Today was our last sermon on the Prodigal God, so NOTE! Next week we return to our regular schedule - 8:15 Worship Service, 9:30 Sunday School for all ages, 10:30 Worship Service. I thought I got the message last week, about being narrow and refusing to accept the invitation because it didn't fit my definition. OK, that is all about being responsible for myself. But then, today, the pastor discussed the elder brother in the context of his responsibility to the family. Sounded like I was going to have some 'splaining to do.
One of the things I like about Bible study and discussion is that there is a leader who can supply the context, the societal cues that we no longer understand. Did you know that in Victorian times flowers had a meaning that was conveyed by senders to recipients through the combinations included in nosegays? In some cultures wearing a name tag on the left means you are in a relationship, taken, while wearing it on the right means you are available. There are so many subtle clues and communications unique to each culture and time. We may know our own very well, but those that came before us are usually lost.
So it is with the parables, and while it may be uncomfortable, I appreciated the point that was made this morning. The people listening to the parable of the prodigal son would have known immediately that it was the responsibility of the elder brother to go looking for the "lost son." It was his job to keep the family together, no matter the cost to him personally. That was the societal norm, expectation, standard, whatever you want to call it. But in the parable, not only does the elder brother not go looking for his brother, he pouts and refuses to celebrate when he returns. I think that would make him a bit of a pariah in the community, don't you?
If you associate God with the father in the parable, then clearly Jesus becomes the "good" elder brother, who not only went looking for all of us, but paid the ultimate price to keep us in relationship with the family. The more uncomfortable question for me is what to do depending on which brother I identify with personally? I think we have all been both at one time or another, but if I am honest with myself I know I feel more like the elder brother than the younger. Then the question becomes, would I be willing to take on that responsibility, to go looking for my lost brothers at any cost? It makes his pouting a little less offensive if I put myself in those shoes.
So what if those of us who are "churched" are the elder brothers? How do we go about looking for our lost brothers and bring them back into the fold? What is the current societal norm, and what is God's expectation? I thought today would tie things up with a nice bow for me, but it seems I am left with more questions, more uncomfortable questions, than at the beginning of the series. The one thing I do see more clearly is the prodigal nature of God, and for that I give thanks (and a sigh of relief).
Sunday, July 31, 2011
Sunday, July 24, 2011
Prodigal God - Number 5
Today was our penultimate discussion of The Prodigal God. (I always look for opportunities to use that word ever since I learned it. So much classier that next to last.) We were discussing chapters 6 and 7, but we really focused in on home. We had a report from our mission team who worked on making a home for Margaret, a victim of the Joplin tornado, so it seemed very appropriate. Both of the sons in the parable were seeking home, we humans always seem to long for home, but how do you define home?
I was particularly intrigued by Keller's assertion on page 101, "If we read the narrative in light of the Bible's sweeping theme of exile and homecoming we will understand that Jesus has given us more than a moving account of individual redemption. He has retold the story of the whole human race, and promised nothing less than hope for the world." His argument is that we were created to live in the garden of Eden with God, but we are separated from God by the brokenness within us and around us. We can try with all our might to recreate home, but all we will find are exiles and returns, much like we see in the history of Israel in the Bible. Only the final reconciliation with God, when we return to live in the shade of the Tree of Life, will fill the need for home that exists in all of us.
Well, that was the story for the younger son in the parable, but not the elder son. At least, that was not his story at the end of the parable. What made home for the sons? Clearly the sons each "felt" home differently. The younger son was happy to be an employee, as long as he was with his father and family. And he was happy to accept the father's unqualified invitation. The elder son found home in possessions, and maybe that is why he couldn't go in to the party. He couldn't accept the invitation because it would mean giving up too much of this world. It did not fit his definition of home. What makes home for you? Our discussion focused on good memories of safety, comfort, love, people, relationships. Our images and feelings were pretty homogenous. But what about those who don't have that experience? What about people who have never known love without abuse, never felt safe, never lived in comfort? What kind of home do they long for?
As Christians our ultimate home is with God. There is a homing beacon built into us that makes us long for that return. It is comforting and hopeful to know that God accepts each of us, with our own unique understanding of home. God is waiting for us all, we just need to accept the invitation. For me, I think the lesson is to remember that sometimes I define that return very narrowly, within the scope of my own personal experience. If we are to incarnate God for one another, until that final return home, I need to keep the circle open and remember that we are all in equal need of God's grace. (Sigh) Some days it is so hard to guard against becoming an elder brother...
And then I opened my FB page to find this quote from Paulo Coehlo:
"Today don’t beg, don’t ask, just thank God in silence for all the blessings in your life.”
I was particularly intrigued by Keller's assertion on page 101, "If we read the narrative in light of the Bible's sweeping theme of exile and homecoming we will understand that Jesus has given us more than a moving account of individual redemption. He has retold the story of the whole human race, and promised nothing less than hope for the world." His argument is that we were created to live in the garden of Eden with God, but we are separated from God by the brokenness within us and around us. We can try with all our might to recreate home, but all we will find are exiles and returns, much like we see in the history of Israel in the Bible. Only the final reconciliation with God, when we return to live in the shade of the Tree of Life, will fill the need for home that exists in all of us.
Well, that was the story for the younger son in the parable, but not the elder son. At least, that was not his story at the end of the parable. What made home for the sons? Clearly the sons each "felt" home differently. The younger son was happy to be an employee, as long as he was with his father and family. And he was happy to accept the father's unqualified invitation. The elder son found home in possessions, and maybe that is why he couldn't go in to the party. He couldn't accept the invitation because it would mean giving up too much of this world. It did not fit his definition of home. What makes home for you? Our discussion focused on good memories of safety, comfort, love, people, relationships. Our images and feelings were pretty homogenous. But what about those who don't have that experience? What about people who have never known love without abuse, never felt safe, never lived in comfort? What kind of home do they long for?
As Christians our ultimate home is with God. There is a homing beacon built into us that makes us long for that return. It is comforting and hopeful to know that God accepts each of us, with our own unique understanding of home. God is waiting for us all, we just need to accept the invitation. For me, I think the lesson is to remember that sometimes I define that return very narrowly, within the scope of my own personal experience. If we are to incarnate God for one another, until that final return home, I need to keep the circle open and remember that we are all in equal need of God's grace. (Sigh) Some days it is so hard to guard against becoming an elder brother...
And then I opened my FB page to find this quote from Paulo Coehlo:
"Today don’t beg, don’t ask, just thank God in silence for all the blessings in your life.”
Monday, July 18, 2011
Prodigal God Series - No. 4 Discussion
Good afternoon!
Yesterday (7/18/2011) we completed our Fourth in a series of Six discussion events relative the the "Prodigal God" series and again it was extremely interesting. Questions and discussions were still flowing as we approached our 11:00 AM quit time, and Pastor Lyons had to regrettably stop the group so we could go home!
The worship service and discussion sessions focused on Chapter 5 of "The Prodigal God" book and the concepts of "Living out of Gratitude" and "The True Elder Brother". Both topics focused on identifying living, and being thankful for, a life based upon what we have rather than focusing on what we do not have. In the Prodigal Son parable, both sons (The younger and older) are dissatisfied with what they have and devise separate plans to correct what they believe to be shortcomings with what they have received from their Father. The Younger son fails in his attempt to find satisfaction and returns home to his Father; while the Elder Son become bitter and resentful because of what he sees to be an injustice done to him.
Both the worship service and the discussion group focused on the Elder Brother as we looked at how the Elder Son should have responded, using Christ as our example. Jesus is the Son of God, and each of us are children of God; therefore, we are sisters and brothers with Christ. God (the Father) elects out of His Grace to forgive all His sisters and brothers (you and me) and Christ participates by letting Himself be the sacrifice to make it all possible. In the parable, the Elder Brother hesitates to sacrifice his possessions to help the redemption of his younger brother. This hesitancy is totally different than Christ's reaction to God forgiving us, because Christ freely becomes the "sacrificial lamb".
Timothy Keller in his Fifth Chapter is communicating to us how we as Christians are to be elder brothers, in the spirit of Christ, by sharing our lives we have in Christ with those who are still lost; and to do so without hesitation. We are not to look at what we have in a selfish light as did the Elder Brother and withhold what God has given to us. Rather we are to respond as did Christ by offering to share all we have with those who are seeking a relationship with the Father.
Pastor Lyons shared we must be careful at times in teaching others about this repentance factor when helping those who have been mistreated physically by others. It is very difficult many times to ask someone who has been abused to look at their life in a positive light and then live their life out of gratitude. The problem often is the abused person's view of the world around them has been drastically altered and their subsequent ability to understand the positive aspects is very difficult to accomplish. We must rely upon God and be patient with both God and the abused person. We cannot and should not attempt to resolve the issue within our own time frame. We must let the Holy Spirit lead us as we, out of God's love, attempt to help those in need.
God is seeking relationships with us and in turn He is asking us to develop positive relationships with people we encounter. Not judgemental relationships, but relationships the encourage the other person(s) to seek and find their own relationship with God and then respond accordingly.
In the closing sentences of the Prodigal Son parable, the Elder Son is struggling in his relationship with his Father because of the Elder Son's focus on his selfish view. We do not know what the Elder Son ultimately elected to do, but we can look at our own lives and make a decision as to how we want to respond to our heavenly Father. Do we stand outside the door and grumble about what we do not have or do we faithfully walk forward into God's presence and accept all He has to give to us. The choice is ours.
Next week we will be looking into Chapter Six of The Prodigal God series and reviewing how Hope plays a role in our experience with God.
In the meantime - Have a Great Day and Enjoy Life!
Yesterday (7/18/2011) we completed our Fourth in a series of Six discussion events relative the the "Prodigal God" series and again it was extremely interesting. Questions and discussions were still flowing as we approached our 11:00 AM quit time, and Pastor Lyons had to regrettably stop the group so we could go home!
The worship service and discussion sessions focused on Chapter 5 of "The Prodigal God" book and the concepts of "Living out of Gratitude" and "The True Elder Brother". Both topics focused on identifying living, and being thankful for, a life based upon what we have rather than focusing on what we do not have. In the Prodigal Son parable, both sons (The younger and older) are dissatisfied with what they have and devise separate plans to correct what they believe to be shortcomings with what they have received from their Father. The Younger son fails in his attempt to find satisfaction and returns home to his Father; while the Elder Son become bitter and resentful because of what he sees to be an injustice done to him.
Both the worship service and the discussion group focused on the Elder Brother as we looked at how the Elder Son should have responded, using Christ as our example. Jesus is the Son of God, and each of us are children of God; therefore, we are sisters and brothers with Christ. God (the Father) elects out of His Grace to forgive all His sisters and brothers (you and me) and Christ participates by letting Himself be the sacrifice to make it all possible. In the parable, the Elder Brother hesitates to sacrifice his possessions to help the redemption of his younger brother. This hesitancy is totally different than Christ's reaction to God forgiving us, because Christ freely becomes the "sacrificial lamb".
Timothy Keller in his Fifth Chapter is communicating to us how we as Christians are to be elder brothers, in the spirit of Christ, by sharing our lives we have in Christ with those who are still lost; and to do so without hesitation. We are not to look at what we have in a selfish light as did the Elder Brother and withhold what God has given to us. Rather we are to respond as did Christ by offering to share all we have with those who are seeking a relationship with the Father.
Pastor Lyons shared we must be careful at times in teaching others about this repentance factor when helping those who have been mistreated physically by others. It is very difficult many times to ask someone who has been abused to look at their life in a positive light and then live their life out of gratitude. The problem often is the abused person's view of the world around them has been drastically altered and their subsequent ability to understand the positive aspects is very difficult to accomplish. We must rely upon God and be patient with both God and the abused person. We cannot and should not attempt to resolve the issue within our own time frame. We must let the Holy Spirit lead us as we, out of God's love, attempt to help those in need.
God is seeking relationships with us and in turn He is asking us to develop positive relationships with people we encounter. Not judgemental relationships, but relationships the encourage the other person(s) to seek and find their own relationship with God and then respond accordingly.
In the closing sentences of the Prodigal Son parable, the Elder Son is struggling in his relationship with his Father because of the Elder Son's focus on his selfish view. We do not know what the Elder Son ultimately elected to do, but we can look at our own lives and make a decision as to how we want to respond to our heavenly Father. Do we stand outside the door and grumble about what we do not have or do we faithfully walk forward into God's presence and accept all He has to give to us. The choice is ours.
Next week we will be looking into Chapter Six of The Prodigal God series and reviewing how Hope plays a role in our experience with God.
In the meantime - Have a Great Day and Enjoy Life!
Monday, July 11, 2011
Prodigal God Series - No. 3 Discussion
Good Afternoon! This is Terry Pursley writing this blog because Cindy was unable to attend the "Prodigal God" discussion session this past (July 10, 2011) Sunday and she asked me to take on the task. Therefore; if you do not like the way this blog edition is produced you should blame Cindy because 1) she failed to attend the class and 2) and her poor judgement in selecting her replacement!
This week's discussion of the "Prodigal God" was very interesting with numerous people joining in on the discussion. The theme of both the worship service sermon as well as the discussion session was "He Refused to Go In" and related to the situation where, per the parable, the elder son is standing outside the room wherein the father is hosting a party for his returned Younger son, but the Elder son is mad and debating whether he will attend the party or stay away as a means of protesting his Father's actions.
The discussion group initially focused on how important "possessions" where to both sons and how easy it was for the sons, and us, to focus on our possessions. The Elder son is clearly upset by the fact he is losing some of his promised possessions because in essence the Father is giving a part of them to the returned Younger son. This is extremely irksome to the Elder son because in his mind he has earned, by his hard work, the "right" to receive these possessions whereas the Younger son has simply squandered away the possessions the Father had previously given to him. Both sons were therefore more focused on the possessions rather than the relationship with their Father.
The Discussion Group then asked the question - How do we, as modern day Christian value our possessions relative to our relationship with Christ? Do we value our possessions over our relationship with Christ, or do we value our relationship with Christ over our possessions? The Discussion Group generally agreed we all struggle with this "possession vs Christ" issue and is indeed a part of our lives we need to improve upon.
It was pointed out on page 43 of the book "The Prodigal God" the author Timothy Keller summarizes a key issue with respect to sin and the parable of the Prodigal Son. In summary Keller says "...sin is not just breaking the rules, it is putting yourself in the place of God as Savior, Lord, and Judge...." In the parable, both sons, as a result of their desire for possessions, proceeded to place their judgement above that of their Father and began to pursue courses of action to accomplish their own selfish judgement rather than follow the judgement of their Father. That is what Keller is stating sin is. The Elder son stands outside the party refusing to come in even though his Father has invited him in. The Elder son is sinning, not because he is standing outside the room, but because he is refusing to obey his Father. Similarly in our own lives, acquiring and enjoying possessions is not a sin, but if we do so in any specific instance in direct violation of our heavenly Father's instructions - then we sin. The Elder brother wanted what he determined was his "birth right" because in his mind "he had earned them" and the Elder brother was unable to understand that all of the possessions came from his Father - out of the Father's Grace.
When we as modern day Christians can stand outside our Father's door and agree to enter into his presence on His terms we will find an inner peace that will allow us to reach out to others in the Love of Christ. Just like the two brothers of the parable, we all are at times lost and the parable tells us when we find ourselves in this situation we should simply listen to our Father and joyfully accept his instructions for our lives.
I hope you enjoy this summary and I encourage everyone to come join us to share by both speaking and listening to the deeper meanings of this great parable. Until then -
Have a Great Day and Enjoy Life!
This week's discussion of the "Prodigal God" was very interesting with numerous people joining in on the discussion. The theme of both the worship service sermon as well as the discussion session was "He Refused to Go In" and related to the situation where, per the parable, the elder son is standing outside the room wherein the father is hosting a party for his returned Younger son, but the Elder son is mad and debating whether he will attend the party or stay away as a means of protesting his Father's actions.
The discussion group initially focused on how important "possessions" where to both sons and how easy it was for the sons, and us, to focus on our possessions. The Elder son is clearly upset by the fact he is losing some of his promised possessions because in essence the Father is giving a part of them to the returned Younger son. This is extremely irksome to the Elder son because in his mind he has earned, by his hard work, the "right" to receive these possessions whereas the Younger son has simply squandered away the possessions the Father had previously given to him. Both sons were therefore more focused on the possessions rather than the relationship with their Father.
The Discussion Group then asked the question - How do we, as modern day Christian value our possessions relative to our relationship with Christ? Do we value our possessions over our relationship with Christ, or do we value our relationship with Christ over our possessions? The Discussion Group generally agreed we all struggle with this "possession vs Christ" issue and is indeed a part of our lives we need to improve upon.
It was pointed out on page 43 of the book "The Prodigal God" the author Timothy Keller summarizes a key issue with respect to sin and the parable of the Prodigal Son. In summary Keller says "...sin is not just breaking the rules, it is putting yourself in the place of God as Savior, Lord, and Judge...." In the parable, both sons, as a result of their desire for possessions, proceeded to place their judgement above that of their Father and began to pursue courses of action to accomplish their own selfish judgement rather than follow the judgement of their Father. That is what Keller is stating sin is. The Elder son stands outside the party refusing to come in even though his Father has invited him in. The Elder son is sinning, not because he is standing outside the room, but because he is refusing to obey his Father. Similarly in our own lives, acquiring and enjoying possessions is not a sin, but if we do so in any specific instance in direct violation of our heavenly Father's instructions - then we sin. The Elder brother wanted what he determined was his "birth right" because in his mind "he had earned them" and the Elder brother was unable to understand that all of the possessions came from his Father - out of the Father's Grace.
When we as modern day Christians can stand outside our Father's door and agree to enter into his presence on His terms we will find an inner peace that will allow us to reach out to others in the Love of Christ. Just like the two brothers of the parable, we all are at times lost and the parable tells us when we find ourselves in this situation we should simply listen to our Father and joyfully accept his instructions for our lives.
I hope you enjoy this summary and I encourage everyone to come join us to share by both speaking and listening to the deeper meanings of this great parable. Until then -
Have a Great Day and Enjoy Life!
Sunday, July 3, 2011
The Prodigal God #2 - Coming to Our Senses
What does it mean when the younger brother in the parable comes to his senses? (Luke15:17) I really have to sit and consider the implications behind that verse, and wonder if the imagery was more clear for those listening to the parable first hand? Those words almost write off the actions of the younger brother as a phase, a good kid who made some bad choices. I have heard and seen and been that before, haven't you? In some ways that is comforting, to think that even if I make bad choices God will be waiting for me to come to my senses.
The next part makes sense, where else would you go but home? I suppose he could have stayed in that country and made some more bad choices, or gone on to another, farther place, but he chooses to go home. In addition, he formulates a plan that will allow him to repay the financial/material debt he owes his father. He realizes that he cannot undo his actions, take back the disrespect, and he does not expect any more than what he has seen his father offer to others. That speaks of humility and a change of heart to me. And I wonder what there was in his relationship with his father that allows him to believe that his father will consider and honor his plan? He must have had a better relationship than we would assume based on his actions.
When he does return, what he receives is so much more than he had any right to expect. It shows us that we need God, we need grace, and we need to be open to it in whatever form it comes. No expectations. There may be big moments with rings and robes and sandals, but they are more likely to be small, daily whisperings that are easy to miss if we go around looking for burning bushes. No expectations.
I don't know about you, but I feel like I have been drilled and also drilled my kids that there are consequences for what we do. If x then y. That works in the physical world, but not in the spiritual world. It is difficult to comprehend that God loves us so much, that we cannot do anything to earn God's love, we simply have it, that all we can is respond to that love. When I try to wrap my mind around that, I often find that our rituals and habits get in the way. They give a false sense of security.
Sometimes I do a little research to help clarify and expand my understanding, and in that process this week I found the following information:
http://wmson.wordpress.com/2006/10/17/tim-keller-the-discipline-of-gospel-repentance/
It gives some suggestions on how to consider and evaluate our own behavior and then seek what Keller calls gospel repentance. This is about earnest, honest, hard work. I think sometimes the words fall off my tongue too quickly and too glibly. Too much of a Pharisee... Since I am hardheaded I guess it takes hard work in order to get me to come to my senses.
The next part makes sense, where else would you go but home? I suppose he could have stayed in that country and made some more bad choices, or gone on to another, farther place, but he chooses to go home. In addition, he formulates a plan that will allow him to repay the financial/material debt he owes his father. He realizes that he cannot undo his actions, take back the disrespect, and he does not expect any more than what he has seen his father offer to others. That speaks of humility and a change of heart to me. And I wonder what there was in his relationship with his father that allows him to believe that his father will consider and honor his plan? He must have had a better relationship than we would assume based on his actions.
When he does return, what he receives is so much more than he had any right to expect. It shows us that we need God, we need grace, and we need to be open to it in whatever form it comes. No expectations. There may be big moments with rings and robes and sandals, but they are more likely to be small, daily whisperings that are easy to miss if we go around looking for burning bushes. No expectations.
I don't know about you, but I feel like I have been drilled and also drilled my kids that there are consequences for what we do. If x then y. That works in the physical world, but not in the spiritual world. It is difficult to comprehend that God loves us so much, that we cannot do anything to earn God's love, we simply have it, that all we can is respond to that love. When I try to wrap my mind around that, I often find that our rituals and habits get in the way. They give a false sense of security.
Sometimes I do a little research to help clarify and expand my understanding, and in that process this week I found the following information:
http://wmson.wordpress.com/2006/10/17/tim-keller-the-discipline-of-gospel-repentance/
It gives some suggestions on how to consider and evaluate our own behavior and then seek what Keller calls gospel repentance. This is about earnest, honest, hard work. I think sometimes the words fall off my tongue too quickly and too glibly. Too much of a Pharisee... Since I am hardheaded I guess it takes hard work in order to get me to come to my senses.
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