A Cliffhanger for the Soul

Pop-quiz, sports fans: what is the longest parable in all of the Gospels? Yup, that’s right, it’s the one I just read: the Jesus-story usually called “the parable of the prodigal son.” 

You know what’s really weird about this parable? For all of its colorful details, we don’t know how it ends! Think about it. It’s like those limited series we like to binge-watch, with a cliff-hanger at the end of each episode right before the credits that make you go “Ahhh!”

How does it turn out?

 

Will the faithful son go into the party and greet his brother? 

Does the returning little brother realize that his big brother is not at the party and seek him out? 

Will the father ever witness his two estranged sons embrace? 

And the biggest question of them all: which character do you identify with the most?

Ouch!

In this parable Jesus invites us to walk with both sons and the father, so that we can listen to how God is calling each of us.

The story of the two estranged sons and their father only appears in Luke’s Gospel and none of the other three, but it is probably one of the most famous of all Jesus’ teachings. It comes at the end of a long string of other parables in Luke about how much God values everyone. 

God’s love, Jesus says, is like a shepherd with a hundred sheep who, on losing one, leaves the ninety-nine and searches diligently for the one lost sheep. 

God’s love, Jesus says, is like a woman with ten gold coins who, on losing one, turns the whole house upside down and sweeps every nook and cranny until she finds it. 

In Luke's Gospel, we are hearing a story that explains why it is that God has expanded the Covenant circle to not just include the Jewish nation but all people. The original covenant people--as seen in the oldest son-- are not left out, and the people who joined in or even returned to the Covenant community--as seen in the youngest son--are not only welcomed in! So this is also a story of how God's love works and is available to everyone. 

But it is not only the searching and the finding that is important, but the rejoicing is essential! Jesus says God rejoices when even one lost person is found. The shepherd rejoices to find the one lost sheep. The woman calls all her friends and neighbors and rejoices with them, endlessly telling them the story of the coin she lost and how relieved she was to find it. You can almost hear her say “You’ll never believe where I found it…it was in the last place I looked!”  And Jesus tells us in Luke’s Gospel that the church (that’s us, the gathered people of God!) is to rejoice whenever anyone comes to themselves, comes home and is welcomed by God and God’s people.

I think that this is why so many churches host 12-step meetings, like AA, NA, OA, CODA, and all the other Anonymous’. It’s not the cheap rent that brings these groups into our parish halls. It’s what the Church does! It is why we are here! And it’s what Jesus does for us!

The late Henri Nouwen, who was a Dutch Roman Catholic priest, spiritual director and writer, meditated on this parable as it was portrayed in Rembrandt’s painting “The Return of the Prodigal Son.”  He first saw the painting as a poster in someone’s office and was immediately taken by it. The image spoke to him at once! Years later, he was given the chance to view the real thing at The Hermitage in St. Petersburg, Russia, where it hangs today. Nouwen wrote a book about his encounter with the painting and Jesus’ parable in his book The Return of the Prodigal Son: A Homecoming. He said that for every Christian, for every person, there is a need, a call to come home. There is a need and a longing to come home and be embraced and loved for who we are—all of us, even the parts of us that wander away.

 

We have all, at one time or another, also been like the son who leaves. Nouwen wrote that, when we come back, just like the youngest son, we discover that God is not interested in our prepared, over-rehearsed speeches. All of us have counted up our wrongs and found ourselves wanting, and all of us hope that we might get some small job just to keep us warm, fed and occupied. Not much, we tell ourselves, just enough, because we know we don’t deserve anything else. Just a little kindness will do. We learn from Jesus that God is not interested in reminding us over and over again of our failings. God is not interested in sharing crumbs. God wants us home. 

And, like the father in the story, God celebrates and calls in the whole family and neighborhood when we return.

Nouwen also says that all of us are like the son who stayed home. We count up our rights and our sacrifices and we expect our due. All of us at one time or another have demanded to be recognized and have felt injured or slighted when someone else got what we thought we deserved—especially if they’ve not been as good, or as competent, or as faithful as we have been.

 

We have all been the brother who stayed, and for us the challenge is to accept not only God’s justice, but more than that we must learn to accept God’s extravagant love and generous forgiveness. In his own way, the good son, when he refused to accept the wayward son’s welcome, becomes a prodigal himself.

And there is a third challenge in this parable, one that we often overlook. Nouwen reminds us that we are also called to be like the father in the story, the one who forgives and the one who welcomes; the one who is patient and the one who coaxes and the one who never loses faith. It is the father who not only runs out to greet the wayward son on his return and embraces him; but it is also the father who leaves the party and enters the darkness to stand with the faithful son and embraces him as well. My hunch is that the father allowed the youngest son to go off to the Big City because he understood that this might be how he learns about life and himself. In this story the father shows us that God’s love is not a zero-sum game with only winners and losers. Jesus’ parable reminds that God never says, “I told you so!”

Jesus reminds us in the Gospel lesson that the feast is for everyone. “All that I have is yours” the father says to the faithful but angry son outside the party. “You are always with me.”  For us to take on the role of the father is to find the language and the way to welcome all God’s people into the feast and rejoice that everyone is there.

So … who are you in this story? 

I think Jesus’ parable of the Two Prodigals and their Dad is a kind of a spiritual Rorschach test. You know one of those tests that therapists used to do to get you to speak what you see in a blob of ink. Probably the person in the story with whom we identify the most and the person who irritates us the most, are teaching us something about where we are spiritually and where we need to grow. 

At the heart of the father’s love that Jesus talks about in this story is empathy. Empathy is a much-maligned attribute lately. Some, like a certain gazzilionaire in the news lately, thinks it is a weakness. But without God’s astounding empathy… which we Christians know is made manifest in the incarnation, where God lives and walks amongst us in the person of Jesus… none of us would have a chance at life. Without empathy, the lost son is not welcomed, the faithful son is forgotten, and this family that Jesus presents us-- Jews and Gentile, male and female, slave and free-- falls apart.

As we move closer and closer to the journey to the cross and resurrection, we will become mindful of the fact that God has embraced all of us. We are called to embrace all the people God sends to us. Why? Because all of us at one time or another have been the wayward son who was welcomed beyond all expectation. And all of us have, at one time or another, been the faithful son who, despite doing everything "right," felt slighted or ignored. And since we live in a world filled with people who are seeking and people who are hurting, we need more and more to enter into the role of that loving father who welcomed both siblings into the banquet. 

And now for the cliffhanger: The only way for the faithful son and his wayward brother will embrace is when both of them accept the extravagant forgiveness of the father that neither son expected nor dreamed of. 

How will it turn out? For them? For us? For you and me? 

Let’s come to the banquet and find out!

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Scripture for the Fourth Sunday in Lent, Year C, March 30, 2025

Website for Episcopal Church of the Good Shepherd, Dunedin, Florida

Here is the bulletin for the Fourth Sunday in Lent, Year C, (or this 10 AM liturgy bulletin)  for March 30, 2025, the Church of the Good Shepherd, Dunedin, Florida.

Here is the livestream of the March 30, 2025 10 a.m. liturgy at Good Shepherd, Dunedin, Florida.

If you want to go deeper: Here is Bishop Nick Knisely's (Rhode Island) sermon on this passage, which helped me sort through some of the questions on empathy that I was pondering this week as I studied this week's Gospel.

Who will go?

A sermon for the Fifth Sunday after the Epiphany, Year C

Whenever I hear the reading from Isaiah 6 that we just heard… you know, the one beginning with the phrase “In the year that King Uzziah died…,” I can’t help but think of my ordination liturgy. Because this is one of the Old Testament lessons set aside for the ordinations of priests and it was the one read on the day of my own ordination by my dad in his best Armed Forces Radio / Mercury Theater speaking voice. 

The image is a terrific fit for ordinations, which (like my ordination to the Diaconate) often take place in Cathedrals, or in parish churches in small towns (as was my priestly ordination). Either way, it’s an occasion to haul out the best china, polish the best silver, set out the best linens and put on the very best reception that the parish can muster. And trust me… I’ve been to a lot of these, and they are always impressive feeds!

In Isaiah, the Prophet has a vision where we see the Lord, lofty and uplifted on a throne. In a scene that could been drawn by Alan Rohan Crite himself, the  angels have all opened their hymnals and are singing S124 (by David Hurd), S129 (by Robert Powell), S130 (by Shubert) or maybe my personal favorite, S114 (by Healy Willan).

The earth shakes (I’m sure with thunderous organ music, undergirded with a good 16’ subbass or maybe like the 32' Contra Violone as in the National Cathedral). 

All the while, the room is filled with fragrant smokey incense from which an angel picks up a coal from the thurible… the incense pot… and touches it to lips of the Prophet.

But that only happens after the assembly hears the thunderous voice of God asking which one of them will go out and speak the word of God to the people…. Everyone looks around until someone (only one someone, the Prophet Isaiah) waves their hand with excitement saying “Me! Me! Me!” Or in Bible-talk, “Here I am; send me!”

Now that is what I call a call! 

Well, even in the Bible, not every call is so… high church.

Sometimes Jesus’ call happens where we live and work. Take, for example, Peter and his fisherman companions Andrew, James, and John in today’s Gospel. 

Peter was a hard catch. It is clear that Jesus thought he would be a terrific disciple, but Peter was—up until now—a skeptic. When brother Andrew, who had already been following Jesus’ cousin, John the Baptist, told Peter about having seen the Messiah when he saw and then followed Jesus, Peter’s response was “nah!” Actually, it was “hah!” From Nazareth, you say? Nothing good ever comes from Nazareth! Hah!

So Jesus decides that a demonstration is in order. 

You know the story… heck, we just heard it! Peter—who isn’t Peter yet but is still known by his birth name, Simon, along with James and John are busy fishing. Notice that while they are out hauling nets, Jesus is on the shore… on their shore, no less!... preaching to a large crowd. Simon is throwing net after net and comes up empty and he comes ashore as Jesus is finishing up talking. I’ll bet he was hot, tired, and probably a little grumpy. Jesus turns to Simon and says go put out your boat and let down your nets one more time. Simon protests. While you’ve been yapping to that crowd, we’ve been out here working! Can’t you see that there’s nothing to catch? We’ve worked all night long and… Nothing! Nada! Zip! Zilch! But Peter sees Jesus giving him that “look,” so I imagine Simon sighing a sullen “oh-kay” and heading out again, if for no other reason than to prove this travelling rabbi wrong.

But when Simon throws out his net, it is filled near to bursting with fish! So much so that Simon cries for help from James, John and his other friends. They caught so many fish that they filled two boats!

This got Simon’s attention. He falls to Jesus’ knees in both awe and repentance. Jesus stands Simon up and says to him “You think that was something? You just wait! Soon, you’ll be catching people!”

When the Gospels of Mark and Matthew tell the story of how the first disciples were called, they just say that Jesus was walking by the Sea of Galilee, saw Peter, Andrew, James, and John, fishing from their boats, called out “Follow me!” and off they went. But Luke’s Gospel, tells us the rest of the story. Hmm. I wonder why?

Well, Luke’s Gospel and his sequel, the Book of Acts, talks over and over again about encounters with Jesus and his followers that changes lives! We are given a picture of a Gospel message so compelling that people literally drop everything and walk in the way of Jesus.

That call, that invitation, might seem a little overwhelming. I mean, there is so much to do. And life is just so busy. We, like those first followers, were tired, overworked, and not a little bit harried. But Jesus invites us, even in our tiredness to “put out into the deep water.” It’s crazy. But, hey, what have we got to lose? 

Now there’s a catch to this catch. If we are hearing this from the standpoint of scarcity – seeing a church that is not quite as full as we wish—or nostalgia, remembering a church that seemed so much more full once upon a time, or if we are a church committee member looking for how to “sell” our product, we might be disappointed. If that’s all we want, chances are the nets will continue to come up empty. Learning and doing the work of Jesus is the work of the church, not simply adding to the Sunday attendance.

Now don’t get me wrong. I have chaired diocesan evangelism commissions in two dioceses, and trained vestries and church members in the proven techniques of adding and incorporating people into parish communities. That being said, I believe that what’s really important is how we communicate the Gospel in all its colorful fullness to everyone everywhere as they are where they are. 

It is the Good News of Jesus that people are hungry for! And that shows up in all kinds of ways: practical, compassionate, and attentive. 

Letting people know and experience the life-changing love of God in Christ takes all kinds of forms. It might be a feeding ministry to the hungriest and poorest of our community. Or visiting the homebound or shut in or those who living out their last days in a nursing home, hospice, or group home. Or having coffee with that grumpy old widower at the corner café. Or bringing the Sacrament to people who are unable to join their sisters and brothers in Sunday worship for reasons of health, family, or work. And it might be in standing up for the people whom society wants to marginalize, blame for all our problems, or just toss aside—even if we wouldn’t normally be caught dead being seen with them, or if they come from the wrong neighborhood or from a faraway country, with our without papers-- and standing with them, standing tall and proud with them-- anyway.

A disciple is a friend and apprentice of Jesus Christ. And being a disciple of Jesus means learning and doing the work of Jesus every day.

Jesus tells his first followers that they will become fishers of people… that’s the goal of discipleship. As baptized people, you have an incredible opportunity to reach out and become fully present about your surroundings. Weatherman Al Roker always says, “Now let’s see what’s happening in your neck of the woods.” God is inviting us to learn and do the work of Jesus, to experience what’s happening in our part of God’s vineyard, our neck of the woods.

But in these harsh and divided times, who will go? 

Who will raise her or his hand and say “me! me! me!” 

Who will be the first to throw out the net? 

You know, it may be that the most important way to say “yes” to God’s invitation and Jesus’ instruction might simply to smile and to look into the eyes of your neighbor. Our Gospel moment may just be a fleeting personal, face to face connection, and not through a screen. That little I-Thou moment may be just what the doctor ordered for the weary soul of a stranger. 

Maybe the next time you are at the grocery store or waiting to be seated at a restaurant, you can communicate the Gospel simply by intentionally smiling or saying hello to that cashier, bagger, server, or someone in your orbit.  It is likely that both of you will be enriched by that activity. You may even connect with someone who will eventually join you in being a fisher of people. There is no special person assigned to this work. We are all up for the task whether we consider ourselves introverts or extroverts.

It sounds simple, but it’s a start. 

Because fishing for people is not about “selling” our Gospel message… it is about giving and showing the love of Jesus and inviting people to share, even for a moment, in the saving, hallowing presence of God. We baptized people are living Sacraments, outward and tangible signs of inward and spiritual grace. Know it or not, we all point to Jesus. 

And just as Jesus called and invited the fisherman to go into deeper water, so we are called and invited to wade in to everyday life and be the face of Christ to those who seek Him, as we look for the face of Christ in the people God gives us every day.

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Scripture for the Fifth Sunday after the Epiphany, Year C, February 9, 2025

Website for Episcopal Church of the Good Shepherd, Dunedin, Florida

Here is the bulletin for the Fifth Sunday after the Epiphany, C, Feb. 9, 2025 for the Church of the Good Shepherd, Dunedin, Florida.

Here is the livestream of the February 9, 2025 9 a.m. liturgy at Good Shepherd, Dunedin, Florida.

Once again, the world is coming to an end!

The world is coming to an end!

Well, that’s the general feeling I get listening to the various pundits, politicians, and preachers…I have to admit that it does look pretty bad. 

But is the world really coming to an end? 

Well, no more than usual.

But after hearing the little apocalypse from the Gospel of Luke this morning, you might think that Jesus was saying the same thing. But his point is not to scare us to death. Instead, he reminds us that, as bad as things might look, God is always with us. 

Martin Luther was once asked “What would you do if you heard that Jesus would return tomorrow?” Luther said that he would plant a tree. For in all likelihood, the rumor would be untrue. Remember, Jesus also said that no one knows the hour or day when he would return except the Father. So by planting a tree and the Lord did return, he would find Luther taking care of the earth.

Luther’s tree reminds us of the tree in Jesus’ parable, “Look at the fig tree and all the trees, as soon as they sprout leaves you can see for yourselves and know that summer is already near. So also, when you see these things taking place, you know that the kingdom of God is near.”

Jesus calls us to look at the signs all around us. 

What do look for? Do you, like some candidates, look for signs of doom… or do you look for signs of hope?

Leo Tolstoy, an author whom we tend to associate with The Great Big Novel, once wrote a very short story about a cobbler who prayed for a dramatic revelation of God. The humble shoemaker wanted a voice from heaven; or, better yet, a big show in the sky or something like that. 

Instead he got everyday sightings of God as love in action, in charity, justice, and compassion toward the people the cobbler met each day. 

Yes. We look forward to the time when Jesus will return in glory and wrap up all of history, heal all creation and reconcile all people, the living and the dead, to himself. But remember, we Christians also believe that in Jesus we find the fullness of God and the fullness of humanity in one and the same person, undiluted. That’s the Incarnation that we celebrate on Christmas.

In Christ, the really big has already come down to earth and walked among us. And he has already defeated death and sin on the cross. And he has already opened the way to heaven in his resurrection and made us his children, heirs, and companions in the Holy Spirit and in baptism.

So in that light, a person alert to the signs of the times looks, as in Tolstoy’s story, for God’s saving power all around them.

Like many people, the moment I know that we’ve moved from Advent to Christmas happens when I hear on the radio the King’s College, Cambridge, choir of men and boys sings the service of Nine Lessons and Carols. Maybe you’ve heard it? It is broadcast by the BBC all over the world.

It begins when one of the choir boys sings in a clear treble voice “Once in Royal David’s City.” 

Have you ever thought about what it takes to get to that moment? Certainly, as the old joke goes about how one gets to Carnegie Hall, "Practice, practice, practice!” 

Much preparation musically and technically happens before that broadcast happens. But did you know that the boy who actually sings that unaccompanied solo doesn’t know he’s the one until about ten seconds before airtime?

Many boys have practiced and prepared. But it is at the moment that the college’s director of music looks that one boy in the eye and gestures for him to step forward. 

Can you imagine being that boy? I mean, the poise… the cool… the steady nerve! If it were me, I expect that I’d fall over sideways!

But remember… the one chosen to sing is only one of many. A whole troupe of choristers have prepared for this moment and have the grace (and the sportsmanship!) to continue to sing with the ensemble with all their hearts, even knowing that they weren’t the one picked for that particular solo.

This is for me a wonderful picture of Advent waiting and Advent fulfillment! It tells us that it is in the preparation where we are formed and grow as followers of Jesus. It is the pilgrimage we undertake where our hearts are made ready for God. It is walking with Jesus that we become his friends and apprentices.

So instead of being distracted by all the anxiety about the end of the world-- or in creating a perfect 'holiday season experience' -- enter into Advent and open your heart to God! Make room for the arrival of Jesus, Emmanuel, God-with-us. Advent is our time to prepare ourselves in heart, mind, and soul for the coming of the Savior. 

Even with all the busy-ness of the holiday season, this is our chance to learn to lean into God's promises and to use that energy and work for God's purposes; not in an anxious chasing after the "perfect holiday" but as a chance to learn and do the work of Jesus every day!

Advent waiting reminds us of the pilgrimage that every faithful Christian walks, to find Christ and to communicate Christ to a world aching for wholeness, purpose, and hope. In Advent, we discover that God is more and more doing on earth what God does in heaven. 

Anybody can be a voice of doom. That’s easy! It takes no skill at all!

But what we long for is a voice of hope and healing! We Christians are at once preparing …and in our baptisms and Eucharistic community... and we are picked out by God to be Jesus’ voice of hope to people longing for healing and peace, so let's sing!

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Scripture for The First Sunday in Advent, Year C, December 1, 2024.

Website for The Church of the Good Shepherd, Dunedin, Florida

Here is the livestream of the December 1, 2024 10 a.m. liturgy at Good Shepherd, Dunedin.