A party for the...foolish? Huh?
by Pastor Denny Coon
I always enjoyed attending the county and state fair as a kid. I was usually pretty compliant but would take risks when it came to scary rides and throwing balls at stacked milk bottles. Part of the attraction for me was getting close to the “carnies.” Living life on the road looked appealing to me. I never thought seriously of running away as I loved my mom’s cooking too much. However, the pull of the open road was strong.
That may be why the story of the prodigal son and his brother (Luke 15: 11-32) captured my attention. I have always been curious about the “distant country” and “dissolute living,” which attracted the youngest son. It sounds like a good time to me.
What begins as excitement however ends in despair. What looks like fun ends in sadness. The pull of the world and selfish behavior moves to lifelessness. Bad choices lead to life threatening circumstances. The whole thing is a mess.
We could easily use this as a lesson of “I told you so.” It would be good to allow youth to read this and let them learn a lesson from it. We could say, “Don’t do as the youngest son did because here’s where it will lead.” “Keep your nose clean and do as you are told.
However, what do you do with the party that is thrown for the foolish kid? Why is there so much joy and gifts if he did something so wrong? This could be a dangerous text as kids could get the wrong impression. You’d better come to church on Sunday to see how this story gets unpacked. See you in church with your children
Blessings,
Pastor Denny
A Child's Prayer
Anonymous
Lord, teach a little child to pray,
And then accept my prayer;
For thou canst hear the words I say,
For thou art everywhere.
A little sparrow cannot fall
Unnoticed, Lord, by thee;
And though I am so young and small,
Thou dost take care of me.
Teach me to do the thing that's right,
And when I sin, forgive;
And make it still my chief delight
To serve thee while I live.
