16th Sunday after Trinity 23rd Sept 2007
Collect
O Lord, we beseech you mercifully to hear the prayers of your people who call upon you; and grant that they may both perceive and know what things they ought to do, and also may have grace and power faithfully to fulfil them; 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 for ever.
First reading - Amos 8.4-7
4) Hear this, you that trample on the needy,
and bring to ruin the poor of the land,
5) 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 small and the shekel great,
and practise deceit with false balances,
6) buying the poor for silver and the needy for a pair of sandals,
and selling the sweepings of the wheat.’
7) The LORD has sworn by the pride of Jacob:
Surely I will never forget any of their deeds.
Please join in the Psalm refrain:
Praise, O praise the name of the Lord
Second reading - 1 Timothy 2.1-7
My dearly beloved,
1) I urge that supplications, prayers, intercessions, and thanksgivings be made for everyone,
2) for kings and all who are in high positions, so that we may lead a quiet and peaceable life in all godliness and dignity.
3) This is right and is acceptable in the sight of God our Saviour,
4) who desires everyone to be saved and to come to the knowledge of the truth.
5) For there is one God; there is also one mediator between God and humankind, Christ Jesus, himself human,
6) who gave himself a ransom for all - this was attested at the right time.
7) 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 Gospel
Gospel - Luke 16.1-13
1) 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.
2) 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.”
3) 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.
4) I have decided what to do so that, when I am dismissed as manager, people may welcome me into their homes.”
5) So, summoning his master’s debtors one by one, he asked the first, “How much do you owe my master?”
6) He answered, “A hundred jugs of olive oil.” He said to him, “Take your bill, sit down quickly, and make it fifty.”
7) 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.”
8) 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.
9) 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.
10) 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.
11) If then you have not been faithful with the dishonest wealth, who will entrust to you the true riches?
12) And if you have not been faithful with what belongs to another, who will give you what is your own? 13No 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.’
Post-communion
Almighty God, you have taught us through your Son
that love is the fulfilling of the law:
grant that we may love you with our whole heart
and our neighbours as ourselves;
through Jesus Christ our Lord.
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 for 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 where men disown and doubt you,
loveless in strength, and comfortless in pain,
hungry and helpless, lost indeed without you:
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.