Saturday, March 2, 2013

March 10, 2013

Breaking Open the Scriptures Scriptures for March 10th: Joshua 5:9-12; Psalm 32; 2 Corinthians 5:16-21; Luke 15:1-3,11-32; Theme: a life of forgiveness is the best way to be happy Song: What Wondrous Love is This – UMH 292 2 Corinthians : One of the major themes that has followed us since Ash Wednesday is the need for forgiveness. Lent is our time to be honest with God about who we are and about what we need to do better. Sin is the one things that separates us from God. We have to take the sin out of our life in order to be reunited with God. The theme for today is reconciliation. After we have confessed our sins, we can take the journey back to God. the pathway to reconciliation with God is Jesus. Paul says that when we live in Christ, we become a new creature. Christ makes all things new, including our relationship. We become a different person because Christ does not hold our past against us. But he wants us to remember that we should learn how to do the same for others. When we know the gifts of being forgiven, we forgive others. Luke: We have not only heard this story for many years, I think that many of us live as a part of it. This is the story of the prodigal son – the spoiled younger son who squandered his inheritance and realized that life was better at home. I don’t know about you, but I have spent my life as the prodigal older son. The son who felt unappreciated for faithfulness. The self righteous one who did not see what all of the fuss was about. The younger son deserved to be punished for his attitude and I needed to be acknowledged and loved for all that I have done. We have to remember however, that the focus of this story is really the father who was willing to love and accept his son in spite of all that he did wrong. We need to remember that God does the same for us. Remember, this is the season of reconciliation to God. Of realizing that no matter how faithful we think we have been we need to ask for forgiveness. No matter how familiar we are with this story, we need to read it with new eyes and new understandings. And to be grateful of the love that God has given us. And that we all have a role in bringing those younger sons through their time of trial, so that they too can know that God loves them through it all. Questions: How is God renewing your spirit right now? What parts of your soul still need to be renewed? How has God showed you mercy when you should have been judged? How can we through a party for those who are just coming to understand God’s love?

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