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The Village Shepherd

Janice Scott ... The Village Shepherd

After being ordained in 1994 with the first wave of women priests, Janice became curate in a large city centre parish in Norwich and from there, moved to South Norfolk in 1999 as Rector of a rural benefice of six parishes. After completing her MA in Pastoral Theology with the Cambridge Theological Foundation in 2008 she was appointed Honorary Canon of Norwich Cathedral. Janice now lives with her husband Ian just outside Norwich. In addition to her diocesan work and writing "The Village Shepherd," she is a freelance writer for Redemptorist Publications in the UK. She has also written and broadcasts "Pause For Thought" on a local radio station and has written several novels, all with a church background.

Proper 20 | Ordinary Time 25 - C

Children's Liturgy and Story

Luke 16:1-13

Janice B. Scott
Call to Worship:

Jesus said, “Whoever is faithful in a very little is faithful also in much.” In our worship today let us remember the little things in our lives and ask God to help us to be utterly faithful in them.



Invitation to Confession:

Jesus, sometimes we pretend that little sins don't matter.

Lord, have mercy.

Jesus, sometimes we imagine that you don't notice little sins.

Christ, have mercy.

Jesus, sometimes we are only faithful in areas that can be seen by other people.

Lord, have mercy.



Reading:

Luke 16:1-13 (NRSV)

Story:

Children's Story

Luke 16:1-13

Janice B. Scott
Perry skipped and sang as he danced his way to the Elf King's palace. As the Elf King's chancellor, Perry had the most important position in the kingdom, after the king himself. Perry had to ensure the smooth running of the whole kingdom, and collect the rent from the emerald, ruby, diamond and sapphire mines once a month.

The king was a good master, just but generous. All the elves in the kingdom loved him, for they knew he would do anything for them. If any elf was too sick to go down the mine, the king himself would make sure the elf's family had lots of good food to eat, and good wine to drink.

Intercession

Luke 16:1-13

Janice B. Scott
Prayers usually include these concerns and may follow this sequence:

The Church of Christ

Creation, human society, the Sovereign and those in authority

The local community

Those who suffer

The communion of saints


These responses may be used:


Lord, in your mercy
Hear our prayer
Lord, hear us.
Lord, graciously hear us.

Sermon

Luke 16:1-13

Janice B. Scott
I remember a few years ago, the furore caused by Social Services when they adopted a scheme of sending persistent young offenders on expensive holidays, often abroad. At least, the public saw these outings as holidays. Social Services described them as ways of helping the young people get to know themselves better, because in unfamiliar surroundings and often under considerable physical, mental and emotional demands (such as trekking through the desert), they were forced back onto their own resources in a new kind of way.

Sermon

1 Timothy 2:1-7

Janice B. Scott
A week last Wednesday, the day when we all awoke to discover that the events of the day before weren't some ghastly nightmare but were real, the lectionary reading set for the day was this:

Sermon

Amos 8:4-7

Janice B. Scott
It is said that if everyone started their adult life on an equal footing with £1000 each, some would go on to become millionaires, some would chug along comfortably, some would struggle to make ends meet and some would become poor. It may also be true that those who became millionaires would be venerated, those who were comfortable would be admired, those who struggled would be despised and those who were poor would be so completely disregarded that they would quickly become invisible. It might also be said that every one of those people deserved their fate, whatever it might be, because they all started equal with the same chances.

What is The Village Shepherd?

The Village Shepherd offers sermons, bible stories, children's stories and prayers based on the Revised Common Lectionary. These inspirational sermons, stories, and prayers are sure to touch your heart, because they reflect the simple virtues and tranquil serenity that characterize Reverend Scott's English countryside pastorate. The questions "Where is God in this particular situation?" and "Where does the Gospel story cross our own human story?" are always at the heart of these meditations -- but rather than finding overt answers, instead you will be gently led to make your own connections and discover the powerful ways in which God works. Janice Scott has the unique ability to find interesting details in ordinary life that illuminate scripture, while still challenging even the most intellectual reader. And that gift is precisely what also makes her an outstanding communicator with children.

Most weeks include:

  • Sermon based on the Gospel reading
  • Sermon based on the Epistle reading
  • Sermon based on the First reading
  • Children's stories linked with the Gospel readings
  • Children's liturgy and story (a different story than mentioned above)
  • An intercessory prayer
UPCOMING WEEKS
In addition to the lectionary resources there are thousands of non-lectionary, scripture based resources...
Proper 20 | OT 25 | Pentecost 15
30 – Sermons
160+ – Illustrations / Stories
30 – Children's Sermons / Resources
29 – Worship Resources
34 – Commentary / Exegesis
4 – Pastor's Devotions
and more...
Proper 21 | OT 26 | Pentecost 16
29 – Sermons
160+ – Illustrations / Stories
27 – Children's Sermons / Resources
20 – Worship Resources
29 – Commentary / Exegesis
4 – Pastor's Devotions
and more...
Proper 22 | OT 27 | Pentecost 17
34 – Sermons
160+ – Illustrations / Stories
32 – Children's Sermons / Resources
26 – Worship Resources
31 – Commentary / Exegesis
4 – Pastor's Devotions
and more...
Plus thousands of non-lectionary, scripture based resources...

New & Featured This Week

The Immediate Word

Thomas Willadsen
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Dean Feldmeyer
Mary Austin
Katy Stenta
George Reed
For September 21, 2025:

Emphasis Preaching Journal

Frank Ramirez
Well, it’s autumn, and by now the seeds we planted in the spring either took root and produced or else the weather, pests, rabbits, or our own laziness conspired to make this year’s garden less than a success. But at one point we had to get started and actually plant seeds for the future.

Jeremiah is looking back from the perspective of our spiritual well-being and laments than our spiritual harvest has all been for naught. He wonders if it is now too late for a recovery. Is there no healing, no balm in Gilead, to apply to our wounds?
Mark Ellingsen
Bill Thomas
Frank Ramirez
Jeremiah 8:18--9:1 and Psalm 79:1-9
In the spring as farmers and gardeners prepare to plant we are looking at a summer of possibilities. Hard work, to be sure, but also potential. What will happen? What will this season be like? At summer’s end there will be no more questions. We’ll know. Maybe it was a great season, and we have canned or frozen many vegetables. Maybe the farmers have brought in a bumper crop and they got a good price besides.

CSSPlus

John Jamison
Object: This message will be based on a game you will play. See the note below.

NOTE: Ask three or more adults to come up and play the role of Simon for your group. Tell them to all speak at once, asking the children to do different things. The goal is to create a nice bit of confusion for the children to experience.

* * *

Hello, everyone! (Let them respond.) Are you ready for our story today? (Let them respond.) Great!

StoryShare

Peter Andrew Smith
“Hey!” Annie waved at the woman standing next to the open doorway. “Can you come here?”

The woman made her way past the other nursing home residents and stood next to Annie’s wheelchair.

“What can I do for you?”

“You look familiar.” Annie squinted at her. “Do I know your name?”

“I’m Brenda.” The woman pointed at her name tag. “I work in the kitchen and sometimes help serve the meals when they are ready.”

“That’s right. I think we’ve met before.” Annie tapped her lips with her finger. “You have the nice smile.”

The Village Shepherd

Janice B. Scott
Call to Worship:

Jesus said, “Whoever is faithful in a very little is faithful also in much.” In our worship today let us remember the little things in our lives and ask God to help us to be utterly faithful in them.



Invitation to Confession:

Jesus, sometimes we pretend that little sins don't matter.

Lord, have mercy.

Jesus, sometimes we imagine that you don't notice little sins.

Christ, have mercy.

SermonStudio

James Evans
This poignant prayer of lament and community grief gives expression to what it feels like to suffer as a person of faith. If we believe we are truly part of God's community, then the destruction of that community -- as was the case with Israel in 587 B.C. -- becomes a time for doubt, anger, and confusion. Furthermore, if we believe we are individual members of that community, our personal suffering also creates an opportunity for a crisis of faith: "Why didn't God protect me?" Of course, it does not take a national catastrophe to raise those sorts of questions.
Kirk R. Webster
If feedback is the breakfast of champions, perhaps we would do well to examine some of our prayer habits. If you have ever heard someone use The Just Really Prayer, you know exactly what problem we are talking about.

That prayer goes something like this, "Lord, we just really thank you for this day. We come before you and just really pray for mercy. We offer ourselves to you and just really ask that your will be done in our lives. Amen." I'm thankful this particular Just Really prayer was mercifully short, unlike the next example, The Good Guilt-Based Prayer.
John W. Wurster
Another season has come and gone. Promises that were made have not been fulfilled. Good intentions haven't yielded any tangible results. Dreams have not come true. High hopes have proven to be only wishful thinking. Nothing has really changed; nothing has really improved. The time keeps moving along, but we seem stuck in the same ruts. Old routines remain, prejudices persist, dullness and anxiety continue to be constant companions. Lingering in the air is that nagging sense that things aren't quite right, not as they could be, not as they should be.
R. Robert Cueni
In the scripture lesson for today Jesus tells a perplexing parable about a thoroughly dishonest employee who was praised for his dishonesty. In this story Jesus not only seems comfortable suggesting that it is acceptable to compromise with moral failings, but our Lord appears to commend his disciples to "go and do likewise." For centuries, preachers, commentators, and scholars have struggled to make sense of this outrageous tale.

Special Occasion

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