Sunday, September 26, 2010

Sunday Sermon ~ "The Prodigals"

Ukarumpa congregation getting settled down to hear Mickey preach this sermon
Biblically knowledgeable people too often are the hardest on other people...like the Pharisees and teachers of the law in Jesus' day. Luke 15 records Jesus taking them head on. Sinners and tax collectors (sorry about that IRS) flocked to Him. Jesus not only welcomed them, He ATE with them. It drove the religous crowd bonkers.

Jesus, pouring salt on their self-righteous wounds, tells three parables about something lost: the lost sheep the shepherd searched for and found....obviously a reference the the Lord Jesus who came to seek and save the lost; the lost coin, found by the woman after sweeping the house, bringing in a light and searching for it. To me this speaks of the Holy Spirit who sweeps away our darkness with the light of truth, the searcher of hearts.

And then the parable of the prodigal son. It is really the tale of two sons: the Rebellious Prodigal who left home after prematurely obtaining his share of his father's estate, and the Resident Prodigal who never left home but whose heart was far from his father. Most inheritances require the death of the estate owner before the estate is divided among the heirs. The Rebellious Prodigal had his own agenda, was willing to diminish his father to satisfy himself, wanted to put distance between himself and his father (the greener pastures syndrome), threw his money away on living it up until it was all gone, and wound up strarving in a pig pen. But he came to his senses, acknowledged his stupidity (he knew father's hired men had more to eat than he did), returned to his father and home, humbled himself and found open arms and an open heart from the father he had so wronged.

But not so the Resident Prodigal...his older brother. Fuming over the celebration his father threw because this lost son was now home, this son would not join in the celebration, declared his self righteousness in that for all those years he had "SLAVED" (see text NIV) for his father, and had NEVER disobeyed him (questionable). He would not even refer to the returned prodigal as his brother, but threw his disdain for his brother in the face of his father calling him, "This son of yours". And then surfaced the smoldering, resentful spirit... "You never once gave me even a goat to celebrate with my friends." His judgmental  spirit surfaced when he accused, without evidence, his brother of wasting his father's money on  prostitutes. While the father pled with him and reminded that ALL he possessed was available to this Resident Prodigal, this young man had a miserable concept of grace. He never heard the heart of his loving father.

To the listening, biblically knowledgeable Scribes and Pharisees, this was a slap in the face they never felt, just as there is no record of the Resident Prodigal having a change of heart as did the Rebellious prodigal.

But this parable's central figure is the Prodigal Father. He did not do fathering as most of us would. Open armed and open hearted to a Rebellious Prodigal; open armed and open hearted to a Resident Prodigal.....he never gave up on either of them.  So neither has God our Father given up on us...whether Rebellious or Resident.  "I have loved you with an everlasting love, therefore with loving kindness have a drawn you." Signed - God our Heavenly Father. (Jer. 31:3)

Wednesday, September 15, 2010

Arrived in Ukarumpa


We're are off and running here in Ukarumpa at the Wycliffe station. We enjoyed an incredible HIgh School Marching (inside) band concert tonight.
These are pictures of leaving CLTC, the Kodial coming for us, and the crowd seeing us off.


Martha boarding for an aerial adventure to Ukarumpa
Mickey the co-pilot!

Thursday, September 9, 2010

"Tenk yu tru"

"Meri" bloused Martha... standard wear for PNG ladies... a gift from the care group we mentored. A humbling honor to have them throw you a "mumu" (feast and party) from their minimal possessions. Lots of love flowed. We're gonna miss them... most assuredly.

Martha in her native attire. PNG perfection!

Had the joy of giving Bibles in the trade language of PNG to wives of some of the students. There message to you who made it possible went something like this. "Tenk yu tru long kisim long buk bibul."

Note the smiles.
PNGers, most who have little, show appreciation life few we know. These ladies brought Martha the "bilim" bag she holds to honor her for the 30 blankets we/you provided their village. A fancy bilim, like this one, is worth at least a months wages. Plus they brought us five pineapples out of their gardens. Moving.

A very sacrificial and meaningful gift to Martha.

Wednesday, September 8, 2010

Loose interpretation...

It is Wednesday afternoon here. We are winding down. Mom's been reading a paper for a Senior who wants it to be correct English. They can express themselves in ways you're not sure you understand!

Our Pastoral Theology Class

Sunday, September 5, 2010

What a glorious day!

Today many of the ex-pat missionaries in the region gathered at Kudjib Nazarene Hospital, about 30 minutes from here... and amazingly, mostly good road...for their monthly ex-patriot pot-luck lunch and fellowship. They have an English lotu service afterward. I got to speak... a brief devotional type message. MAF people, New Tribes, CLTC faculty and others attend. What a haven in such a needy place. Choice saints all.

The service this morning defies telling in terms of the worship. Just wish all of you could have been with us. As I sat through it, the impact of sharing communion with those dear brothers and sisters, when such a chasm of culture and advantage exists, and the profound love they have for God and how freely they express it....left me humbled. We have experienced amazing, uncomplicated love in these folks. We are blessed.

Sharing the Lord's Table with PNG brothers on the other side of the world.
So moved by their quiet singing "O The Blood of Jesus."