Crass. But hopefully it makes the point. (And, by the way, if you've seen this scene from the movie Slumdog Millionaire, you'll know that this is more than a metaphor). This Sunday, we will explore one of the mysteries at the heart of the Christian faith: God using our mistakes-making tendencies - our falling into the outhouse of human frailty - for the purpose of our transformation. Jesus indeed seems particularly fond of people who have been lost and who, through the incredible power of grace, get "found."
I will be brief this week. My wife looked at my entry last week, and commented about how it was too long and formidable a thing to read. So this week, brief.
First; read the text: Luke 15:11-24. A familiar one. I like the title "The Lost Son" instead of "The Prodigal Son", because it's set in a chapter full of stories about lost things that get found.
Watch these two clips. There is no better illustration of this strange phenomenon than this scene (shown in two parts) from the movie The Mission. First clip. Second clip. (For background on the story, see my entry from last week.)
Reflect. Are there instances in your life where you caught a glimpse of God's incredible grace, because you had been lost and got "found"? Further, as I mentioned my sermon last week: is it possible that the process of redeeming our mistakes actually begins not with our desire to get "off the hook," or our desire to assuage our guilt - but with our transformative encounter with the living God?
Extra Credit: If you'd like to get into some more detailed scripture study, click here.
Final Thoughts: Thanks for your question, Mark! (The question: "Did you truly mean that those who have [asked forgiveness in advance of sinning] at some point will never be forgiven by God? Is there room for such a person to stop doing so, repent of that practice, and be forgiven?" Briefly - yes, there's always room. Here's my response - with a bit of help from others.
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5 comments:
While crafting this week's sermon, please remember that it's Bagel Sunday, and people will be eating after worship. :)
Thank you,
The Deacons
Ah - the bowing to human need. Are you implying that I...went long on Sunday?
; )
Jeff
No, not worried about length. Worried about content that might put people off their feed.
Mark
I have been finding that people often are more comfortable responding to this material via email - which is fine! At times, I ask if people are willing to allow me to copy here what they write on email.
Here's an email from Tom Wilfrid on the subject:
Jeff,
You may have planned it this way, but I note that the final entry in your sermon series on apology comes on the day (9/27) when Yom Kippur, the annual Jewish day of atonement, starts at sundown. I’m enjoying the series, and thought I’d share a few thoughts with you.
One of my most interesting experiences with apology came years ago when a Jewish MCCC colleague called me in the days leading up to Yom Kippur and explained that it was part of the tradition of preparation for Yom Kippur to seek out all whom one may have wronged in the previous year and apologize. He was apologizing for having said some intemperate things to me in the context of union-management negotiations.
I recall being surprised, as I had not actually felt hurt by whatever words he had said, but also being very impressed at the tradition of setting aside a time each year to do this. Even in a case where the wronged individual isn’t expecting to be apologized to, a sincere apology fulfills a need within the apologizer and it can strengthen relationships that are not necessarily broken.
I’m torn over how frequently we need to blend this process into religious practice. In our tradition, we affirm each week our human shortcomings and our need for grace in our prayers of adoration and confession – but the routineness of the process makes it seem perfunctory at times, and our emphasis on God’s forgiveness may subtly absolve us from taking initiative to fix our damaged human relationships. Yom Kippur, the highest of the high holy days, brings the atonement process into a major annual focus, and encourages extended, serious reflection on restitution for the offenses one may have committed.
I have no idea how all this relates to the practice of Islam.
Tom
I like what Tom said, "Even in a case where the wronged individual isn’t expecting to be apologized to, a sincere apology fulfills a need within the apologizer and it can strengthen relationships that are not necessarily broken." Sometimes our own actions bother us more than the individual who may have been on the receiving end. Apologizing may even help us be at peace with ourselves, rather than letting something grate on us. As the receiver of an apology, I agree with Tom that it may make the bond between you even stronger, possibly because one person is working hard to respect the other, as well as the relationship you have.
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