At the first session of the Orange Conference, Reggie Joiner talked about the Prodigal Son story (Luke 15). He reminded us of the younger son who wasted his inheritance and had to humbly go back home. His loving father welcomed him with open arms and was so excited and threw a big party for him. Everyone was happy and celebrating except for the older brother, who was annoyed that the loving father seemed to just look past the sin of the younger brother.

So he went on to compare the Loving Father’s mindset with the Older Brother’s mindset, and made the statement that many of us have experienced Older Brother churches, where people are preoccupied with themselves, operating from a context of shame and guilt, and critical of others. They focus on rules and living perfectly and expecting everyone else to live perfectly too. A Loving Father church, on the other hand, is preoccupied with whoever is missing (the people they’re going to reach); they operate from a context of forgiveness, and they are full of joy.

I was reminded of this whole thing this morning when I was reading in Isaiah. The few chapters I was reading kept saying woe to this city or that group of people, and one of the reasons was this:

Isaiah 29:13 - The Lord says, “These people come near to me with their mouth and honor me with their lips, but their hearts are far from me. Their worship of me is made up of only rules taught by men.”

That seemed like the Older Brother church to me. And sadly, I know I’ve had that mindset sometimes too.

And then in Isaiah 30:18: Yet the Lord longs to be gracious to you; he rises to show you compassion. For the Lord is a God of justice. Blessed are all who wait for Him.

Loving Father!

So back to the session at Orange - Reggie challenged us to keep the Loving Father mindset in our ministries and in our families, and this concept has totally stuck with me. Jennifer and Susan and I kept reminding each other the whole time we were there: Loving Father, Loving Father. We would say it quietly to each other if any of us started getting critical. (Well, except that Susan never gets critical! She is one of the most positive people I’ve ever known!) We said “Loving Father” when there was a slow driver in front of us, and when the kids on the plane kept kicking our seats! It’s an easy little catch phrase that reminds us to love and forgive and have grace, because we are really all prodigals without Jesus.

He also asked, “What would have happened if when the prodigal came back, he had met the older brother first, instead of the loving father?” That stuck with me too - if someone comes into my church or into my home or circle of friends, and I judge them or am annoyed with them, how will they find Jesus in that? If I’m so consumed with how they look, or what they think on a particular issue, or whether or not they have a certain kind of lifestyle, I’m not helping them find the love and forgiveness and grace that Jesus wants to give them! I can either help them get to know Him better and sooner, or I can be a road block for them.

So the main point was that to make your church and your life different, accomplishing what God has asked you to do, you need to: Treat Every Prodigal In The Way A Loving Father Would Treat His Own Son.

So I’ve been trying to look at the kids and parents and volunteers that come through the doors at church as people that need to be loved, above all else. I’ve also tried to keep that in my mind as I’m interacting with my kids and my husband too. I don’t want to act like the critical older brother. I hope I will continue to be reminded of how important it is to be the loving father instead.