© St Paul’s Lutheran Church Box Hill VIC 3128Pastor Neville OttoAddress for: Lent 4

Preached: March 31, 2019

Returned in the Hands of God Luke 15:1-3, 11b-32  [Today’s Gospel reading was presented as a live performance of The Prodigal Son Suite by Keith Green. This was featured on Keith Green’s posthumously-released 1983 album titled “The Prodigal Son.” Green was said to have written the Suite towards a long-term vision of writing a rock opera based on Biblical stories and parables. He was tragically killed in a plane crash along with two of his children on July 28,1982. For more information on The Prodigal Son Suite and Keith Green, go to www.lastdaysministries.org

Lyrics are available online. There is also a documentary on Keith Green available on YouTube, where you may search for “The Keith Green Story (FULL)”.

The parable of the Prodigal Son was also presented as a puppet story in our Children’s Address for today. As a result of these two performances, Pastor Neville’s address was deliberately brief. It followed immediately after the final chords of The Prodigal Son Suite.]

“My son's returned in the hands of God. Was dead but now is alive.”

The father can’t do anything more to express his joy than celebrate.

That’s the father who comes running… who comes running when his son, his lost son, his sinful son without hope in the world… without hope except for the trust he has and can have in his father… comes down the dusty road, and while still a long way off, is met by the father who runs to him.

Today as you hear the story, the story of a son lost because of sin, the story of a daughter lost because of sin… today as you hear the story — which is your story and mine, because that’s the reality of the price of sin — also hear the story of the one who comes running to you.

“My father just stared, dropped open his mouth. He ran up the road, and fell to my feet, and cried, and cried…”

Hear of the one who comes for you, and in his joy welcomes you and me, welcomes us home. The one who comes to us and for us — a Son himself, and who gives himself in sacrifice on the

cross and being raised to life, so that you and I might live

This story of the running, loving father really must be told here, among us… among people…because this is where God is for you. This is always the story of God in Jesus. God who comes and makes his home amongst us. God who is urgent and who comes running.

Sometimes we have a Gospel procession in the church [carrying the Scriptures from the lectern down into the middle of the church], and the Gospel is read in the midst of the people. Perhaps that’s where is should always be read and heard. God for us and among us… The Word of life

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Pastor Neville Otto March 31, 2019

embracing you and calling you and I to himself in love, forgiveness, restoration and celebration. Jesus, the living Word who comes.

“My son’s returned in the hands of God”.

“My child was dead, but now is alive.”

“Let’s celebrate.”

Can you hear the heavenly choir, the heavenly band now? Come to the feast, restored ones! Come to the feast, you who are alive. You who are restored, you who are loved, and celebrated eternally.

And go from the table today with this song in your hearts, with this story in your life. Go running as ambassadors and trusted daughters and sons to do the same as the Father has done for you. Go with his loving embrace and celebration. Go running to the daughters and sons here and around you and tell the story, sing the song of the one who runs to hold you, to celebrate you, who loves you and who sends you with this love to the world. Amen.

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