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St. Stephen's Episcopal Church

215 N. 7th, Terre Haute, Indiana

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Right or Fair?

The Rector's Blog · September 20, 2023

Disciples, Apostles, and Saints!

This week’s gospel confronts how we approach the very ordering of our world. And while that could be said of literally any other passage in scripture, there’s a particular reason this one is so biting.

Money. Jesus confronts us about money. And this reveals something deep about us in the west in the 21st century that this hits us way harder than any other.

I’ll admit to a particular glee in wrestling with this week’s gospel passage. Because of the responses it always brings out.

What we hear in it is that the landowner isn’t being fair. We calculate the wage something like

daily wage = hours x hourly rate

and Jesus offers

daily wage = daily wage

I’m confident he knows how we get hung up. And why it hits us so hard. But he’s not the one who brought up fairness. We did. He talked about what was right. And the right thing is to ensure everybody gets fed.

Fairness doesn’t ensure rightness. It ensures hierarchies, division and suffering. It doesn’t just allow poverty, but creates it. Abiding fairness can literally kill. But doing what is right? That often leads to generosity, hope, and restoration. Things that are good.

With love,
Drew

Filed Under: The Rector's Blog Tagged With: fair, just, right

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CONTACT

St. Stephen’s Episcopal Church
215 N. 7th St
Terre Haute, IN 47807

812-232-5165

officeadmin@ststephensth.org

ABOUT

St. Stephen’s is a sacramental community following Jesus’s Way of Love.

We worship on Sundays at 8 & 10.

AFFILIATIONS

St. Stephen’s is a member of The Episcopal Church and congregation of the Episcopal Diocese of Indianapolis.

St. Stephen’s is a member of the Homeless Council of the Wabash Valley

PARKING

St. Stephen’s is across from Indiana State University. Nearby parking lots are run by ISU and are free after 5pm weekdays and are free all weekend long. 

Five marked spots in the lot directly behind the church are available during the week.

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