The Presbyterian Outlook - Worship resources for September 24, 2023

September 24, 2023 Seventeenth Sunday after Pentecost Matthew 20:1-16 "I wonder what happened the next day!" my friend commented after we discussed Matthew's parable over lunch. He is the owner of a successful business with approximately 140 hourly workers. I asked him two questions: Could you pay your employees as the landowner in the parable paid his workers? What do you think would happen at your business? He said he could pay his employees however he chose, but following the landowner's example would inevitably cause workplace problems. As for the next day? We wondered if many potential workers would show up early because they would want to work for a generous landowner or if all the workers would show up one hour before closing time. My friend honestly admitted that even as he tries to care for his laborers, he still has a responsibility to make a profit at the end of the day. The landowner's business model would not allow him to do that. However, he observed, "This story really isn't about good business practices and a fair payment structure, is it?" It's not. Our sense of fair play is offended here by the landowner's distribution of his assets, even though the people who worked all day received exactly what they had agreed to. Those workers remind me of the elder brother in the parable of the prodigal son (Luke 15:11-32). His complaint against his father ("I have been working like a slave for you … yet you killed the fatted calf for him.") sounds much like the laborers who worked all day ("We have borne the burden of the day and the scorching heat . . . yet you have made them equal to us."). Of course, the father's response to the elder brother ("Son, you are always with me, and all that is mine is yours") is similar in tone to the landowner's defense of his actions ("Am I not allowed to do what I choose with what belongs to me?"). ... You can read the rest of the commentary on our website. Thanks to this week's contributor Philip Gladden.  Order of worship for September 24, 2023. These liturgies are free to use. Horizons — Elizabeth’s Sacred Encounter by Rosalind Banbury Casting stones (September 24, 2023) by Daniel Frayer-Griggs Pastoral prayer for the anniversary of 9/11 by Jill Duffield Want the worship resources for September 17, 2023? You can find them here. IN CASE YOU MISSED IT... A new kind of pluralism: Lessons and observations on a changing paradigm Joe Morrow says contemporary life in the 21st century is about “coming to terms with the array of options.” Fall devotional recommendations Looking for a re-fresh in your devotional life this fall? Amy Pagliarella has some recommendations. The theology of bartending Jo Wiersema, a University of Dubuque Theological Seminary student and bartender, shares their ministry behind the bar. Sometimes, they write, you can find the love of God next to a pint of beer. Giving is up at churches and people are back, but clergy still thinking about quitting While life at local congregations has returned mostly to normal, the future remains uncertain. Faithful cooperation across differences Teri McDowell Ott sat down with author, speaker, educator and interfaith leader Eboo Patel for a faithful conversation about his recent book, "We Need to Build." We must hope well of all The Bible offers a key to how to live faithfully and lovingly in a world full of diverse opinions, writes John Williams. Is being prophetic killing the church? Can being apostolic save it? Most pastors were trained to be prophetic by tenured seminary professors who have typically never led congregational transformation. Graham Standish believes the Bible offers us a much better example of ministry in Acts: the apostolic model.