Today is the Fourteenth Sunday after Trinity, when the Gospel reading is Luke’s parable of the shrewd or dishonest manager. As Jesus draws closer to Jerusalem, so his sense of urgency and crisis sharpen. This, then, is a parable about the crisis with which Jesus confronts the world and about which a decision needs to be made. The manager is in a crisis and needs to make some quick and important decisions. Jesus applauds the manager for acting so shrewdly. The people of God need to make up their minds on the choices that confront them just as shrewdly.

For those of you who wanted to do some thinking and preparation for today’s service during the preceding week, I invited reflection on the image of crossroads. In today’s picture from their book, The Walk, Teddy Horsley and Betsy Bear come to a crossroads and need to make a decision.

Lord Jesus Christ,

you call your people

to choose your way.

Help us to follow you

with all our being,

that we may live as your disciples;

for you are our God,

now and always.

Amen.

Next week, the Fifteenth Sunday after Trinity, is also anticipating the Feast of St Michael and All Angels or Michaelmas. For the Anglican Church Michaelmas is a time in the Church’s calendar for the ordination of priests and deacons. The image to help us prepare for next week’s theme is priesthood. You can find out more about that theme by looking at the Educational Resources and the Preparation Resources.

Preparation Resources

Education Resources