The Bungee Cord. 7-23-24

Hello,

I have been gone a couple of weeks, taking a trip to my son’s place to lend my “expertise” as he is building a backyard office. He designed the structure and is constructing it on his own. Every day we made several trips to Lowe’s, because we needed something that either he had forgotten to buy or something that we ran short on. I was more of the grunt man, but after five days, we got the structure up and weather tight. Shingling in the 95degree Denver heat was a bit of a challenge for this sixty-seven-year-old man whose hands are soft from lack of that kind of work. Now, the rest is up to him.

I got home yesterday around 9:00 at night after my three-day drive. I opened the door of my house, walked into the darkness, and set my bags down. Suddenly there was a barking from the family room, a clattering of dog-nails coming up the stairs, and from around the corner appeared my dog, McMahon. Still in his “watchdog” mode, he peeked around the corner with a snarl in his voice, but when he saw it was me, the snarl turned into a look of delight. His tail wagged with accelerated speed, his eyes brightened up, he came dodging at me, and when he reached me, he jumped up and began licking me as if I was a melting ice cream cone. The excitement in seeing me was explosive, and it was a welcome that made the 23-hour drive worth it!

Although this welcome may have been a bit more exuberant than usual, the welcome that he gives me after I have been gone a couple of hours is not much less slobbery.

“Where ya’ been?” “I see the roof hasn’t fallen in yet.” “You must have done something really bad this week for you to come here.” Such words of welcome I have heard given to people who arrive at church after having been gone a long time. I know that they are most often said in jest, but even humor can bite deeply.

When I read scripture, however, they are not the words that God speaks to those who have been away. “Kill the fatted calf!” “Get the finest robe!” “It’s time for a party!” Those are God’s words, words that the father slobbered when his absent son came walking up the road.

If it has been a while since you have prayed. If it has been a while since you have been in worship. If it has been a while since you have opened up a Bible….know this: the greeting that you get from God when you offer your prayer, the greeting that you will get from God when you walk into a church, the greeting that you will get from God when you open the Bible will be McMahon-like. God will not be able to contain his excitement. God will slobber you with love and mercy. God will stop everything in the universe and say, “Let’s have a party!”

I know that that is what will happen, because I see it happening to me all the time. My prayers are always met with uncompromised welcome. Every time I go to church, there is a place for me at God’s table of infinite grace. Every time I read the Bible, I see divine embrace, squeezing fear and despair out of me. Every one of my encounters, no matter how frequent or infrequent they are, are slobbery.

So, if you are weary from a long-traveled road, get ready, because when you open the door of God’s presence, God is waiting there for you to welcome you with the slobber you with his love.

Have a great week.

God’s grace and peace, (ggap)

Pastor Jerry Nuernberger

Like

Comment

Share