Notes for sermon, Sunday around 5May: Father Nouwen Rembrandt’s Prodigal Son, the search for a relationship in a restless life..what makes us human? not our brains but our hearts; not our ability to think but to love. The 2 sons’ conversion, the one’s who stayed home was harder. Joy and resentment cannot coexist. Life is a puzzle to be solved and resolved=JOURNEY..Paul’s dog-chasing-tail explanation vs. 1 Corinthinas 13 (Love chapter) through a glass darkly. Revelation: The dead shall rise incorruptible; and Genesis 48, the crossing of the hands..Jacob prophesies and the smartest man in Egypt “..doesn’t get it.” I ask myself, –I me myself&I, I aks myself, “Is G_d just watching us like we’re DALLAS..or Jersey Shore?” I keep waiting for the Lord to sit me on his knee and tell me “Do such&such.” (Plus give me a warm fuzzy feeling all over my insides) Faith can’t wait for the FEELING. I can tell you I don’t have a message to preach because God didn’t speak to me a minute ago about what to say! Every human has doubts. That’s from the devil. When was the last time I felt the love of God? Obedience is the key. I can doubt the authenticity of my promise to God; and that of people of inferior doctrines..but the proof’s in the pudding. Are you walking in God’s love toward others. How to do it is the question. NEED a new rebirth daily. Hourly..minutely. Dad held my hand that last night, breaths away from eternity. I was the most despicable prodigal..but he always prayed for my return. He gave me that book to read. (Scriptures here): Daniel’s spin on the king’s vision, and Revelation..smaller and smaller less powerful kings, downgraded to presidents, then mere leaders, the bigger bullies; and lastly, the beast, supernatural fascist brute, a Napoleon. Nouwen pouring his essence out to serve the weakest of society..2 sons and a father show us as grass that is cut and burned up (scripture). Easy to embrace satan’s lie that I am not worthy, it’s very effective propaganda that lets me walk down a road of defeat. Today’s news is a print-out of the Word describing the last days (swap meets, collections..nice but naughty). What is the value of a soul, how much $$? Each day another opportunity to obey..what will I do with it? I miss Mom&Dad..I had so much time with them, a precious gift. Both sides of my family was preachers and missionaries and for so long I threw it all away; and now what am I doing? This message better be from God, or it’s a noisy gong, cymbals. I can pray for lost members of my family, just as the prodigal’s father did, and wait expectantly for the answers. Or, –? “Ready or not..” “End of the line, everybody out!” (turntable, or cyclops antenna switched 180) Gramma’s NT to a muslim in LA (Glen)..Don’t judge a book by its cover! Proverbs 7:3 Deuteronomy 11:18 He was there all the time..patiently in light..all I could offer him was brokenness and strife..but he made something beautiful..of my life