Luke 15:11 – Jesus continued, “There was a man who had two sons.
12 – The younger one said to his father, ‘Father, give me my share of the estate.’ So he divided his property between them.
13 – Not long after that, the younger son got together all he had, set off for a distant country, and squandered his wealth in wild living.
14 – After he had spent everything, there was a severe famine in that whole country, and he began to be in need.
15 – So he went and hired himself out to a citizen of that country, who sent him to his fields to feed pigs.
16 – He longed to fill his stomach with the pods that the pigs were eating, but no one gave him anything.
17 – 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!
18 – I will set out and go back to my father and say to him: Father, I have sinned against heaven and against you.
19 – I am no longer worthy to be called your son; make me like one of your hired men.’
20 – 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; he ran to his son, threw his arms around him and kissed him.
21 – The son said to him, ‘Father, I have sinned against heaven and against you. I am no longer worthy to be called your son.’
22 – 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.
23 – Bring the fattened calf and kill it. Let’s have a feast and celebrate.
24 – For this son of mine was dead and is alive again; he was lost and is found.’ So they began to celebrate.”
This is the word of the Lord. Thanks be to God.
Many, many years ago when I was a child growing up in Dover, Delaware, like most families, mine always took a summer vacation together. That vacation always took the same basic form. Usually around the first of August we’d load all six of us into the Adams family station wagon, this was way before the invention of the mini-van, and then we’d begin the long drive south to spend time with my parent’s families in Alabama and Mississippi. It was a long drive because these were the days before the invention of the interstate highway.
Our tradition was to begin our vacation by spending a couple weeks in Florence, Alabama with my mother’s family, the Williamses, followed by a couple of weeks with my father’s family on the family farm in Tomnolen, Mississippi. Year after year this family vacation cycle would repeat itself so my memories of these trips are burned into my aging brain. Even after all this time they’re still fresh in my mind.
For example, I remember the excitement of the trip itself: undisturbed time with my parents and brothers Jon and Matt and sister Lisa, swimming in motel pools. Spectacular Blue Ridge Mountain views as we traveled South, eating in restaurants (a big deal back then), usually Howard Johnsons (these were the days before McDonalds!)
So, I remember the fun of this family road trip but most of all I remember our arrival at each family home. My Grandmother Williams was a widow and so she lived alone in a green house that sat at the corner of Simpson and East Lelia Streets in Florence, Alabama and I recollect that every time our car drove up Simpson Street, as soon as the house came into view, Grandmom would stand to her feet and begin waving, and my Grandmom Williams was a big woman so not only would her hand wave, her upper arm would as well! Don’t let her girth deceive you, she was a strong woman! She could hug the hair off your head! Grandmom would have been sitting on that porch for hours watching and waiting for our arrival, her eyes squinting to look at each car that came into view to see if it had a Delaware tag.
Two weeks later the scene would repeat itself as our station wagon wound its way down the long gravel driveway of the Adams Family Farm. While we were still a long way off I’d see Grandad and Grandmom Adams standing on their porch waving excitedly and then hurrying down into the yard to open car doors to grab grandkids and welcome us.
The arrival at each grandparent’s home would be followed by hugs and more hugs and statements like, “My goodness how you’ve grown!” …and…”It’s sooo good to see you!” …and questions like: “How’s school been?” “Aren’t you playing football this year?” Do any of the rest of you baby boomers have memories like these?
Looking back it seems to me that my grandparents’ entire lives revolved around this one annual arrival. More than anything else in their lives, they eagerly anticipated time with us each August. They longed to be with us and I’m sure they spent many July days looking down the road anxiously imagining our annual arrival.
After hugs and hugs and more hugs they would invite us into their home. Then they’d gather us around their table and we would eat a huge meal. It was obvious to me that both Adamses and Williamses had spent a great deal of time preparing this meal because food at both homes seemed to go on forever, not just one meat but several, dozens of bowls of various steaming vegetables and casseroles, home-made biscuits, pies and cakes and gallons of sweet tea! It was clear that both grandparents had eagerly awaited sharing this meal with us. A great deal of thought and planning had gone into it. To this day I have this memory of that meal as being a special meal. Gathering around the table for this annual feast with family was uniquely precious. The food tasted better. My stomach could somehow hold more. In fact, I would say that, this time of close communion with family, talking and eating, was almost literally a “heavenly” time. These days at my grandparent’s homes were special days, days of a wonderfully reassuring peace and serenity, days of fellowship and openness and acceptance and affirmation. The memories of these days seem to glow as I recall them because they were special, precious times.
Sarah’s off at college now, and Becca’s not too far behind so, it won’t be many more years until Sue and I will be looking out the front window waiting for our children and their children to come home for a visit. I hope it will be more frequently than one per year!
I share all this to illustrate the amazing fact that in the same way that my Grandmom Williams longed for our presence, in the same way that my Grandfather and Grandmother Adams eagerly anticipated being with us each summer, in this same way our Heavenly Father, Creator of the universe, almighty God, our Redeemer, longs, aches, yearns to be with us, to know each of us personally, intimately.
Think about that fact for a moment: the Omnipotent, Omniscient, Omnipresent, all-sufficient God, actually hungers for our presence. In fact, He wants nothing more than to be with us, to share communion with us, every day. Richard Foster put it this way,
“…the heart of God is an open wound of love. He aches over our distance and preoccupation. He mourns that we do not draw near to Him. He grieves that we have forgotten Him. He weeps over our obsession with muchness and many-ness. He longs for our presence.”
Our Heavenly Father, God, invites you and me to come home, to come home to where we belong, to come home to that for which we were created. His arms are stretched out wide to receive us. Like my grandparents, He is waiting on the “porch” for our arrival. His heart is enlarged to take us in. Like the father in Jesus’ parable of the prodigal son, God looks out to see us coming home to fellowship with Him.
We come to this hour of worship, to this Lord’s table after being in the world for the past week. Wouldn’t you agree that our world is much like the far country in Jesus’ parable: a country of noise and hurry and crowds, a country of climb and push and shove, a land of frustration and fear and intimidation, a place of division, arguments, disagreements, strife.
But today, this hour, God welcomes US as a diverse but unified church family home: home to serenity and peace and joy, home to friendship and fellowship, and openness, home to intimacy and acceptance, and affirmation.
In his book on prayer, Foster points out that, in a very real sense, God steps down from the porch and invites us into His “home.” He says God invites us into the living room of His heart, where we can put on old slippers and share freely. He invites us into the kitchen of His friendship, where chatter and banter mix in good fun. He invites us into the dining room of His strength, where we can feast to our heart’s delight. God invites us into the study of His wisdom, where we can learn and grow and stretch and ask all the questions we want. God invites us into the workship of His creativity, where we can be co-laborers with Him, working together to determine the outcome of events. He invites us into the bedroom of His rest, where new peace is found. God invites us home this morning: He invites us to His table.
I would remind you that the “door” to God’s home is Jesus Christ: He is the way, the only way, God provided for us to enter His presence. This communion service reminds us that Jesus lived a perfect life, died in our place and rose victorious over all the dark powers to make a way for us to live through Him and have fellowship with our Heavenly Father. Thanks to Jesus we no longer have to stand outside, barred from the nearness to God by our sin and rebellion. We may now enter the door of God’s grace and mercy in and through Jesus Christ.
The “key” to this home is prayer. At the heart of all Christian prayer is the celebration of the Eucharist or Holy Communion for nearly every aspect of prayer is caught up in the Lord’s Supper: examination, repentance, petition, forgiveness, contemplation, thanksgiving, celebration, and more.
Will you join me now in turning the key to this door? Will you silently on your own, turn the key of prayer? Will you examine your life, repent of your sin, ask for God’s forgiveness, thank Him for it and all His blessings and then will you join me at God’s table this morning?
LET US PRAY….
Father God,
In Your word, You remind us that before we can experience the joy of communion around Your table we must examine ourselves and repent of known sin.
God, I ask that You would help us in this. Guide us as we examine our lives. Search us and know our hearts. Point out the wicked ways that are in each of us. Help us to see that we have not lived faultlessly nor acted without sin.
So many times instead of serving, we rebelled. Instead of waiting on You, we ran ahead. Instead of trusting, we mistrusted. Many who needed our help went without aid. Many promptings of Your Spirit went unheeded. Forgive our disobedience and stubbornness.
So align us with Your purpose that when called again to minister in Your name we all will reply:
‘Not my will, O Lord, but Thine be done.”
And Father, as we partake of this memorial meal-remind us of the sure and stead fast hope that we have as Christians: Your promise that a day will dawn when all Christians sit at Your banquet table in Heavenly glory together. Remind us that on that day, families will be re-united with loved ones who have preceded them, remind us of that glorious day when there will be no more separation, no more sorrow, no more death. And remind us that this future that we have to look forward to was made possible by the death and resurrection of Your only Son, Who’s crucifixion we symbolize in this ordinance.
It is in His name that I pray these things-even JESUS-AMEN