Fifth Sunday of Lent
(continued)
From Fear
to
Love
Lenten Reflections on the
Parable of the Prodigal Son
by Henri J.M. Nouwen
(1932-1996)
(For Lent this year, a season of reflection and renewal,
I am forgoing the usual quotes and using only snippets from Henri
Nouwen found at
the site above in his “Reflections on the Parable of the Prodigal Son.”)
The parable tells of a wealthy landowner’s son
who leaves home and squanders his inheritance. When he returns destitute but
contrite, the father joyfully welcomes him, causing resentment in the dutiful
brother. The father explains that a celebration is warranted for “your brother
was dead, and is alive again.” We learn that God, like a loving parent, is
merciful and forgiving, that reconciliation with Him is a gift. That we should
not judge others, but rejoice when a sinner returns to His fold.
Obedience and
Gratitude
So also Christ did not glorify himself
in becoming a high priest, but was appointed by the one who said to him,
"You are my Son, today I have begotten you"; as he says also in
another place, "You are a priest forever, according to the order of
Melchizedek." In the days of his flesh, Jesus offered up prayers and
supplications, with loud cries and tears, to the one who was able to save him
from death, and he was heard because of his reverent submission. Although he was a Son, he learned obedience
through what he suffered; and having
been made perfect, he became the source of eternal salvation for all who obey
him, having been designated by God a high priest according to the order of
Melchizedek.
Hebrews 5:5-10
Prodigal Son
He
Qi
China
http://www.biblical-art.com/artwork.asp?id_artwork=39198&showmode=Full
As I focus more on my inner life I
sometimes perceive a big wall of stone within that I have carefully built over
the years to protect myself. Now,
though, it seems as if the Spirit living in me is removing some of the stones
from my wall. This is very scary and
hurtful for me, but I keep trying to let it happen. As I am emptied out, I feel grateful that I
can receive more people into my inner space.
There seems to be a sort of cave inside that is gradually opening out
into a safe dwelling place with God and with many others.
Instead of saying, “These stones belong to me and I do not want
you
to remove them,” you are being invited to say,
“I am very afraid to let go, but because you are my Father,
I trust you and with your help I will cooperate with you.”
Meanwhile, God is saying,
“Let me remove your stones and blockages
and learn to be grateful because it will
provide more space in your life.”
Gratitude is believing that when stones are taken out of your
wall,
God is building a cave where you can receive others and
really experience true family and true community.
A grateful life is when you give thanks because
what is happening to you politically or socially,
or in your family or in your personal journey,
is the molding hand of a loving Father, transforming your heart
by love.
Homeowners’ Social Gathering
Sid
and Tim (Evergreen HS graduates) recently returned to Evergreen and have
collected old photos
of
Evergreen’s development over the years. They shared them with a group of our
homeowners at Tuscany Tavern.
Nalini
(means “Lotus Flower” in Sanskrit)
with
her parents, Dr. and Linda Patel, who are visiting from their home in Indiana.
I
had not met Nalini before.
Joanie,
Jan, and Carolyn at Bunco Tuesday evening.
<gr>
At
Wednesday Breakfast, Danna showed us one of the three pieces of material she
had printed with some of David’s paintings he did of places in England. She will use them to make three quilts: one
for themselves and one for each of David’s daughters in England.
Meet
the Authors
Saturday,
March 24, 2012
9:30-3:00
Mount
Vernon Country Club
Evergreen’s
very own Barbara
Sternberg discussed
her historical biography,
The Things That Last When Gold is
Gone.
Erin
Blakemore, from
Boulder, wrote The Heroine’s Bookshelf,
winner
of the 2011 Colorado Book Award for Non-Fiction.
A
very bright young woman with a unique outlook.
Dr.
Dave Hnida talked about
Paradise General, his account
of
his times in Iraq and Afghanistan as a medical doctor.
Your return from resentment involves the willingness to let go
of the resentful distance between you and the other …
to become an equal (again) and to return to intimacy.
Listen again to the elder son … do you hear the resentment?
… “Never once have I disobeyed.”
It’s angry virtue!
This same thing happens in me all the time.
I feel jealous and angry because the elder son in me
believes he has to earn his father’s friendship.
“I’ve done this, I’ve done that, I’ve done such, I’ve done so,
and you have not given me anything in return.”
The elder son in us sees the relationship to our father
as that of boss over slave, or boss over worker.
Think about how often you do that and how unnecessary it is!
March 25, 2012 Fifth
Sunday in Lent
Previous OPQs may be found at:
http://www.dotjack.com/opq.htm
All quotes are from Henri Nouwen.
The days are surely coming, says the
Lord, when I will make a new covenant with the house of Israel and the house of
Judah. It will not be like the covenant that I made with their ancestors when I
took them by the hand to bring them out of the land of Egypt — a covenant that
they broke, though I was their husband, says the Lord. But this is the covenant
that I will make with the house of Israel after those days, says the Lord: I will put my law within them, and I will
write it on their hearts; and I will
be their God, and they shall be my people. No longer shall they teach one
another, or say to each other, "Know the Lord," for they shall all
know me, from the least of them to the greatest, says the Lord; for I will
forgive their iniquity, and remember their sin no more.
Jeremiah 31:31-34
Agnus Day, by James
Wetzstein
Agnus Day
appears with the permission of www.agnusday.org
Now among those who went up to worship
at the festival were some Greeks. They came to Philip, who was from Bethsaida
in Galilee, and said to him, "Sir, we wish to see Jesus." Philip went
and told Andrew; then Andrew and Philip went and told Jesus. Jesus answered
them, "The hour has come for the Son of Man to be glorified. Very truly, I
tell you, unless a grain
of wheat falls into the earth and dies, it remains just a single grain; but if
it dies, it bears much fruit. Those who love their life lose it, and
those who hate their life in this world will keep it for eternal life. Whoever
serves me must follow me, and where I am, there will my servant be also.
Whoever serves me, the Father will honor.
"Now my soul is troubled. And what should I say — 'Father, save me from
this hour'? No, it is for this reason that I have come to this hour. Father,
glorify your name." Then a voice came from heaven, "I have glorified
it, and I will glorify it again." The crowd standing there heard it and
said that it was thunder. Others said, "An angel has spoken to him."
Jesus answered, "This voice has come for your sake, not for mine. Now is
the judgment of this world; now the ruler of this world will be driven out. And
I, when I am lifted up from the earth, will draw all people to myself." He
said this to indicate the kind of death he was to die.
John 12:20-33
Fallen in the Earth
LINDEGAARD,
Henri
http://www.biblical-art.com/artwork.asp?id_artwork=24110&showmode=Full
http://www.heartlight.org/gallery/834.html
Jer.
31:31–34
Ps. 51:1–12 or
Ps. 119:9–16
Heb. 5:5–10
John
12:20–33