**Please note this service is based on the format of the Evangelical Lutheran Church of Canada. Unless otherwise indicated, all prayers come from Evangelical Lutheran Worship (ELW). Hymns and other prayers have been sourced to give appropriate credit.
**NRSV translation used for the readings, unless otherwise stated.
Introduction to the day
As we are invited today to consider what it means to be managers (rather than owners) of all that we have, it is crucial to recognize that we are bought with a price. “Christ Jesus, himself human, . . . gave himself a ransom for all.” Apart from the generosity of God we have nothing – we are nothing. By God’s gracious favor we have everything we need.
Gathering
Song – Come,
Gracious Spirit, Heavenly Dove (ELW #404)
Greeting
The
grace of our Lord Jesus Christ, the love of God,
and
the communion of the Holy Spirit be with you all.
And also with you.
Prayer
of the Day
Let
us pray.
God
among us, we gather in the name of your Son to learn love for one another. Keep
our feet from evil paths. Turn our minds to your wisdom and our hearts to the
grace revealed in your Son, Jesus Christ, our Savior and Lord.
Amen.
Readings
A
reading from the Book of Jeremiah. (8:18-9:1)
My joy is gone, grief is upon me,
my heart is sick.
Hark, the cry of my poor people
from far and wide in the land:
“Is the LORD not in Zion?
Is her King not in her?”
(“Why have they provoked me to anger with their images,
with their foreign idols?”)
“The harvest is past, the summer is ended,
and we are not saved.”
For the hurt of my poor people I am hurt,
I mourn, and dismay has taken hold of me.
Is there no balm in Gilead?
Is there no physician there?
Why then has the health of my poor people
not been restored?
O that my head were a spring of water,
and my eyes a fountain of tears,
so that I might weep day and night
for the slain of my poor people!
The
word of the Lord.
Thanks
be to God.
Psalm
79:1-9
O
God, the nations have come into your inheritance;
they have defiled your holy temple;
they have laid Jerusalem in ruins.
They
have given the bodies of your servants
to the birds of the air for food,
the flesh of your faithful to the wild
animals of the earth.
They
have poured out their blood like water
all around Jerusalem,
and there was no one to bury them.
We
have become a taunt to our neighbours,
mocked and derided by those around us.
How
long, O Lord? Will you be angry for ever?
Will your jealous wrath burn like fire?
Pour
out your anger on the nations
that do not know you,
and
on the kingdoms
that do not call on your name.
For
they have devoured Jacob
and laid waste his habitation.
Do
not remember against us the iniquities of our ancestors;
let your compassion come speedily to meet
us,
for we are brought very low.
Help
us, O God of our salvation,
for the glory of your name;
deliver
us, and forgive our sins,
for your name’s sake.
A
reading from the Letter of Paul to Timothy (2:1-7)
First of all, then, I urge that supplications, prayers, intercessions, and thanksgivings be made for everyone, for kings and all who are in high positions, so that we may lead a quiet and peaceable life in all godliness and dignity. This is right and is acceptable in the sight of God our Savior, who desires everyone to be saved and to come to the knowledge of the truth. For there is one God; there is also one mediator between God and humankind, Christ Jesus, himself human, who gave himself a ransom for all – this was attested at the right time.For this I was appointed a herald and an apostle (I am telling the truth, I am not lying), a teacher of the Gentiles in faith and truth.
The
word of the Lord.
Thanks
be to God.
The Lord
be with you.
And
also with you.
The Holy
Gospel according to Luke. (16:1-13)
Glory
to you, O Lord.
Then 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 accounting 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 the eternal homes.
“Whoever is faithful in a very little is faithful also in much; and whoever is dishonest in a very little is dishonest 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.”
The Gospel
of the Lord.
Praise to you, O Christ.
Sermon
By Pastor Erik Parker
May the words of my
mouth and the meditation of my heart be acceptable to you, O Lord. Amen.
Jesus is not making a whole lot of sense in our
gospel today.
We start with two characters: the rich man and
his manager. Word on the street is that the manager has been embezzling funds
and taking kickbacks, and the rich man summons him to his office for a dressing
down.
In serious hot water, the manager realizes he’s
not trained for any other type of job and he’d better lay some groundwork for
his future. So, going to his master’s clients, he reduces their bills, thereby
earning himself their gratitude and restoring his master’s reputation from
someone who employs corrupt officials to someone who is generous with his
clients.
We can follow up to this point. The manager is
trying to make the best of a bad situation, and since he’s already defrauded
his boss, he might as well go all the way and make himself look good by
unethically reducing the amount of money the clients owe.
You might think that when the rich man found out
that his manager had again cheated him out of money, he would call for the tar
and feathers. But no. Jesus said that the “master commended the dishonest
manager because he had acted shrewdly.”
Is the employer really commending the manager for
getting himself out of trouble by breaking the rules?
In telling this story, is Jesus affirming the manager’s dishonesty or shady business dealings?
The explanation that
follows the story doesn’t seem to help much either but out of it comes the
famous phrase, “You cannot serve God and money.”
But is that the point
of this story? To be honest, I am not sure that the point is obvious on first
reading or hearing. This story takes some unpacking and pondering to sort
out.
The question begins
early on, with some of the words and what they mean.
The parable starts
with a rich man whose manager is squandering. We hear the word squandering and
many different images come to mind. The person who fails to take advantage of
an opportunity, who doesn’t risk a little bit for a big gain. The one who waits
and hesitates, rather than moving quickly and decisively. The person who
doesn’t understand the potential of what they can do and be. The person who
fails to take hold and earn every ounce of profit and reward of a situation. We
hear of a squandering manager and we imagine a weak and feeble, hesitant and
uncertain person taking the safe and easy path.
This parable from the
gospel of Luke follows right after the three parables of the lost. The parable
of lost sheep and lost coin which we heard last week, and the parable of the
prodigal son which we know so very well.
These parables come
just in advance of Jesus’ journey to Jerusalem, to the waiting crowds, to the
plotting religious authorities, to betrayal, arrest, trial, execution.
And this parable is interesting
because we are not quite sure what to do with it. The squandering manager seems
to behave in an entirely self-interested manner throughout, and yet his master
commends his shrewdness.
As the story begins,
the manager is accused of squandering his master’s property, yet how he
squandered is not mentioned or defined. Remember that.
Regardless, the
master fires the manager.
And so, the manager
does something interesting. He doesn’t have other options for work before him,
so he will forgive the debts of some of his master’s debtors in order to earn
some favours.
Now, as 21st century
people, it is easy for us to get hung up on the fact that the manager uses his master’s
wealth to earn himself some favours... yet, there is something about this
curious situation that is easier for us to miss.
In the Hebrew world
of 1st century Israel, the land held a central place in life.
The land that the
Israelites lived on was literally the promised land, the land promised to Moses
when he led the Israelites out of slavery in Egypt. And the land was not just a
resource to be exploited. It was a living thing, a gift from God to be cared
for. The land held abundant resources meant to provide for the community. There
were laws as to how the land was used to provide for all:
· A certain amount of
the harvest was required to be left on the land so that the poor and widows
could follow the workers and gather grain for themselves.
· The land did not
belong strictly to a single person or family, but rather to the entire tribe.
· Every Jubilee year it
was meant to revert to ownership by the tribe.
· The land owner didn’t
exploit the produce of the land for his own profit and gain, but cared for and
tended in order to feed the community (his extended family).
And yet in this
parable, the manager had no favours in his pocket. His master’s debtors received
no relief before this manger was fired. Maybe this manager was not the lazy,
week, uncertain manager of our imagining, but the cold, hardened, profit
focused, entrepreneur that we praise in our world. Someone who exploited the
land for every ounce of profit, who squeezed every penny from debtors, who
never paid too much and never accepted too little.
So remember that
squandering isn’t defined in the parable?
Maybe this manager
has been squandering the abundance of the land by hoarding it all for his
master, by counting every penny away in his master’s store houses instead of
caring for this community around him.
Maybe the land
manager is the fourth lost thing in this sequence of parables. Lost to himself,
lost to hoarding and profiting from an exploited land and community.
To squander in the
parable today is to be lost and alone, to put profits before people, to forget
that we live in community and what we do affects those around us and those who
come after us.
This version of
squandering is something we know. There are countless organizations and
businesses, even individuals who live their lives squandering according to this
definition, billionaires building space rockets comes to mind.
Still, I cannot help
but see the church and Christianity writ large described here too. Like the
dishonest manager we have for decades maintained what we have been given, we
have often dutifully served those in need, been mostly places of welcome, and
fulfilled out duties to provide worship, learning and programs for people of
faith and beyond.
But the church has
also been guilty of building walls with the communities around us, we have been
hesitant to go out and make relationships, we have stuck to more practical
service over forging deep relationships of trust where the gospel and God’s
love and mercy can be shared. There has often been boundaries between what we
think we are supposed to do for communities around us and what we could give
and shared of ourselves with the world.
And as we now find
ourselves increasingly on the outs with the world, we have few favours in our
pockets, few deep relationships with our neighbours to fall back on. And we are
scrambling, just like that dishonest manger with what to do next.
Now, one of the
important characteristics of parables is that the subject of a parable is
usually the first person mentioned. This parable doesn’t start “There was a
land manager.” It begins there was a rich man who had a manager. Just like the
prodigal son begins with “There was a man who had two sons.”
It is the rich man
who discovers that his manager had lost his way. And it is the rich man who
sets out to find him.
When the rich landowner
fires his manager, he is pulling the manger out of the store houses and
accounting rooms. He is forcing his manager to sit down face to face with his
community.
The manager knows
that he now will be in need. He admits his failures and shortcomings. You might
say he confesses them.
And there, seeing his
neighbour face to face maybe the manager can also see the needs of his
neighbour. Maybe his own neediness allowed him to truly see his community for
the first time.
So, he forgives debts
trusting that he will be provided for in return.
Like the shepherd to
searches for the lost sheep, the woman who looks for the lost coin, like the
father who runs out to meet his lost son on the road... the rich man joins his
lost manager back to community. It is not dishonesty that the rich man
commends, but connection and relationship, generosity and compassion.
And like the rich
man, the teller of this parable is the one who is about to search out humanity
in our isolation of sin and death. Jesus is about to find us on the cross... So
that we might know the generous abundance of resurrection and new life.
Of course, this is
what Jesus has been doing with us all along.
While we are lost and
isolated, Jesus does what it takes to joint us back to community, back to the
body, back to God. Jesus is revealing our deep need of God’s grace, the church’s
need of mercy. And finally, as our own need for the gospel is revealed to us
again inside church walls, we might begin seeing the need for the good news
outside too.
And so Jesus has us
practice being church.
Jesus makes us
practice being joined every week.
Jesus gathers us
here, and plunks us down with our siblings in Christ, beside friends and
neighbours. Beside those who know our struggles and what it is like to live in
this lost world.
And Jesus joins our
voices together with the praises of the community of faith, joining us to the
choir of saints.
And Jesus forgives us
with all these other sinners, restoring the communion of saints to
wholeness.
And Jesus speaks in
our ears a word of good news for us all, giving us hope in our seemingly
hopeless world.
And Jesus washes and
feeds at font and table, the gathering places of the faithful.
Shoulder to shoulder,
with other washed and fed ones, reminding us that we belong to God, and that we
belong to each other, no matter how lost we become, no matter how much try to
squander the abundant community given to us in creation. Christ’s church is
given for the sake of the world and the world belongs to God.
And so today, as we
hear the 4th parable of the lost, we discover that we can be lost and not even
realize it... That we can hear a parable and understand the meaning as
completely opposite of what seem after the first hearing
But we also hear of
the Christ, who will go to any length, even surprising ones, to find us and
join us again, shoulder to shoulder, face to face, to the community we need -
the Body of Christ.
Amen.
Hymn
of the Day
– Come, Thou Fount of Every Blessing (ELW #807)
Apostles’
Creed
Let us declare the faith of our baptism as we say together
the Apostles’ creed.
I
believe in God, the Father almighty,
creator of heaven and earth.
I
believe in Jesus Christ, God’s only Son, our Lord,
who was conceived by the Holy Spirit,
born of the virgin Mary,
suffered under Pontius Pilate,
was crucified, died, and was buried;
he descended to the dead.
On
the third day he rose again;
he ascended into heaven,
he is seated at the right hand of the Father,
and he will come to judge the living and the dead.
I
believe in the Holy Spirit,
the holy catholic church,
the communion of saints,
the forgiveness of sins,
the resurrection of the body,
and the life everlasting. Amen.
Prayers of Intercession
As scattered grains of wheat are gathered together into one bread, so let us gather our prayers for the church, those in need, and all of God’s good creation.
Silence
Divine teacher, you instruct your children to be responsible
stewards of your creation. Show us how best to care for the earth and its
resources, and guide those who work to develop sustainable practices.
God of grace,
hear our prayer.
Ruler of the nations, you direct those in authority. Give
leaders wisdom and compassion so that all may live in peace. Inspire public
servants to follow the example of courageous leaders and safeguard the dignity
of each person.
God of grace,
hear our prayer.
Helper of the needy, you lift up those who are oppressed.
Breathe justice into economic and social systems that perpetuate poverty and
hunger. Sustain food ministries, clothing banks, and emergency shelters.
God of grace,
hear our prayer.
Sustainer and giver of life, you bless this congregation
with abundance. Instruct us in the proper and faithful use of wealth and
resources, that we share generously.
God of grace,
hear our prayer.
God of glory, you gather your saints around your throne.
Keep us thankful for the witness of those who have gone before us and bring us
with them to the heavenly feast that has no end.
God of grace,
hear our prayer.
Gathered together in the sweet communion of the Holy Spirit,
gracious God, we offer these and all our prayers to you; through Jesus Christ,
our Savior.
Amen.
Peace
The
peace of Christ be with you always.
And also with you.
Offering
Hymn – Spirit
of God, Descend upon My Heart (ELW #800)
Offering
Prayer
Let
us pray.
God
of abundance, you have set before us a plentiful harvest. As we feast on your
goodness, strengthen us to labor in your field, and equip us to bear fruit for
the good of all, in the name of Jesus.
Amen.
Dialogue
The
Lord be with you.
And also with you.
Lift
up your hearts.
We lift them to the Lord.
Let
us give thanks to the Lord our God.
It is right to give our thanks and praise.
Preface
It
is indeed right, our duty and our joy,
that
we should at all times and in all places
give
thanks and praise to you, almighty and merciful God,
through
our Savior Jesus Christ;
who
on this day overcame death and the grave,
and
by his glorious resurrection opened to us the way of everlasting life.
And
so, with all the choirs of angels,
with
the church on earth and the hosts of heaven,
we praise your name and join their unending hymn:
Holy, Holy, Holy
Thanksgiving at
the Table
Holy
God,
our Maker, Redeemer, and Healer,
in the harmonious world of your creation,
the plants and animals,
the seas and stars
were whole and well in your praise.
When
sin had scarred the world,
you sent your Son to heal our ills
and to form us again into one.
In
the night in which he was betrayed,
our Lord Jesus took bread, and gave thanks;
broke it, and gave it to his disciples, saying:
Take and eat; this is my body, given for you.
Do
this for the remembrance of me.
Again,
after supper, he took the cup, gave thanks,
and gave it for all to drink, saying:
This cup is the new covenant in my blood,
shed for you and for all people for the forgiveness of sin.
Do
this for the remembrance of me.
Remembering,
therefore,
his acts of healing,
his body given up,
and his victory over death,
we await that day when all the peoples of the earth
will come to the river to enjoy the tree of life.
Send
your Spirit upon us and this meal:
as grains scattered on the hillside become one bread,
so let your Church be gathered from the ends of the earth,
that all may be fed with the Bread of life, your Son.
Through
him all glory and honor is yours,
Almighty God, with the Holy Spirit,
in your holy Church,
both now and forever.
Amen
Lord’s Prayer
Gathered into one by the Holy Spirit, let us pray as Jesus taught us.
Our Father
in heaven,
hallowed be your name,
your kingdom come,
your will be done,
on earth as in heaven.
Give us
today our daily bread.
Forgive us
our sins
as we forgive those
who sin against us.
Save us from
the time of trial
and deliver us from evil.
For the
kingdom, the power,
and the glory are yours,
now and forever. Amen.
Invitation to Communion
This
is the table of Christ. It is made ready for those who love him, and for those
who want to love him more. Come, whether you have much faith or little, have
tried to follow, or are afraid that you have failed. Come. Because it is
Christ's will that those who want to meet him, might meet him here.
In
Christ’s presence there is fullness of joy.
Come to the banquet.
Sharing of the Eucharist
Table
Blessing
The
body and blood of our Lord
Jesus
Christ strengthen you
and
keep you in his grace.
Amen.
Prayer
After Communion
As
we have feasted around the table, let us pray.
Life-giving
God, through this meal you have bandaged our wounds and fed us with your mercy.
Now send us forth to live for others, both friend and stranger, that all may
come to know your love. This we pray in the name of Jesus.
Amen.
Blessing
The
God of peace, ☩ Son, and Holy Spirit, bless
you, comfort you, and show you the path of life
this
day and always.
Amen.
Sending
Song – Come,
We That Love the Lord (ELW #625)
Dismissal
Go
in peace to love and serve your neighbor.
Thanks be to God.
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