Read: Luke 15
When we think of the empty nest we instinctively think of the parents and their adjustment to an empty bedroom. Our first thoughts are about the family when one member leaves and the changing dynamics of schedule and space. We consider the primary unit as the most important part. However, the one who has moved, left the family nest, is also in stress. Just perhaps we are missing the real need if we look only to the parents and the family unit.
To leave home is stressful. It is also exciting and full of promise. Most of us were scared out of our wits about leaving our homes. I remember standing on the Iowa State University campus looking out at the moving mass of people during a class break thinking to myself, “What am I doing here?” I was afraid of failure, but was also just as afraid of success. I experienced some of both. We all do.
A word from home, a note of encouragement, home-baked cookies in a foil lined box can mean the difference between lost and found. What would it cost you to write a note to the kid down the block who has left home this fall? What would it cost you to offer a note of encouragement to a young person whom you may have never met, but understand because we are all human in our feelings and emotions. Has it been so long since you were the new chick pushed out of the nest that you have forgotten the anxiety and fear that accompanies this step in life?
In the story of the lost son, there are actually two sons who are lost. One has physically left home; the other has stayed physically, but left home in his heart. Now let the sermon begin, bringing us all just a little closer to home.
Worship Next Week
Scripture: Luke 15:11-32
Sermon Title: “The Empty Nest II
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