St Clement Church
Fourteenth Sunday after Trinity Community Service
Good morning
We are back in parable country – always a challenge!
Do we read them the same as each other or differently?
What does a parable tell you?
My love to you all
Liz
This is your day and we shall praise you!
This is your day and we shall declare your name!
This is your day, and we shall worship a risen Saviour and King.
Amen
We say together:
In the meeting of our lives, be the focus of all that we are.
In the singing of the hymns, the prayers that we shall make, the reading of your Word and the preaching of the same.
Speak to us, encourage and forgive us.
In the meeting of our lives, Lord, be the focus of all that we are. Amen
Hymn: 473 When morning gilds the skies (omit verses 3, 4, 5)
Our Prayer of Penitence:
Lord God, in your presence we are aware of our sin, our pride, selfishness, lack of humility, and the desire to go our way not yours.
You have lavished on us the riches of your grace and we have squandered this precious gift for temporary gain.
Forgive and renew our faith, that our lives may bring glory to your name and not a tear to your eye. Amen
The Collect for the fourteenth Sunday after Trinity
Almighty God, whose only Son has opened for us a new and living way into your presence: give us pure hearts and steadfast wills to worship you in spirit and in truth; through Jesus Christ your Son our Lord, who is alive and reigns with you, in the unity of the Holy Spirit, one God, now and forever. Amen
Readings:
Amos 8. 4 - 7
1 Timothy 2. 1 - 7
Hymn: 413 Now thank we all our God
Gospel: Luke 16. 1 - 13
(Hear the Gospel of our Lord Jesus Christ according to Luke. Response: ‘Glory to you O Lord.’)
Jesus said to the disciples, ‘There was a rich man who had a manager, and charges were brought to him that this man was squandering his property. So he summoned him and said to him, “What is this that I hear about you? Give me an account of your management, because you cannot be my manager any longer.”
Then the manager said to himself, “What will I do, now that my master is taking the position away from me? I am not strong enough to dig, and I am ashamed to beg. I have decided what to do so that when I am dismissed as manager, people may welcome me into their homes.
So, summoning his master’s debtors one by one, he asked the first, “How much do you owe my master?”
He answered, “A hundred jugs of olive oil.”
He said to him, “Take your bill, sit down quickly, and make it fifty.”
Then he asked another, “And how much do you owe?”
He replied, “A hundred containers of wheat.”
He said to him, “Take your bill and make it eighty.”
And his master commended the dishonest manager because he had acted shrewdly; for the children of this age are more shrewd in dealing with their own generation than are the children of light.
And I tell you, make friends for yourselves by means of dishonest wealth so that when it is gone, they may welcome you into their eternal homes.
Whoever is faithful in a very little is faithful also in much.
If then you have not been faithful with the dishonest wealth, who will entrust to you the true riches?
And if you have not been faithful with what belongs to another, who will give you what is your own?
No slave can serve two masters; for a slave will either hate the one and love the other, or be devoted to the one and despise the other.
You cannot serve God and wealth.’
(This is the Gospel of our Lord. Praise to you, O Christ)
Reflection
Oh dear – it‘s a parable and you know how much they challenge me! Wherever do I start?
Nobody wants to be known as a squanderer but that is exactly what this parable asks us to become. We are to become squanderers of the riches entrusted to us.
This doesn’t make much sense given the advice most of us have grown up with but that is how parables work. They take the status quo and challenge us to see and live in a new and different way.
This is the challenge set before the rich man. He entrusts the care of his riches to another man. This other man is a manager, a caretaker, a steward for the rich man. Everyday he chooses what he will do with these riches; how he will care for and use them, where and with whom he will invest them. Every day he chooses to squander these riches. He scatters, spreads, and pours out the riches entrusted to him. This is not what the rich man expects or wants. This is just not what you do with your riches. One day, the rich man has had enough. Charges are brought against the manager. “What is this I hear of you? Give me an accounting,” he demands.
Like the rich man we know better. We’ve been counselled to make wise investments. We are to save for a rainy day, to not let money burn a hole in our pocket, and not to spend it all in one place. We should consider the risk versus the potential return. We weigh the costs and benefits when deciding how to use our riches. Whether our riches are monetary or non-monetary the last thing we want to do is to squander them, or worse still, have someone else squander them.
The truth is that everyone of us has been entrusted with riches. Money is probably the first one we think of, but it isn’t the only one.
Our time, presence, and relationships are riches all of us have. Faith and the Church are riches. Ideas, skills, and talents are riches. Love, mercy, compassion and forgiveness are among our riches. Who and how much will we love? When and under what conditions do we offer mercy and forgiveness? On whom and how will we spend our money and our time? Every day we decide how we will use our riches, what we will do with them, who will receive them and from whom they will be withheld.
The rich man in us wants to protect and grow our riches. That is what we have been taught. There is nothing necessarily wrong with this but there is danger. The danger is that our riches become ends in themselves, power to be wielded and idols to be worshipped, rather than the means to restore life, create new possibilities, and reconcile relationships.
The rich man protects and withholds but the manager squanders. Even when he has been caught and is in trouble he continues to squander. He calls in the master’s debtors and begins to forgive debts. “How much do you owe, my master?” Then he instructs them to reduce the amount. He offers release and freedom from an obligation that could never be repaid. He gives them an opportunity for a new life. He reconciles them and the rich man with a new relationship. This sounds very like what God is doing in the world. This looks exactly like Jesus in the gospel stories.
Even after charges have been brought, an accounting demanded, and he is about to be fired, the manager’s actions never change. It is the rich man who changes. He now praises the manager. The rich man aligns himself with and approves of the squanderer and of the squandering. From the beginning of this parable to its end it is the manager who is the squanderer. The manager does this not because of who the debtors are but because of who he is. Our God is the ultimate squanderer.
Think about a baptism – it is a sacrament of squandering. The holy water of God’s life, love and presence is poured over the person’s head and into their life. Mercy and forgiveness will flow. They are now a new person in Christ. God will do this without any concern for what the person has done or left undone, regardless of what the person believes or understands, and irrespective of what they do or do not deserve. That is how squandering works. This is just who God is and what God does.
While the ritual of baptism will take place only once in our life. God’s squandering of the baptismal waters happens every day for the rest of our lives. God is always scattering and spreading, squandering, all that he is and all that he has into people’s lives. That never ends. Every day God squanders the riches of his life on us. We are called to do the same, to become squanderers. We squander to be like God.
Squander love on God, your neighbour, your enemies, and yourself. Squander forgiveness and reconciliation on those who have hurt and betrayed you. Squander your prayers for everyone everywhere. Squander compassion on the poor, the sick and the oppressed. Squander your money on those in need and those who work for justice, peace, and human dignity. Squander your life and riches on the world. Hold nothing back. You cannot serve God and wealth. Go live a life well squandered. After all, that’s what Jesus did.
Amen
Let us say together:
Loving Creator,
We asked for strength, and you gave us difficulties to make us strong.
We asked for wisdom, and you gave us problems to solve.
We asked for prosperity, and you gave us purpose and brains to use.
We asked for courage, and you gave us fears to overcome.
We asked for patience, and you gave us situations where we were forced to wait.
We asked for love, and you gave us troubled people to help.
We asked for justice, and you called us to be just and to lead with integrity.
Lord, we have received nothing that we asked for or wanted. And yet, we received everything that we needed. For this, we give thanks.
Amen
Let us declare our faith in God
We believe in God the Father, from whom every family in heaven and on earth is named.
We believe in God the Son, who lives in our hearts through faith, and fills us with his love.
We believe in God the Holy Spirit, who strengthens us with power from on high.
We believe in one God; Father, Son, and Holy Spirit.
Amen
Hymn: 365 God moves in a mysterious way
Our Intercessions by Daphne Hawkins
In the power of the Spirit and in union with Christ let us pray to the Father.
As we gather this Autumn morning we are surrounded by the bounteous gifts of food, the beauty of the fields and hedgerows, and the sure signs that once again our dear Lord provides for us and our many needs. We are truly blessed, may we always be ready to share our blessings with those who may be less fortunate around us.
Lord, in your mercy: hear our prayer
Lord, we pray for your church here at St Clement and with the Church world-wide. We pray for all bishops, priests, and Church leaders. We pray for Reverend Diane, Father David, and Liz our Reader. We remember all those who work so hard to enable us to hear and understand our earthly journey.
Lord, in your mercy: hear our prayer
Merciful Father, we pray once more for our broken world. So many of our brothers and sisters are suffering the endless acts od war, terrorism, anger, greed, revenge and evil. We ask that world leaders, heads of state and anyone in power may realise exactly what damage it is causing to human life. The destruction of cities and the wiping out of human hands. Children living in fear every day and so many little lives ended so cruelly.
Every day we ask that these evil deeds will end.
We pray for peace.
Lord, in your mercy: hear our prayer
Lord, we pray for our government - the unrest and social, domestic, and financial challenges it is facing. May it go forward with strength and vision to restore unity and solutions to the needs of our nation.
Lord, in your mercy: hear our prayer
Lord, we pray for the work of our church and all those who contribute so much to enable St Clement to provide so many services to our community. Our doors are always open to anyone in need. There is a welcome, comfort, support, spiritual guidance, love and friendship to anyone who comes through our doors. Please give health and strength to all who work so hard and give so much of their time, knowledge and life’s experience.
Lord, in your mercy: hear our prayer
Lord, we pray for our King and Queen and all the royal family; for all they do to keep traditions and royal duties that make our nation so respected. We pray for their health and well-being.
Lord, in your mercy: hear our prayer
Merciful Father, we bring to you those who are ill in body or mind, and those who are struggling with life or with themselves; those with no one to listen, love or help them.
In our church and community, we pray for:
Reverend Diane, Ken, Brian, May, Susan, Tony, Jan, Lynda, Dot, Maureen, Pam and David, Sandra, Roger, Michael and Patricia, Rob and Alison, Mary, Jeremy, Anita and Stephen, Callum and Elaine, Sue and Martin, Margaret and John, Barry, Coral and Paul, Barbara, Simone, Dinah, and David.
Please give to each in need the peace, light, and healing of your loving presence.
Please welcome into your Almighty Kingdom all whose journey on earth has ended.
We recall all those dear ones we have loved and we see no more; those with you in their heavenly home, and those whose anniversary falls at this time.
Percy Beswetherick, Doris Eddy, Olive Rowe, Kathleen Richards.
Lord, in your mercy: hear our prayer
Lord, we thank you for this church, for the part it has played in the lives of so many, and the way the love of God has been seen in worship and the service of others.
Rejoicing in the fellowship of St Clement, St Andrew, St Allen, and the blessed Virgin Mary, we commend ourselves and the whole of creation to your unfailing love.
Merciful Father: Accept these prayers for the sake of your Son, our Saviour Jesus Christ. Amen
We say together:
Our Father, who art in heaven, hallowed be thy name; thy kingdom come; thy will be done; on earth as it is in heaven.
Give us this day our daily bread. And forgive us our trespasses, as we forgive those who trespass against us. And lead us not into temptation; but deliver us from evil. For thine is the kingdom, the power, and the glory, for ever and ever. Amen
You may wonder why I have chosen the following poem – one written by a very well-known writer of stories. Apart from, isn’t it clever! Think about it – I did – and it just seemed ‘right!’
I Keep Six Honest Serving Men by Rudyard Kipling
I KEEP six honest serving-men
(They taught me all I knew);
Their names are What and Why and When
And How and Where and Who,
I send them over land and sea,
I send them east and west;
But after they have worked for me,
I give them all a rest.
I let them rest from nine till five,
For I am busy then,
As well as breakfast, lunch and tea,
For they are hungry men.
But different folk have different views;
I know a person small –
She keeps ten million serving-men,
Who get no rest at all.
She sends’em abroad on her own affairs,
From the second she opens her eyes-
One million Hows, two million Wheres
And seven million Whys!
The Peace
Jesus said: ‘Love one another. As I have loved you, so you are to love one another.’
The peace of the Lord be always with you.
Hymn: 235 Forth in thy name, O Lord, I go
The Blessing
May God’s Word be in our hearts.
May God’s Word be on our lips.
May God’s Word be in our touch.
May God’s Word direct our feet.
On this day and all our days to come
May God’s Word be the life we live.
Amen