Pruning Has Begun

Here in Southwest Washington we have had a cold December with many freezes. The freezing has caused the vines to go into their dormant season. The flow of sap has ceased. The leaves have all fallen and have been blown away by the wind. Last years new branches stand stark and stiff through the trellis. It is time to prune away the excess. If I were not to prune away all of the excess, the vine would not be able to handle all of the new fruit it would try to produce next year and the fruit would wither and die off. At this time of year approximately 90% of the branches must be cut off, piled on the ground, and then run through the chipper for mulch. But the most important question is; which branches will be chosen to remain?

Pruning is one of the jobs that I really like to do myself. By choosing the correct branches to remain, the best chance is given to each plant to produce the best fruit next year. When pruning is complete, the vine will have one branch going each direction, that is tied down to the lowest wire on the trellis. Last years fruiting branches have the greatest chance of producing the best fruit for next year with 6 or 8 buds on each remaining branch.

The first way I relate this pruning activity is to our individual spiritual lives. God certainly knows best what needs pruned away in our lives. He knows what needs to be removed. Just like I do in the vineyard, things are pruned away that are unhealthy, broken or weak first. Then the focus changes to what will produce the most and best fruit in the coming season. Does the branch always agree that it needs to be pruned away - absolutely not - I have been slapped in the face many times by an unruly, stiff old branch during this work in the vineyard. But unlike me, God is the master pruner, He takes away exactly what needs to be removed and at the correct time.

The second way I relate pruning is to the church. Does your church have ministries that have been hanging on for years and have produced no fruit? No branches like this remain in the vineyard. Are the fruitless ministries still going so that the organizers feelings don't get hurt? Pruning does cause some temporary pain; it is not a comfortable process for the vine. Just like in the vineyard, God cuts away the clutter in our lives and in our church. Maybe the reason a certain ministry is not fruitful is that it is not longer connected to the vine? Unlike the vineyard, we have the free will to stay connected to the vine or not. The only way to produce the most and best fruit is to stay connected to the vine and let the vineyard pruner choose what needs to go away.