Sermon for Zion Presbyterian Church, May 16, 2010
Hymns: 814 – Morning Has Broken; 78 – This Is The Day; Doxology: 663: God whose giving knows no ending (verses 1, 3); 670 – Amazing Grace
Choruses: Lord, You Are More Precious than Silver; Seek Ye First; O Amazing
Scripture: Luke 15:11-32
Sermon Title: The Running Father
(from Dr. Kennon Callahan, The Twelve Keys Bible Study: And He Ran…)
Luke 15:11-32 (New International Version)
Jesus continued: "There was a man who had two sons. The younger one said to his father, 'Father, give me my share of the estate.' So he divided his property between them.
"Not long after that, the younger son got together all he had, set off for a distant country and there squandered his wealth in wild living. After he had spent everything, there was a severe famine in that whole country, and he began to be in need. So he went and hired himself out to a citizen of that country, who sent him to his fields to feed pigs. He longed to fill his stomach with the pods that the pigs were eating, but no one gave him anything.
"When he came to his senses, he said, 'How many of my father's hired men have food to spare, and here I am starving to death! I will set out and go back to my father and say to him: Father, I have sinned against heaven and against you. I am no longer worthy to be called your son; make me like one of your hired men.' So he got up and went to his father.
"But while he was still a long way off, his father saw him and was filled with compassion for him; and he ran to his son, threw his arms around him and kissed him.
"The son said to him, 'Father, I have sinned against heaven and against you. I am no longer worthy to be called your son.'
“But the father said to his servants, 'Quick! Bring the best robe and put it on him. Put a ring on his finger and sandals on his feet. Bring the fattened calf and kill it. Let's have a feast and celebrate. For this son of mine was dead and is alive again; he was lost and is found.' So they began to celebrate.
"Meanwhile, the older son was in the field. When he came near the house, he heard music and dancing. So he called one of the servants and asked him what was going on. 'Your brother has come,' he replied, 'and your father has killed the fattened calf because he has him back safe and sound.'
"The older brother became angry and refused to go in. So his father went out and pleaded with him. But he answered his father, 'Look! All these years I've been slaving for you and never disobeyed your orders. Yet you never gave me even a young goat so I could celebrate with my friends. But when this son of yours who has squandered your property with prostitutes comes home, you kill the fattened calf for him!'
" '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.' "
This past weekend I was in Niagara Falls. Now before you get jealous, let me point out that it snowed in Niagara Falls this past weekend, and when it wasn’t snowing, it was blowing, with winds at times over 100 KPH. And if you are still jealous, let me further point out that I was staying not at the Radisson, or the Hilton, or the Sheraton, but at the Mount Carmel Monastery. And my roommate was Scott MacDonald. And if after that you’re still jealous, that can only mean one thing: you are Cathy MacDonald.
In any case, the highlight of the conference wasn’t supposed to be the Falls, or the weather, or even the food, although the food was wonderful. The highlight of the conference was the main speaker, Dr. Kennon Callahan. Dr. Callahan has a wonderful ministry in Canada and the United States, promoting, encouraging and developing strong, healthy congregations, living in the Grace of God. “His book, Twelve Keys to an Effective Church,” has spawned quite a movement of grace and joy in many churches throughout Canada, and it was a privilege to be a part of this conference celebrating his work. It is our hope to bring what we have learned, and to share how we were inspired together. I should note that in addition to Scott MacDonald and me, you were very wise to send two wonderful ladies, Flo Bell and Sadie Stewart. Not only did Flo and Sadie get along like a house on fire, they caught the fire of enthusiasm from the conference, and they too look forward to sharing with you.
To sum things up as quickly as possible, let me say that the Twelve Keys program outlines twelve characteristics common to strong, healthy congregations. No congregation has all twelve; a congregation with nine of the twelve is doing great. No matter how many of these keys any particular congregation happens to identify as strengths, the important thing is to build on those things we do best, and have fun adding other strengths as time goes by. As we do, our congregation celebrates life together, rejoices with one another, supports one another, reaches out to one another and our world with compassion, and fills our lives, our hearts, and our homes with Hope. Our church life revolves around and reflects the grace, generosity and compassion of God. And a church whose life revolves around and reflects the grace, generosity and compassion of God is a church which brings hope to its members, and hope to the world. And that’s a church I would like to be a part of, a church through which I would want to serve the God of grace and generosity, compassion and hope.
Who is this God we seek to serve, to know, to welcome into, inspire, and fill our lives? What does it mean to speak of God in terms of grace and generosity, compassion and hope? When it gets right down to it, what it this kind of God really like? Well, Jesus tells us a story – maybe the most famous story he ever tells – about just such a God. He doesn’t tell us what the story is called, but over the years we’ve given it a title – the Prodigal Son. And because that’s the title we’ve given it, we assume that’s who the story is about, we assume the Prodigal Son is the main character. But he’s not. We could just as easily have called the story, The Faithful Older Brother. He’s got just as big a role, and while the story starts out with the Prodigal Son, it wraps up with the Faithful Older Brother. Perhaps “The Faithful Older Brother” doesn’t have quite the level of built-in interest as a story of the Prodigal Son. After all, would you rather hear a story about blowing it all on wine, women and song, or about working, day after day, faithfully, in the fields? Would you rather watch a movie about a Baptist going off the deep end and blowing it all, or a Presbyterian muddling though, day after day, decently and in good order? I thought so. And most were in agreement with you. So we went with the title The Prodigal Son, pandering to the crowd.
Kennon Callahan, though, doesn’t like either title. He prefers a different title altogether. He prefers, “The Parable of the Running Father.” And you know, he’s got a point. Because of everyone in the story, the Running Father is the only one who doesn’t do what everyone expects. Who doesn’t do what anyone expects. But who does what God would do. And does. Let me first recap a bit of the story for you, and then tell it like Callahan does:
So he got up and went to his father.
"But while he was still a long way off, his father saw him and was filled with compassion for him; and he ran to his son, threw his arms around him and kissed him.
"The son said to him, 'Father, I have sinned against heaven and against you. I am no longer worthy to be called your son.'
“But the father said to his servants, 'Quick! Bring the best robe and put it on him. Put a ring on his finger and sandals on his feet. Bring the fattened calf and kill it. Let's have a feast and celebrate. For this son of mine was dead and is alive again; he was lost and is found.' So they began to celebrate.
And he ran… these are words of Grace.
These are among the most remarkable words in the Bible.
While the young son was yet a long way off,
His father saw him,
And had compassion,
And he ran,
And threw his arms around his son
And called for the best robe, and a ring, and sandals…
For this my son was dead and now is alive,
He was lost and now is found.
The father did not stay in the house, with the door closed, refusing to see his son.
He did not wait in the doorway, begrudgingly, bitterly.
He did not walk slowly toward his son, reluctantly, uncertainly.
He did not turn his back.
He could have done any of these things.
The Good News of the Gospel of Grace is this:
While we are yet a long way off,
God sees us… and has compassion… and runs to us.
God runs to us. God’s grace runs.
God puts arms of grace around us,
Calls for the cloak of compassion,
The ring of community,
And the sandals of hope.
God welcomes us home.
We were dead, and now we are alive.
We were lost, and now are found.
This is the parable of the Loving Father…
The loving, running Father.
The parable tells us more about the father than the two sons.
What we know about the young son is that he lost his inheritance in the far country and decided to return home.
What we know about the elder brother is that he resented his father’s welcoming of his younger brother.
We learn most about the father.
We discover the nature of the father.
We are amazed at the grace of the father
both toward his younger son and his elder son.
He shares his love and grace with both of them.
Our God is the God of the heavens and the stars,
Light years and galaxies,
Dark holes and shooting stars,
Comets and constellations
Suns and moons,
Solar systems and new heavens.
The stars are the sacramental sign of the immensity of God’s grace.
Our God creates the universe as immense as it is
So we will know how immense the grace of God is for us.
We are blessed with the unending immensity of the Grace of God.
This is the God who runs to you.
Our God comes in a manger, as a babe, to teach us the immediacy,
the closeness of God’s grace for you.
Shepherds and wise men gather.
A mother and father are quietly blessed.
Kings and princes, soldiers and warriors are not present.
This coming of grace is for everyday, ordinary people.
This is the God who runs to you.
Our God comes as the loving, running Father who welcomes us home.
We are blessed with both the immensity and immediacy of God’s grace.
We are blessed with the grace of God.
Live your life in the grace of God. Live each day in the grace of God.
Have this confidence. Know this assurance.
God does not close the door.
God does not wait in the house.
God does not walk slowly.
God does not turn his back.
God runs. Grace runs.
The grace of God runs to you.
The grace of God surrounds you.
The grace of God sustains you.
The grace of God leads you.
The grace of God heals you.
The grace of God welcomes you home.
Your future… our future… this congregation’s future are blessed with the grace of God.
This is the God who runs to you.
Receive his grace.
Be renewed by his grace.
Be restored through his grace.
Come home. Come home.
"But while he was still a long way off, his father saw him and was filled with compassion for him; and he ran to his son, threw his arms around him and kissed him.
"The son said to him, 'Father, I have sinned against heaven and against you. I am no longer worthy to be called your son.'
“But the father said to his servants, 'Quick! Bring the best robe and put it on him. Put a ring on his finger and sandals on his feet. Let's have a feast and celebrate. For this child of mine was dead and is alive again; was lost and is found.'
Amen.