Equality

Sunday Reflection – September 24, 2023

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Workers in the vineyard

Matthew 18 As Jesus was telling what the kingdom of heaven would be like, he said:

Early one morning a man went out to hire some workers for his vineyard. 2 After he had agreed to pay them the usual amount for a day’s work, he sent them off to his vineyard.

3 About nine that morning, the man saw some other people standing in the market with nothing to do. 4 He promised to pay them what was fair, if they would work in his vineyard. 5 So they went.

At noon and again about three in the afternoon he returned to the market. And each time he made the same agreement with others who were loafing around with nothing to do.

6 Finally, about five in the afternoon the man went back and found some others standing there. He asked them, “Why have you been standing here all day long doing nothing?”

7 “Because no one has hired us,” they answered. Then he told them to go work in his vineyard.

8  That evening the owner of the vineyard told the man in charge of the workers to call them in and give them their money. He also told the man to begin with the ones who were hired last. 9 When the workers arrived, the ones who had been hired at five in the afternoon were given a full day’s pay.

10 The workers who had been hired first thought they would be given more than the others. But when they were given the same, 11 they began complaining to the owner of the vineyard. 12 They said, “The ones who were hired last worked for only one hour. But you paid them the same that you did us. And we worked in the hot sun all day long!”

13 The owner answered one of them, “Friend, I didn’t cheat you. I paid you exactly what we agreed on. 14 Take your money now and go! What business is it of yours if I want to pay them the same that I paid you? 15 Don’t I have the right to do what I want with my own money? Why should you be jealous, if I want to be generous?”

16  Jesus then said, “So it is. Everyone who is now last will be first, and everyone who is first will be last.”

Kids Korner: Everyone treated equally (Sept 24th)

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Read Matthew 20:1-16 with your family.

The workers who had been in the field since dawn had a point – why should those who showed up only an hour ago get the same pay? If they only spent one tenth of the time we did, then we should get paid ten times more. Right?

That makes sense in our world. And it probably made sense in the world where Jesus grew up. However, Jesus was trying to teach people a different way of thinking about God’s world.

Jesus knew that those who only worked for one hour were just as important. They deserved to be valued too. It wasn’t their fault that they weren’t picked first.

We have to change our understanding of who is important and start seeing people the way God sees people – as everyone matters and everyone is equally loved.

That is the most important lesson that Jesus ever taught.

Sunday Worship – January 23, 2022

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Gathering

Christ calls us together, with our different backgrounds, our different identities, our different gifts, our different ideas, and our different tastes. 

Christ calls us together, to share what makes our community special, to build each other up, to serve each other in love. 

Christ calls us together, knowing that we need all parts of the body if we are to be whole. 

Hymn

Confession & Words of Assurance

You speak to us in many ways, through rushing wind
or still small voice, in Scripture’s word or through Your Grace and we in turn find many ways to hear the world’s
insistent voice break through the silence and take Your place. We fail to recognize Your gifts in other people and their inclusion as children of God. And we are reluctant to use the gifts You have given us to make our own contributions to Your ministry.

Forgive our sin. Help us hear Your voice above the clamour of this world, recognize the difference and follow only You.

God’s promise doesn’t change. In all of our differences we are still one, and in our unity our differences make us a fuller representation of God in our world. Trust the promise and leave your sins behind.

Story Time

Scripture

 

Unity and Diversity in the Body

1 Corinthians 1212 Just as a body, though one, has many parts, but all its many parts form one body, so it is with Christ. 13 For we were all baptized with one Spirit so as to form one body—whether Jews or Gentiles, slave or free—and we were all given the one Spirit to drink. 14 Even so the body is not made up of one part but of many.

15 Now if the foot should say, “Because I am not a hand, I do not belong to the body,” it would not for that reason stop being part of the body. 16 And if the ear should say, “Because I am not an eye, I do not belong to the body,” it would not for that reason stop being part of the body. 17 If the whole body were an eye, where would the sense of hearing be? If the whole body were an ear, where would the sense of smell be? 18 But in fact God has placed the parts in the body, every one of them, just as he wanted them to be. 19 If they were all one part, where would the body be? 20 As it is, there are many parts, but one body.

21 The eye cannot say to the hand, “I don’t need you!” And the head cannot say to the feet, “I don’t need you!” 22 On the contrary, those parts of the body that seem to be weaker are indispensable, 23 and the parts that we think are less honorable we treat with special honor. And the parts that are unpresentable are treated with special modesty, 24 while our presentable parts need no special treatment. But God has put the body together, giving greater honor to the parts that lacked it, 25 so that there should be no division in the body, but that its parts should have equal concern for each other. 26 If one part suffers, every part suffers with it; if one part is honored, every part rejoices with it.

27 Now you are the body of Christ, and each one of you is a part of it. 28 And God has placed in the church first of all apostles, second prophets, third teachers, then miracles, then gifts of healing, of helping, of guidance, and of different kinds of tongues. 29 Are all apostles? Are all prophets? Are all teachers? Do all work miracles? 30 Do all have gifts of healing? Do all speak in other languages? Do all interpret? 31 Now eagerly desire the greater gifts.

Sermon

 

 Prayers

Creator God, we come before You asking prayers for those who lead nations, cities, churches, and homes. As You poured out your love in the scriptures may we hear Your word and follow.

Holy One, we come before You as a people broken into shards of lives, some sick, some poor, some hungry, and some hidden by the limitations of our eyes. Help us to see as You see. Pour out Your love in the world. Give us the encouragement and grace to create the world You envisioned for us.

God of Mercy, we come before You seeking to live as You command, but often failing, and thus we are torn by cries of despair, anger, power, control, lost to foolishness and stumbling blocks. Help us to hear your word and follow.

Gentle God, we come before you giving thanks for all our blessings, the gift of life, of hope, of faith, of love, of family and friends, all we care for this day. Help us to be Your body.

All of these prayers and so may more we pull together and pray the prayer tradition has taught us…

Our Father, who art in heaven,
hallowed be thy name;
thy kingdom come;
thy will be done;
on earth as it is in heaven.
Give us this day our daily bread.
And forgive us our trespasses,
as we forgive those who trespass against us.
And lead us not into temptation;
but deliver us from evil.
For thine is the kingdom,
the power and the glory,
for ever and ever.
Amen.

Hymn

Blessing

May the Jesus the Christ teach you to walk in His way more trustfully, to accept His truth more faithfully, and to share His life more lovingly; that by the power of the Holy Spirit we may become one body in the community of God.

Go share the love of God.

Kids Korner: The Body of Christ (January 23rd)

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Read 1 Corinthians 12:12-31 with your family.

A very important person in the early church named Paul, wrote a letter to his friends in the city of Corinth in Greece. They were arguing about something and Paul was trying to explain to them how the Christian family was supposed to get along. He used the image of a body with all our different parts as examples of people being different from each other but still needing to work together.

The city of Corinth was mostly Greek people, and some Greeks joining the Hebrews in worshipping Jesus. There were rich people and poor people, there were slaves owned by the rich, and free people who could make their own decisions. There were people with all different skin tones, and from different places. Paul wanted to remind them that in God’s eyes, they were all the same and should act like family.

Paul also talked about the gifts that people had, and how everyone was part of the work of the church, no matter what they did or couldn’t do. Not everyone was supposed to be a teacher, he said. Some were supposed to manage the money, others were supposed to care for the sick, and others were to spread the word of Jesus. But ALL of them were to work together.

That goes for our churches today as well. We all need to work together and respect each others differences. That was one of Jesus’ most important lessons: that everyone was equally part of the family of God, and part of the body of the church.