Joshua 5:9-12 Psalm 32 2 Corinthians 5:16-21 Luke 15:1-3, 11b-32
I was on my way to a planning retreat when my daughter called. This is my daughter who is the youth director at St. Mark’s in Little Rock. One of her responsibilities is to lead a worship service for the children attending the pre-school operated by the church.
We had one of those conversations where one thought leads to another and you find yourself in the midst of a discussion about something completely different from the reason for the phone call. On this day, she told me about how she explained the prodigal son parable, the one we just heard, to the children during worship. She was nice enough to give me permission to use it.
One day she took her dog, Archie, out for a walk. The buckle on the dog’s collar was evidentially not securely fastened and Archie escaped his collar and leash and ran off. Katie was worried sick; but eventually, Archie came running back to her. She was overjoyed and welcomed him with open arms. She could have been angry at her dog for running off, she could have been mad at herself for not double checking the buckle on his collar – but in the moment of Archie’s return, she only felt joy and relief.
Upon his son’s return, the father was overjoyed, so much so that he went running out to meet his son. His son, duly penitent, expressed great remorse – but the father didn’t care about the past. As he said, “let us eat and celebrate; for this son of mine was dead and is alive again; he was lost and is found!” The father responded as Katie did – by rejoicing for the reunion and not rehashing the mistakes of the past.
Most families understand this parable on many levels. Many a son or daughter has gone astray, and many a son or daughter have squandered their gifts and found themselves living hand to mouth. Most of us have been the prodigal son spiritually, if not physically at one point or another in our lives. When this happens to us – when we find ourselves barely getting by emotionally, spiritually, or otherwise, we review our lives as he did. And, in this life review we may begin to seek that which is most important – relationships. Many remain lost, but the prodigal son returned saying, “Father, I have sinned against heaven and before you; I am no longer worthy to be called your son; In the excitement of his son’s return, the father does not seem to grasp the profound change that had occurred within his son – or did he? “This son of mine was dead and is alive again; he was lost and is found!”
His son had left home thinking of only himself; his son returned humbled, knowing he did not deserve any favor – wanting simply to be a hired hand. I think that took a great deal of courage – to admit first to himself, and then to his father, “I have sinned against heaven and before you; I am no longer worthy to be called your son.”
In the litigious society in which we live, we are afraid to admit when we are wrong, we are afraid we will be sued or that it is a sign of weakness to admit our mistakes – or at least that is the excuse we so often use for not asking for forgiveness. It takes courage and humility to admit our mistakes.
Experience has taught us that not everyone responses as the father did in this parable. So we are guarded and often unable to ask for forgiveness. We protect ourselves by denying our responsibility or telling ourselves it wasn’t a big deal – we minimize our sins and our responsibility. Still we carry our guilt, we try to pretend it isn’t there, and go on with our lives. Unfortunately, guilt and shame prevent us from enjoying, from fully appreciating the celebration our father hosts for us upon our return. Carrying the burdens of guilt interfere with our relationships with God and each other.
Forgiveness is always available to us from God, but we are often unable to accept God’s forgiveness. We are the ones who can’t let it go. What we understand in our heads – that God forgives our sins, we can’t accept in our hearts. Sometimes we need help with this.
If you will turn to page 447 and page 449 in the Book of Common Prayer you will find our liturgies for “The Reconciliation of a Penitent.” Often referred to simply as confession, these Rites are available to everyone. Many people find it particularly appropriate to individually confess their sins during Lent. Lent is, after all, the time in which we are called to reflect on our lives and those parts of our lives that keep us from giving ourselves fully to God. Some people need to share their sins in private with a priest and receive absolution.
After my sermon, the Nicene Creed, and the prayers of the people we will confess our sins as part of our preparation for communion. As your priest, I will declare God’s forgiveness of your sins. That is sufficient for many of us, but the Reconciliation of a Penitent is needed by some who continue to struggle with the guilt of their sins. Remember what I said about the rituals in the Episcopal Church, “All may, some should, and none must.” That applies to this Rite as well. If you can’t let it go – you might consider yourself among those who should – but none must, so you don’t have to. If you would like to schedule a time for me to hear your confession, please don’t hesitate to call for an appointment. Confession to a priest does not require you to tell what you have done in detail, only enough for you to feel you have sufficiently presented your sins before God. It begins with a discussion, and then, when appropriate, and if desired, we move into the church for the ritual of confession and reconciliation.
As the name of this Rite implies, reconciliation comes with forgiveness. We talk of Christ’s sacrificed for us as reconciling us to God. The Apostle Paul tells us that once reconciled to God through Christ we have a responsibility to reconcile others to God. In the letter to the Corinthians we heard read this morning he puts it this way, “Christ, has given us the ministry of reconciliation.” Paul goes on to say, “We are ambassadors for Christ, since God is making his appeal through us; we entreat you on behalf of Christ, be reconciled to God.
The ministry of reconciliation – the need for reconciliation is obvious! Turn on the TV or the radio and you can find one talk show host after another expressing utter amazement at how ridiculous the other political party’s ideas are. The liberals and the conservatives both have their authorities who leave no doubt what they think of the opposing point of view. Political debates have become very personal and often involve ridiculing people and their beliefs.
In the parable of the prodigal son, the elder son is upset that the father has celebrated the younger son’s return. The elder son has remained faithful and yet it is for the younger son, who squandered his inheritance, that the father kills the fatted calf and throws the party. The elder son personally attacks his brother saying he has “devoured [his father’s] property with prostitutes.” There is more than a little resentment expressed by the elder son who refused to join the party. The father points out that the elder son still has his inheritance and that has not changed. What has changed in that his brother has returned – he has been reconciled to the Father! This is a point that the elder son does not seem to grasp.
The ministry of reconciliation is not an easy one, but it is the ministry to which all Christians are called. It can begin quite simply with prayer. I therefore challenge you to expand your prayer list and pray for at least one person with whom you disagree, despise, or consider an enemy. Whether you add to your pray list political opponents or people you feel has harmed you in some way, it is important to pray for their well being. Pray for their health and happiness, and pray that the blessings of God be upon them.
Let us Pray.
God, you have called us to be ministers of reconciliation. Incline our hearts to you that we might have the strength and courage to live into this calling – responding to criticism with encouragement and to hatred with love. Help us to respond to the prodigal sons in our lives not as the elder son did, but as the father who welcomed him back with open arms – just as you have received us again and again when we have sinned and then returned to you. We thank you for your immeasurable love and the love you have shown us through your Son, our Savior, Jesus Christ. Amen.
