#38 Praise
#39 From the very beginning of creation, humans have acted in ways that have
separated them from God. This separation or sin affects how humans live out their lives. God has laid
out specific laws for how mankind is to live. When we live according to these guidelines, we find that
our lives are filled with peace. But humans don’t live according to God’s plan. They try to be in control
of their own destiny and make their own decisions. God allows this to happen because he has
created humans to have free will.
Humans choose to not live as God has commanded and this causes distress in the world and
especially to humans. When one chooses to live apart from God, one begins to live in guilt and
despair. God does not want us to live this way and so calls us back to him through repentance of our
sins. When we voice our transgressions to God, he forgives us and blesses our lives. Psalm 32 is a
beautiful prayer that expresses the blessing of forgiveness and ends with us praising God.
#40 The psalm in the NRSV begins with the phrase, “Happy are those whose
transgression is forgiven, whose sin is covered.” The NIV uses the word “Blessed.” Both words give
the impression that life will be better once sin is given back to God and forgiveness is asked for.
All we need to do is to acknowledge our sin to God and he will grant us forgiveness. It is then that
God will bless our lives and make us happy. The result of confession is not condemnation and
judgment, but the assurance that we are forgiven and purified from our sin. We are not rejected by a
stern god who will hold our sin against us; we are freed from a terrible burden. Once we confess of
our sins, we can find we find forgiveness, freedom and unconditional love. God never leaves us in our
shame; he lifts us out of it.
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#41 When we embrace a wicked life, we are tormented by our sins. There is no joy in
our lives. But when we trust in the word of the Lord, we are surrounded by his unfailing love for us.
When we feel that wondrous love, we can’t help but raise our voices with joyous praise! We know that
we are forgiven because of God’s love for us and we will experience the blessing that comes from
God’s forgiveness. When we receive that blessing, we have only one response and that is to praise
God.
#42 “Praise”—the word itself—is not a faith expression used during the season of Lent.
We bury the “Alleluia” to be resurrected on Easter with the risen savior Jesus Christ. It seems odd to
use this word when we shift our primary focus to repentance during these forty days. So let us also
shift our thinking. Could it be that PRAISE is not shallow happiness but an expression of gratitude to
a merciful and compassionate God? A God who celebrates when the lost are found? In the story of
the Prodigal Son, Jesus reveals that praise and thanksgiving are captured in a party full of joy.
The beauty of a story being told and retold is its ensuing familiarity. So it is with the story of the
Prodigal Son. The danger of this story being told and retold is how familiarity can cause us to gloss
over messages embedded in this classic portrait of who God is and how God sees us.
#43 There are many ways to listen to this story, but think about using a first-person telling.
It takes imagination, another gift of God! Let us listen in on the heart of the father. While many, if not
most, identify with the younger son or the older brother, how important it is for us to become LIKE the
father. The words of Jesus remind us to be compassionate as your Father is compassionate. Both an
invitation and a charge!
(Speaking now as the father)
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I was the proud father of two sons. Like all parents, I worried about them and I knew how different
they were from one another, and how alike they were as well! I loved them both with a deep, abiding
and abounding love!
Like a knife in my heart, the pain I felt was almost unbearable. My younger son came to me to say he
was leaving home—leaving me, leaving everything I had to offer him! He asked for his share of his
inheritance. This was more than a journey away from home; this was separation from my love. By
asking for his inheritance, he was cutting off our relationship, as if to say, “You are dead to me,
Father.”
I was devastated and filled with grief. I so wanted to take him by the shoulders and shake some
sense into him, but I had no choice. I had to let him go. To see him walk away was like a funeral
procession.
I watched him until I could no longer see him. My eyes filled with tears. My heart was broken beyond
words. My son was lost to ME, and I did not imagine him returning. His jaw was set; his mind made
up; his heart was stoically on a path of resistance. There was no sound of praise and jubilation in my
house. Despite his leave-taking, I vowed I would NEVER stop loving him and waiting for his return
home.
Like most days around here, the weather was hot and dry. My older son was dutifully laboring in the
fields with other hired workers. He was obedient, worked hard, and I was grateful to have him living
under my roof.
#44 Looking out at the distant horizon, I spotted what looked like the silhouette of a
person. The way this person carried himself reminded me of my lost son, but I thought my
imagination was playing tricks with me. It must be a mirage! Not able to take my eyes off this person,
I realized, the closer he came, this was, indeed, my OWN son!
I ran to him, my legs going as fast as they could take me. With no words spoken, I could tell he was
hungry, tired and in a desperate way. It did not matter! My heart leapt with joy! I felt nothing but
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unabashed praise and thanksgiving! Praise God for rescuing my lost son and bringing him home.
Praise God! My son who was dead to his Father and home, is alive and returned! There is no other
word to describe my joy than PRAISE.
This kind of praise cannot be contained! I ordered my servants to prepare a feast—kill the fatted calf,
invite our friends, serve the finest of wines, and participate in the party of my life—of LIFE!
#45 It was quite a bash, a homecoming blowout—except for my older son who refused
to participate. Believe it or not, I felt the same heartbroken intensity concerning my older son. In my
own way, I recognized he was lost too—not in the same way—but lost, nonetheless. His heart was
also lost—lost in jealousy and resentment.
I shared with my older son that all I have IS his! This praise party is about the dead being raised to
life, the lost BEING FOUND. His brother is ALIVE!
I invited him to the party, hoping the love he had for his younger brother would trump his resentment
his hardened and bitter heart.
(Return to speaking as yourself)
#46 I recognize that most identify with the older son, even empathizing with his “I’m NOT
going to this celebration!” And yet moving from fear and resentment to joy and love is moving in Godmodeled generosity! It isn’t logical, but this story helps it make sense!
It is not easy to be compassionate or forgiving—sometimes even with the people that are closest to
us. Our hearts want to be filled with joy and praise, but on our own terms. But we are called to love
one another with the same selfless love that God gives to each one of us.
Welcome home! Praise God, when the one who is lost, IS found! During Lent and in every season we
celebrate finding our true home in God. Let our lips be filled with praise as we live Lent as people of
the resurrection.
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Let us pray:
God you tell us: I will instruct you and teach you the direction you should go. I will advise you and
keep my eye on you. Give us open ears, attentive minds, and receptive hearts to receive your word
and be made new in Christ. Thank you, God, for your forgiveness and your faithful love! Thank you,
God, for rolling away our disgrace and making us new creations! Amen.
Invitation to the Offering
The father said, “My child, you are always with me, and everything I have is yours.” God has come to
us in Christ, made us new, and reconciled us to God. Now we offer all that we have, and all that we
are, to be your ministers throughout this world.
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