It is perhaps no coincidence that I talked about letting go of material goods just after receiving an accepted offer on a house. If I remember correctly, I preached on a similar thing shortly after moving here ( Click Here: Do I Own Too Much?).
Kate Huey wrote a beautiful reflection this week (she always does, and I always send you to her. I just love her words.) In it she includes this great, simple little side note:
"My brother John was telling me about his recent efforts at "simplifying" - that is, getting rid of too much stuff. He said that he and his wife decided to ask themselves two questions to help them decide whether to keep something: 1. "Do we really need this?" and 2. "Really?"Good questions for the man in Jesus' story, and for us as well."
Keeping the entry short this week. Come worship with us this coming Sunday! Or any Sunday! Have a blessed week this week, everybody.
Read:2 Corinthians 5:16-21 and Luke 15:1-3, 11b-32 Listen:Embracing Grace Dig a little deeper: Okay, then again, don't read the scripture above. Just watch this: the Prodigal Son, Finding Nemo style! (But really, do read it because the Finding Nemo version doesn't have the jealous brother in it).
This song is just a tad too sappy for my taste, but you might really like it.
A trailer for the movie, "Guess Who's Coming to Dinner," the ultimate awkward family dinner (NOT in fact starring Audrey Hepburn)
I didn't use Kate Huey's commentary this week too much in my own sermon, but she always writes stuff that makes me think while warming my heart.
Sermon Follow-up, and some questions:
I truly believe this is one of the most relateable stories in the Bible. There is no family that goes without any kind of rift, whether it's something small as not liking the way they clean and manage their time or as big as an extra-marital affair and drug addiction. We all have them, and Jesus knows that, so he tells this story.
This wasn't even new to the New Testament. Even Micah, 500-700 years earlier, spoke, "For the son treats the father with contempt, the daughter rises up against her mother, the daughter-in-law against her mother-in-law; your enemies are members of your own household. But as for me, I will look to the Lord, I will wait for the God of my salvation; my God will hear me." Micah 7:6-7.
To make this passage even more important-- not only can we all relate to it, but it carries the subjects that nag us when we go to sleep at night. We are all burdened by the rifts in our relationships. Every single one of us feels a heavy weight that we wish we could forgive and be forgiven.
What do you think? How does this passage relate to you (if that's something you even want to share on a public forum, of course!)? When it comes to those controversial topics of how the story fits into our culture and society, how do you feel? When it comes to welcoming people into our faith community, how do you feel?
Painting depicting the Prodigal Son, by James Janknegt
And finally, on another note:
I want to put in a plug for a pastor-friend, Rev. Rob Leveridge, who is nearing the end of his Kickstarter campaign to raise the funds to put together a really great progressive Christian music CD. Please take a minute to check out his video here, and consider donating as much or as little as you can to his project. He's got a good thing going for him! And if nothing else, you will be inspired by the video he's put together.
Here's some good stuff from Kate Huey that doesn't relate a lot to the sermon, but is always a gift to read.
Here's that non-canonical story from the Gospel of Thomas about Jesus forming birds out of mud as a child, adapted into poem format, by Robert Pinsky.
Here's a poem by Jeffrey Donders that refers to Jesus receiving Grace while living in the mud and muck of life:
The
mud of human evil
is very deep,
it
stinks forcefully,
it is full of
dangerous gases, and there was Jesus, in front of John, asking to be allowed to bend down in that mud. And John, no wonder, hesitated. But he, Jesus, he went down, and when he came up, the mud still streaming… HEAVEN OPENED, and a voice was heard… and a new Spirit a new life and a new heart were announced, glory, glory, alleluia. He was bathed in light… drowned in God’s voice… full of spirit; but what about the mud, was he going to forget it? … No because once he got the spirit, that Spirit drove him… to do his work in this world, to struggle with evil in us… in this world, in order to overcome it
Here are the photos that I passed around yesterday as I preached. I think that if you listen to the sermon and scroll through the photos you will be able to see the connections.
A stream in my hometown, where I used to play with my dog (referenced in sermon.)
This photo, thanks to a good friend from back home, Bonnie.
This is what our feet look like while we're receiving God's Grace. (Source)
This is what life seems like sometimes.
But in reality, this IS life sometimes...
because this is the tsunami in Japan in 2011.
Even in the middle of this, we are still offered God's grace. (Source)
This is us, wet and crabby.
Still offered grace...still God's beloved. (Source)
This is us, receiving God's grace in community, with our hooves all muddy. (Source)
Finally, here is beautiful Allison Krauss singing "Down to the River to Pray," which our small but mighty choir sang so beautifully yesterday morning.
Okay, so what do you think? How do you remember your baptism? What does it mean to you now? Is it hard for you to look at yourself in a mirror and say, "You are God's Beloved?" Why is it important for us to remember that God loves us and is pleased with us?
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