Steadfast Love

Fellowship – Snacks or a Meal (10 minutes with snacks; longer, obviously, if there is a meal).

Gathering Time (5-10 minutes). In pairs or groups of three, have participants answer, “What is a ‘distant region’ (Luke 15:13) you have always dreamed of traveling to?”

Group Dialogue (Approximately 30 minutes). Read Psalm 32 and Luke 15:1-3, 11b-32.

• Our UMC.org website defines repentance this way:
• Admitting we are wrong and saying we’re sorry can be difficult, but it is integral to our faith journeys.The church word for this is repentance. In addition to saying we’re sorry, true repentance includes a renewed commitment to a better way. When we repent, we turn away from sin and toward God.
• How is repentance (verse 5) life-changing for the psalmist (verses 7-8)?
• Father Greg Boyle, author of Tattoos on the Heart: The Power of Boundless Compassion comments on the parable of the prodigal son: “The father did not see 'sin'; he saw 'son.’ Once you see the kind of God we have, there can be no fear. Love drives out all fear.” How does the father’s response to the younger son and the elder son help us see deeper into God’s grace in our lives? [God’s love preempts our rehearsed apologies, sees past our seething resentments, and never stops seeking us.]
• How does the father’s “prodigal grace” offend the older brother in particular? Can God’s prodigal grace sometimes be offensive to the “older brother” in us? Can you think of an instance that comes to mind?
• Henri J.M. Nouwen offers a beautiful exploration of this parable in his book, The Return of the Prodigal Son: A Story of Homecoming. About the older brother, he writes:
• “Resentment and gratitude cannot coexist, since resentment blocks the perception and experience of life as a gift. My resentment tells me that I don't receive what I deserve. It always manifests itself in envy.”
• How do resentment and envy sometimes play out in family dynamics today? Is there a way toward reconciliation? What is it in your experience?
• What would it look like to practice a “prodigal grace” at work, at home, or at school this coming week?

Optional Activity – listen to this week's playlist song, “Rainbow” by Kacey Musgraves.

Steadfast love. What does that mean? Much as we might like it to mean that we will never experience problems and life will be easy and happy all the time, that kind of love is a fairy tale—and not a very good fairy tale, at that. Psalm 32 offers a richer and more robust account of God’s steadfast love—a love that never ends and never fails, no matter what life throws at us. As you listen to Kacey Musgraves’ “Rainbow,” take a deep breath and consider how God might be calling you to “let go of the umbrella” and trust in God’s steadfast love.

Prayer (10 minutes). Share prayer requests and respond appropriately.

Sending Forth (2 minutes). End with the following prayer, a similar prayer, or the Lord’s Prayer:

(The psalmist confesses that his “strength was dried up.” As an entryway into prayer, invite group participants to share ways they feel their strength is dried up - in big and small ways. Close with this prayer taken from Psalm 32): O God, you are a hiding place for us; you protect us from trouble; you surround us with songs of gladness; you watch over us. Help us to live into that assurance whatever we face this coming week. Amen.”

Rev. Joe Hamby is the Director of Community Education at Roof Above, a comprehensive homeless service provider in Charlotte, NC. In his first career, Joe was a youth pastor at several United Methodist churches in the Western North Carolina Annual Conference. Joe’s other ministry interest takes him to Cabarrus Regional Juvenile Detention Center twice a month.