Thanksgiving
"'My son,' the father said, 'you are always with me, and everything I have is yours. But we had to celebrate and be glad, because this brother of yours was dead and is alive again; he was lost and is found.'" - Luke 15:31-2
Happy Thanksgiving! I hope you've a great week as you wrap up (or have wrapped up) school work and now get to spend time with friends and family. May your bodies, minds and souls be refreshed by this coming week.
As I reflect on Thanksgiving, I am reminded of the spiritual discipline of feasting. Yes, I wrote that right...the spiritual discipline of feasting. You might think this spiritual discipline is the easiest to enter into but not for everybody. It wasn't for the oldest son in the story referenced above; for some of us, we need to approach feasting as a spiritual discipline or practice.
The story of the Father with 2 sons in Luke 15 has come up a number of times this fall as I have been thinking about my relationships with God and with others. It is a story that gets so much attention focused on because of the relationship between the Father and his youngest son ("the prodigal son"). And yet the power of the parable is the multiple shocks and especially the final turn as Jesus leaves the story open-ended with the oldest son. Will the oldest son accept the Father's invitation to come in and join the party? Will the oldest son and brother celebrate with his Father and brother?
See, Jesus tells this story in front of muttering religious leaders who are appalled that Jesus spends time with known sinners. Not only does he spend time with them but he calls them to follow him. The religious leaders don't understand; they don't get it. So as they hear this story, they are once again appalled with the behavior of the youngest son. They can't imagine a Middle Eastern father embracing a son, who had wished him dead, run off and wasted the family's wealth, with such love and grace. Jesus draws them into the story with one turn after another but the story must be heard all the way through.
The story is not about a son or really even about 2 sons.
The story is about a Father who will go to any length to embrace his sons. It's about a Father who doesn't kill or disown his son but invites him once again into the family. It's about the inexhaustible love and grace of a Father that is meant to disturb and shock. It's about a Father who owns it all and gives it all to his children to steward joyfully on his behalf.
As we gather around tables this week, may we be reminded that we are invited by a loving Father from a long way off...we are invited from the outside of a celebration to inside. We are invited to the Father's abundant table. We have much to celebrate and feast over.
Now, will you accept God's invitation? Will you let him embrace you? Will you be embraced by this crazy, loving God?
God is on the move,
Josh Kerkhoff
Director of Youth & Young Adult Ministries
"'My son,' the father said, 'you are always with me, and everything I have is yours. But we had to celebrate and be glad, because this brother of yours was dead and is alive again; he was lost and is found.'" - Luke 15:31-2
Happy Thanksgiving! I hope you've a great week as you wrap up (or have wrapped up) school work and now get to spend time with friends and family. May your bodies, minds and souls be refreshed by this coming week.
As I reflect on Thanksgiving, I am reminded of the spiritual discipline of feasting. Yes, I wrote that right...the spiritual discipline of feasting. You might think this spiritual discipline is the easiest to enter into but not for everybody. It wasn't for the oldest son in the story referenced above; for some of us, we need to approach feasting as a spiritual discipline or practice.
The story of the Father with 2 sons in Luke 15 has come up a number of times this fall as I have been thinking about my relationships with God and with others. It is a story that gets so much attention focused on because of the relationship between the Father and his youngest son ("the prodigal son"). And yet the power of the parable is the multiple shocks and especially the final turn as Jesus leaves the story open-ended with the oldest son. Will the oldest son accept the Father's invitation to come in and join the party? Will the oldest son and brother celebrate with his Father and brother?
See, Jesus tells this story in front of muttering religious leaders who are appalled that Jesus spends time with known sinners. Not only does he spend time with them but he calls them to follow him. The religious leaders don't understand; they don't get it. So as they hear this story, they are once again appalled with the behavior of the youngest son. They can't imagine a Middle Eastern father embracing a son, who had wished him dead, run off and wasted the family's wealth, with such love and grace. Jesus draws them into the story with one turn after another but the story must be heard all the way through.
The story is not about a son or really even about 2 sons.
The story is about a Father who will go to any length to embrace his sons. It's about a Father who doesn't kill or disown his son but invites him once again into the family. It's about the inexhaustible love and grace of a Father that is meant to disturb and shock. It's about a Father who owns it all and gives it all to his children to steward joyfully on his behalf.
As we gather around tables this week, may we be reminded that we are invited by a loving Father from a long way off...we are invited from the outside of a celebration to inside. We are invited to the Father's abundant table. We have much to celebrate and feast over.
Now, will you accept God's invitation? Will you let him embrace you? Will you be embraced by this crazy, loving God?
God is on the move,
Josh Kerkhoff
Director of Youth & Young Adult Ministries