Today we reflect upon the story of the Prodigal Son, that wasteful young man, whose adventure eventually leads him home. We consider how we all can become ‘lost’, disoriented by life’s journey, and wonder about how that ‘re-orientation’ may occur. I share with you a prayer that has nourished me this week, by Bruce Prewer : God our motherly Father, our brotherly Saviour, our sisterly Spirit-Friend, we ask that in our prayers and in the ordinary affairs of each day, we may exhibit your generous spirit to other people. We pray for the millions of homeless people whom we will never meet but whose predicament we see on the TV. Please bless those humanitarian agencies who attempt to care for them, and all who give generously to support their work. We pray for unwanted or destitute people in our own country, from Darwin to Port Arthur and Port Headland to Byron Bay. Please give both wisdom and a generous spirit to Federal and State Governments, and strengthen the welfare ministry of churches. We pray for any among us here today, who with dignity and courage are secretly enduring misfortunes or ongoing worries. Please give your peace and healing to them, and keep us sensitive, that we may recognise a cry for help if it comes our way and respond generously. We pray for neighbours or workmates, and for those familiar but nameless faces we notice each day in train or bus, elevator, bank or supermarket. Please bless each according to their need, and without any prying or self importance on our part, make us ready to help in the hour of need. We pray for all the bewildered, lost souls; for young folk hitting out, puzzled adults who find that neither career nor family satisfy their deepest need, sour elderly folk who are jealous of the faith and happiness of others. Please gather the lost into your loving arms, and help each of us to treat awkward, prickly people with the generous respect that you have for each. Loving Saviour, seeking the lost and the unlovely, we worship you. Caring Spirit, enabling the weak and the meek, we worship you. Holy God, generous beyond all calculation, we worship you. Amen!

The Prayer of St Patrick

I arise today through the strength of heaven.

Light of sun, radiance of moon,

Splendour of fire, speed of lightning,

swiftness of wind. Depth of the sea,

Stability of earth, firmness of rock.

I arise today.

Through God’s strength to pilot me.

God’s eye to look before me.

God’s wisdom to guide me.

God’s way to be before me.

God’s shield to protect me.

From all who shall wish me ill, afar and near.

Alone and in a multitude.

Against every cruel, merciless power that may oppose my body, and so,

Christ with me, Christ before me,

Christ behind me, Christ in me.

Christ beneath me, Christ above me

Christ on my right, Christ on my left,

Christ when I lay down, Christ when I sit down,

Christ when I arise,

Christ to sheild me

Christ in the heart of everyone who thinks of me.

Christ the power of everyone who speaks of me.

I arise today.

When disorientation occurs in our lives, when drama arrives, or difficulties descend, to what do we return? Where do we look? And what are we open to see? In our Biblical story today, there is someone who appears in the room… That is, in appearing, he is seen….We may look around, sometimes very confused, longing to discover some connection that will extend us and move us on; something that will re-orient us. If we are open to see, we may discover that in the figure of a Christ who beckons us forward into life. The disciples see that person, somewhat surprisingly, but real and recognizable, in the resurrected Jesus.

The resurrection image of Jesus draws us to consider both the familiarity of a ‘man’ who lived and breathed and drew us along a journey, as well as ‘man’ who extends our reality in extraordinary ways. He appears, is recognized, and extends the moment. He is the point at which life re-aligns.

By its very definition, ‘re-creation’ refers to the creative energy rising up into a new reality, a new normal. But there needs to be discovered a solid base from which that rising can emerge.

Every time we are confronted by life’s complexity, we need to really grapple with what is important to us, and we need to return to the base from which we must live. We return to the story that bids us forward. The story of one who appears in a room, and beckons us to join in a resurrection life -story.”     Anne

The journey toward the cross brings us to the story of Jesus’ anger in the temple. This confusing and confronting story challenges us to reflect upon where our values and convictions are located. When what we believe is centred around the journey of a man who is prepared to respond to injustice bravely, or prepared to respond to suffering compassionately, or prepared to respond to life openly, or prepared to respond to the marginalized with welcome, then we are on track for discovering the values that we can live out of.

It does us well, when we feel our heckles rising, to ask what it is about. Is it about my personal need or want, my feeling of alienation or aloneness. All of those are valid feeling, I might add. Or is it about an experience of injustice, a violation of community, a principle of fairness and truth that has happened. Am I outraged in the face of the abuse of power? Understanding the seat of my anger, will help empower me to act appropriately. It I simply surrender to the feeling, then I will probably act inappropriately and overwhelm others. But if I consider carefuly my responses, and understand what values are being offended, then I can speak into any situation with clarity and purpose. And that is what is needed if I am to be a person of God, acting justly, walking humbly, and living graciously.

Anne.