Here in the middle of Lent we listen to one of Jesus’ most wonderful stories about the father of two sons. Every one of Jesus’ stories is a “Link to Think” how each story relates to our lives.

The Bible has other tales of two brothers at odds with each other. The very first one is about Cain and Abel in Genesis 4; another is the story of Esau and Jacob from Genesis 25. It’s the theme of an older brother jealous of a younger, more favored one. Maybe your family watches “Everybody Loves Raymond.” It’s one of our nation’s favorite TV shows, in part based on the competition between brothers—the jealousy of the older, Robert, for the younger, Raymond.

As you read this story of “The Lost Son,” think about yourself and your family. Is there anything like this going on? Today and this week is a good time to reflect on this; hundreds of thousands of Christians throughout the world hearing this story at worship will hopefully be doing the same thing.

  Luke 15:11-32

Here is a sample of a seven-syllable breath-prayer
from today’s reading:
Your glance filled with compassion v. 20
For more information about this creative way to pray,
see Bible Breaths.

This is the Fourth Week in Lent
Spring in the north.  Year C
Sundays are dedicated to the Gospels from
The Revised Common Lectionary

Seasons of Grace – A Calendar for 2019

Solar and Sacred Seasons
Some adjustments to make the church year simpler.

These Firestarters are from a new edition of The Bible Through the Seasons being developed for families with children. For the Firestarters in the original edition, I recommend the ebook.  You will have the entire program of well over a thousand Firestarters with you on your phone or tablet.  More information…

In your favorite home and garden store, there are lined up in neat rows, package after package of flower and vegetable seeds. They rest very comfortably in the rack, waiting to be purchased, for the envelope to be ripped open, the seeds falling into the ground.

If the seeds were conscious like we are, they might be saying to themselves: “O my! I would prefer to stay right her comfy cozy in the package. I don’t want to go into the ground and be pulled apart and attacked by all that dirt and worms and stuff!” But then they might say a little later: “But what good am I here all sealed away in a package–no place to go, no change for me, nothing for me to become?” So the seeds willingly allow themselves to go into the ground and die so that they can become the flowers and fruits of May, June and the summer months.

Jesus says the same about himself. The time has come for this “seed” of God which is Jesus, to fall into the ground and die. Look what wonderful fruit is going to come in the Holy Spirit and the power of God’s love!John 12:11-50

So take the Word of God today as a seed and let it fall into the soil of your soul so that it will bear fruit.

John 12:11-50

Here is a sample of a seven-syllable breath-prayer
Dying grain, bearing much fruit v. 24
For more information about
this creative way to pray, see Bible Breaths.

This is the Third Week in Lent
Spring in the north.  Year C
On Fridays in Lent and Easter we read the Gospel of John.

Seasons of Grace – A Calendar for 2019

Solar and Sacred Seasons
Some adjustments to make the church year simpler.

These Firestarters are from a new edition of The Bible Through the Seasons being developed for families with children. For the Firestarters in the original edition, I recommend the ebook.  You will have the entire program of well over a thousand Firestarters with you on your phone or tablet.  More information…