NOTES: 1] The parable isn't just about the 'Prodigal' ('recklessly wasteful' [O.E.D.]) but the others in the family; all of us in all our families; all of us in God's family. 2] That we don't know how the story ends reminds us that all story, including our own, is open-ended. 3] In 20, the original literally means: 'to be moved in your guts'!

WARMING UP: Are we prodigal, spendthrift, waster, or, cautious, thrifty, etc.? Or, something in between?

TREASURES OLD & NEW: Afterthoughts from, follow-up to last week’s Group, or since?

EXPLORING GOSPEL:

11-12    What parallels can we see between Jesus' story & the demands family members make of each other today? How are we treating those closest to us? What are we treating them as? Would we ever treat them as the prodigal treats family here?  How do we react if we see others doing that sort of thing? Are we using / will we divide our property equitably, or favouring someone over someone else? What might that say about us, the other(s)?

13-16    Have we ever been to the kind of 'far country' the younger son finds himself in? (We're not talking geography here!) How do we feel towards others who find themselves 'on the skids' as a result of their own bad judgments & the courses of action that stem from them? What responsibility do we see others in our family, church, etc. having towards us when we need help? Do we / would we accept it? Do we have any responsibility towards others in any kind of 'far country' to help them 'pick themselves up'? Where does self-sufficiency, responsibility begin & end?

17-19    Was there some time when we had to 'come to our senses' to begin a process of moving out of some 'far country' we found ourselves in? What kind of new understandings, re-considerations, might 'coming to our senses' involve? How much is it a matter of head, & how much of heart?

20-24   Are we as much on the look-out as we might be for other people & where they're 'coming from'? Coming in / home from, or trying to?) How much of a meaningful father /mother figure is God to us? What would we say our compassion rating is? Compared with God's? How are we at hugging people, kissing them, using that kind of body-language? Or is that not for us? Are we conscious of ever having been 'lost' then 'found', 'dead' then 'alive'? If not, have we ever really had much to celebrate? If 'yes', is the celebration continuing, or was it over long ago?

25-32   What is the elder brother's role in the story? Does he represent anyone in our own life? Does anyone / anything put our nose out of joint as much as the elder brother's is? What kinds of personal affronts do we find it hardest to cope with? Is what the father says here persuasive, or not? Do we act accordingly? If Jesus is calling us to be like himself / God in our dealings with others, how are we doing? Can we feel God's 'arms' round us, 'kissing' us in whatever state we're in right now? Equipping us to 'pass it on' to others? How can we become God's arms, that 'kiss' for others? Where do we begin?