More coffee than usual

For a blog that is centred around drinking coffee I don't drink an awful lot of coffee at home. I've said before that I usually make a habit of making a fresh cup of coffee each morning, but that's about it for the day if I'm at home. Quite often it's just one cup a day.

Sundays are different. I tend to drink four or five cups - before lunch! That's because on Sundays we have Brunch Church. It's a small gathering where we share a late breakfast together and catch-up with what is going on in peoples' lives while we sit around the dining table enjoying croissants, muffins, bacon rolls, fruit and coffee (or tea/hot chocolate).

We follow breakfast with a time of either discussion on a spiritual topic, a prayer exercise, some creative expression of worship or a look at something in the Bible. Sometimes, as we grapple with an issue or attempt to get Biblical understanding, it helps to drink a little more coffee. Yesterday was one of those mornings.

I suggested we look at a parable of Jesus - one of the lesser known ones. It's the parable of the shrewd manager (Luke 16) and you can read it if you click here.

We didn't come to a unanimous, satisfying conclusion as to what the story means so I'd be interested in your thoughts on:

• Why did Jesus tell this story?
• Who do the characters represent?
• Does it have an application for life today?

If it makes sense to you please let me know. I'll pour another cup and take your thoughts back to the group.