S07 Episode 6: The Return of the Prodigal Son Book Study Part 1 - The Story of Two Sons and Their Father
Abiding Together
Abiding Together
4.9 • 3.9K Ratings
🗓️ 24 February 2020
⏱️ 39 minutes
🧾️ Download transcript
Summary
The Story of Two Sons and Their Father
In this episode, we kick off our 6-part Lenten book study on The Return of the Prodigal Son by Henri Nouwen, beginning with the Prologue and Introduction. We chat about our identity as children of God, the mercy of the Father, and how God uses art and beauty to speak to us. We explore the idea of home and a homecoming, which speaks of our deep desire for heaven. We also talk about how often fear and self protection keeps us from experiencing the healing love of the Father.
Sister Miriam's one thing - Dentists! The unsung heroes.
Michelle's one thing - The Instagram accounts @OodsofGlutes (from Allie at @Oodlesofdoodles) and @Oodsofflutes
Heather's one thing - Ruth Stricklin from New Jerusalem Studios
Announcements!
The Abiding Together Lenten Book Study is The Return of the Prodigal Son by Henri Nouwen. You can still join us - we're just getting started! Purchase the book via US Amazon Link, a Canada Amazon link, and a UK Amazon link. (As an Amazon Associate, Abiding Together earns from qualifying Amazon purchases.)
The Abiding Together shop has new items! We have a new journal and a new mug inspired by Henri Nouwen, created just for this Lenten book study!
Discussion questions:
- What struck you from the podcast?
- What does the idea of "home" mean to you?
- Have you ever had an experience where beauty led you to the divine? Share about it!
- How are you taking steps on the journey toward the embrace of the Father?
Journal Questions:
- Reflect and journal about this scripture: Luke 15:11-32. What does it speak to you personally?
- Does the thought of vulnerability and the embrace of God make you feel at peace or uneasy?
- Do you find yourself to be an observer in your own story? Where and how can you "dare to step into the center, kneel down, and let [yourself] be held by a forgiving God?"
Quote to Ponder - "'Coming home' meant, for me, walking step by step toward the One who awaits me with open arms and wants to hold me in an eternal embrace." - Henri Nouwen
Scripture for Lectio Divina - Luke 15:11-32 - The Parable of the Prodigal Son
Transcript
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| 0:00.0 | Hello and welcome to the Abiding Together podcast. Abiding together is a place where you can |
| 0:13.4 | find connection, rest and encouragement on your journey with Jesus Christ. My name is |
| 0:18.2 | Sister Miriam James Heidlund and every week I am joined by two of my dearest friends, |
| 0:23.1 | Michelle Benzinger and Heather Kim. This podcast is born out of our friendship of sharing |
| 0:28.4 | all kinds of things together. Our walk with Christ, our insights, our joys, sorrows, tears |
| 0:34.2 | and laughter, and you are most welcome on the journey with us. So grab a cup of coffee, settle |
| 0:40.5 | in and welcome home. |
| 0:48.1 | Hello and welcome to this week's episode of the Abiding Together podcast and we are excited to |
| 0:54.0 | begin this journey, this Lenton journey with you. So happy Lent almost. When we're this is |
| 0:58.6 | airing and we're going to delve into our book study. And so if you haven't picked it up yet, |
| 1:03.0 | the book is the return of the prodigal son and it's an oldie but a goodie. I know taking off, |
| 1:08.1 | taking my book off the shelf and looking at it again and seeing all my old highlights has been |
| 1:11.6 | really, really neat to kind of look at what I was, what I was a couple years ago reading it. |
| 1:16.4 | But it's just so wonderful. So Michelle and Heather, how are you guys doing? How do you feel as we |
| 1:20.5 | kind of start this Lenton journey? Michelle, especially and then about the book. Like because you're |
| 1:25.2 | the one who really suggested it, which I love that was such a great suggestion. So tell us, tell us |
| 1:29.3 | everything. Yeah, I think we talked about this a couple months ago when we were trying to figure |
| 1:33.0 | out the year for what we were going to do for a Lenton study. And we, I know we had already done |
| 1:38.5 | Henry now and but there was something about the return of the prodigal son that just, I don't know, |
| 1:42.5 | kept on beckoning us. And I think it's the identity thing, the identity that we each played, the |
| 1:48.1 | identity as the older son and the younger son. And we're, there's all of us that have |
| 1:52.9 | prodigals, parts of us, you know, that need to come home and each and every one of us. And I think |
... |
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