He then began to teach them that the Son of Man must suffer many things and be rejected by the elders, the chief priests and the teachers of the law, and that he must be killed and after three days rise again. He spoke plainly about this, and Peter took him aside and began to rebuke him. But when Jesus turned and looked at his disciples, he rebuked Peter. “Get behind me, Satan!” he said. “You do not have in mind the concerns of God, but merely human concerns.” Then he called the crowd to him along with his disciples and said: “Whoever wants to be my disciple must deny themselves and take up their cross and follow me. 35 For whoever wants to save their life will lose it, but whoever loses their life for me and for the gospel will save it. 36 What good is it for someone to gain the whole world, yet forfeit their soul? 37 Or what can anyone give in exchange for their soul? 38 If anyone is ashamed of me and my words in this adulterous and sinful generation, the Son of Man will be ashamed of them when he comes in his Father’s glory with the holy angels.”
Mark 8:31-38

Dear God, it’s Father’s Day, and I want to say it to you: Happy Father’s Day! Thank you for being my father. Thank you for being a good father and loving me. Thank you for noting giving me every desire of my heart, but for slow walking me through this life. Thank you for continuing to teach me and grow my heart and mind. Thank you for nourishing my soul. Thank you for opening my eyes more and more to the life perspective of others.

I took a long bike ride this morning and I listened to some Christian music while I also did some thinking. Two things stand out to me from the ride.

• The first is I started thinking about my children and how never once in their growing up did I ever worry about society holding them back. They are both white, from an educated, middle class home, and I knew they would have opportunities. The only thing that could get in their ways would be tragedies such as health issues or losing a parent, or personal choices. But I never once thought about their skin color getting in their way or even being a threat to their safety. Having started reading Uncle Tom’s Cabin this week, all I can think about now are my black niece and nephew and how their lives will have challenges I never had to face with my children. It has changed how I pray for them and their parents. Yes, as sensitive as I like to think I am, there is still a lot for me to learn.
• The second was listening to Keith Green’s song, “‘The Prodigal Son Suite.” His lyrics for the part when the son comes home and makes his speech to his dad add some words that aren’t in the actual text in Luke 15, and I heard them in a new way this morning. Here are the words he used: “Father, I’ve sinned. Heaven the shame. I’m no longer worthy to wear your name. I’ve learned that my home is right where you are. Oh, Father, take me in.” Now, in our American society, we don’t necessarily think that our place is right where our parents are. And you have certainly told us that we are to leave our father and mother and cleave to our wives. So from a human perspective I’m not advocating this, but from a spiritual perspective (and this, after all, is a parable about you and us) it is right on point. My place is right where you are, denying myself.

That brings me to this passage today. The verse was, “What good is it for someone to gain the whole world, yet forfeit their soul?” But the context of that one verse is important. It follows up Jesus being blunt about the suffering to come, Peter’s rebuke, and then Jesus’s rebuke of Peter.

Father, I’ve sinned. Heaven the shame. I’m no longer worthy to wear your name. I’ve learned that my place is right where you are. Oh, Father, take me in. And thank you for saying yes to this request through your son and part of your being, Jesus.

I pray all of this with courage because of this very gift,

Amen