Father says to you – ‘I love you: Your name is written in my heart; I have always loved you.’ Once you really hear God say that to you your life can never be the same.

Jesus asked what should we call God? When we pray what should we say? Call him ABBA. The Spirit will be sent into your hearts so that out of those hearts will rise ABBA (Hebrew for Daddy). Being ‘in the kingdom’ is to be like a child: a little child on its father’s lap or in his arms, feels perfectly safe.

Lilies of the field, birds of the air – God cares for them, but they’re not his children, they’re his creation – but he _loves_ you.

JESUS – visible image of our invisible God (Paul). He scandalised whole generation by loving sinners; associated with them – tax-collectors, prostitutes; came to those who feel themselves needy. Are you strong? Then be careful: helplessness is the essence of a healthy spirituality…

Once upon a time there were two boys living with their father… younger boy got the itch to go to the big city. And he said to his father ‘I’ve had it with these chickens and cows… Father, you are, in one word, obsolete. You don’t know how to live. What I’m asking for is my inheritance now so I can go to the big city so I can really live it up!’

Father says Son, ‘I need you here, my arthritis is getting worse, and I was hoping you’d stay with me.’ But the kid says ‘Father please don’t give me a sermon, huh? Just give me casd, cash, cash!’

So the father gives him his inheritance and off he goes to the big city… and people coming back from the big city taunt the little man as he waits for his son to come home. And they say, ‘Hey mister, you must be pretty proud of your little blue-eyed boy. Some boy. Drunk all the time. Spends half his time seducing women… really living it up. You should be declared father of the year for producing a kid like that!’ But the little man waits, and waits and waits. And one night he sees his son coming home: he can tell by the walk, the stride, the swing of the arms – he can tell by all the signs that only love notices.

And he runs out – and the boy has prepared an act of contrition: ‘Don’t take me back as your son, take me back as a hired hand; I’m not worthy to be your son.’ And he tries to get out that prepared statement. But he never does; he’s prepared it well but he never gets to say that.

The father smothers him in an embrace… And the boy feels his father’s chest heaving, sobbing, feels his father’s tears running down on his own cheek, and he hears his father say ‘You’re home; that’s all I wanted’. And he calls out to the hired hands ‘Get out the rings and the robes and kill the fatted calf; get the music-makers, we’re going to have a party to end all parties. My son is home.’

He doesn’t ask him where he’s been or what he’s done. Doesn’t berate him (‘You embarrassed me!’). He says ‘All I know is one thing; you’re home, you’re home; you’re back in the sunlight. You’re back with me, that’s all I want.’

And when the older boy comes in from the fields and sees the party in full swing, he asks one of the hired hands ‘What gives?’ and the hired hand says ‘The kid came home tonight!’ ‘My brother?’ ‘Your little brother, he’s home, and we’re having a big party for him… How ’bout that?’

And the old boy says ‘I’m not going into that house, not putting a foot in that house so long as that kid’s in there; tell my father that. I’ll not live in that same house s’long as that kid is there.’

The father hears about it and comes out to his older son, and says ‘What is it?’ What is it son?’

‘What is it – you must be kidding: look at my face: I’m the one who stayed here; look at these callouses on my hands – see those? they’re from working this farm. I was here the night he left; I was here when he told you he’d had it with the chickens and cows, that you were out of date. I was here when he walked down the road with his inheritance in a big bag. He didn’t even look over his shoulder at you. I was here! I was here when the people came in from the town and they taunted you that you must have been a great father because your little boy was doing you proud in the big city. I was here and heard you sometimes sob in your bed at night – and I knew what you were crying about… I was here…

‘Now he comes home; your son comes home ‘cos he’s hungry. He ran out of money and ran out of friends and ran out of food – he’s home; to bludge off you again. Your little boy…’

And the father says ‘I think I, I, see what you mean…’

‘You never gave a party for me and my friends…’

‘Son, if ever you want a party for your friends you can have it. You can have anything I have. I’ll share everything I have with you, but there’s one thing I want you to understand: and that is… what goes on in the heart of a father, when his child comes home… Do you have any idea? The heart of a father when he thinks his child is lost and he finds him; when he thinks his child is dead, and he comes home alive… Do you know…?

Jesus finished his parable, which was asking the scribes and pharisees in their self-righteousness: ‘Don’t you know what goes on in the heart of a father…? His children today are lost, too. And all you can do is issue press releases condemning their behavior…’