Isaiah is asking us, if we sometimes lose perspective when it comes to the church, God’s vineyard. The question for worship today might be, “What is the church for?” Supporting the church is not supposed to be an end in itself. Our church mission statement is to make disciples of Jesus Christ for the transformation of the world. Not disciples of the church. Not for the transformation of the church. The church is the means, not the end of what we do. So, how can we make that our focus for worship today?
Wild grapes, according to Isaiah, means that the people of God were following no leadership but their own will and conscience. God wants us to be cultivated grapes, guided by the Word and tended by the Spirit, wherever we live and work. While we are thankful for the church buildings, for the beauty and utility of these structures, it is the people and how they live in the world that are the church at work.