Then he said, “There was once a man who had two sons. 12The younger said to his father, ‘Father, I want right now what’s coming to me.’
“So the father divided the property between them. 13It wasn’t long before the younger son packed his bags and left for a distant country. There, undisciplined and dissipated, he wasted everything he had. 14After he had gone through all his money, there was a bad famine all through that country and he began to hurt. 15He signed on with a citizen there who assigned him to his fields to slop the pigs. 16He was so hungry he would have eaten the corncobs in the pig slop, but no one would give him any.
17″That brought him to his senses. He said, ‘All those farmhands working for my father sit down to three meals a day, and here I am starving to death. 18I’m going back to my father. I’ll say to him, Father, I’ve sinned against God, I’ve sinned before you; 19I don’t deserve to be called your son. Take me on as a hired hand.’ 20He got right up and went home to his father.
“When he was still a long way off, his father saw him. His heart pounding, he ran out, embraced him, and kissed him. 21The son started his speech: ‘Father, I’ve sinned against God, I’ve sinned before you; I don’t deserve to be called your son ever again.’
22″But the father wasn’t listening. He was calling to the servants, ‘Quick. Bring a clean set of clothes and dress him. Put the family ring on his finger and sandals on his feet. 23Then get a grain-fed heifer and roast it. We’re going to feast! We’re going to have a wonderful time! 24My son is here-given up for dead and now alive! Given up for lost and now found!’ And they began to have a wonderful time.
25″All this time his older son was out in the field. When the day’s work was done he came in. As he approached the house, he heard the music and dancing. 26Calling over one of the houseboys, he asked what was going on. 27He told him, ‘Your brother came home. Your father has ordered a feast-barbecued beef!-because he has him home safe and sound.’
28″The older brother stalked off in an angry sulk and refused to join in. His father came out and tried to talk to him, but he wouldn’t listen. 29The son said, ‘Look how many years I’ve stayed here serving you, never giving you one moment of grief, but have you ever thrown a party for me and my friends? 30Then this son of yours who has thrown away your money on whores shows up and you go all out with a feast!’
31″His father said, ‘Son, you don’t understand. You’re with me all the time, and everything that is mine is yours- 32but this is a wonderful time, and we had to celebrate. This brother of yours was dead, and he’s alive! He was lost, and he’s found!’”
Luke 15: 11-32 (The Message)
We’re just going to spend some time focussing on one part of that reading. It will be left on the screen for you to refer back to you as you need. We’re going to focus on the passage by way of a meditation. You see often we think that if we come along to a Christian event then the person at the front will tell us all that we need to know. That they are the fount of all knowledge and well, I’m here to say that’s definitely not true. This evening what I want to offer you is time, time and space for God to speak with you, for you to reflect, to consider what God may be asking of you or to be real with God about the barriers or hurdles that you have put up to keep God at arm’s length.
I’ll lead us through this meditation on being lost and being found.
Make yourself comfortable, think about your breathing, quiet your body and your mind and I’ll read the slide we are going to focus on again. As I do ask yourself – is there a key phrase or aspect that registers with you, stay with that phrase or aspect as I read the passage. There’ll be time as I finish reading to follow that connection, it may be the words, it may be an image that it conjures, stay with it in the silence.
“When he was still a long way off, his father saw him. His heart pounding, he ran out, embraced him, and kissed him. 21The son started his speech: ‘Father, I’ve sinned against God, I’ve sinned before you; I don’t deserve to be called your son ever again.’
22″But the father wasn’t listening. He was calling to the servants, ‘Quick. Bring a clean set of clothes and dress him. Put the family ring on his finger and sandals on his feet. 23Then get a grain-fed heifer and roast it. We’re going to feast! We’re going to have a wonderful time! 24My son is here-given up for dead and now alive! Given up for lost and now found!’ And they began to have a wonderful time.
If the passage doesn’t do that just pick a short phrase and repeat it again and again in your mind in the quiet. Or you may prefer to picture yourself in the story walking back towards home or standing draped in the finest clothes and jewellery. Maybe God as your father is saying some of these words to you put your name into the story and imagine what happens next? Let God continue the encounter in your imagination.
“When he was still a long way off, his father saw him. His heart pounding, he ran out, embraced him, and kissed him. 21The son started his speech: ‘Father, I’ve sinned against God, I’ve sinned before you; I don’t deserve to be called your son ever again.’
22″But the father wasn’t listening. He was calling to the servants, ‘Quick. Bring a clean set of clothes and dress him. Put the family ring on his finger and sandals on his feet. 23Then get a grain-fed heifer and roast it. We’re going to feast! We’re going to have a wonderful time! 24My son is here-given up for dead and now alive! Given up for lost and now found!’ And they began to have a wonderful time.
I’ll read the last slide for a final time – this time allow that particular phrase, image or encounter to turn you to prayer. Its not complicated allow your mind/imagination to talk with God and to hear from God. You may feel like you are doing nothing that’s fine, you are waiting, receiving, but not being idle.
“When he was still a long way off, his father saw him. His heart pounding, he ran out, embraced him, and kissed him. 21The son started his speech: ‘Father, I’ve sinned against God, I’ve sinned before you; I don’t deserve to be called your son ever again.’
22″But the father wasn’t listening. He was calling to the servants, ‘Quick. Bring a clean set of clothes and dress him. Put the family ring on his finger and sandals on his feet. 23Then get a grain-fed heifer and roast it. We’re going to feast! We’re going to have a wonderful time! 24My son is here-given up for dead and now alive! Given up for lost and now found!’ And they began to have a wonderful time.
Please take the opportunity to talk about the meditation at the end of the presentation but as a closing thought here’s a short piece of music from the Northumbria Community – break down the walls