Patrick Comerford
We are continuing in Ordinary Time in the Church Calendar, and today is the Sixteenth Sunday after Trinity (Trinity XVI, 5 October), and is being observed in some churches as Creation Sunday. Later this morning, I hope to sing with the choir at the Parish Eucharist in Saint Mary and Giles Church, Stony Stratford, as a new choir term begins and Jacob Collins takes up his role as Organist and Director of Music.
Before today begins, however, I am taking some quiet time this morning to give thanks, and for reflection, prayer and reading in these ways:
1, today’s Gospel reading;
2, a reflection on the Gospel reading;
3, a prayer from the USPG prayer diary;
4, the Collects and Post-Communion prayer of the day.
Luke 17: 5-10 (NRSVA)
5 The apostles said to the Lord, ‘Increase our faith!’ 6 The Lord replied, ‘If you had faith the size of a mustard seed, you could say to this mulberry tree, “Be uprooted and planted in the sea,” and it would obey you.
7 ‘Who among you would say to your slave who has just come in from ploughing or tending sheep in the field, “Come here at once and take your place at the table”? 8 Would you not rather say to him, “Prepare supper for me, put on your apron and serve me while I eat and drink; later you may eat and drink”? 9 Do you thank the slave for doing what was commanded? 10 So you also, when you have done all that you were ordered to do, say, “We are worthless slaves; we have done only what we ought to have done!”.’
5 Καὶ εἶπαν οἱ ἀπόστολοι τῷ κυρίῳ, Πρόσθες ἡμῖν πίστιν. 6 εἶπεν δὲ ὁ κύριος, Εἰ ἔχετε πίστιν ὡς κόκκον σινάπεως, ἐλέγετε ἂν τῇ συκαμίνῳ [ταύτῃ], Ἐκριζώθητι καὶ φυτεύθητι ἐν τῇ θαλάσσῃ: καὶ ὑπήκουσεν ἂν ὑμῖν.
7 Τίς δὲ ἐξ ὑμῶν δοῦλον ἔχων ἀροτριῶντα ἢ ποιμαίνοντα, ὃς εἰσελθόντι ἐκ τοῦ ἀγροῦ ἐρεῖ αὐτῷ, Εὐθέως παρελθὼν ἀνάπεσε, 8 ἀλλ' οὐχὶ ἐρεῖ αὐτῷ, Ἑτοίμασον τί δειπνήσω, καὶ περιζωσάμενος διακόνει μοι ἕως φάγω καὶ πίω, καὶ μετὰ ταῦτα φάγεσαι καὶ πίεσαι σύ; 9 μὴ ἔχει χάριν τῷ δούλῳ ὅτι ἐποίησεν τὰ διαταχθέντα; 10 οὕτως καὶ ὑμεῖς, ὅταν ποιήσητε πάντα τὰ διαταχθέντα ὑμῖν, λέγετε ὅτι Δοῦλοι ἀχρεῖοί ἐσμεν, ὃ ὠφείλομεν ποιῆσαι πεποιήκαμεν.
Today’s Reflection:
The Gospel reading (Luke 17: 5-10) is a short one. But it is a reminder that our relationship with God makes obedience to God a duty to be fulfilled and not an occasion for reward.
The apostles ask for an increase in faith. But I imagine, once again, like so many other occasions, they are missing the mark. They want an increase in faith rather than a deepening of faith. It is one of those moments when the people involved think that quantity matters more than quality, and Jesus replies by giving a good illustration of how they might considered the concept that in many cases less may mean more and more may mean less.
I have discussed in the past the trees in this reading, and a similar image in Saint Matthew’s Gospel (Matthew 17: 14-20), the size of a mustard seed and mustard bush, and the connections between mulberry trees, sycamore trees and fig trees. But, whatever about the size of seeds, bushes, and trees, how could we possibly measure the size of faith?
Is the immeasurable size of faith more important than valuing a faith that is alive and growing. Surely a small measure of faith that relates to God is more important than a faith that we use to seek attraction to ourselves or to browbeat our theological and political opponents? This is displayed in a recent blasphemous video clip in which Pete Hesgeth recites the Lord’s Prayer, dramatic music swells and the the screen is filled with images of fighter jets and missiles flying, paratroopers tumbling from planes, a waving American flag and Hegseth standing and saluting alongside Donald Trump.
This was not patriotism, this was idolatry. The Lord’s Prayer is about God’s reign, not America’s military might. To merge the gospel with nationalism is to distort it into a false religion. Christian nationalism confuses the Kingdom of God with the kingdoms of this earth. The Lord’s Prayer should never be a soundtrack for missiles and tanks – it is the prayer of the poor, the meek, the merciful, and those who hunger and thirst for righteousness.
I find it interesting how the apostles’ request in verse 5, Πρόσθες ἡμῖν πίστιν (‘Increase our faith!’) is phrased in the plural, and that Christ replies to them in verse 6 in the plural, Εἰ ἔχετε πίστιν (‘If you had faith …’ ), and continues to address them collectively.
Too often, I hear people relate this passage to personal, internalised faith, and the need for individuals to find and nurture such faith. But, in the year we are marking the 1,700th anniversary of the Nicene Creed, it is worth reminding ourselves that the faith expressed in this Creed, is expressed collectively and in the plural: Πιστεύομεν εἰς ἕνα Θεὸν Πατέρα παντοκράτορα … ‘We believe in One God, the Father Almighty …’. The Nicene Creed is about the salvation of all humanity and not about individual salvation (τὸν δι' ἡμᾶς τοὺς ἀνθρώπους); and we conclude collectively, ‘we look for the resurrection of the dead, and the life of the world to come’ (προσδοκοῦμεν ἀνάστασιν νεκρῶν, καὶ ζωὴν τοῦ μέλλοντος αἰῶνος).
It is regrettable that the Latin liturgical version turned this into an individual confession of faith: Credo in unum Deum …, ‘I believe in one God …’ This was carried over at the Anglican reformation into the Book of Common Prayer. This was rectified in the past half century in the English translations of the Nicene Creed by the International Consultation on English Texts in 1975 and by the English Language Liturgical Consultation in 1988, texts now in general use among Roman Catholics and Anglicans. But the version in the 1662 Book of Common Prayer is still in use in many churches of the Anglican Communion.
There are two other Greek words in this short passage that are also worth considering.
In verse 8, the word to serve, διακονέω (diakonéo), relates particularly to supplying food and drink. It means to be a servant, attendant, domestic, to serve, wait upon. It is the same term that gives us the word ‘deacon’ in the ministry of the Church.
The story is told about a young curate in his first year of ordained ministry, and who was attending a parish function for pensioners. When he was asked by the rector’s wife to go around the tables and top up the cups of tea, he protested, insinuating that this was not what he had been ordained for.
‘Oh,’ said the rector’s wife. ‘Did you not know it’s a deacon’s job to serve at tables.’
In the New Testament, the service of this type of servant is different to the role of a steward or a slave. It means to minister to someone, to render service to them, to serve or minister to them; to wait at a table and to offer food and drink to the guests. It often had a special reference to women and the preparation of food. It relates to supplying food and the necessities of life.
The second word, δοῦλος (doulos), in verses 7, 9 and 10, refers to a slave, someone who is in a servile condition. But it also refers metaphorically to someone who gives himself or herself up to the will of another, those whose service is used by Christ in extending and advancing his cause.
Are ordinands expecting to be servants and slaves in the ministry of the Church?
When we become priests, we need to remember that we still remain deacons.
Indeed, with the announcement of a new Archbishop of Canterbury two days ago, we need to remember too that bishops and archbishops remain deacons in the Church of God, slaves and servants of God and of his Kingdom.
Today’s Prayers (Sunday 5 October 2025, Trinity XVI):
The theme this week (5 to 11 October) in Pray with the World Church, the prayer diary of the Anglican mission agency USPG (United Society Partners in the Gospel), is ‘Disability inclusion in Zimbabwe’ (pp 44-45). This theme is introduced today with Reflections from Makomborero Bowa, Lecturer in the Department of Philosophy Religion and Ethics at the University of Zimbabwe:
After my brother was severely injured, I became frustrated by the lack of provisions for people with disabilities, especially in the Church. In principle, the Zimbabwean government is one of the most ‘disability friendly’ nations supported by a world-leading National Disability Policy, launched in 2021. In practice, however, the reality is very different and many experience heightened exclusion and social suffering which is felt in relation to poverty, including in churches.
I believe the break between policy and practice must be solved by a change in attitude. Policy has failed. We need a greater solution, and the Church already has it! When we look at Jesus’ life, we see numerous examples of disability inclusion. Think how different things would be if we anchored our activities around His example and were inspired by the fact that all are made in the image of God.
Adapting buildings without changing attitudes makes no sense – it’s hypocritical. Our church leaders are the key authority to bring about transformation, but we can all lead the way in creating a truly inclusive community. They command the moral authority necessary for achieving the kind of progressive and inclusive future envisaged in the message of Christ. My vision for the Anglican Communion is a thought-provoking process of self-reflection – ‘What have we done and what have we not done?’ There is still time to correct our mistakes. The whole message of Christ is about redemption. We can still do the right thing.
Makomborero Bowa is part of the Fellowship of Anglican Scholars of Theology, a network of scholars with fresh perspectives on theology. Find out more: uspg.org.uk/feast
The USPG Prayer Diary today (Sunday 5 October 2025, Trinity XVI) invites us to pray by reading and meditating on Luke 17: 5-10.
The Collect:
O Lord, we beseech you mercifully to hear the prayers
of your people who call upon you;
and grant that they may both perceive and know
what things they ought to do,
and also may have grace and power faithfully to fulfil them;
through Jesus Christ your Son our Lord,
who is alive and reigns with you,
in the unity of the Holy Spirit,
one God, now and for ever.
The Post Communion Prayer:
Almighty God,
you have taught us through your Son
that love is the fulfilling of the law:
grant that we may love you with our whole heart
and our neighbours as ourselves;
through Jesus Christ our Lord.
Additional Collect:
Lord of creation,
whose glory is around and within us:
open our eyes to your wonders,
that we may serve you with reverence
and know your peace at our lives’ end,
through Jesus Christ our Lord.
Yesterday’s Reflections
Continued Tomorrow
Scripture quotations are from the New Revised Standard Version Bible: Anglicised Edition copyright © 1989, 1995 National Council of the Churches of Christ in the United States of America. Used by permission. All rights reserved worldwide. http://nrsvbibles.org
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