Message from the Pastoral Care and Eldership Team (PaCET) for Sunday Meeting 12th January 2025

Dear Friends,

Last Sunday I inadvertently went off after meeting for worship for church affairs with someone else’s mobile phone.  I returned with haste once I realised my mistake. Fortunately, the owner was still in the Foyer with others helping him to cope and making calls to likely culprits on their mobiles. I had expected to be told what a problem I had caused and why wasn’t I more careful. Instead there was general celebrating. “That which was lost is found”. Smiles of relief all round.

It reminded me of a book I had read recently by the Catholic writer Henri Nouwen about a famous picture by Rembrandt of the return of the Prodigal Son. The book is an extended reflection and meditation on the figures on the picture. These include the penitent son, the welcoming father and the peeved older brother. Henri Nouwen looks at each in turn and finds himself in each, and by implication asks “don’t you find yourself there also?” The younger son feels he is worthless, totally undeserving of any sympathy and not fit for any proper role in the family. The father, as we know, takes the opposite view. “You’re back and alive, that’s great – of course there’s still a place and a role for you in my household.” The older son makes clear how unfair this seems; he’s been diligent; what right does his father have to accept his brother back? He finds it hard to join in any rejoicing.

You can see what Henri Nowen is getting at. At times we each find ourselves being in one of these positions or another. Some come more easily than others. Some fit or challenge our concept of the divine and how we should live.

Jesus’ version of the parable is in Luke, chapter 15. I remember a fresh ending to it which some of the girls in the school where I taught in Malawi did when acting it out. They had a group dancing and singing round the younger son whilst the older one stood brooding some way away. Suddenly the younger son broke out of the circle and went to his brother, flinging his arms around him and bringing him into the dancing circle. Reconciliation often isn’t easy but can be helped by a gesture from the one who knows the displeasure they have caused. I hope I apologised enough about taking my friend’s phone, but was glad that the rejoicing broke out so soon. May it do so in many other situations where love is given unreservedly.

Chris