NEARER Sunday 29th January 2017
Theme - The Storyteller - No. 4- The Lost Sons
1600 - Welcome & Intro:
Coffee & Biscuits available
Show ‘Lost Son Weightlifter’ video.
https://youtu.be/1irPcZif2VA
Can you guess what is today’s parable?
Prayer
1610 - Exploration Time:
(Three activities)
Exploration Time 1 – The Prodigal in Art - Pete
Exploration Time 2 – Exploring the Parable - Stephen
Exploration Time 3 – The Lion King Analogy - Sharon
1655 - Together Time:
Show ‘Remember Who You Are’ video.
Lion King Meditation – Gill
Have one minute reflection time ‘What does God want you to take away from today?’
Distribute Takeaway sheet
FREE Bible - Read the parables for yourself.
NEARER publicity materials - INVITE people!
Date of next meeting - Sunday 26th February 2017 – ‘NEARER Vision Day’ + ‘The Storyteller - 5’
Exploration Time 1 – The Prodigal in Art
Look at three different representations of the story of the Prodigal Son in art.
Rembrandt –
Return
of
Prodigal.
The
the
Frank Wesley – The
Forgiving Father
Olg Korolev – Prodigal Son
Questions to think about.
Choose 5 words to sum up the mood of each
painting.
If you had to give an alternative title to each of
these paintings what would it be?
What might each of the people in the painting be
thinking?
What do you like and dislike about this painting?
What do you notice about how the artist has sought
to represent this story, about how he has planned
his painting?
What has the artist got from the Bible text here,
what has been added, what has been left out?
This parable is about family relationships, but also about God and humanity: In what ways is God like the
forgiving father?
Henri NOUWEN says that at times in our life we are the younger son, at other times we are more like the elder
son, but we are all called to become the father. How do you respond to that? Who are you most like at this
moment in your life?
Do we hear the command of Jesus;
‘Be merciful, just as your Father is merciful.’ Luke 6:36 NIV
Exploration Time 2 - Exploring the parable
11
Jesus continued: ‘There was a man who had two sons. 12 The younger one said to his father, “Father, give me
my share of the estate.” So he divided his property between them.
13
‘Not long after that, the younger son got together all he had, set off for a distant country and there squandered
his wealth in wild living.14 After he had spent everything, there was a severe famine in that whole country, and he
began to be in need. 15 So he went and hired himself out to a citizen of that country, who sent him to his fields to
feed pigs. 16 He longed to fill his stomach with the pods that the pigs were eating, but no one gave him anything.
17
‘When he came to his senses, he said, “How many of my father’s hired servants have food to spare, and here I
am starving to death! 18 I will set out and go back to my father and say to him: Father, I have sinned against
heaven and against you. 19 I am no longer worthy to be called your son; make me like one of your hired
servants.” 20 So he got up and went to his father.
‘But while he was still a long way off, his father saw him and was filled with compassion for him; he ran to his son,
threw his arms round him and kissed him.
21
‘The son said to him, “Father, I have sinned against heaven and against you. I am no longer worthy to be called
your son.”
22
‘But the father said to his servants, “Quick! Bring the best robe and put it on him. Put a ring on his finger and
sandals on his feet. 23 Bring the fattened calf and kill it. Let’s have a feast and celebrate. 24 For this son of mine
was dead and is alive again; he was lost and is found.” So they began to celebrate.
25
‘Meanwhile, the elder son was in the field. When he came near the house, he heard music and dancing. 26 So he
called one of the servants and asked him what was going on. 27 “Your brother has come,” he replied, “and your
father has killed the fattened calf because he has him back safe and sound.”
28
‘The elder brother became angry and refused to go in. So his father went out and pleaded with him. 29 But he
answered his father, “Look! All these years I’ve been slaving for you and never disobeyed your orders. Yet you
never gave me even a young goat so I could celebrate with my friends. 30 But when this son of yours who has
squandered your property with prostitutes comes home, you kill the fattened calf for him!”
31
‘“My son,” the father said, “you are always with me, and everything I have is yours. 32 But we had to celebrate
and be glad, because this brother of yours was dead and is alive again; he was lost and is found.”’
(Luke 15:11-32 NIV)
Some questions to discussWhat gets your attention in this story?
What surprises you in this story?
What question would you like to ask?
How do you think the father and the two sons felt at the end of this story?
What message does Jesus want us to take away from this story?
How would our lives and attitudes be different if we responded to the teaching of Jesus in this parable?
Exploration Time 3 – The Lion King Analogy
Main Point: God’s forgiveness completely restores relationships.
Introduce the Clip:
Clip from The Lion King. Watch as Simba makes a bad decision, taking Nala along with him. Pay close attention
to how Simba’s dad, Mufasa, deals with him when Simba’s decision results in danger.
Watch the video of Simba and his disobedience and his Father’s rescue.
https://youtu.be/Hgky3RRZK9E
Key Dialogue:
Mufasa: Simba, I am very disappointed in you.
Simba: I know.
Mufasa: You could have been killed! You deliberately disobeyed me. What’s worse; you put Nala in danger.
Simba: I was trying to be brave, like you.
Mufasa: I am only brave when I have to be. Simba, being brave doesn’t mean you go looking for trouble.
Simba: But you’re not scared of anything.
Mufasa: I was scared today.
Simba: You were?
Mufasa: Yes, I thought I might lose you.
End of clip
There are a lot of similarities between the way God forgives us and the way we just saw Mufasa forgive his son,
Simba.
1.
AROUND THE CIRCLE: Give an example of a time when you have been forgiven by someone. You don’t
have to use names or give all the details, just share about who forgave you and why. What was good about it?
2.
ASK A FEW: Have you ever wanted to be forgiven, but the other person stayed mad? How does that feel?
3.
ASK A FEW: What makes it hard to forgive others?
4.
ASK A FEW: How has God saved people? How do you think He feels?
5.
ASK A FEW: Simba explained to his dad that he was trying to be brave; that’s why he disobeyed. Why do
you think people disobey God?
6.
ASK A FEW: Think of a time when you have disobeyed God and wanted forgiveness. What did you do?
How did you feel?
When Mufasa, who is symbolic of God our Father, stepped in to save Simba, we saw a picture of deep and
protective love.
Like him, the Father is unwilling to lose us even when we stray. In fact, the Bible is filled with stories of God
reaching out to His children who have walked away and disobeyed like today’s example, the parable of the
Prodigal Son.
1.
ASK SOMEONE: Once the son spent all of his money, what were the consequences? (Verses 12 on) Only
personal or wider?
2.
ASK A FEW: What kind of consequences have you maybe experienced because of disobedience?
3.
ASK SOMEONE: When the son decided to return home, what took place between his father and him?
(Look at verses 20-21)
4.
ASK A FEW: If we don’t admit when we’re wrong or when we mess up, what happens in our relationships
with the people we’ve hurt? How does it affect our relationship with God?
5.
ASK A FEW: What happens when we go to God and admit that we have messed up?
The Lion King clip gives a picture that is very similar to the forgiveness we see in the Prodigal Son parable.
God rescued us in the way He sent Jesus to save us from sin. We still mess up and we still face consequences, but
we are forgiven when we admit our sin (the Bible calls that repenting).
God is eager to restore relationships with us. Just like Mufasa wanted to hug his son and return to their solid
relationship, God reaches to us and wants to embrace us. The Prodigal Son definitely messed up. But his father
couldn’t wait to greet him—he ran out to meet him in the street and then held a big party to welcome him back.
That’s what God is like. It’s like He’s running out to meet you the minute you admit that you need Him.
Together Time:
(Show video clip –Remember who you are)
https://youtu.be/QWAXjm2XD-c
‘You are more than what you have become. Remember who you are.’
(from http://blogs.goarch.org/blog/-/blogs/when-simba-came-home-sunday-of-the-prodigal-son)
Lion King Meditation:
When I saw the movie for the first time, I wept for the loss of Mufasa. When I watch it now, I weep for the loss of
Simba. In losing his father, Simba loses himself. It is the prophetic Rafiki that tells him, who reminds him, “You’re
Mufasa’s boy.”
At first, Simba ran away from the pain and loss of his life to embrace “Hakuna Matata,” a life with no worries,
further losing himself. But in the end, he had to confront himself and his father, and he had to reckon with his
past.
This tragedy finally begins to be healed when, after a sprint through the jungle, Simba finds himself confronted
by his departed father, who reminds him once more, “You are my son, and the one true king…You are more than
what you have become.”
And this is the part that causes me to weep today.
Mufasa graciously gives Simba back the gift of his person. Simba, a lion without a father, has forgotten who he
is; but in remembering his father, he remembers himself. There is something deeply powerful about this. And it
is only then that he has enough courage to return to Pride Rock and claim his place as king.
Like Simba and the Prodigal Son, we have left the land of our Father, and have settled for a way of life that is
unbecoming for us.
Like these two, we also are more than what we have become.
The Prodigal Son, shows us, however, that the path home is not simply a return to a place: it is also a return to
oneself. In this return we are reminded of who we really are: Children of the Merciful Father, who treats even His
servants better than we deserve.
This Sunday, the Lord is inviting us to confront ourselves. He is inviting us to “come back to ourselves,” to realize
that we have abandoned the house of our Father, and that He is graciously welcoming us home. And now it’s up
to us to turn back to the Father and to reckon with ourselves.
The parable of the Prodigal Son teaches us that the first movement in our hearts ought to be a reaffirmation of
the Goodness of the Father. The son does not despair of his hope but, trusting in the mercy of his father, he is
emboldened to go back home. And it is precisely because of this confidence, because of his assurance in the
mercy of his father, that the son feels brave enough to confess his sins.
We, too, are called back to the home of the Father: not to pretend that all is well, but to trust that He is gracious
enough to forgive all that has happened! The goal is to return to oneself, to understand that one is not simply a
sinner, but a forgiven sinner.