Spiritwick

A few months ago, I joined an Open Table.  Open Table is a somewhat difficult program to explain in brief, so here's a snippet from their website:  "A movement of servants restoring people in poverty to our communities through relationship and the investment of our own vocational and life experiences and personal networks." When I was first asked if I was interested in joining, I wasn't sure what exactly I had to offer, but I was interested.  When I'd thought in the past about what a Godly response to poverty would be, this was the sort of approach that seemed right to me, so I was willing to step out and sign up. As I learned more about the lives we'd be stepping alongside of, I wondered what I had to offer on this team.  I considered my vocational experiences, and there were no young children or speech/language disabilities involved.  I considered my life experiences, and they seemed pretty far removed from the experiences of this family.  I consi...

When I've heard the Parable of the Prodigal Son over the years, I've heard it told roughly like this: "A younger son of a rich man wanted all his inheritance up front. The father granted his son's wish, and this younger son then went out and squandered his money in parties and women and as much fun as he could figure out how to have.  Eventually, his money ran out, and he ended up working in a pig pen and longing for a bite of the pigs' feed.  Once he came to his senses, he realized that his father's servants were treated better than he was being treated, so he went back to his father to beg for a position as a servant.  The loving father saw him coming from a distance and ran out to greet him.  He didn't give him a servant's job.  Instead, he welcomed him back as a son and threw a lavish feast in his honor.  The older son, who had stayed working for his father all this time, saw this party and became bitter and jealous. What a d-bag!" Ok, so t...