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The Mystery of God's Mercy

Sermon
Fourth Sunday of Easter - C
Acts 13:15-16, 26-33
Richard Carl Hoefler
Mysterious Joy
Sermons for Lent and Easter
Have you ever hurt someone, or have you ever insulted someone without knowing it? Have you ever offended a friend, or slighted a spouse? Of course you have. All of us have. And, when we find out what hurt or harm our actions have caused, we say, "I didn't understand. I didn't know." We are sorry. We regret it; but, it is too late. A revealing scar is left. It is like driving a nail into a piece of lumber. You make a mistake. That is not exactly where you wanted it. So, you take the claw-end of a hammer, and pull the nail out. The nail is gone; but the piece of wood is marred.
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I suppose we are all a little bit nervous about the prospect of a sermon on a Bible story as familiar and sometimes as overworked as the Parable of the Prodigal Son. "What can I possibly say that hasn't been said before?" And I know what's going through your minds: "Are we going to be subjected to the same old sermon yet another time?" Confronting a familiar Bible passage like this mid-Lent really serves to address the discipline of reading Scripture as part of our devotional life, particularly passages that are very familiar.
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Janice B. Scott
Call to worship:

 While the Prodigal Son was still far off, his father saw him, ran to him, put his arms around him and kissed him. In our worship today, let us turn to God so that he may run to us, put his arms around and kiss us.

Invitation to confession:

 Jesus, for the times when we run away from you,

Lord, have mercy.

 Jesus, for the times when we have wasted our inheritance on dissolute living,

Christ, have mercy.

 Jesus, when we return to you,

Lord, have mercy.

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