Creative Worship: Lead With Love

Luke 15:1-3, 11b-32

One:      Now all the tax collectors and sinners were coming near to listen to him. And the Pharisees                   and the scribes were grumbling and saying,

One:      “This fellow welcomes sinners and eats with them.”

One:      So Jesus told them this parable:
There was a man who had two sons. The younger of them said to his father:

Left:     ‘Father, give me the share of the property that will belong to me.’

One:      So he divided his property between them. A few days later the younger son gathered all he                   had and traveled to a distant country, and there he squandered his property in dissolute                       living.

One:      When he had spent everything, a severe famine took place throughout that country, and he                   began to be in need. So he went and hired himself out to one of the citizens of that country,                   who sent him to his fields to feed the pigs.

One:      He would gladly have filled himself with the pods that the pigs were eating; and no one gave                 him anything. But when he came to himself he said:

Left:     ‘How many of my father’s hired hands have bread enough and to spare, but                       here I am dying of hunger! I will go to my father, and say to him, “Father, I                         have sinned against heaven and before you; I am no longer worthy to be called                 your son; treat me like one of your hired hands.”’

One      So he set off and went to his father. But while he was still far off, his father saw him and was               filled with compassion; he ran and put his arms around him and kissed him. Then the son                   said to him:

Left:    ‘Father, I have sinned against heaven and before you; I am no longer worthy to               be called your son.’

One:     But the father said to his servants:

One:      ‘Quickly, bring out a robe—the best one—and put it on my son; put a ring on his finger and                   sandals on his feet. And get the fatted calf and kill it, and let us eat and celebrate; for this                       son of mine was dead and is alive again; he was lost and is found!’

One:      And they began to celebrate.
Now his elder son was in the field; and when he came and approached the house, he heard                   music and dancing. He called one of the servants and asked:

Right:   What is going on? What are we celebrating?

One:      The servants responded:

One:      ‘Your brother has come home, and your father has killed the fatted calf, because he has got                   him back safe and sound.’

One:      Then the older son became angry and said:

Right:   This is an outrage! I refuse to go in!

One:      His father came out and began to plead with him. But he answered his father,

Right:   ‘Listen! For all these years I have been working like a slave for you, and I have                  never disobeyed your command; yet you have never given me even a young                        goat so that I might celebrate with my friends. But when this son of yours                            came back, who has devoured your property, you killed the fatted calf for                            him!’

One:      Then the father said to him,

One:      ‘Son, you are always with me, and all that is mine is yours. But we had to celebrate and                           rejoice, because this brother of yours was dead and has come to life; he was lost and has                       been found.’”