Sunday Worship 21 September 2025
Today’s service is led by the Revd Lisa Moore Wilson
Introduction
Hello, and greetings to you to wherever you are joining us from today. My name is Lisa Moore-Wilson and I’m one of the URC ministers in the Cumbria Missional Partnership. Today we’re going to be looking at how we navigate living in a real world whilst still adhering to God’s teaching for us. But first, let’s come before God to worship, gather our thoughts put aside the busyness of the day and take a moment of silence before our Call to Worship.
Call to Worship
God, we come this morning with our petitions and prayers giving thanks for all people; grant us all peaceful and quiet lives lived in holiness and godliness. Give us the courage and strength to share your message because you are a God who wants to save and bring all people into relationship with you and each other. In the name of Jesus, the one who meditates between you and your people, Amen
Hymn The Kingdom of God is Justice and Joy
Bryn Rees (1911-1983) © Alexander Scott OneLicence A-178345. Performed by Paul Robinson and used with his kind permission.
The kingdom of God is justice and joy,
for Jesus restores what sin would destroy;
God’s power and glory in Jesus we know,
and here and hereafter the kingdom shall grow.
The kingdom of God is mercy and grace,
the prisoners are freed, the sinners find place,
the outcast are welcomed God’s banquet to share,
and hope is awakened in place of despair.
The kingdom of God is challenge and choice,
believe the good news, repent and rejoice!
His love for us sinners brought Christ to his cross,
our crisis of judgement for gain or for loss.
God’s kingdom is come, the gift and the goal,
in Jesus begun, in heaven made whole;
the heirs of the kingdom shall answer his call,
and all things cry glory to God all in all!
Prayers of Approach, Confession and Assurance
God our source, guide and goal:
you have made us in your image and set us in a world full of beauty;
even though you dwell in light unapproachable,
you have come to be among us, full of grace and truth;
and coming in wind and flame to work your wonders in our midst.
Gracious God, awaken us from sleep
that we may worship you in spirit and in truth:
through Jesus Christ our Lord. Amen.
And yet, we also seek your forgiveness when we have forgotten to bring
petitions, prayers, intercession and thanksgivings for all people;
when we have only complained about our leaders
and not prayed for them;
when we’ve neglected to take the steps in our own lives
needed to the live of godliness and holiness that pleases you. Amen
Despite our misgivings, take hope in these words of assurance:
God wants all people to be saved
and to come to a knowledge of the truth.
For which Christ Jesus came as Mediator between earth and heaven
and gave himself as a ransom for all people.
Hear the truth, we are forgiven and can live as redeemed people. Amen
Reading Amos 8:4-7
Hear this, you who trample on the needy, and bring to ruin the poor of the land, saying, “When will the new moon be over so that we may sell grain, and the Sabbath, so that we may offer wheat for sale? We will make the ephah smaller and the shekel heavier and practice deceit with false balances, buying the poor for silver and the needy for a pair of sandals and selling the sweepings of the wheat.” The LORD has sworn by the pride of Jacob: Surely I will never forget any of their deeds.
Hymn Beauty for Brokenness
Graham Kendrick © 1993 Make Way Music OneLicence A-178345 BBC Songs of Praise
Beauty for brokenness, hope for despair,
Lord, in your suffering world this is our prayer.
Bread for the children, justice, joy, peace,
sunrise to sunset, your kingdom increase!
God of the poor, friend of the weak,
give us compassion we pray;
melt our cold hearts, let tears fall like rain;
come, change our love from a spark to a flame.
Lighten our darkness, breathe on this flame
until your justice burns brightly again;
until the nations learn of your ways,
seek your salvation and bring you their praise.
God of the poor, friend of the weak,
give us compassion we pray;
melt our cold hearts, let tears fall like rain;
come, change our love from a spark to a flame.
Reading St Luke 16:1-13
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.”
Sermon
Initially, the parable we heard seems to be a rather puzzling story. It becomes slightly easier to make sense of once we realise it’s part of a series of teachings. Our passage comes after the story of the Prodigal Son and before the story of Lazarus and the Rich Man who find their fortunes are reversed after death. So firstly, it asks us to think about the consequences of our decisions on our circumstances and secondly to reflect on what constitutes real wealth.
Some of you may have come across the “Let Them Theory” associated with the author and podcaster Mel Robbins. Basically the theory is, how people act is largely out of our control but our reaction to their behaviour is what causes us stress and frustration. Obviously this does not extend to letting people behave in a harmful way, it’s about being responsible for our behaviour. So for instance, if we get missed off a party guest list, we don’t fret, drop hints, tear ourselves apart thinking about why we haven’t been invited, we just say Let Them – let them not invite us and move on. Possibly easier said than done, but you get the idea! Perhaps Jesus, as YouTuber Maryl de Milo says, had this theory off pat way before Mel Robbins.
Jesus, we see time and time again accepting people are they are and also accepting that we live in real world – give to Caesar what is Caesar’s. The manager can’t really do much once the debts have been altered. But if the Let Them theory frees us to think about our responses maybe the manager is thinking let my employee do this and then let’s see what he learns! Jesus, in this story reprises his teaching about the value of eternal wealth versus temporary worldly gains but also about how we live in this world will affect that eternal wealth. So what we need to do is take the lessons we learn and apply them.
Money is one of those issues that can really divide us, no wonder we have the phrase money is the root of all evil! In fact this is a common misinterpretation of a phrase from Paul’s letter to Timothy. The actual text says, “For the love of money is a root of all kinds of evil”. The key difference is the focus on the love of money, not money itself, as being the source of harm. We can often think that having money is desirable and will solve everything. Obviously for those in abject poverty, money can be life changing but for those of us who do have some degree of financial security, money brings other challenges.
The perceived or real threat of what happens if you lose money.
The stress we out on ourselves to live a certain lifestyle .
Inheritance squabbles – just ask any previously close family torn apart by the contents of a will.
If we look to scripture, it is filled with advice on many of these things perhaps best known is the commandment not to covet – not to be driven by having to have things. But scripture also accepts that people have to make a living, the important thing is how we make that living. This is not new teaching – God tells us the same thing through the words of his prophet Amos in our OT reading. Amos himself was a farmer, preaching around 800 BCE, a time of relative peace and prosperity for the people of Israel. However that prosperity was built on fleecing the poor – with dishonest business practices and ignoring God, paying lip service to religious festivals, chomping at the bit to make even more money once they are over.
However it’s important to note, Amos does not condemn business and the right to make a living, what he is criticising is the way it is done: immorally and without regard for others. It’s a theme that continues throughout scripture, a quick dip into the Book of Proverbs reveals all sorts of advice on how to conduct yourself in work and business. It outlines the ‘hokmah’ or skills including discipline, discretion and prudence necessary for wealth generation and encourages the cultivation of character traits such as fairness (Prov 1:3). This wise behaviour which follows God’s path is contrasted with the folly of using nefarious schemes to generate riches (Prov 1:10-16) and a reliance on dishonesty, laziness and badly discerned decisions.
In our story today, the dishonest manager is not dishonest in that he doesn’t steal but more guilty of not using what he has been given in the best way When he realises, he might lose his job, he makes bargains with his master’s debtors, reducing their debt and gaining their goodwill in case he finds himself in need of asking them a favour in the future. We could note, he clearly has the skills to handle resources, he’s for some reason chosen not to exercise them employing this ‘hokmah’ or Godly wisdom so far! For this, he actually gets praise from the master for thinking about his long term future!
Jesus is using this as an illustration of how we choose to live in this world, while at the same time knowing we are heading for an eternal one. If we looked at our own faith, have we used the talents and blessings that God has given us as wisely as we could? Jesus acknowledges, “.. the people of this world are more shrewd in dealing with their own kind than are the people of the light.” Have we thought about how we can further God’s plans for the world or our own? Perhaps, we’re less active in cultivating schemes and putting them into practice!
The parable’s core message is that believers should use their worldly wealth wisely and strategically, not just for personal gain but also to build relationships and secure their eternal future. It is long term v short term thinking which in today’s world is very countercultural.
The parable of Lazarus and the Rich mans which follows, reminds us we can’t pretend to be ignorant of what God wants us to do. This means using resources to help others, showing compassion, and seeking to establish connections that will endure beyond this life. Jesus is certainly showing here some shrewdness – offering a motivation to help others – but one from which ultimately everyone will benefit. We can incorporate this into our personal lives perhaps volunteering, thinking about our investments and supporting charities. And imagine if we could cascade that to a community even global level! Primula squeezy cheese owned by the Kavli Trust has donated profits to good causes for 60 years, Bill Gates donates a large amount of the wealth he creates to charitable causes. There are great examples of social enterprise, sometimes we just have to look a bit harder for them. Jesus tells us money should not be a distraction that stops you getting into heaven but a tool that helps you on the journey. Money is not power in itself, its relationships with people that is the most important and the shrewd manager knows this.
A lot of people around Jesus weren’t poor, they included tax collectors and the women who invested in early church. He asks, “you haven’t done that in this life, how can you be trusted with more? If you cant behave with integrity here, why should you be rewarded later?” And do it now don’t wait for one of those crises that tends to concentrate the mind like the manager in this story. “Look, I am coming soon! My reward is with me, and I will give to each person according to what they have done” (Revelation 22:12).
Jesus emphasises, our world as we know it, will disappear so what we do now counts? Which will you choose? Short term or long term? Earthly riches or heavenly treasures? Which of the two masters will you choose money, or using money to serve God through helping others? If those in the world, give us confusing signals, Let Them – and Let Us be free to live up to our responsibilities in this world and the next. Amen
Hymn We’ve a Story to Tell the Nations
H Ernest Nichol, Public Domain. Sung by the choir and congregation of First Methodist Church, Houston, Texas
We’ve a story to tell to the nations
that shall turn their hearts to the right,
a story of truth and mercy,
a story of peace and light,
a story of peace and light.
For the darkness shall turn to dawning,
and the dawning to noonday bright,
and Christ’s great Kingdom shall come on earth –
the kingdom of love and light.
We’ve a song to be sung to the nations,
that shall lift their hearts to the Lord,
a song that shall conquer evil
and shatter the spear and sword,
and shatter the spear and sword.
For the darkness shall turn to dawning,
and the dawning to noonday bright,
and Christ’s great Kingdom shall come on earth –
the kingdom of love and light.
We’ve a message to give to the nations –
that the Lord who reigneth above
hath sent us His Son to save us
and show us that God is love,
and show us that God is love.
For the darkness shall turn to dawning,
and the dawning to noonday bright,
and Christ’s great Kingdom shall come on earth –
the kingdom of love and light.
We’ve a Saviour to show to the nations
who the path of sorrow hath trod,
that all of the world’s great peoples
might come to the truth of God,
might come to the truth of God.
For the darkness shall turn to dawning,
and the dawning to noonday bright,
and Christ’s great Kingdom shall come on earth –
the kingdom of love and light.
Offertory
God we bring before you today our gifts, not just of money, but our time and talents too. Guide us to make the right choices and to be shrewd managers of these resources, not so that they have a hold on us but so they can be used to grow your Kingdom. Amen.
Prayers of Intercession
We pray for our world today…
for those who live in continual fear, hunger and torment due to conflict;
for those who are dealing with the ramifications
of a changing trading environment;
for those whose livelihoods are being eroded by climate change;
for those who these issues force them to move home or country
only to be met with a hostile environment.
God, our Comforter in sorrow, listen to the cry of your people
We pray too for our local communities…
for those who are challenged by changing neighbourhoods;
for those who are finding it difficult to find work
and for those who work but still find it impossible to make ends meet;
for those who have no meaningful connection with you
and feel adrift in a secular world.
God, our Comforter in sorrow, listen to the cry of your people
We pray for those in our church community…
for those who are ill, waiting for treatments, test results,
appointments or an operation date;
for those who are sitting with the dying
or those grieving those who have departed;
for those who are facing difficulties and challenges of any kind,
no matter how small their problems might seem to us.
God, our Comforter in sorrow, listen to the cry of your people
We pray for ourselves…
for what we need your help with today;
for the wisdom to know how
we can make a difference to the world today;
for the courage to act so our prayers are not just empty words;
God, our Comforter in sorrow, listen to the cry of your people
As we join all our prayers together
in the words given to us by your son Jesus, Our Father…
Hymn Lord for the Years
Timothy Dudley-Smith (1926-2024) © administered by Oxford University Press in Europe and by Hope Publishing Company OneLicence A-178345. Performed by Ruth and Joy Everingham and used with their kind permission.
Lord, for the years your love has kept and guided,
urged and inspired us, cheered us on our way,
sought us and saved us, pardoned and provided,
Lord of the years, we bring our thanks today.
Lord, for that word, the word of life which fires us,
speaks to our hearts and sets our souls ablaze,
teaches and trains, rebukes us and inspires us,
Lord of the word, receive your people’s praise.
Lord, for our land, in this our generation,
spirits oppressed by pleasure, wealth and care;
for young and old, for commonwealth and nation,
Lord of our land, be pleased to hear our prayer.
Lord, for our world; when we disown and doubt him,
loveless in strength, and comfortless in pain;
hungry and helpless, lost indeed without him,
Lord of the world, we pray that Christ may reign.
Lord, for ourselves; in living power remake us,
self on the cross and Christ upon the throne;
past put behind us, for the future take us,
Lord of our lives, to live for Christ alone.
Blessing
Generous God, send us into the world to share your love,
to share your wisdom, and to share the resources you have given us.
Go in peace to love and serve the Lord. In the name of Christ. Amen.