MORRIS-ROSENFELD ECUMENICAL SHARED MINISTRY
ORDER OF SERVICE FOR SUNDAY, NOVEMBER 19, 2023
25TH SUNDAY AFTER PENTECOST
CHILDREN’S SUNDAY
Due to copyright limitations, we are unable to print the words to many of the songs. However, our musicians have chosen music to fit the scriptures. We invite you to look up the words in your worship book and ponder them. If you do not have a worship book, ponder the words of one of your favourite hymns and listen for God’s voice. Those who have the internet may find the songs on YouTube.
QUOTE OF THE WEEK
“A hundred years from now it will not matter what my bank account was, the sort of house I lived in, or the kind of car I drove, but the world may be different because I was important in the life of a child.”
-Forest Witcraft
BEFORE WE WORSHIP, WE REFLECT…
A number of dystopian book series such as Divergent, Maze Runner, Hunger Games, and The Giver have become staples for youth and adults. Each series provides glimpses into a harsh and broken world with characters striving to find meaning and sense of purpose in the face of challenge. Reading the scripture texts for this Sunday, we encounter our world with dystopian suffering and injustice; we encounter people trying to make sense of the realities of brokenness and God’s relationship with the earth and its inhabitants. While the texts hold significant existential angst, we are called to see a God who is our refuge; a God who calls us to know salvation and not wrath. Even the name Zephaniah means God’s “treasured one” or “concealed one,” as a contrast to the judgment against royalty, merchants, and others who are complacent. What we encounter today is a counter-narrative to dystopian novels. Ours is a story that offers hope and calls us not to shirk away, but rather to live boldly in the promise of a God who treasures us.
LAND ACKNOWLEDGEMENT – written by Joshua Lane
We acknowledge we gather and worship on Treaty 1 Territory, the original lands of Anishinaabeg, Cree, Oji-Cree, Dakota, and Dene peoples, and on the homeland of the Métis Nation.
We pray for the courage to speak up for the marginalized and oppressed, and to be a voice for the generations that have suffered under the weight of racism and discrimination. May your love and grace inspire us to take action towards healing and reconciliation, and to work towards a future where all are treated with dignity and respect. Help us to listen to the voices of those who have been silenced for too long, and to work together to see restoration and healing. May we be guided by your love and grace, and may our actions be a reflection of your goodness. May your Holy Spirit guide us towards a future where love, mercy, and compassion reign. We pray for your hand to be upon us as we work towards reconciliation, and we entrust our efforts into your hands. In Jesus’ name we pray. Amen.
CONFESSION & FORGIVENESS
Blessed be the holy Trinity, one God, in whose image we are made, who claims us and calls us beloved.
Amen.
Holy One,
we confess that we are not awake for you. We are not faithful in using your gifts. We forget the least of our siblings. We do not see your beautiful image in one another. We are infected by sin that divides your beloved community. Open our hearts to your coming, open our eyes to see you in our neighbor, open our hands to serve your creation. Amen.
Beloved, we are God’s children, and Jesus, our Beloved, opens the door to us. Through Jesus you are forgiven, by Jesus you are welcome, in Jesus you are called to rejoice! Let us live in the promises prepared for us from the foundation of the world.
Amen.
CHILDREN’S SONG: VU 585 Jesus Bids Us Shine
CENTERING PRAYER
God of All the Ages, we thank you for this day, for caring for us beautifully in this time. We praise your name for the gift of children in our lives and in our community. Forgive us for times when we discount their voices. Help us share your story with one another that we may remember your love written on our hearts. Remind us to follow children, as they lead us to living the kin-dom way. We pray in Jesus’ name. Amen.
MISSION & SERVICE: Kindergarten in a Refugee Camp
Being a child in a refugee camp means facing lots of uncertainty at a very young age. In addition to food and water being scarce, education is generally not easily accessible. Some children were born in the camps, while others fled with their families at a very young age. Either way, living in a refugee camp means children may not learn crucial cognitive and social skills.
Since 1950, the Joint Christian Committee for Social Service (JCC) has provided skills training and services to refugees living in a refugee camp in Lebanon. One of their incredible initiatives is a kindergarten program where children can engage in learning in a happy and secure place.
Hundreds of children have graduated from JCC’s kindergarten program with the skills they need to thrive. After graduating, children continue in schools that welcome the basic knowledge and values they have learned.
Your generosity through Mission and Service helps keep children learning all around the world. Thank you.
CHILDREN’S CHAT
I started taking Highland Dancing lessons when I was nine. I loved Highland Dancing! There were competitions which taught me to practice and give my all. There were also a lot of concerts. We did many concerts at care homes for seniors. Some of the people did not speak. Yet, when the bagpipes started, often a finger would keep the tempo, so we knew that they were paying attention.
I had a natural talent for Highland Dancing. I loved to travel around the city and bring joy to people with the sound of the bagpipes and the swing of the kilts! What is the point of having a gift, a talent, a skill, if you don’t share it? God wants us to make the world a better place for people through the sharing of our gifts. While the concert was taking place, the dancers and piper created memories for the seniors and brought them joy. Any time we share our gifts out of love, God gives a blessing. We are called to be a blessing to others.
What is your gift?
PRAYER FOR ILLUMINATION
Lord Jesus, you took the children in your arms and blessed them. You told your disciples that they must become like little children so that they may enter the realm of God. Help us to hear your words today in a spirit of innocence. Help us to hear your words of praise and hope, so that we, too, may share that praise and hope with others. Amen.
READINGS AND PSALM
First Reading: Zephaniah 1:7, 12-18
Zephaniah (like the prophet Amos in last week’s first reading) presents the day of the Lord as one of judgment and wrath. Descriptions of the last day in the New Testament include details taken from Old Testament accounts of the day of the Lord.
7Be silent before the Lord God! For the day of the Lord is at hand; the Lord has prepared a sacrifice,
he has consecrated his guests.
12At that time I will search Jerusalem with lamps, and I will punish the people who rest complacently on
their dregs, those who say in their hearts, “The Lord will not do good, nor will he do harm.”
13Their wealth shall be plundered, and their houses laid waste. Though they build houses, they shall not
inhabit them; though they plant vineyards, they shall not drink wine from them.
14The great day of the Lord is near, near and hastening fast; the sound of the day of the Lord is bitter,
the warrior cries aloud there.
15That day will be a day of wrath, a day of distress and anguish, a day of ruin and devastation, a day of
darkness and gloom, a day of clouds and thick darkness, 16a day of trumpet blast and battle cry
against the fortified cities and against the lofty battlements.
17I will bring such distress upon people that they shall walk like the blind; because they have sinned
against the Lord, their blood shall be poured out like dust, and their flesh like dung.
18Neither their silver nor their gold will be able to save them on the day of the Lord’s wrath; in the fire of
his passion the whole earth shall be consumed; for a full, a terrible end he will make of all the
inhabitants of the earth.
Psalm 90:1-12
1Lord, you have been our refuge from one generation to another.
2Before the mountains were brought forth, or the land and the earth were born, from age to
age you are God.
3You turn us back to the dust and say, “Turn back, O children of earth.”
4For a thousand years in your sight are like yesterday when it is past and like a watch in the
night;
5you sweep them away like a dream, they fade away suddenly like the grass:
6in the morning it is green and flourishes; in the evening it is dried up and withered.
7For we are consumed by your anger; we are afraid because of your wrath.
8Our iniquities you have set before you, and our secret sins in the light of your countenance.
9When you are angry, all our days are gone; we bring our years to an end like a sigh.
10The span of our life is seventy years, perhaps in strength even eighty; yet the sum of them is
but labor and sorrow, for they pass away quickly and we are gone.
11Who regards the power of your wrath? Who rightly fears your indignation?
12So teach us to number our days that we may apply our hearts to wisdom.
Second Reading: 1 Thessalonians 5:1-11
Though we do not know and cannot calculate the day of Christ’s return, we live faithfully in the here and now as we anticipate the day when we will be given eternal salvation through our Lord Jesus Christ.
1Now concerning the times and the seasons, brothers and sisters, you do not need to have anything written to you. 2For you yourselves know very well that the day of the Lord will come like a thief in the night. 3When they say, “There is peace and security,” then sudden destruction will come upon them, as labor pains come upon a pregnant woman, and there will be no escape! 4But you, beloved, are not in darkness, for that day to surprise you like a thief; 5for you are all children of light and children of the day; we are not of the night or of darkness. 6So then let us not fall asleep as others do, but let us keep awake and be sober; 7for those who sleep sleep at night, and those who are drunk get drunk at night. 8But since we belong to the day, let us be sober, and put on the breastplate of faith and love, and for a helmet the hope of salvation. 9For God has destined us not for wrath but for obtaining salvation through our Lord Jesus Christ, 10who died for us, so that whether we are awake or asleep we may live with him. 11Therefore encourage one another and build up each other, as indeed you are doing.
Gospel: Matthew 25:14-30
Jesus tells a parable about his second coming, indicating that it is not sufficient merely to maintain things as they are. Those who await his return should make good use of the gifts that God has provided them.
14“For it is as if a man, going on a journey, summoned his slaves and entrusted his property to them; 15to one he gave five talents, to another two, to another one, to each according to his ability. Then he went away. 16The one who had received the five talents went off at once and traded with them, and made five more talents. 17In the same way, the one who had the two talents made two more talents. 18But the one who had received the one talent went off and dug a hole in the ground and hid his master’s money. 19After a long time the master of those slaves came and settled accounts with them. 20Then the one who had received the five talents came forward, bringing five more talents, saying, ‘Master, you handed over to me five talents; see, I have made five more talents.’ 21His master said to him, ‘Well done, good and trustworthy slave; you have been trustworthy in a few things, I will put you in charge of many things; enter into the joy of your master.’ 22And the one with the two talents also came forward, saying, ‘Master, you handed over to me two talents; see, I have made two more talents.’ 23His master said to him, ‘Well done, good and trustworthy slave; you have been trustworthy in a few things, I will put you in charge of many things; enter into the joy of your master.’ 24Then the one who had received the one talent also came forward, saying, ‘Master, I knew that you were a harsh man, reaping where you did not sow, and gathering where you did not scatter seed; 25so I was afraid, and I went and hid your talent in the ground. Here you have what is yours.’ 26But his master replied, ‘You wicked and lazy slave! You knew, did you, that I reap where I did not sow, and gather where I did not scatter? 27Then you ought to have invested my money with the bankers, and on my return I would have received what was my own with interest. 28So take the talent from him, and give it to the one with the ten talents. 29For to all those who have, more will be given, and they will have an abundance; but from those who have nothing, even what they have will be taken away. 30As for this worthless slave, throw him into the outer darkness, where there will be weeping and gnashing of teeth.’ ”
HYMN: VU 806 O God, Our Help In Ages Past
SERMON:
God is NOT the master! I want to get that out of the way right from the start. The realm of heaven is like the third slave. That is the point. Now that we all understand this parable, let’s pick it apart and learn a little more.
The man going on a journey has slaves. Slaves, people. Not paid servants, slaves. This man owns them, has power of life and death over them. These slaves are as much the man’s property as the bed in which he sleeps. They are expendable. Or not. The disciples, living under Roman occupation, would understand this.
In this parable, three of the man’s slaves are chosen to look after his financial property while he is away. Although a parable, Jesus points out that these slaves obviously exhibited certain skills, intelligence, and trustworthiness in order for the master in the story to put them in charge of his wealth. These particular slaves held some value for the master. Again, the disciples would understand this.
The first is put in charge of ten talents. In today’s monetary equivalent we are looking at approximately 6 ¼ million dollars. The second slave is given five talents, or 3 ¾ million. The third is given one talent, or 1 ¼ million. Notice that the master does not give any instructions as to what to do with the money. He simply hands it over and leaves. Odd. Or is it? Our clue lies at the end of the parable.
Jesus tells this story so his audience will understand that, as slaves, as “valuable” slaves, these three would be party to how the master makes his money and therefore, would know the unspoken expectation: “make me more money”. I believe it would be appropriate to the tone of the parable to also add an unspoken “or else…”
Now we jump to the end of the parable and take a closer inspection of the third slave. Spoiler alert – we have seen a similar ending in the parable of the wedding banquet.
Jesus, as God in the flesh, lives out the love and mercy of God. Jesus is no fan of Rome, its power or the abuses it heaps on its innocent citizens. When approached by his master for his accounting, the slave says, , ‘Master, I knew that you were a harsh man, reaping where you did not sow, and gathering where you did not scatter seed; 25so I was afraid, and I went and hid your talent in the ground. Here you have what is yours.’ This seems an odd thing to do, if the slave knew the temperament and character of his master. To understand this comment, it helps to search the Talmud.
What is the Talmud? According to Chabad.org,
The Talmud is a collection of writings that covers the full gamut of Jewish law and tradition, compiled and edited between the third and sixth centuries. Written in a mixture of Hebrew and Aramaic, it records the teachings and discussions of the great academies of the Holy Land and Babylonia. With 2,711 densely packed pages and countless commentaries, learning Talmud is the occupation of a lifetime.[1]
Reverend Richard Swanson, in his commentary on this parable, states the following:
When a master leaves a subordinate (over whom he has power, even the power of life and death), the Talmud advises that a subordinate ought “Take no risks. Bury the cash in the ground.” This advice recognizes the reality of the power differential between master and subordinate.[2]
True, the Talmud did not exist at the time of Matthew’s gospel. However, the laws and traditions did and were in time recorded. Since Jesus is telling this story to a Jewish audience, perhaps Jesus knew of this advice and is pointing out that the third slave is a devout Jew. A devout Jew with a conscience.
, ‘Master, I knew that you were a harsh man, reaping where you did not sow, and gathering where you did not scatter seed;
When you hear these words, also hear the word “exploitation”. Think Rome, think oppression, think sweatshops, think drug cartels, think corporations, think of any organization that takes advantage of the poor, vulnerable and oppressed. Yea verily, even the Church is not exempt!!
There is a marvelous scene in the 1992 movie, City Of Joy, where the mob leader demonstrates to Patrick Swayze’s character how easy it is for him to get what he wants. He grabs a chicken and lets it try to escape, holding it until it tires, then he hangs a weight on its neck, and other, and another, until the chicken is unable to hold up its head and hunkers down in resignation, controlled. When you hear the words of the third slave, think of the mob leader and his ways of controlling the vulnerable. Anyone want to hold on to the interpretation that God is the master?
Audrey West, in her commentary on this parable states the following:
Viewed from a different perspective, the parable exposes the challenges of faithfulness in a world dominated by power and wealth. The rich man has achieved his wealth at the expense of others—by “reaping where did not sow, and gathering where did not scatter seed.” The first two servants multiply his dishonesty. The third refuses to participate in this system of oppression, and for this refusal he is abandoned and condemned to a place of suffering.,,,
Jesus tells this parable a couple of days before his arrest and crucifixion, events that will testify to the world’s penchant for punishing those who speak truth to power. Like the third servant in the story, Jesus will be condemned to suffering. Abandoned by most of his friends, he will cry out to God, “Why have you forsaken me?” Then he will be buried in a rock-hewn tomb, just as the talent is buried deep in the ground.
This is not the end of the story, however, even if it marks the ending of that parable. As Matthew’s Gospel makes clear, a hole in the ground—even a tomb—cannot contain Jesus. He is the Messiah, raised from the dead. The kingdom of heaven is like a treasure hidden in a field, and the day will come when the Messiah will proclaim what has been hidden from the foundation of the world. There is yet one more riddle to capture and hold the world’s attention.[3]
However, we get ahead of ourselves. For the moment we will focus on the third slave, who, knowing what was to come, stood fast in his integrity and did not participate in the oppression of others.
This parable, like Matthew’s wedding banquet parable, is harsh. And, if we focus on the third slave and the expelled wedding guest, we realize that we are called by Jesus to stand with the poor and oppressed, as does God. We are called to stand tall and proclaim truth to power, yes, even if it means losing our life.
For Matthew, the reality of the end times was ever anticipated. The power of Rome made it clear every day. The importance of keeping the faith, LIVING the faith, was paramount. Christ mattered. God’s love, mercy, forgiveness and hope mattered. Living with abundant generosity was the way to bring about God’s kin-dom on earth.
Hmmm…How to end this sermon…
When you are at home, stand in front of a mirror. Look at yourself closely. As you look yourself in the eye, ask God, “What do you want me to do for you?” Listen for the answer, and then go out and live it.
Amen.
HOM: MV 42 Praise God For This Holy Ground
PRAYERS OF INTERCESSION
Gracious God, we thank you for the gifts of this day, for the time to gather with all ages, as part of the Body of Christ in the world. Most of all, we thank you for the gift of your Son, Jesus, as he came to be guest and host at our tables. God, in your mercy,
hear our prayer.
We pray for the faithful all over the world, that all who love you may be united in your service. We pray for the church, for our witness and action together in and around Canada and with our global partners. May we support partners working with children, like Youth For Christ here in Morris, and the Wi’am Centre in Palestine and Israel. May we continue to love and serve as Jesus taught, calling those on the margins to gather together for God’s blessing. O God, know our hearts. God, in your mercy,
hear our prayer.
We pray for the peoples and leaders of the nations, that they may be reconciled one to another in pursuit of your justice and peace. We pray that our leaders—national, provincial, and local—might serve with humility and grace, remembering the needs around them of all peoples and all ages. God, in your mercy,
hear our prayer.
We pray for all who suffer from prejudice, greed, or violence, that the heart of your humanity may warm with your tenderness. We pray especially for all prisoners of politics or religion, and for all refugees. We pray for children of the world who face emotional, sexual, or physical violence. Help us challenge behaviours and attitudes that cause harm, and help us become advocates for a world that values children. God, in your mercy,
hear our prayer.
We pray for the land, the sea, and the sky, that we may live with respect in creation and use your gifts with reverence. We pray that the generations beyond us will love and respect your blessings of creation. God, in your mercy,
hear our prayer.
We pray for all who suffer the pain of sickness, loneliness, fear, or loss, that those whose names are in our hearts, in the hearts of others, or known to you alone may receive strength and courage. We name those dear to us and those we meet yet do not know. God, in your mercy,
hear our prayer.
Into your hands, O God, we commend all for whom we pray, trusting in your mercy, through Jesus Christ our Lord.
Amen.
THE LORD’S PRAYER
SENDING SONG: VU 670 Precious Lord, Take My Hand
BENEDICTION
May God, who loves us from our borning cry, go with us.
May Jesus, who welcomes us into relationship, stay with us.
And may the Spirit’s persistent call for peace be with us. This day. This week. And always. Amen.
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[1] https://www.chabad.org/library/article_cdo/aid/3347866/jewish/What-Is-the-Talmud-Definition-and-Comprehensive-Guide.htm
[2] https://provokingthegospel.wordpress.com/2017/11/13/a-provocation-twenty-fourth-sunday-after-pentecost-november-19-2017-matthew-2514-30/
[3] https://www.christiancentury.org/article/living-word/november-19-ordinary-33a-matthew-2514-30