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Village

▶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 - A

Children's Liturgy and Story

Matthew 20:1-16

Janice B. Scott
Call to Worship:

Sometimes life can seem unfair, because we are unable to see the big picture. But God always sees the big picture and always does what is right for us. In our worship today, let us consider a story which Jesus told and which at first glance seems unfair.

Invitation to Confession:

Jesus, I get angry when I think I've been treated unfairly.
Lord, have mercy.

Children's Story

Matthew 20:1-16

Janice B. Scott
Timmy and Angela glared at each other. When Angela's Dad's and Timmy's Mum had moved in with each other taking the children with them, they had thought they were starting a new, happy family. Angela and Timmy were more or less the same age, so it had seemed like a perfect arrangement. But it hadn't worked out quite like that, for Angela and Timmy had hated each other on sight.

Intercession

Matthew 20:1-16

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

Exodus 16:2-15

Janice B. Scott
According to the media, there is a shortage of surgeons in the US. The reason for this is that it has now become difficult for surgeons to afford the cost of insurance because of the litigation culture of the US. Such huge payouts follow any undesired outcome of surgery, whether or not the surgeon was to blame, that the insurance costs have reached sky high proportions and are forcing some surgeons to quit the job. Unfortunately the surgeons so affected by this are mostly those who give much of their time to working for the poor. They finance their work for the poorest in society by the rest of their work for those who can afford to pay, but this work is no longer financially viable.

Sermon

Matthew 20:1-16

Janice B. Scott
Recently I noticed in the media that the government are planning to give each teenager in England a gift of up to 10,000 pounds on reaching the age of eighteen. My first reaction was one of horror, imagining what most teenagers of my acquaintance would do with that kind of money!

But of course, on closer study it became apparent that none of the youngsters would actually see any cash, that the money could only be used as a deposit on a house or for further education, and that only the poorest of the poor would ever see anything approaching 10,000 pounds. If this scheme should ever become law!

Sermon

Philippians 1:21-30

Janice B. Scott
Many years ago in the rural area where I was living, a monastery set up an experiment. Two young monks wanted to live a kind of hermit existence, living within the local community yet somehow set apart from it. They wanted to develop a sort of open house, where people could come from miles around and talk or receive advice or simply share spirituality.

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

New & Featured This Week

The Immediate Word

Christopher Keating
Dean Feldmeyer
Thomas Willadsen
Katy Stenta
Nazish Naseem
Mary Austin
George Reed
For September 20, 2026:

StoryShare

Peter Andrew Smith
Frank Ramirez
Contents
"Redefining Fair" by Peter Andrew Smith
"How Great Thou Art!" by John Fitzgerald

Redefining Fair
by Peter Andrew Smith
Matthew 20:1-16

“Are you boys finished with your chores yet?” Linda called out from the kitchen.

Paul put two full bags of plastic containers next to the garage door. “I finished everything and Joey is almost done.”

The Village Shepherd

Janice B. Scott
Call to Worship:

Sometimes life can seem unfair, because we are unable to see the big picture. But God always sees the big picture and always does what is right for us. In our worship today, let us consider a story which Jesus told and which at first glance seems unfair.

SermonStudio

Stan Purdum
(See Proper 12/Pentecost 10/Ordinary Time 17, Cycle A, for an alternative approach to vv. 1-11, 45b; and see Proper 14/Pentecost 12/Ordinary Time 19, Cycle A, for an alternative approach to vv. 1-6, 16-22, 45b.)
William E. Keeney
"For The kingdom of heaven is like a landowner who went out early in the morning to hire laborers for his vineyard. 2 After agreeing with the laborers for the usual daily wage, he sent them into his vineyard. 3 When he went out about nine o'clock, he saw others standing idle in the marketplace; 4 and he said to them, 'You also go into the vineyard, and I will pay you whatever is right.' So they went. 5 When he went out again about noon and three o'clock, he did the same.
Russell F. Anderson
BRIEF COMMENTARY ON THE LESSONS

Lesson 1: Exodus 16:2--15 (C)
In the hardships of the wilderness, the people complain to Moses. They protest about the lack of food, as they remember the plentiful and well--seasoned fare they enjoyed in Egypt. The Lord hears their murmuring and sends quails in the evening and manna in the morning. Most likely, the manna was a fine, honeydew like excretion of insects that feed on twigs of the tamarisk tree. The term ''manna'' is interpreted by the question: ''What is it?''

Lesson 1: Isaiah 55:6--9 (RC, L)
David Kalas
Let me ask you to do a little remembering today. I don't know specifically what it is that I'm asking you to remember: that will vary with each individual. In general, though, here is the assignment: I want you to remember "the good old days."

What comes to mind when you hear that phrase? What time? What place? What period of your life and experience first occurs to you when you hear a reference to "the good old days"?
Larry Lange
Don had not worked like a dog for nothing. He had struggled up the corporate ladder to one rung below the vice-presidents --who were all brothers. So Don knew he wasn't going any higher on the ladder.

That was okay with him. They had treated him like family. He had earned a six-figure salary and eight weeks of vacation and had 10,000 frequent flyer miles to play with.
Richard E. Gribble, CSC
The term "late-bloomers" refers to people who respond later in life to an invitation, but still manage in the end to accomplish great things. History has known some famous late-bloomers. Fortunately for us, early or late, these people followed their special invitation offered by God, achieved much, and made the world a better place for all.
Marilyn Saure Breckenridge
Introduction
Jeff Wedge
Many people cling very tightly to life. They refuse to let go of it, and hold onto a shred of life beyond all reasonable expectations. And then there are others.

There was an old man, lying in the bed in the back bedroom, surrounded by his wife, daughter, and his four granddaughters. His breath was coming slowly, almost in sighs, and the time between the sighs was stretching to longer and longer periods.

Emphasis Preaching Journal

David Kalas
Conventional wisdom says that it's the squeaky wheel that gets the grease.

That makes sense with wheels, of course, but the setting in which the phrase is most often used in our day has nothing whatsoever to do with wheels. Rather, the squeaky wheel has become a metaphor for a complaining person. And so for the squeaky wheel to get the grease means that the complainer gets what he or she wants.
R. Craig Maccreary
Needless to say, I suspect that I have captured your attention at this point. Most of the readers of this journal understand the ground rules that govern the kinds of churches they serve. One can see all sorts of red lights coming on their panels as their clerical radar picks up storms ahead. Given the diversity of the people who populate our churches and their points of view, it is not likely that any pastor who poses that question will come away unscathed.

CSSPlus

Teachers or Parents: Young children especially have an acute sense of what's fair and what is not fair. This story of God's grace may not make sense to them, just as it doesn't make sense to many adults. Grace just does not seem fair! The important point here is that the children hear that God's grace is for them. There is no tenure in the church that assures salvation.

*Learn the story about John Newton, the composer of "Amazing Grace."

*Learn and sing "Amazing Grace."
Jesus told a story once to tell us something about God. He said that a man needed people to work for him so he said, "I'll pay you good money if you will work for me today." (Now ask: "Which of you will pretend to be this worker?" Let them respond. Use more than one child so that, in the end, the last one hired is the remaining child.) A few hours later he still needed help. "I still need someone to work for me. I'll be fair and pay you what you deserve for working for me," he said. (Ask: "Now who will pretend to be this second worker?") At noon the owner still needed workers.
Good morning, boys and girls! How many of you brought your parents with you to church today? (let them answer) How many of you brought a friend with you today? (let them answer) Most of you just brought your parents. Not many brought a friend. This week, find a friend who does not have his or her own church and bring him or her with you. Then I can make a new friend and they will have a new friend.

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