Weekly Liturgy : September 14-20
Matthew 20:1-16
The Message
1-2 “God’s kingdom is like an estate manager who went out early in the morning to hire workers for his vineyard. They agreed on a wage of a dollar a day, and went to work.
3-5 “Later, about nine o’clock, the manager saw some other men hanging around the town square unemployed. He told them to go to work in his vineyard and he would pay them a fair wage. They went.
5-6 “He did the same thing at noon, and again at three o’clock. At five o’clock he went back and found still others standing around. He said, ‘Why are you standing around all day doing nothing?’
7 “They said, ‘Because no one hired us.’
“He told them to go to work in his vineyard.
8 “When the day’s work was over, the owner of the vineyard instructed his foreman, ‘Call the workers in and pay them their wages. Start with the last hired and go on to the first.’
9-12 “Those hired at five o’clock came up and were each given a dollar. When those who were hired first saw that, they assumed they would get far more. But they got the same, each of them one dollar. Taking the dollar, they groused angrily to the manager, ‘These last workers put in only one easy hour, and you just made them equal to us, who slaved all day under a scorching sun.’
13-15 “He replied to the one speaking for the rest, ‘Friend, I haven’t been unfair. We agreed on the wage of a dollar, didn’t we? So take it and go. I decided to give to the one who came last the same as you. Can’t I do what I want with my own money? Are you going to get stingy because I am generous?’
16 “Here it is again, the Great Reversal: many of the first ending up last, and the last first.”
REFLECTION
from John
The only person who loses in this story is the vineyard owner who is more interested in giving all of the workers what they need than in giving them what they deserve. This is a vineyard owner whose payment system is about making sure each worker gets to eat a square meal at the end of the day rather than measuring one timecard against the other.
Can you imagine if this system were applied within our systems and communities today? Can you imagine if our neighbors living outside were generously given what they needed to eat a square meal everyday just like others of us earn through our labor?
We’d call it welfare! Communism! Unfair!
Jesus calls it the Kingdom of Heaven.
PRACTICE:
Outward Mindset Application
Consider:
When you have opportunities to tell a story about yourself, what do you usually hope others walk away believing about you?
Does this desired interpretation ever get in the way of the accuracy of your stories?
Non-Violent Communication Application
Do you have a negative story in your head about someone else’s intentions? Check yourself by asking them if you are correct. Start your reflection toward them with the language: my interpretation of your behavior is…
Pay attention to how they respond to you. Do you notice anything unexpected that might be attributed to your own gracious approach?
Pathway Toward Center
Sensation (Loving God through our five senses):
Summer is ending and fall is fast approaching. If you step outside in the mornings, you might notice this change in the air. This week, try to spend 10 minutes outside first thing in the morning, noticing the subtle change in the way the air feels against your skin.
What do you think God wants you to know through this experience?
Questions for Reflection
Do you compare your life to others as a means of arriving at security? What do you hear the voice of God telling you about your place in God’s Kingdom? What do you hear the voice of God telling you about your neighbors place?
“Liturgy” refers to the habits and practices humans use to form community around shared values and meaning. At Church at the Park, we desire to be a community of practice, becoming people who see the world through the eyes of the marginalized, making meaning through the lens of pain and suffering, and committing ourselves to non-violence in a wounded world. This weekly email is intended to provide pathways of practice for becoming the type of people who embody these values.
Many of our reflections on each week's text come from other sources. If you're interested in reading more of what inspires us, here our our two favorite reflections.
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