; however, God is full of loving concern. When he sees us, he runs to hug us. He robes us and declares a feast to celebrate our return. We were led astray by the enemy, but then rescued by God. The older brother doesn’t understand the father’s love.

The enemy is sin, especially self-righteousness. The prodigal son sought pleasure, possessions, and especially position in a faraway place.

God planted a vineyard and let us cultivate it. But we want to own the vineyard and use it for our own purpose/benefit. We are not worthy/able to rightfully manage anything without God’s help. Servants/prophets come to collect God’s fruit, but we abuse/kill them. God sends his son thinking surely we will respect him. However, we do not, for we desire worldly benefits instead.

Regardless, God marvelously makes Jesus, the rejected stone, the living cornerstone of his building. By grace he helps us repent and believe so we can be built into his spiritual house. Let’s produce fruit for God through his Holy Spirit working in and among us! Let’s be part of God’s vineyard.