A new church? What's it like? I can think of no better illustration of this new church than this story. Our story.

A man had two sons. The younger one wished his father was dead and asked for his inheritance in advance. Dad gave it to him and he wasted every dime. Penniless, he decided to go home. When his dad saw him, he ran to meet him. “I’m so sorry, I…” “Shhh. You’re back now and that’s all that matters.” The older brother, believing he had earned his dad’s love by never making mistakes, was jealous. He couldn’t believe his dad could act so recklessly.

Both of these sons were lost; only one was found again.

At times in our lives we’ve all messed up, screwed up, and fouled up. We’ve been the younger son who needed to swallow his pride and ask for forgiveness. We’ve been the older son who believed that he had the answers and everything would be better if only everyone else were like him. And we’ve been the father, who was charged with running after his son and embracing him even before he admitted he was wrong.

But this story goes even deeper. Think of the recklessness of the father in the beginning of that story. He gives away a good chunk (probably a third because the oldest always got double protions) of everything he had. And then when he sees his rebel son a long way off...he runs to him. He throws all dignity to the wind and runs toward him. I love that. I imagine God running toward me, toward us. "I've messed up; I've hurt you, I don't deserve..." "Shhh. You're mine now. In fact you were always mine. You wished I was dead but I never disowned you or stopped loving you. I've been looking down the road for you every day since you left."

Prodigal means: reckless extravagance. Maybe the son isn't the prodigal. Maybe the Father is the Prodigal. He recklessly shares his extravagent love with us. A reckless love that would even walk the way of the cross.