Volume 1 Issue 9 September 29, 2019 Gotta’ Serve Somebody · Somebody” In the lyrics of that...

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he called in each one of his master’s debtors. He asked the first, ‘How much do you owe my master?’ 6 “‘Nine hundred gallons of olive oil,’ he replied. “The manager told him, ‘Take your bill, sit down quickly, and make it four hundred and fifty.’ 7 “Then he asked the second, ‘And how much do you owe?’ “‘A thousand bushels of wheat,’ he replied.“He told him, ‘Take your bill and make it eight hundred.’ 8 “The master commended the dishonest manager because he had acted shrewdly. For the people of this world are more shrewd in dealing with their own kind than are the people of the light. 9 I tell you, use worldly wealth to gain friends for yourselves, so that when it is gone, you will be welcomed into eternal dwellings. 10 “Whoever can be trusted with very little can also be trusted with much, and whoever is dishonest with very little will also be dishonest with much. 11 So if you have not been trustworthy in handling worldly wealth, who will trust you with true riches? 12 And if you have not been trustworthy with someone else’s property, who will give you property of your own? 13 “No one can serve two masters. Either you will hate the one and love the other, or you will be devoted to the one and despise the other. You cannot serve both God and money.” (NIV) This is one of the most, if not the most, challenging parables of our Lord! In the previous one, “The Parable of the Lost Son” we see that the son’s wastefulness eventually comes to an end with his repentance and return back home. But in our parable for this morning, there seems to be no such “happy ending.” There is no lost son who comes back to His father, no lost sheep that is found, and no lost coin that is recovered. In this parable, the “lost” person stays lost! But that’s not all! Jesus used some pretty unscrupulous and greedy people as the main THE MAGNOLIA FIRST UNITED METHODIST CHURCH THE MAGNOLIA MESSENGER Volume 1 Issue 9 September 29, 2019 Gotta’ Serve Somebody Special points of interest: * Gotta’ Serve Somebody! * Crossword - “60’s Music” * Announcements! * The Importance of Choirs! * “Discipleship Bands” * Liturgical Colors and Misc. Inside this issue: Gotta’ Serve Somebody1 Crossword: “60’s Music” Announcements- 3 Crossword Puzzle Solution, and much more Sermon Continued: 4-5 The Importance of Choirs 6 “Discipleship Bands” 7 Liturgical Colors and Misc. 8 In 1979, Bob Dylan wrote the hit song, Gotta Serve SomebodyIn the lyrics of that song Bob writes that you’re either going to serve the devil or the Lord, but you will serve somebody when all is said and done. It is a truth that Jesus alludes to in this parable. As you hear the parable, consider the main characters, the choices they have made in their life journeys, and your own journey in life thus far! Luke 16:1-13 Jesus told his disciples: “There was a r i c h m a n w h o s e manager was accused of wasting his possessions. 2 So he called him in and asked him, ‘What is this I hear about you? Give an account of your management, because you cannot be manager any longer.’ 3 “The manager said to himself, ‘What shall I do now? My master is taking away my job. I’m not strong enough to dig, and I’m ashamed to beg— 4 I know what I’ll do so that, when I lose my job here, people will welcome me into their houses.’ 5 “So Continued on Page 4

Transcript of Volume 1 Issue 9 September 29, 2019 Gotta’ Serve Somebody · Somebody” In the lyrics of that...

Page 1: Volume 1 Issue 9 September 29, 2019 Gotta’ Serve Somebody · Somebody” In the lyrics of that song Bob writes that you’re either going to serve the devil or the Lord, but you

he called in each one of his master’s debtors. He asked the first, ‘How much do you owe my m a s t e r ? ’ 6 “ ‘ N i n e hundred gallons of olive oil,’ he replied. “The manager told him, ‘Take your bill , sit down quickly, and make it four hundred and fifty.’ 7 “Then he asked the second, ‘And how much do you owe?’ “ ‘A thousand bushels of wheat,’ he replied.“He told him, ‘Take your bill a n d m a k e i t e i g h t h u n d r e d . ’ 8 “ T h e master commended the d i s h o n e s t m a n a g e r because he had acted s h r e w d l y . F o r t h e people of this world are more shrewd in dealing with their own kind than are the people of the light. 9 I tell you, use worldly wealth to gain friends for yourselves, so that when it is gone, you will be welcomed into eternal dwellings. 10 “Whoever can be trusted with very little can also be trusted with much, and whoever is dishonest with very little will also be dishonest with much. 11 So if you

have not been trustworthy in handl ing wor ld ly wealth, who will trust you with true riches? 12 And if y o u h a v e n o t b e e n trustworthy with someone else’s property, who will give you property of your own? 13 “No one can serve two masters. Either you will hate the one and love the other, or you will be devoted to the one and despise the other. You cannot serve both God and money.” (NIV)

This is one of the most, if not the most, challenging parables of our Lord! In the previous one, “The Parable of the Lost Son” we see that the son’s wastefulness eventually comes to an end with his repentance and return back home. But in our parable for this morning, there seems to be no such “happy ending.” There is no lost son who comes back to His father, no lost sheep that is found, and no lost coin that is recovered. In this parable, the “lost” person stays lost! But that’s not all! Jesus used some pretty unscrupulous and greedy p e o p l e a s t h e m a i n

THE MAGNOLIA FIRSTUNITED METHODIST CHURCH

THE MAGNOLIA MESSENGERVolume 1 Issue 9 September 29, 2019

Gotta’ Serve Somebody

Special points of interest:

* Gotta’ Serve Somebody!

* Crossword - “60’s Music”

* Announcements!

* The Importance of Choirs!

* “Discipleship Bands”

* Liturgical Colors and Misc.

Inside this issue:

“Gotta’ Serve Somebody” 1

Crossword: “60’s Music”

Announcements- 3Crossword Puzzle Solution, and much more

Sermon Continued: 4-5

The Importance of Choirs 6

“Discipleship Bands” 7

Liturgical Colors and Misc. 8

In 1979, Bob Dylan wrote the hit song, “Gotta Serve Somebody” In the lyrics of that song Bob writes that you’re either going to serve the devil or the Lord, but you will serve somebody when all is said and done. It is a truth that Jesus alludes to in this parable. As you hear the parable, consider the main characters, the choices they have made in their life journeys, and your own journey in life thus far!

Luke 16:1-13 Jesus told his disciples: “There was a r i c h m a n w h o s e manager was accused of wasting his possessions. 2 So he called him in and asked him, ‘What is this I hear about you? Give an a c c o u n t o f y o u r management, because you cannot be manager any longer.’ 3 “The manager said to himself, ‘What shall I do now? My master is taking away my job . I ’m no t s t rong enough to dig, and I’m ashamed to beg— 4 I know what I’ll do so that, when I lose my job here, people will welcome me into their houses.’ 5 “So

Continued on Page 4

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“60’s Music” —- Crossword Puzzle

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Across

1. * This part of a Liverpool band's name was dropped before hitting the big time7. * He had a Sixties smash with "Twisting the Night Away"10. Fortify13. * She co-wrote The Shirelles smash "Will You Still Love Me Tomorrow"14. * Beatles-Breaker-Upper, some say15. * Burt Bacharach and Hal David wrote this Sixties song: "I ___ Little Prayer"17. * Verses from "Shut Down" by The Beach Boys: "My Stingray is light the slicks are startin' to spin (Oooo movin' out now) / But the Four-Thirteen's really diggin' ___ (Oooo movin' out now)..."18. * "Walk-Don't Run" was this group's big hit in the Sixties: The ___21. Initials of the investigative journalist who has an evening talk show on CNBC22. * Music impresario who signed acts in the Sixties such as Santana and Big Brother & The Holding Company24. * Sixties singer who married Phil "The Wall of Sound" Spector26. * Sixties Smash: "___ Mr.

Postman"28. Gain Ground29. Food scrap30. Ms. Derek31. Record store events34. It'll turn "oun" into the last name of a movie western star35. * Mr. McKenzie of "San Francisco (Be Sure To Wear Some Flowers In Your Hair)"39. City in New Mexico: Santa ___40. Interjection of Pleasure42. * Some Sixties Songs48. * The Rolling Stones album: "___ It Bleed"49. * Verses from "It's A Man's, Man's, Man's World" by James Brown: "This is a man's world, this is a man's world / But ___ would be nothing, nothing without a woman or a girl"50. * Part of a hit song title for Roy Orbison52. Mount near Olympus55. Bandages on Broken Bones58. * Verses from "Purple Haze" by Jimi Hendrix: "Purple Haze all in my brain / Lately things don't seem the same / Actin' funny but I don't know why / 'Scuse ___ while I kiss the sky"59. Tony Blair and Jean Chrétien, for short60. Interjection of Surprise (pl.)

61. * Sixties Song: "___ Said Than Done"65. * Word that is part of a Bobby Vinton song title from the Sixties67. * R.B. Greaves Sixties hit: "Take A Letter ___"68. Star of "CHiPS" (TV): Er___ Estrada69. * He pioneered the Sixties Surfer Sound72. Chicago loop train74. * Ode to Peace by The Beatles: "All You ___ Is Love"76. Metal-bearing mineral77. * Verse from "Last Kiss" sung by J. Frank Wilson and The Cavaliers: "Then in the road, straight ahead / The car was stalled, the ___ was dead..."80. Assembly vote81. Lummox82. * Surname associated with The Kinks

Down

1. Literary genre: ___-Fi2. * Sylvia's folk singing partner in the Sixties3. * She (Initials) sang "Different Drum" with The Stone Poneys (TRIVIA TIDBIT! The song was written by Mike Nesmith of The Monkees)4. Acronym seen on a bottle of Whiskey or Brandy5. * He made his comeback in 1968 on a television special6. * Lead singer of The Vandellas who sang the hit "Heat Wave": Martha ___7. Blockhead8. Babylonian Sky God9. * Jim or Van10. Formal organization, for short11. Egyptian deity, (var. sp.)12. * Chart topper for The Temptations16. * She sang "Chain of Fools"19. I know not what: Je ___ sais quoi20. Long time22. Atomic #5823. Scale Syllable25. It'll turn "Qui" into a tall crop plant26. TV network27. * Brill Building dance song sung by Little Eva: "___-Motion"28. * Part of a song title by The Beatles32. Astern

33. * Name associated with "This Diamond Ring"34. * Name that was part of a Sixties duo36. * Song by The Hollies: "___ A Carousel"37. Woven Web38. * Word With Who41. Peculiar43. * Part of a psychedelic smash song title by The Small Faces44. Baseball legend: Mel ___45. Word seen on a Memo46. * The Four Tops hit: "It's the ___ Old Song"47. * She sang "Try"51. "Sea" in Strasbourg53. * Bob referred to him as the greatest living American poet54. Acronym seen on a job application56. * Marianne Faithfull had a hit with this song, in 1964: "___ Tears Go By"57. * Hit for Hyland: "___ With a Kiss"60. Mr. Baba62. Stadium63. Affirmative reply in Spain64. U.S. state66. Collection of Norse poems67. Mother, commonly70. Isthmus of ___: Strip of land that links the Malay Peninsula to the mainland of Asia71. Word meaning, for short72. Compass point73. Victor Hugo novel: "___ Misérables" (1862)75. Mr. Cummings78. American heiress who grew up to be a fashion designer (Initials)79. V - III = ___

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September 2019 News and Announcements 2019 Southwest District-Wide Charge Conference

The 2019 District Wide Charge Conference will take place at 3:00 p.m. on November 17, 2019 at Malvern First United Methodist Church, 127 East Page Street, Malvern, AR. The deadline for submitting the Charge Conference packet will be October 18, 2019. Bishop Mueller will lead us in worship. More details will be provided as we know them.

Magnolia Methodist Adopt a College Student Program

Transitioning to college life is an exciting time in the life of a young person, but it can also be chaotic and confusing as it is characterized by many different life transitions. 

We can help support and comfort by “adopting” students for the school year while students are away from their families. Students will benefit greatly from this program as it gives them a connection and sense of belonging in our community as you walk with them down one of the most exciting yet difficult times in their lives. 

Sponsors will be matched with a student and will engage in both group and individual activities. It’s simple and inexpensive!

Here are a few ideas as to how you might engage with your student:

• Sunday lunches/Cooking Together• Day Outings/Fishing • Life & Faith Mentoring• Giftcards/Care Packages

For more information, please contact Rev. Dan Read at [email protected] or (816) 529-7863.

It is hard to believe that we are into our third month at Magnolia First United Methodist Church. Melissa and I have experienced a heart-warming amount of love and welcome here in beautiful Magnolia! We are looking forward to many years of joyful service and are expecting great

Volume 1 Issue 9

things to happen over the up and coming years!

Caring Place Fish FryFirst United Methodist Church Bus Barn

Monday, October 14, 20195-7 p.m.$12.00

Mule’s CateringFish Plate with sides

Carry Out Only

World Communion Sunday — October 6, 2019

Always remember that you have been blessed to be a blessing. So be one!

Pastor Gary

Cross Word Puzzle Solution - “60’s Music”

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Gotta’ Serve Somebodycharacters in this parable! We are presented, as the model for our faith, at least one person whose life is the complete opposite of everything Jesus ever taught. Finally, there is no repentance and to make matters worse, there is a commendation of the unjust steward’s actions by his master! Yikes! What are we to make of this one?

Jesus was telling this parable primarily to His disciples after a c o n f r o n t a t i o n w i t h s o m e Pharisees, who also seemed to have a great love of money!

As this parable opens, we see a rich guy whose lifestyle is made possible by the income from his property run by hired tenant farmers. Just like the song lyrics, “You load 16 tons and what you get? Another day older and deeper in debt.” These farmers bought what they needed from the company store and whatever was left over they paid their high rent. The steward, the fellow that the rich guy hired to oversee his properties, had been wasting those resources entrusted to him. S o w h e n t h e l a n d o w n e r discovered his deceit, he placed the steward on 24-hours notice that he was being canned. The steward was now pretty much dead in the water, unless he could think of something and think of it quickly!

The office manager knew that he was up the proverbial creek without a paddle, so he quickly

ran through his options:

1) Manual Labor? - In other words hard work, like digging, etc. “Nope, I don’t care for that idea!” he thought to himself.

2) Begging? – “Nah, I‘m too proud to do that!”

3) Deceit and mishandling of someone else’s property? “Why, that’s right up my ally! Those debtors will be so appreciative of my deceit that they’ll give me a place to live after I get booted out of this job! I’ll get right to work on it!”

And he did just that! He called every one of the folks who owed the big boss something, so he could settle their debts using his stellar skills of deceit and mismanagement!

As the first debtor came in, he asked him how much he owed. The response came back “900 gallons of olive oil!” “Wow, have I got a deal for you!” he said. He then told them to, “Take your bill and write 450 gallons.” To the next one he said, “How much do you owe?” “A thousand bushels of wheat” was the reply. He then said, “Take your bill and write 800.”

It would seem that no one argued with him about these questionable proposals and I assume there were more than just these two debtors who got a major discount on their bills. Not only that, but since their

bills have been reduced so much, they could finally see some light at the end of the otherwise dark tunnel of despair! Maybe, just maybe, they might also be able get out of debt and begin to make some choices, buy seeds, or purchase a herd of their own animals.

The steward doesn’t tell the farmers that he has been fired, or that he is doing this without permission.

At this juncture the steward and the landowner were seen as heroes for doing this merciful and kind deed!

Imagine this with me…. The landowner comes out to the country to pick up the money collected by the steward and give him the boot! What did he see? The streets were lined with cheering farmers, shouting his name, telling him that he is their hero.

The landowner discovered what the unfaithful steward had done and now he had a really tough decision to make: He could tell the farmers that it was all a terrible mistake and be the bad guy or he can go outside and soak up the joy of being a hero! He would most likely take the steward back into his employ, but without much trust! The steward doubly won because he will always be in the debt of the farmers as well! He has gone from zero to hero! So much so

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that the landowner commended him for his shrewd dealings!

So there it is!

N o w , i f y o u ’ r e s t a r t i n g t o understand why many preachers, teachers, and Bible students are not so comfy with this parable, then hold on to your socks as we get to Jesus’ head-scratching explanation! At first glance, it almost sounds like Jesus was approving of this unjust steward’s actions and advising that we act the same way, but that is not the case. Jesus was pointing out that t h e u n j u s t s t e w a r d w a s demonstrating a single-minded focus on his own wants and needs.

The Unjust Steward was using every one of his God-given gifts and talents to love himself as He served his idol of money and self-interest! He was then “forced” to use those same gifts and talents to save himself from certain poverty and homelessness by removing either the amount the farmers were being overcharged or his exorbitant commission!

With that possible thought in mind, we read Jesus’ concluding thought to this parable: 13 No one can serve two masters. Either you will hate the one and love the other, or you will be devoted to the one and despise the other. You cannot serve both God and money.”

Hopefully, you and I don’t fall into the category of serving money, but let me ask you, “Are you doing your best to faithfully use the finances,

gifts, and talents God gave you for His kingdom or are you using them to serve some worldly ‘gods’ like riches, power, or status?”

You might not have earthly riches, at least not as we usually think of riches, but let me ask you about your stewardship of what you do have:

1) Serving God - Is one of your spiritual priorities geared to take time to worship God, study His Word, and pray or does anything and everything else seem to take the top spot in your life?

2) Serving Others – Do you give some of your time and resources to make someone else’s life better or do you just take care of Number 1?

3) Wisdom – Are you as smart and devoted in serving the living God as much as was the unjust steward in doing evil?

4) Faithfulness - He who is faithful in what is least is faithful also in much; and he who is unjust in what is least is unjust also in much.

We know that the Unjust Steward was serving Himself and his idol of money, but how about you? “Who is it that you are serving?”

Like it or not, we all serve somebody!

As we opened, I mentioned Bob Dylan’s hit song, “Gotta Serve Somebody”

I’ll just read the first stanza and the chorus:

You may be an ambassador to England or France

You may like to gamble, you might like to dance

You may be the heavyweight champion of the world

You may be a socialite with a long string of pearls.

But you're gonna have to serve somebody, yes indeed

You're gonna have to serve somebody,

It may be the devil or it may be the Lord But you're gonna have to serve somebody.

So, who are you going to serve? — Will you be faithful and serve God? — Or will you serve the devil, yourself, and the ways of the world?

There is not any middle ground, at least not according to Jesus and Bob! Choose wisely and always remember that you have been blessed to be a blessing, so faithfully take y o u r p r a y e r s , p r e s e n c e finances, gifts, and talents that God has blessed you with and be a blessing to someone this week!

Pastor Gary

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“The Critical Importance of Church Choirs” by Vince Wilcox - Part 1.5*

Is the verdict final? Are church choirs going the way of pay phones and Blockbuster video stores? The evidence seems pretty convincing. . . From 1998 to 2012, 21% of evangelical churches and 40% of mainline churches stopped using choirs regularly in worship (according to the most recent National Congregational Study). (http://blog.discoverworship.com/articles/the-case-for-importance-of-church-choir?

That said, of the 200,000 evangelical and mainline Protestant churches in North America, 35% of evangelical congregations and 37% of mainline churches continue to use choirs—a total of approximately 70,000 churches. That’s still a lot of folks who believe in the critical importance of church choir in their worship services. As an attorney, I’m trained to prepare arguments and present evidence. Ladies and gentlemen of the jury, here are seven reasons a choir can be vital to your church.

3. Choirs celebrate the human voice — There is something extraordinary about hearing a group of practiced singers use their God-given instruments to worship their Creator. I remember the first time I ever heard a gospel mass choir. The summer before I went to college, I attended a community talent show at Woodrow Wilson High School in Portsmouth, Virginia. There were folk singers and rock bands and soloists. Then the choir took the stage. About 10 seconds after they started singing, every hair on my head stood up. I had goose bumps on my goose bumps. The sheer intensity and emotion of those voices eclipsed any of the prior performances. We were on our feet, singing along—transformed from spectators into participants. Their rich, passionate voices touched something deep within us. And in doing so, they connected our hearts to our Father’s.

4. Choirs can inspire and lead worship — One of the arguments against using choirs in contemporary worship services is that it relegates congregants to the role of bystanders. As if we’re saying, “Let the professionals do the worshiping—you just sit here and enjoy it.” Instead—the argument continues—we ought to make congregational singing as simple and inviting as possible. So we do away with hymnals that have written harmony parts and simply project lyrics on the screen to be sung in unison. But this great “dumbing down” doesn’t necessarily encourage more participation. You don’t have to look far to find modern worship settings where people are “spectating” just as much as they might have done with a choir.

The issue isn’t as much if a choir should be used; rather, it’s how a choir can be used to facilitate meaningful worship. Yes, it’s possible to make your choir (or worship band, for that matter) the center of attention. But that’s “worship malpractice” insomuch as it misdirects your congregation away from the true object of worship, the Lord. But properly used, a choir (or worship band) can lead your congregation to worship in Spirit and in truth.

* There was an error in last week’s newsletter — part 3 was left out!

(Continued next week)

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Discipleship Bands: Confession Breaks the Power of SinBy Steve Seamands - September 25, 2019

James 5:16 says, “Confess your sins one to another, and pray for one another that you may be healed.”

John Wesley often said that he instituted bands among the people called Methodist in order to create a setting where James 5:16 could be practiced and lived out.

In keeping with that verse, for the past eighteen months when Howard, Jonathan, Winfield and I have met together each week we have asked each other “Do you have a sin to confess?” In what follows, let me share briefly what I am learning about how valuable asking each other that disturbing question is.

According to James 5:16, healing happens when we confess our sins, not only to God, but to one another. Yet why is that? Why is confessing our sins, not only to God but to our fellow band members, such a catalyst in transformation? Engaging in this practice each week has caused me to ponder that question as never before.

Here’s what I’ve concluded so far: Because it leads to death and then to life.

Confessing our sins to one another forces us to experience a two-fold death.There is a death to self and especially our religious self. I’m embarrassed and ashamed to tell others what I’ve done. What will they think of me?

Openly confessing my sins to my band members thus strikes a blow at the root of my pride, particularly my religious pride. It causes me to humble myself, to admit my weakness, my brokenness, my selfishness. And trust me, you can never go wrong with humility!

In addition to a death to self, there is also a death to the sin itself. My resistance to confess my sin to others forces me to ask, “Do I want to stop doing that so badly that I’m willing to confess it to someone else?”Someone has wisely said, “Don’t tell God that you really want to be free from your sin if you insist on hiding it and being silent about it.” When we openly confess it, we are, in effect saying, “I want that destructive thing in my life to die.”

But in confession, not only do we experience a necessary dying to self and sin, we also experience resurrection and life. James tells us to confess and to “pray for one another.” Through the prayers of our fellow band members we receive grace as we hear the authoritative word of divine forgiveness spoken over us. We also receive empowerment through the Spirit to “Go and sin no more.”

Confessing to one another is also life-giving in that it draws us back into community, into fellowship with one another. In Life Together, Dietrich Bonhoeffer puts it like this: “Sin demands to have us by ourselves. It withdraws us from the community. The more isolated we are, the more destructive will be the power of sin over us . . . In confession the breakthrough to community takes place.”

Confess your sins one to another. In my band experience I am discovering how vitally important this practice is. Truly, as James says, it is the pathway to healing.

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THE MAGNOLIA FIRST UNITED METHODIST CHURCH

CHAPEL WORSHIP 8:30 A.M. SUNDAY SCHOOL 9:30 A.M.

CHAPEL WORSHIP 10:45 A.M.YOUTH 6:00 – 8:00 P.M.

Mailing Address:Magnolia First United Methodist Church 320 West Main StreetMagnolia, Arkansas 71753

Phone: 870-234-4530 (Church)Pastor: The Reverend Dr. Gary L. Maskell Email: [email protected]: http://www.magnoliafumc.org/home

UMW Fab 5 CircleGoal Met

School Kit Goal25 out of the 25 School Kits!

Camp Tanako Financial NeedsPaid in Full

Praise God and our thanks to our faithful Congregation!!!

Lectionary Texts for this WeekSeptember 29, 2019

Fifteenth Sunday after Pentecost

Lectionary Texts:

Jeremiah 32:1-3a, 6-15; Psalm 91:1-6, 14-16;

Luke 16:19-31

Liturgical Color: Green

Green symbolizes the renewal of vegetation and generally of living things and the promise of new life. It is used for the Season of Epiphany between Transfiguration Sunday and the beginning of Lent, and for Ordinary Time between Trinity Sunday (first Sunday after Pentecost) and the beginning of Advent.