prepared by Rev Rosemary Mutopo – 21st September 2025
Call to Worship – Based on Psalm 113:1-3
Praise the Lord!
Praise, O servants of the Lord;
praise the name of the Lord.
Blessed be the name of the Lord from this time on and for evermore.
From the rising of the sun to its setting the name of the Lord is to be praised.
STF 25: God is here! As we his people
Opening Prayers
Almighty and gracious God, you are the giver of every good gift, the Lord of heaven and earth, the one who entrusts us with life itself. You call us to be wise and faithful stewards, to use what You have given for your kingdom’s work. We worship and adore you, for yours is the power, the glory, and the majesty forever.
Merciful Lord, we confess that too often we have been careless with what you entrust to us. We chase after wealth and possessions, we cling to our own comfort and security, and we try to serve both You and the world. Forgive us when our loyalties are divided, when our wisdom is self-serving, and when our lives fail to reflect your truth. Renew us by your Spirit, and teach us again the joy of living with open hands and generous hearts.
Faithful God, we thank you that in Jesus Christ we are forgiven, and that your grace is greater than our failures. We thank you for entrusting us with gifts, time, talents, resources, and relationships and for calling us to use them in love and service. With grateful hearts we offer you our lives, that in all we do we may serve You alone, through Jesus Christ our Lord. Amen.
Please read the Gospel reading: Luke 16:1-13
Then 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. 2So 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.” 3Then 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. 4I have decided what to do so that, when I am dismissed as manager, people may welcome me into their homes.” 5So, summoning his master’s debtors one by one, he asked the first, “How much do you owe my master?” 6He answered, “A hundred jugs of olive oil.” He said to him, “Take your bill, sit down quickly, and make it fifty.” 7Then 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.” 8And 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. 9And 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.
‘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. 11If then you have not been faithful with the dishonest wealth, who will entrust to you the true riches? 12And 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.’
STF 566: Take my life, and let it be
1 Take my life, and let it be
consecrated, Lord, to thee;
take my moments and my days,
let them flow in ceaseless praise.
2 Take my hands, and let them move
at the impulse of thy love;
take my feet, and let them be
swift and beautiful for thee.
3 Take my voice, and let me sing
always, only, for my King;
take my lips, and let them be
filled with messages from thee.
4 Take my silver and my gold,
not a mite would I withhold;
take my intellect, and use
every power as thou shalt choose.
5 Take my will, and make it thine;
it shall be no longer mine;
take my heart — it is thine own;
it shall be thy royal throne.
6 Take my love; my Lord, I pour
at thy feet its treasure-store;
take myself, and I will be
ever, only, all for thee.
Frances Ridley Havergal (1836–1879)
Reflection
The Gospel gives us the parable of the dishonest steward, together with sayings on making good use of wealth. This parable is one of the most difficult to interpret, because Jesus uses a dishonest man as an example for His disciples. Why would Jesus do this? He uses this parable because the situation was familiar to the people of His time. Let us try to understand the background.
Ancient Palestine was an agricultural society. People who owned large portions of land accumulated wealth, while poor farmers often had to borrow from these wealthy landlords. According to the Mosaic law (Deuteronomy 23:21), interest could only be charged from foreigners—not from fellow Israelites. But to evade this law, two separate documents were prepared to create the appearance of two different loans. In this way, interest was secretly added even for Jewish borrowers. The landowners knew this was happening, but the exact calculations were left to their stewards or managers.
In the parable, the steward alters the records of the debts—reducing what was owed. Jesus does not praise him for his dishonesty or cheating. Rather, Jesus uses this situation—well known to His listeners—to drive home a lesson. The rich man asks the steward: “Give an account of your stewardship.” Dear friends, everyone will one day hear these words. Both sinner and saint alike will be called to give an account—of our time, our talents, our opportunities, and our relationships. What will our response be?
Jesus praises the steward’s cleverness—not his corruption, but his alertness and his ability to act decisively in a moment of crisis. When his future was at risk, he used wealth to secure a better outcome. Jesus points to this as an example of urgency and foresight. Then Jesus expands the lesson with three sayings about how to manage wealth properly:
Use money to win friends. Like the steward, wealth should be used to build relationships, not to exploit or hoard.
Be faithful in little things. Money, Jesus says, is one of the “least things.” If we cannot be trusted with what is small, how can we be trusted with what is truly great?
No servant can serve two masters. A slave cannot belong to two owners at once. Likewise, we cannot serve both God and money. One will always take precedence.
The parable leaves us with searching questions. What is our attitude toward wealth? How do we use the resources God has placed in our hands? And, most importantly, who is our true Master? The parable of the shrewd steward challenges us to examine our loyalties and our priorities. Wealth is temporary; it can be used for good or wasted in self-interest. But the true riches are found in living faithfully with God, using all that we have—time, talents, resources, and relationships—for His kingdom. In the end, the parable is less about money and more about our hearts. For Jesus reminds us: “You cannot serve both God and money.”
Prayers of intercession
Loving God, you call us to serve you with faithfulness in little things and in great things. With trust in your mercy, we bring our prayers for the Church, the world, and all in need.
Lord of the Church, make us wise and faithful stewards of the Gospel. Keep us alert to opportunities to share your love, generous in our giving, and clear in our loyalty to Christ alone.
God of justice, guide those in positions of power and responsibility. Give them integrity in handling wealth and resources, and courage to use them for the good of all, especially the poor and vulnerable. Compassionate God, we pray for all who live with the weight of debt, for families struggling with poverty, and for communities exploited by greed. May they find hope, relief, and the dignity of a secure future.
God of grace, teach us to wisely use the gifts you have placed in our hands— our time, our skills, our relationships, and our resources. Help us to build friendships, to strengthen trust, and to reflect the generosity of Christ.
God of compassion, we lift before you the sick, the lonely, the grieving, and all who cry out for your help in this moment of need… (names) Surround them with your healing love and bring them peace.
Faithful God, remind us that one day we will give an account of our lives. Keep us faithful in small things, steadfast in great things, and devoted always to serving you alone. Lord of heaven and earth, receive these prayers, and make us wise and faithful stewards of your kingdom, through Jesus Christ our Lord and Saviour. Amen.
The Lord’s Prayer
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.
STF 658: A charge to keep I have
1 A charge to keep I have:
a God to glorify;
a never-dying soul to save,
and fit it for the sky;
2 To serve the present age,
my calling to fulfil;
O may it all my powers engage
to do my Master’s will!
3 Arm me with jealous care,
as in your sight to live;
and O your servant, Lord, prepare
a strict account to give!
4 Help me to watch and pray,
and on yourself rely,
so shall I not my trust betray,
nor love within me die.
Charles Wesley (1707–1788)
Benediction May the Lord who entrusts us with life’s gifts bless you with peace in your home, strength in your spirit, and joy in your heart. May Christ be your faithful companion, and may the Holy Spirit keep you steadfast in love, now and always. Amen.
