Lent 4: Soul Repair
Sunday 30 March 2025
Nourished by unconditional love and forgiveness (Mothering Sunday)
Bible readings
Psalm 32
Happy are those whose transgression is forgiven,
whose sin is covered.
Happy are those to whom the Lord imputes no iniquity
and in whose spirit there is no deceit.
While I kept silent, my body wasted away
through my groaning all day long.
For day and night your hand was heavy upon me;
my strength was dried up as by the heat of summer. Selah
Then I acknowledged my sin to you, and I did not hide my iniquity;
I said, “I will confess my transgressions to the Lord,”
and you forgave the guilt of my sin. Selah
Therefore let all who are faithful offer prayer to you;
at a time of distress, the rush of mighty waters shall not reach them.
You are a hiding place for me; you preserve me from trouble;
you surround me with glad cries of deliverance. Selah
I will instruct you and teach you the way you should go;
I will counsel you with my eye upon you.
Do not be like a horse or a mule, without understanding,
whose temper must be curbed with bit and bridle,
else it will not stay near you.
Many are the torments of the wicked,
but steadfast love surrounds those who trust in the Lord.
Be glad in the Lord and rejoice, O righteous,
and shout for joy, all you upright in heart.
Luke 15:1-3, 11b-32
Now all the tax collectors and sinners were coming near to listen to him. And the Pharisees and the scribes were grumbling and saying, “This fellow welcomes sinners and eats with them.”
So he told them this parable:
Then Jesus said, “There was a man who had two sons. The younger of them said to his father, ‘Father, give me the share of the wealth that will belong to me.’ So he divided his assets between them. A few days later the younger son gathered all he had and traveled to a distant region, and there he squandered his wealth in dissolute living. When he had spent everything, a severe famine took place throughout that region, and he began to be in need. So he went and hired himself out to one of the citizens of that region, who sent him to his fields to feed the pigs. He would gladly have filled his stomach with the pods that the pigs were eating, and no one gave him anything. But when he came to his senses he said, ‘How many of my father’s hired hands have bread enough and 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 him 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 on his feet. And get the fatted calf and kill it, and let us eat and celebrate, for this son of 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 as 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 assets 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.’ ”
Songs and hymns
- Bread is blessed and broken (StF 576) communion
- Have faith in God, my heart (StF 466)
- How blessed are we (Psalm 32) (Brian Wren, In God Rejoice 2012, stainer.co.uk/shop/b934/)
- Praise, my soul, the King of heaven (StF 83)
- Today we bring our thankful hearts (Ally Barrett jubilate.co.uk/songs/today-we-bring-our-thankful-hearts Also: God Welcomes All #112 – Tune: O Waly Waly, StF 569)
- Where shall my wondering soul begin? (StF 454)
Opening liturgy
Give us this day our daily bread to repair our soul.
We have broken bits and worn out bits and missing bits;
bits that make us much less whole…
Give us this day our daily bread to repair our soul.
Life challenges, damages, hurts and scars us,
body, mind and spirit all…
Give us this day our daily bread to repair our soul.
Be our balm, the loving thread that gently tends our wounds,
the thread and patch that makes us whole.
O Lord our God, on this Lenten journey,
repair our broken fragile bits. Amen.
Object
A piece of fabric with a sewn-up hole
Background notes
But while he was still far off...
Jesus teaches a core principle about God’s relationship with flawed people: God loves them even before they repent or apologise.(1) The younger son’s apology is almost lost amid the father’s eager welcome and act of restoration.(2) This beautifully illustrates prevenient grace – the belief that God seeks us long before we seek God. The God who is present everywhere is also everywhere active, continually calling all to come home.
...filled with compassion...
The Greek word translated as compassion literally means “to feel it in the bowels”. Similar English expressions, like “gutted,” “butterflies in my stomach”, or “gut-wrenching”, convey this deep, physical feeling.(3) It describes a visceral, embodied love – an intense contrast to the elder brother’s anger later in the story. This word captures the father’s raw, heartfelt love, as opposed to the elder brother’s more equally visceral reaction of anger.(4)
...put his arms around him and kissed him.
The literal translation of the phrase is “he fell upon his neck and kissed him.” This imagery may reference Genesis 33:4, which recounts the reconciliation of Jacob and Esau.(5) In that story, Esau embraces Jacob after many years apart, signifying forgiveness and the restoration of their relationship. Similarly, in Jesus’ parable, the father’s embrace of his returning son symbolises deep love, acceptance and reconciliation.
1 Joseph A. Fitzmeyer, The Gospel According to Luke (1981) Doubleday, New York, p. 1086.
2 Joel B. Green, The Gospel of Luke (1997) Eerdmans, Grand Rapids p. 582.
3 Fitzmeyer, p. 1089.
4 Green, pp. 582-583.
5 Green, p. 583.
Questions for discussion
Here are discussion questions based on these themes from the parable of the prodigal son. These questions invite reflection on the depths of God’s love and the transformative power of grace, encouraging participants to explore how they can embody this in their own lives.
- Unconditional love Jesus illustrates that the father’s love comes before any apology from the son. How does this demonstrate God’s prevenient grace – the idea that God’s love and presence are with us even before we turn back to God?
- The depth of compassion The Greek term for compassion, which literally means “to feel it in the bowels”, suggests a profound, physical response. How does this image affect your understanding of God’s love? When have you experienced or witnessed such intense compassion?
- Homecoming and reconciliation The father’s welcome symbolises the joy of a homecoming. What does “coming home” mean to you spiritually? How does it feel to imagine being welcomed in this way?
Prayer ideas
Give everyone a paper or wooden heart to hold.
Ask them to think of themselves as the heart, held in God’s hands, loved and cherished.
Then ask them to think of the heart as representing the people they love the most. Thank God for these relationships.
The good news to get across
Despite all the ways we may try to distance ourselves from God, God continually seeks us out. God’s love, compassion and presence can heal our shame, failure and isolation. What aspects of that message have stayed with you over the past year. What insights or experiences have resonated deeply, reminding you of God’s unwavering presence and affection?
Ways people can respond
Give everyone some time to re- imagine the scene of reconciliation, with themselves as the prodigal son. Encourage them to experience the profound sense of unconditional love from God.
Since it’s Mothering Sunday, you might consider giving everyone a flower as a token of appreciation. However, be mindful that this day can be emotionally charged for people, for various reasons. Regardless of gender, encourage everyone to reflect on how they can offer ‘motherly love’ to others.
Hands-on activity
Make a pop-up card of a pair of hands holding a heart. This symbolises the nature of God’s unchanging love for each of us. A template of the hand and heart images can be downloaded from methodist.org.uk/SoulFood
Prayer of blessing
May God, the loving parent, embrace your soul today. Amen.