Sunday, November 19, 2023

Thirty-Third Sunday in Ordinary Time

The Revised Common Lectionary passages for the Lord’s Day are:
– First Reading: Judges 4:1-7
– Psalm 123:1-4
– Second Reading: I Thessalonians 5:1-11
– Gospel Reading: Matthew 25:14-30

The liturgical color for the day is: Green

In the gospel story, the servant which receives the one talent receives a hefty amount of money.  The rub in the story is the servant acts out of fear.  There is no generosity or gratefulness here, and certainly no risk. 

The real tragedy in the story is that the one to whom one talent was entrusted lacked the creativity and the imagination to move beyond his fears.  He lacked the creativity and imagination to think about how the master/owner would move and act and risk.

Do our actions in the world reflect our own fears?  Do our actions in the world reflect the creative imaginations of God and how God calls us into this world during a global pandemic?  Where is that balance?  Where is that risk in our lives as we look to the God who risked it all on our behalf on the cross?

How about for the church?  Do we act out of fear?  Do we risk for the sake of the Gospel?  Will we play it safe, and what is the cost of such, and what does that say about our belief for how God is with us in the world? 

—

Rev. Dr. Daris Bultena
General Presbyter and Stated Clerk