Wednesday, October 27, 2010

Through different eyes

Kids see things through different eyes.

I was sitting in choir, listening to Mr. Hanson read the story of the prodigal son. Listening to him read, I was picturing the story unfolding in my mind as I listened to him read . . .

“And the father, seeing his son from afar off, ran to meet him and fell on his neck and kissed him--”
and suddenly from the audience there's a quiet “ew gross!”

I'd almost forgotten that the kids from children's church were in with us this Sunday! Didn't take me long to remember. lol. I tried not to laugh, but I'm pretty sure someone watching me would have known I wasn't thinking about the prodigal son anymore. That's what I love about kids . . . they remind me what a simpler view of life looks like, and how funny it can be at times!

Fortunately, the message on the parable was actually very good and I was able to take something from the sermon besides that one kid thought the reunion between father and the prodigal son was a little too sentimental and bordering on sloppy.

Pastor pointed out that many times we are so focused on the prodigal son that we forget that there was a second son who was just as alienated from the Father – and he was the one who was living in the same house with him! He really didn't love his father any more than his brother who ran away, but he conformed outwardly because there was something to be gained by it. However, when his brother came back, all the anger, dissatisfaction, and envy came out.

For most of us in church, it's pretty comfortable to hear about the younger son. After all, since we're in church, it's a pretty good sign this parable isn't aimed at us. Or is it? Jesus gave this parable primarily in response to the Pharisees, and it was no accident he included the older brother at the end. In the end, it was the younger brother, not the older brother who kept all the rules all his life, who had a better relationship with his Father and got more joy out of it. Why? Because the younger brother realized that he couldn't, and didn't need to, earn his father's love.

The Father came out to greet both his sons. He initiated, and re initiated the relationship and love to both of them, not the other way around. One of them accepted it and was grateful for it because he knew he didn't deserve it. The other couldn't accept it because he was more concerned with being good than being close to his Father.

The lesson I learned: The goal of life is not to be good. (It's not to be bad either, in case you were wondering!) The goal of life is to love God. If your being good is the result of you simply not wanting to be bad, you're missing the point. If your fellowship with God is not your true motivation for dressing the way you dress, saying the things you say, or doing the things you do, I don't care how good you look, you may very well be the older brother in this parable.

Not necessarily a fun message to hear, but one that I think is very necessary. . . especially for those of us who have been in church all our life.

Thursday, October 14, 2010

Congrats, Buddy!


Josh got his first archery deer last Saturday. So here you go, little brother . . . your twelve minutes of fame on my blog. Hope there's many more for you =)

Upon request,(we won't say by whose) the poll of whose deer is bigger is being left up the replies of viewers like you =)

Tuesday, October 5, 2010

First day of Archery . . .

. . . was more successful than it usually is for me!



Contrary to what the picture looks like, it's really not Rudolph the red-nosed reindeer -- it's just his green-nosed cousin! j/k

It wasn't huge, but it was a fairly nice sized doe. It was beautiful weather to be in the woods the first day, and on top of thatI was thankful God let us put some meat in the freezer early this year.