Teach Me To Worship You

'Therefore I urge you, brothers and sisters, in view of God's mercy to offer your bodies as a living sacrifice, holy and pleasing to God - this is your true and proper worship' Romans 12:1
 

'Teach Me To Worship You' was composed by Quek Li Huan, a Singaporean and the Music Minister at St John’s - St Margaret’s Anglican Church. A comment in the Blog - Voyages of the Pilgrim read, 'This song never fails to encourage me. I pray that you too will come to know the joy of coming before God in simple worship. No complicated chords, no mind-blowing revelations. Just the simplicity of wanting to walk deeper into His arms.' 

Teach me to worship You

Teach me to adore You
I want to love You with my whole being

To learn to praise Your name
Each day to do the same
Teach me O Lord the way
To worship You

I want to worship You
I want to adore You
I want to love You with my whole being

To forsake my sinful ways
To look upon Your face
And understand Your grace
O Lord my God

What does it mean to love God with your whole being? This song clearly defines worship which is the act of ascribing ultimate value in God in a way that it synergises and engages your whole person, your whole being. It involves our mind, our emotion and our will, our entire being, our everything.

There is another song in the Bible that describes worship as involving our entire being, Psalms 95

• Our Emotions. 'Come let us sing for joy to the Lord; let us shout aloud to the Rock of our salvation. Let us come before Him with thanksgiving and extol Him with music and song' Psalms 95:1-2

• Our Minds. 'Come let us bow down in worship, let us kneel before the Lord our maker, for He is our God and we are the people of His pasture, the flock of His care.' Psalms 95:6-7

• Our Wills. Today if you hear His voice, do not harden your hearts as you did in Meribah, as you did that day at Massah in the wilderness.' Psalms 95:7b-8 

There are two expressions or forms of worship, the corporate and the personal acts of worship.

The Corporate Worship is usually exhibited in congregational worship in which worshippers praise God with singing and prayer usually following a ritual or liturgy in a church, hall or at home. Liturgy is a set of words, music and actions (usually in structured format), used in religious ceremonies. These church worship expressions help to reassure and strengthen our faiths in God , deepen our bonds with each other and provide us with a sense of purpose and mission. The writer to the Hebrews advocates and encourages such meetings where we vocalise our worship and praise God together

'Through Jesus, therefore, let us continually offer to God a sacrifice of praise - the fruit of lips that openly profess His name.' Hebrews 13:15 

This regular congregational worship should then result in communal sharing and ministry to one another within and without the church, thereby pleasing God.

'And do not forget to do good and to share with others, for with such sacrifices God is pleased.' Hebrews 13:16  

The corporate worship service should be centred on the Holy Trinity. We worship the God the Father who calls us to be His people by sending His Son, Jesus Christ as our redeemer and giving us the Holy Spirit as our counsellor.  

The second form, Personal Worship, is usually done individually and privately. Personal worship is to spend time with God on a regular basis. It involves the Holy Scriptures and Prayer. Henri Nouwen wrote (Ref 1), 'The word of God should lead us first of all to contemplation and meditation. Instead of taking the words apart, we should bring them together in our innermost being;...  we should be willing to let them penetrate into the hidden corners of the heart. Secondly we need quiet time in the presence of God, this is when we pray, sometimes silently.' Henri Nouwen wrote, 'Being silent in the presence of our God belongs to the core of all prayer. In the beginning we often hear our own unruly inner noises more loudly than God's voice. But surely, very slowly, we discover that the silent time makes us quiet and deepens our awareness of ourselves and God.

The Christian who can worship God with such wholeheartedness, is a Christian who has a right understanding of God's nature and right value of God's worth. This is what is meant by worshipping God with all of our being. 

John Piper surmised (Ref 2), "The inner essence of worship is to know God truly and then respond from the heart to that knowledge by valuing God, treasuring God, prizing God, enjoying God, being satisfied with God above all earthly things. And then that deep, restful, joyful satisfaction in God overflows in demonstrable acts of praise from the lips and demonstrable acts of love in serving others for the sake of Christ."

It is often useful to begin worship with an Invocation prayer. The Invocation is a prayer for the blessing of God. The liturgy of the traditional Methodist worship service starts with an invocation hymn. This hymn, attributed to Charles Wesley, 'Come Thou Almighty King' helps  invoke in each one of us an awareness of the presence of the Triune God, Father, Son and Holy Spirit. 

Come, Thou Almighty King, help us Thy name to sing.

Help us to praise:

Father!  All glorious, O’er all victorious

Come and Reign over us, Ancient of Days.

Come, Thou Incarnate Word, gird on Thy mighty sword

Our prayers attend!

Come and Thy people bless and give Thy word success

Spirit of holiness, on us descend.

Come Holy Comforter, Thy sacred witness bear

In this glad hour!

Thou, who almighty art, now rule in ev’ry heart

And ne’er from us depart, Spirit of Pow’r.

To Thee, great One in Three, eternal praises be

Hence ever more:

Thy sov’reign majesty may we in glory see

And to eternity, love and adore.

Lionel

Ref 1: Henri Nouwen. Reaching Out - The Three Movements of the Spiritual Life. Chapter 8, The Prayer of the Heart. Image Books Doubleday, 1986

Ref 2: John Piper What is Worship? April 2016 Desiring God Interviews

https://www.desiringgod.org/interviews/what-is-worship

A Church Without Borders

Brain Storming for a Church Without Borders

'And do not forget to do good and to share with others, for with such sacrifices God is pleased' Hebrews 13:16

My church, Charis Methodist Church is currently undergoing extensive renovations. When completed we aspire to be an 'Attractive Community' to our neighbours and become a church without borders. We could learn from St John's short third epistle to his friend, Gaius. This letter is about relationships within and without the church, amongst Christians and neighbours.

The action, described in this letter is of welcome and hospitality. It is not just a principle or theory but a practice and skill; the ability to make a stranger feel welcomed and well looked after. 

'We therefore ought to show hospitality..' 3 John 1:8

Hospitality contributed to the success of the early church. The early church grew by the witness and preaching itinerant believers, early missionaries going about to various cities and villages preaching and witnessing in order to spread the Christian message. These itinerant preachers were poor and could ill afford to stay in hotels and inns. They were dependent on the believers in cities to welcome them into their own homes and provide free board and lodging.

What is Christian Hospitality? It is that action of being welcoming and helpful to friends and even strangers, lending assistance in practical ways. John wrote,

'Dear friend, you are faithful in what you are doing for the brothers and sisters, even though they are strangers to you.' 3 John 1:5

John further commended his friend Gaius and informed that others are telling the church of Gaius’ love. 

'They have told the church about your love. Please send them on their way in a manner that honours God.' 3 John 1:6

Gaius showed a graciousness that superseded self-interest. This was the spirit of the early church and this resource stoked the fires of Church growth, not necessarily in any dramatic fashion but insidiously, ubiquitously and very tangible.

The Practice of Hospitality. Henri Nouwen a Catholic priest in his book 'Reaching Out: The Three Movements of the Spiritual Life' wrote “If there is any concept worth restoring to its original depth and evocative potential, it is the concept of hospitality." 

Welcoming strangers. When we think of hospitality, we picture having family and friends over for a pleasant meal. Or we think of the ‘hospitality industry’ of hotels and restaurants which are open to strangers so long as they can pay. But Churches could give shelter and support to the homeless, poor and needy - people who cannot return the favour.

“Do not forget to show hospitality to strangers for by doing so some people have shown hospitality to angels without knowing it.” Hebrews 13:2

Share your meal with others. The church father Jerome challenged the medieval church to “let poor men and strangers be acquainted with your modest table, and with them Christ shall be your guest” He warned that Christian leaders may be likely to entertain only the powerful and the rich but Jesus advocated the opposite.

'Then Jesus said to his host, "When you give a luncheon or dinner, do not invite your friends, your brothers or sisters, your relatives or your rich neighbours; if you do, they may invite you back and so you will be repaid. But when you give a banquet, invite the poor, the crippled, the lame, the blind and you will be blessed." Luke 14:12-14

Give generously to those in need. It was this early and continuing teaching in the New Testament which sparked off the generosity in Christians which then established many charitable organisations that serve the poor and needy. Many institutions were started simply at first without much resources, by persons who were led by God and who were conscience- stricken to heed the call to share what little or plenty they have with people in need.

'Share with the Lord’s people who are in need. Practice hospitality.' Romans 12:13

Jean Vanier lived in the small French village of Trosly-Breuil in Canada. One day, Jean invited two men with intellectual disabilities who were staying in a local institution to create home with him. They called their home L’Arche, meaning the Ark. Jean said, “Those who are weak have great difficulties finding their place in society. The image of the ideal human as powerful and capable disenfranchises the old, the sick and less able. So many in our world are suffering from isolation, war and oppression. I believe that those we most exclude from the normal life of society, people with disabilities, have profound lessons to teach us."

This was the dynamics of the early church. Two millenniums later, People still need us, 'People need the Lord.' It is this imperative that will spur Charis Methodist Church to become a Church without Borders. 

Everyday they pass me by

I can see it in their eyes

Empty people filled with care

Headed who knows where

On they go through private pain

Living fear to fear

Laughter hides their silent cries

Only Jesus hears

People need the Lord, people need the Lord

At the end of broken dreams, He's the open door

People need the Lord, people need the Lord

When will we realize people need the Lord?

We are called to take His light

To a world where wrong seems right

What could be too great a cost

For sharing life with one who's lost?

Through His love our hearts can feel

All the grief they bear

They must hear the words of life

Only we can share

People need the Lord, people need the Lord

At the end of broken dreams, He's the open door

People need the Lord, people need the Lord

When will we realize that we must give our lives?

For people need the Lord, people need the Lord

Lionel

The Inner Room

The Dolomites - Falzarego Pass

 'But when you pray, go into your room, close the door and pray to the Father, who is unseen. Then your Father, who sees what is done in secret, will reward you.' Matthew 6:6

Cathedrals have very beautiful ornate altars but God is found in the inner room. 

Father Laurence Freeman interpreted Jesus' advice to us as close the door and pray there where your Heavenly Father is, and you will be enriched and rewarded. In that room is not just the idea of God but His real presence. 

In this privacy we are not distracted by the din and loud praises of the modern contemporary worships. We are not distracted by the art pieces, statues, stained glass windows, golden altar pieces inside beautiful in the voluminous spaces of cathedrals.

In the inner room, we can pay attention to ourselves but more importantly we can give our attention to Jesus who will be present. Father Laurence Freeman in his sharing Daily Wisdom, Inspiration for everyday, wrote on the 10 Dec 2021, "Attention Matters. Our distracted culture, the fact that we spend an average of three or fours hours on our mobile devices, young people at a very vulnerable ages, spending hours, hours and hours on their social media, indicates a fragmentation of our fundamental capacity which is attention."

When Jesus taught us how to pray, He told us,

• Not to grandstand. 
• Not to make a spectacle of our prayer
• Not to let our prayers become long speeches

"And when you pray do  not be like the hypocrites, for they love to pray standing in the synagogues and on the streets corners to be seen by others." Matthew 6:5

But to

• Pray quietly
• Pray in secret
• Pray as a conversation with God 

"But when you pray go into your room and pray to your Father who is unseen. Then your Father, who sees in secret will reward you." Matthew 6:6

So, when we are in the inner room, we leave self behind. We are alone with Jesus, and we will be able to engage, to listen, to feel empathy, says Father Laurence, adding that attention is the fundamental essence of prayer. We engage in prayer of the heart, we lay aside your thoughts, insights, ideas, petition keeping them in the background and we give our attention, just being there with the Divine. 

Behold us, Lord, a little space
From daily tasks set free,
And met within Thy holy place
To rest awhile with Thee.

Around us rolls the ceaseless tide
Of business, toil, and care;
And scarcely can we turn aside
For one brief hour of prayer.

The Inner Room does not have to be a space, it can just as well be the inner self. It is more the our attitude during prayer that Jesus emphasised as illustrated by this parable in Luke 18:10-14

Two men went up to the temple to pray, one a Pharisee and the other a tax collector. The Pharisee stood by himself and prayed, "God, I thank you that I am not like other people - robbers, evildoers, adulterers - or even like this collector. I fast twice a week and give a tenth of all I get."

But the tax collector stood at a distance. He would not even look up to heaven, but beat his breast and said, "God, have mercy on me, a sinner."

Jesus said

"I tell you that this man rather than the other, went home justified before God. For all those who exalt themselves will be humbled, and those who humble themselves will be exalted." 

Inner room prayers can be silent prayers or contemplative prayers. Jesus instructed that instead of making a show of it, this quiet time is where we begin to experience the transformation power of God. 

Yes, silent prayer transforms us. Henrí Nouwen calls this Silent Spirituality in his book The Way of the Heart; it 'molds self-righteous people into  gentle, caring, forgiving persons who are so deeply convinced of their own great sinfulness and so fully aware of God’s even greater mercy that their life itself becomes ministry.'

This is the Healing Grace so gently sung in this prayer song.

Merciful God and Father

Loving us like no other

Hear our prayer

The cry of our heart

As we come to You

We acknowledge our transgressions

We confess to You our sins

Show us mercy and compassion

Touch our lives with Your healing grace again

Release us from our past

As we seek Your face

Wash us free at last

We receive Your love

We receive Your healing grace

Lionel

A Solitary Space

Garden at Kubota Ichiku Kimono Musuem

'Very early in the morning, while it was still dark, Jesus got up, left the house and went off to a solitary place, where He prayed.' Mark 1:35

In April 2007, I chanced upon this quiet wooded area just outside the Ichiku Kubota Kimono Art Musuem on the northern shores of Lake Kawaguchiko in the Yamanashi, Japan. The extensive gardens designed by the artist himself stretch from the entrance gate far into the wooded slopes behind the museum buildings. I took a solitary stroll along quiet paths and hummed softly the Christian song, In The Garden. 

I come to the garden alone
While the dew is still on the roses
And the voice I hear falling on my ear
The Son of God discloses

And He walks with me
And He talks with me
And He tells me I am his own
And the joy we share as we tarry there
None other has ever known

He speaks and the sound of His voice
Is so sweet the birds hush their singing
And the melody that He gave to me
Within my heart is ringing

The garden and the solitary walk epitomises man's need for silence, stillness and solitude. Emeritus Bishop Robert Solomon in his book 'Spiritual Disciplines for Urban Christians' (Ref 1) observed that the speed of life has increased in the crowded social environment and the soul cannot keep up with the body. Perhaps the enforced social distancing and the ban on overcrowding brought about by the current Covid-19 pandemic have brought us to recognise this need.

We need to find our God-given space to be alone with God. The Latin term 'Coram Deo' describes this space as being in the presence of God or before the face of God. We need not find a solitary place, just a solitary space, which Richard Foster reminded us as 'a state of mind and heart.' 

Being alone is not the same as being lonely. Being alone or finding solitude is a choice as in Jesus getting up early in the morning and to retire to a solitary place. Being lonely is an imposition much like not having friends, no fellowship and perhaps pining for the company of others.

Sometimes we go out of the way to find peace and quiet as in the case of the garden at the Ichiku Kubota museum. Other times it would suffice just to keep to ourselves in our rooms. Bishop Solomon added "It is not where we are that matters but who we are with. The place of solitude is where we are alone with God." 

The Hebrew word, 'Kavanah' convey the concept of being aware of God's presence. This is especially enhanced when we find a solitude which Henri Nouwen calls the "solitude of the heart, an inner quality or attitude that does not depend on physical isolation." (Ref 2) Dave Adamson wrote "The key is to intentionally focus on God in everything we do. Kavanah comes when you have a mindset that God is in every conversation, every step, every breath, every action and reaction, every relationship, every social media post, everything.' (Ref 3)

Solitude in a lonely garden, a desert or a crowded city engender a spiritual longing for God.

'You God are my God 

Earnestly I seek You

I thirst for You

My whole being longs for You." (Psalms 63:1)

A favourite worship song, written by Don Moen expresses this longing for God in more contemporary language and music - 'I Just Want To Be Where you Are.' 

I just want to be where you are

Dwelling daily in your presence

I don't want to worship from afar

Draw me near to where you are

I just want to be where you are

In your dwelling place

In your dwelling place forever

Take me to the place where you are

'Cause I just want to be with you

I want to be where you are

Dwelling in your presence

Feasting at your table

And surrounded by your glory

In your presence

That's where I always want to be

I just want to be

I just want to be with you

I just want to be where you are

Dwelling daily in your presence

Dwelling daily in your presence

I don't want to worship from afar

Draw me

Draw me near to where you are

Oh my God, you are my strength and my song

And when I'm in your presence

Though I'm weak, you're always strong

In your presence

That's where we always want to be

I just want to be

I just want to be with you

Lionel

 

Ref 1: Robert M Solomon, Spiritual Disciplines for Urban Christians. Genesis Books, 2021.

Ref 2: Henri J M Nouwen, Reaching Out - The Three Movements of the Spiritual Life. Doubleday 1975.

Ref 3: Dave Adamson, 52 Hebrew Words Every Christian Should Know. Christian Art Gifts, 2018.

Love Changes Everything

'Love never fails.' 1 Cor 13:8

On 20 Jan 2011, as any first-time tourists to Northern India would, Pat and I made the customary visit to the Taj Mahal. It is the most beautiful building we have ever seen. The Taj Mahal certainly lives up to its name and reputation as the "crown of buildings”. It has a simplistic, symmetrical, white, pristine and feminine beauty which will fix the eye and drop the jaw of any observer. I stood in awe of it and celebrated the artistic imagination and creative inspiration of the human race.

This pure beauty aptly and eternally celebrates what must have been a stunning beauty of a woman, Mumtaz Mahal, to whose memory this mausoleum was built. Mumtaz Mahal, meaning 'jewel of the palace', was the third wife of the Mughal Emperor Shah Jahan. So enthralling was her beauty that Shah Jahan fell in love with her at first sight at the age of fourteen. They were married five years later and she became his inseparable companion till her death after giving birth to her fourteenth child. It is said that Shah Jahan was so heartbroken that he ordered the court into mourning for two years.

Some time after her death, Shah Jahan undertook the task of erecting the world's most beautiful monument in the memory of his beloved. Construction took 22 years from 1632 to 1653, employing thousands of artisans and craftsmen and in its building, almost bankrupting the coffers of the rich and mighty Mughal Empire. It also cost Shah Jahan his kingdom. When the building was completed, his son confined him to house arrest and usurped his throne in an effort to stop the blatant expenditure and save the economy of the country.

The Taj Mahal stands today as a symbol to love and romance. For Shah Jahan, “Love Changes Everything”

Love, love changes everything:

Hands and faces, earth and sky,

Love, love changes everything:

How you live and how you die.

Love can make the summer fly,

Or a night seem like a lifetime.

Yes, Love, love changes everything:

Now I tremble at your name.

Nothing in the world will ever be the same

(click on title to hear a Michael Ball’s rendition of this song on YouTube).

One thing love changes is fear. Henri Nouwen stated, "Fear makes us run away from each other or cling to each other but does not create true intimacy. Fear makes us move away from each other to a safe distance. But laying our hearts totally open to God leads us to a love of ourselves that enables us to give whole-hearted love to our fellow human beings. In the house of God's love we come to see with new eyes and hear with new ears and thus recognise all people, whatever their race, religion, sex, wealth, intelligence or background, belong to the same house. God's house has no dividing walls or closed doors" (Ref 1).

We are afraid to commit. We are afraid of the 'Taj Mahal' brand of love. Ravi Zacharias wrote  “Love is a commitment that will be tested in the most vulnerable areas of spirituality, a commitment that will force you to make some very difficult choices. It is a commitment that demands that you deal with your lust, your greed, your pride, your power, your desire to control, your temper, your patience, and every area of temptation that the Bible clearly talks about. It demands the quality of commitment that Jesus demonstrates in His relationship to us.”  

Yet, Jesus Christ expects all Christians to aspire to the highest aspect of love - Agape or unconditional and sacrificial love. In John 15:12-13 Jesus said “This is my command: Love one another the way I love you. This is the best way to love. Put your life on the line for your friend." By these words Jesus shows how far love to another should extend, even to the laying down of our lives for our friends and neighbours.  

Lionel

Ref 1: Henri Nouwen, You are the Beloved. Daily Meditation for Spiritual Living. Hodder and Stoughtom, 2017

True Repentance

The Prodigal Son in Repentance

"If my people who are called by my name, will humble themselves and pray and seek my face and turn from their wicked ways, then I will hear from heaven, and I will forgive their sins and will heal their land." 2 Chronicles 7:14

In the heyday of the evangelistic crusades, scores of people answered the altar call to find salvation in Jesus. Despite the emotional outpouring and the prayers to receive Christ, many did not receive salvation. The Bible said that they are like seeds that when sown never took roots and did not bear fruits. Their encounters with Jesus were short-lived and no true conversions took place.

One would assume as these people stepped forward they would regret their sinful nature. They would make a U-turn and return to God and find in Jesus, forgiveness of sin and strength to live a new life. That would be true repentance or t'shuva in Hebrew and it means more than to regret or to feel sorry; it means to turn back. Unfortunately many were led by emotional responses instead of truly repudiating their past lives and sins and then, coming by faith to accept Jesus Christ as their saviour.

J I Packer in his book, Rediscovering Holiness (Ref 1) argued that Christians are called to a life of habitual repentance. Packer pointed out that the very first of Luther's ninety-five thesis, nailed to the Wittenberg church door in 1517, declared: "When our Lord and Master Jesus Christ said, "Repent" He willed that the whole life of believers should be one of repentance".

What is repentance? J I Packer outlined that repentance means:

• Realistic recognition that one has disobeyed and failed God, doing wrong instead of doing right
• Regretful remorse at the dishonour one has done to the God one is learning to love and wanting to serve
• Reverent requesting of God' pardon, cleansing of conscience, and help to not lapse in the same way again
• Resolute renunciation of the sins in question, with deliberate thought as to how to keep clear of them and live right for the future
• Requisite restitution to any who have suffered material loss through one's wrongdoing.

One example of true repentance is found in the return of the Prodigal Son. This man had disgracefully sought after his inheritance from his father and squandered it in riotous living. He left home with pride and money but he was reduced to looking after pigs, losing all his dignity. He was no longer considered a human being. He was down in the dumps. That was exactly where we were at until we made the choice to return to God. The Prodigal finally came to his senses and made the long journey home.

Repentance is not easy. Its effects must be deep, changing our characters, behaviours and lives. John Wesley said that God has forgiven all on the cross, but not all have repented. After we have repented and found the forgiveness of God, like son and father we are reconciled. This is the same place we should all want to be in; our relationship with God being fully restored. Henri Nouwen wrote in the "Return of the Prodigal Son", (ref 2) "The father's embrace of his son told me that I was desperately searching for the that inner place where I too could be held as safely".

Lionel

Ref 1: J I Packer, "Rediscovering Holiness - Know the Fullness of Life with God". Regal 
Ref 2: Henri Nouwen, "The Return of the Prodigal Son - A story of Homecoming." Image books Doubleday


    

When God Ran

Rembrandt - "Prodigal Son"

"But God demonstrates his own love for us in this: While we were yet sinners, Christ died for us." Romans 5:8

The Parable of the Prodigal Son could also be renamed the Parable of the Prodigal Father. Prodigal means extravagance. Taken in the light of the son, it is a story of an extravagantly wasteful person, who took his inheritance prematurely from his father and squandered it. However, it also told a story of a father's extravagant love for his son, who in spite of the grievous insults done him, was profusely abundant in forgiveness and reconciliation. 

In one of his last paintings, Rembrandt captured this moment of Christian mercy with solemnity. This picture now hangs in the Hermitage Museum at St Petersburg. Bathed in light against a dark background, viewers of the painting are drawn to the two characters and the emotional homecoming. The son has an appearance of an outcast. Ruined and repulsive, he returned after wasting his heritage in foreign lands. His old father, dressed in rich garments hurried to meet him and received this long-lost son with gentle fatherly love. Henri Nouwen said that Rembrandt painted father and son, compassion and misery, God and humanity.

In a more modern rendition of the event, this amazing grace of a prodigal father was put to song by Benny Hester and John Parenti, “When God Ran". 

Almighty God, the Great I Am

Immovable Rock, 

Omnipotent, Powerful Awesome Lord,

Victorious Warrior 

Commanding King of Kings, Mighty Conqueror

And the only time

The only time run I ever saw Him run

Was when He ran to me

Took me in His arms

Held my head to His chest

Said “My son's come home again"

Lifted my face

Wiped the tears from my eyes

With forgiveness in His voice

He said "Son do you know I still love you?"

It caught me by surprise

It brought me to my knees

When God ran

It might sound strange, but God wants to find us as much as we want to find God. God is not the patriarch who stays at home, doesn't move, and expects his children to come to him, apologise for their aberrant behaviour, beg for forgiveness and promise to do better. On the contrary, he leaves the house, ignoring his dignity by running toward them, pays no heed to apologies and promises of change, and brings them to the table richly prepared for them. Nouwen (Ref 1)

How blessed and fortunate we are! When you next read the parable of the prodigal son, think of the image of a repentant sinner leaning against his father's breast and the old father bending with outstretched arms over his son. This is homecoming, the darkness of human existence, weary and sinful, taking refuge in the illuminating shelter of God's mercy. We are like that, we are walking step by step toward God and He awaits us with open arms to embrace us as we step into the light. 

Lionel

Ref 1: Henri J.M. Nouwen The Return of the Prodigal Son, Image Doubleday 1992