 St Alban’s Episcopal Church Bolivar, Missouri Monday, March 21, 2022 4 Lent CLuke 15:1-3, 11b-32  “Prodigal?”What do we think we mean by that? Luke 15: 1-3, 11b-32 Now all the tax collectors and sinners were coming near to listen to listen to Jesus. And the Pharisees and the scribes were grumbling and saying, “”This fellow welcomes sinners and eats with them.”So he told them this parable: “There was a man who had two sons. The younger of them said to his father, ‘Father, give me the share of the property that will belong to me.’ So he divided his property between them. A few days later the younger sons gathered all he had and traveled to a distant country, and there he squandered his property in dissolute living. When he had spent everything, a severe famine took place throughout that country. So he went and hired himself out to one of the citizens of that country, who sent him to his fields to feed the pigs. He would gladly have filled himself with the pods that the pigs were eating; and no one gave him anything. But when he came to himself he said, ‘How many of my father’s hired hands have bread enough to spare, but here I am dying of hunger! I will get up and go to my father, and I will say to him, “Father, I have sinned against heaven and before you; I am no longer worthy to be called your son; treat me like one of your hired hands.” So he set off and went to his father. But while he was still far off, his father saw him and was filled with compassion; he ran and put his arms around and kissed him. Then the son said to him, ‘Father, I have sinned against heaven and before you; I am no longer worthy to be called your son.’ But the father said to his slaves, ‘Quickly, – bring out a robe – the best one – and put it on him; put a ring on his finger and sandals for his feet. And get the fatted calf and kill it, and let us eat and celebrate; for this son mine was dead and is alive again; he was lost and is found!’ And they began to celebrate. Now his elder son was in the field; and when he came and approached the house, he heard music and dancing. He called one of the slaves and asked what was going on.He replied, ‘Your brother has come, and your father has killed the fatted calf, because he has got him back safe and sound.’ Then he became angry and refused to go in. His father came out and began to plead with him. But he answered his father, ‘Listen! For all these years I have been working like a slave for you, and I have never disobeyed your command; yet you have never given me even a young goat so that I might celebrate with my friends. But when this son of yours came back, who has devoured your property with prostitutes, you killed the fatted calf for him!” Then the father said to him, ‘Son, you are always with me, and all that is mine is yours. But we had to celebrate and rejoice, because this brother of yours was dead and has come to life; he was lost and has been found.” * So who is the “prodigal” here? Are you aware that the word has two meanings – which makes this a wonderfully rich story? And did you notice that the phrase, “prodigal son” isn’t biblical?  This week Our new fig tree transplanted last fall seems to have survived the winter. The kids and Jim Sundken helped Ruth Lewis unwrap its protective wraps to see how it had fared. There are a few tiny green buds on the branches, which is good news!  The same crew gathered up all the leftover and older straw and piled it down into the raised bed by the patio – where it can become mulch, or be used in the food garden later. During the fellowship time we ate donuts and lots of homemade hamentachen in memory of the Jewish festival of Purim last week. They weren’t gorgeous – but they were delicious!  Tree seedlings coming next week We will begin the actual planting of the long-planned forested areas We have a huge order of a whole variety of native tree seedlings arriving next week, but we are still waiting for the dept. of conservation to ship the holly, red mulberry, hazel, osage orange, and persimmon. Even so we will announce a planted day (or several!) as soon as we know when they plants will arrive, and then we will really need all hands on deck until they are in the ground. We have two “planting sticks” – which will make this go fairly quickly, but we will need help putting them in, packing the dirt around them, and watering them as we go. Since hundreds of the will be planted beyond where our hoses can possibly reach, we will need to haul water with us – ANYONE who has large buckets is asked to bring them – and we can haul them, filled, out to the “back 40” on truck beds.Children WILL be welcome to help – Even the littles. We also will want drinking water, snacks and a few (?) strong backs. And in the meantime, please continue to pray for the people suffering unspeakable atrocities in Ukraine, for the unhoused across our nation, especially where winter weather continues to make life especially hard, and for all who are exhausted, discouraged and depressed. And pray for those who continues to do what they can to alleviate suffering, and to make public authorities responsive to these needs.  |
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