by Paige Kemper, Emma Maney, and Kaegan Parks
Psalm 32; Luke 15:1-3, 11b-32
“No matter where we are on our faith path, God in all of his grace accepts us. The son endured fear, but moved forward. The son felt shame, but was greeted with grace. The son was lost, but found he was home.”
“The older brother reminds us that even though we think we do everything correctly, we are never too perfect to be “called out.” As people of faith, we are meant to allow God to call ourselves out of our privilege and comfort, and be changed. It is never too late for God to open our hearts, call us out, and to allow us to see beyond what we know and have experienced.”
“As Christians, forgiveness is one of the most powerful ways we can be the change. Forgiveness is hard. It is a process. Forgiveness is not something that happens right away. God guides us through that process. Forgiveness is not forgetting. But letting go of anger, resentment, or even hatred. When we do this, we can discover new things in ourselves and in others as well. We can form new bonds. We embrace vulnerability.”