Grace, mercy and peace be to you from God our Father, and
from our Lord Jesus Christ.
Text: (Luke
15:22-23)
But the
father said to his servant, ‘Bring quickly the best robe, and put it on him,
and put a ring on his hand, and shoes on his feet. And bring the fattened calf
and kill it, and let us eat and celebrate. For this my son was dead, and is
alive again; he was lost, and is found.’ And they began to celebrate.
[Kä cu gua̱n ji̱ läätädɛ jiök
i̱, "Wiaa, nöŋɛ bi̱i̱ in gɔaa ni jɛn kɛ pɛ̈th, kä la̱thɛ jɛ puɔ̱nydɛ. Kä
kuëŋɛ tiɛl yiɛtädɛ kɛnɛ wa̱a̱ri ciöknikɛ. Kä nööŋɛ ruath mi ci buuth kä na̱kɛ
jɛ. Banɛ mi̱th, kä banɛ ŋar. Kɛ ɣöö gatdä ɛmɛ cɛ li̱w, kɛ cɛ rɔ nyɔk kɛ tëk. Cɛ
bath, kä ca jek!" Kä cua ŋar cu tok.]
Prayer: May
the words of my mouth and the meditations of our hearts be acceptable to you, O
Lord, our Rock and our Redeemer. A ruacdä kɛnɛ ca̱r luaacdä la ti gɔw waaŋdu, lö
pämdä kä käändä ni Kuoth Nhial. Amen.
Today we have come together to give thanks to God for the
family reunion of Gloria and her husband George. And right from the beginning
of the bible to the end, God calls us again and again to give thanks to him.
Give thanks to the Lord for he is good, for his steadfast
love endures forever! [La̱rɛ Kuoth Nhial tɛ̈th lɔaac kɛ ɣöö gɔaaɛ, kɛ ɣöö nhökadɛ min thil
pek ɛ do̱raar.]
When St Paul wrote his letter to the Romans, the first
thing he did was to give thanks to God for them. Paul had many things he wanted
to say to the Christians in Rome, but firstly he give thanks.
We read:
First, I thank my God through Jesus Christ for all of you,
because your faith is proclaimed in all the world. [Kɛ nhiam, la̱rä Kuothdä
tɛ̈th lɔaac rɛy Yɛcu Kritho kɛ kui̱dun yɛn diaal, kɛ ɣöö ca ŋa̱thdun lat rɛy
ɣɔaa kɛɛliw.]
On the other hand, in the same chapter in Romans, Paul
speaks about unbelievers. And he says that they did not give thanks to God, and
that they became foolish.
He writes:
For although they knew God, they did not honour him as God
or give thanks to him, but they became futile in their thinking, and their
foolish hearts were darkened. Claiming to be wise, they became fools. [Kɛn ŋäc kɛn Kuoth kä /ken
kɛn ɛ luɔ̱th ce̱tkɛ Kuoth kiɛ ka̱m tɛ̈th lɔaac. Kä cu ca̱riɛn cua̱ mi thil
luɔt, kä cu ca̱r baaŋädiɛn cua ni muth. Ruac kɛn i̱ pɛlkɛ, duundɛ ɣöö cu dɔ̱r
ni kɛn.]
In the readings in church last Sunday, we read the Parable
of the Ten Virgins. Jesus says to his disciples: Then the kingdom of heaven
will be like ten virgins who took their lamps and went to meet the virgins.
Five of them were foolish, and five were wise. [Kä ba ciaŋ kuäärä nhial pa̱a̱r kɛ nyier da̱ŋ
wäl ti ca lɛmbärnikiɛn ka̱n, wäkɛ cɔw nyaal lor. Nyier da̱ŋ dhieec rɛydiɛn kɛ
dɔa̱a̱r, kä nyier da̱ŋ dhieec pɛlkɛ.]
Today, when we come to church to give thanks to God, we
come not just to do something good, but something that is wise. We don’t want
be like the people St Paul describes when he says: “Claiming to be wise, they
became fools.” [Ruac
kɛn i̱ pɛlkɛ, duundɛ ɣöö cu dɔ̱r ni kɛn.] But we come to do something
that many people will think is foolish, but is wise in the eyes of God.
+++
We have come together today to give thanks to God because
something good has happened. After so many years, thinking that her husband was
dead, Gloria has found her husband again.
But the bible doesn’t say give thanks to the Lord when
something good happens, but give thanks to the Lord for He is good. God is the
one who is good. And he is good all the time. So there is always a reason to
give thanks.
St Paul says in Ephesians [Warɛgak Puɔl in cɛ gɔ̱a̱r Ji̱ Ɛ-pɛ-thäth]: Give
thanks always and for everything to God the Father in the name of our Lord
Jesus Christ. [Ni
ciaŋ la̱rɛ Kuoth in la Gua̱a̱ra tɛ̈th lɔaac kɛ ti diaal kɛ ciöt Kua̱ran ni Yecu
Kritho.]
Listen to those words: always, and for everything.
Do we really believe those words? Do we really take them
to heart?
In James tell us about people who are divided in their
heart. He says: He is a double-minded man [Ram mi tekɛ cär rɛw].
We often have two minds: one mind that is happy to give
thanks to God when we are happy, but then another mind that doesn’t want to
give thanks when we’re not happy.
When something good happens, we give thanks. When we’re
sad, we don’t give thanks.
Remember what Job says: The Lord gave, and the Lord has
taken away; blessed be the name of the Lord. [Kuoth Nhial la ŋunɛ ŋɔak kä la naŋɛ kɛ, a
puɔ̱th tekɛ Kuoth Nhial.]
Job gives thanks to God. He says: Blessed be the name of
the Lord. [A
puɔ̱th tekɛ Kuoth Nhial] But he gives thanks when the God gave, and when
the Lord has taken away.
This is so unnatural to us. It hurts us. Our sinful flesh
doesn’t want to give thanks to God always. St Paul says in Romans: I see in my
members another law waging war against the law of my mind and making me captive
to the law of sin that dwells in my members. [Kä nɛ̈nä ŋut dɔ̱diɛn mi lät rɛydä puɔ̱nydä mi
tɛr ko̱r kɛ ŋut cärä wecdä, kä jakɛ ɣä kä pɛ̈c ŋutdä dui̱rä min cieŋ rɛy cuŋni
pua̱a̱nydä.]
In Psalm 86 it says: Teach me your way, O Lord that I may
walk in your truth; unite my heart to fear your name. [Nyuthni ɣä duɔ̱ɔ̱pdu lö
Kuoth Nhial, kɛ ɣöö bä ja̱l rɛy thukädu, amäni mi cä ciötdu luɔ̱th.]
David says here: unite my heart. Bring my heart together.
Bring the two pieces together and make them one heart again. Teach me to give
thanks to you when good things happen and when bad things happen.
Teach me to give thanks to Jesus for his resurrection from
the dead, and also teach me to give thanks to Jesus for his suffering and death
on the cross.
Teach me to give thanks to Jesus because he promises to
raise me from the dead. But also, teach me to give thanks to Jesus because he
promises to make me share the cross.
Jesus says: If anyone would come after me, let him deny
himself and take up his cross daily and follow me. [Mi go̱o̱r raan ɣöö bɛ ɣä
guɔ̱ɔ̱r, a jɛ jay rɔɔdɛ, kä a jɛ kap jiathdɛ ni ciaŋ, kä a jɛ guur ɣä.]
Jesus has died for you. He has suffered for you. He has
baptised you into his own body and washed away all your sin. He has forgiven
you all your sin and raised you to new life.
This means that we can thank God for the cross, for
suffering.
One of my favourite verses in the bible is from Psalm 120:
In my distress I called to the Lord, and he answered me. [Rɛy cucädä ɣän cua̱ Kuoth
Nhial cɔl kɛ ɣöö bɛ ɣä luäk.]
Have we ever thought about saying, “In my distress, I
thanked the Lord”?
+++
You see, we come together today to give thanks to God for
this happy family reunion. But there has also been many years of suffering for
both Gloria and George. Let’s not forget to give thanks to God for those years
too. Today is a day like the day of resurrection, like the day of Easter. But
we should also give thanks to God for the Good Fridays in our life too.
Those days are particularly special. St Paul says: We know
that for those who love God all things work together for good, for those who
are called according to his purpose. [Ŋäc kɔn ɛ rɛy kä ti diaal, i̱ lät Kuoth kɛ kui̱
gɔɔyä nɛɛni tin nhɔakɛ jɛ, tin ca cɔl ce̱tkɛ luɔtdɛ.] For
those whom he foreknew he also predestined to be conformed to the image of his
Son, in order that he might be the first among many brothers. [Kɛ ɣöö nɛy tin cɛ ŋa̱c kɛ
nhiam cɛ kɛ rialikä i̱ bikɛ ce̱tkɛ Gatdɛ, kɛ ɣöö derɛ a kɛ̱̈ɛ̱̈ rɛy gan ti
ŋuan.]
Gloria has often taught me the Sudanese Song: Number One,
Jesus, Number! Jesus is the number one to rise from the dead, but he is also
the number one to carry the cross.
St Peter says that we should resist Satan, “firm in your
faith, knowing that the same kinds of suffering are being experienced by your
brotherhood throughout the world.” [/Cuarɛ rɔ̱ luär jɛ [ni Ceytan], cuɔ̱ŋɛ a bum rɛy
ŋäthädun kɛ ɣöö ŋa̱cɛ jɛ i̱ te dämuɔɔri rɛy ŋäthä diaal tin te wi̱i̱ muɔ̱ɔ̱n
kɛn a rɛy cucä mi päär kɛ cuɔ̱c ɛmɛ.]
And so, whether we have joy [tɛth lɔaac] or
suffering [cuuc], we give thanks to the Lord for He is good. Jesus has suffered
for us, and he has risen from the dead for us.
+++
And so now we read in the Gospel of Luke, the story about
a man who lost his son for many years. He doesn’t want to live with his Father
anymore. He says: “Father, give me the share the property that is coming to
me.” [Guä,
kämni ɣä kui̱c ŋɔaani diaal tin bi a nyinkä.] And he divided his property
between them. [Kä cuɛ nyinkɛ dääk kä
kamdiɛn.] Not many days layer, the younger son gathered
all he had and took a journey into a far country, and there he squandered his
property in reckless living.” [Kɛ kɔr ni̱ni ti tɔt cu gat in tɔt nyinkɛ diaal ruɔ̱ɔ̱l, kä cuɛ jiɛɛn,
wëë ro̱o̱l mi na̱n. Cuɛ nyinkɛ wä ŋar ŋar kɛ lät ti jiäk.]
Now today is quite different. Gloria is not welcoming to
her home a lost son, but a lost husband.
When the
father welcomed home his son, he says: Bring quickly the best robe and put it
on him, ["Wiaa,
nöŋɛ bi̱i̱ in gɔaa ni jɛn kɛ pɛ̈th, kä la̱thɛ jɛ puɔ̱nydɛ.]…and
put a ring on his hand, and shoes on his feet. [Kä kuëŋɛ tiɛl yiɛtädɛ kɛnɛ wa̱a̱ri ciöknikɛ.] And
bring the fattened calf and kill it, [Kä nööŋɛ ruath mi ci buuth kä na̱kɛ jɛ] and
let us eat and celebrate. [Banɛ mi̱th, kä banɛ ŋar.] For this my son was dead, and
is alive again; [Kɛ
ɣöö gatdä ɛmɛ cɛ li̱w, kɛ cɛ rɔ nyɔk kɛ tëk.] He was lost and is found [Cɛ bath, kä ca jek!]
For Gloria today, she says, my husband is dead, and is
alive again [Cɔwdä
ɛmɛ cɛ li̱w, kɛ cɛ rɔ nyɔk kɛ tëk]. He was lost and is found. [Cɛ bath, kä ca jek!]
Can you imagine the joy that the first Christians must
have had when they realised Jesus Christ was raised from the dead?
Mary went to the disciples and said: “I have seen the
Lord.” [Ɣän cä kuäär ni Yecu nɛn.]
And the same goes for us even today. Jesus says: So also
you have sorrow now, but I will see you again and your hearts will rejoice, and
no one will take your joy away from you. [Ta̱yɛ kɛ jiath lɔaac täämɛ, duundɛ ɣöö bä yɛ nyɔk kɛ
nën, bi lo̱ckun tɛɛth, kä thilɛ ram mi bi tɛ̈th lɔaacdun ka̱n kä yɛ.]
Notice that Jesus doesn’t say, “you will see me again”. [Bi
ɣä nyɔk kɛ nën] We will see him again. That’s true. But that’s
not what he says here. He says: “I will see you again, and your hearts will
rejoice.” [bä yɛ
nyɔk kɛ nën, bi lo̱ckun tɛɛth]
Our joy comes not from us seeing Jesus, but from Jesus
seeing us.
Remember when Mary says: God has regarded me in my low
estate. [Cɛ ciaŋ
kuɛɛkä nya la̱tdɛ nɛn.]
Or what about the blessing where it says: The Lord make
his face shine on us. [Bi Kuoth Nhial buay nhiamdɛ ka̱m yɛ.]
Jesus himself has looked at us today. He has given us
great joy. And so we come to give thanks to God for a little taste of that joy
in the next life, when our sin is completely finished for the first time, and
when we will stand in a family reunion like today, but with the whole of Jesus’
family.
And our
heavenly Father will rejoice over us, and say: “This my son was dead, and is
alive again; he was lost and is found.” [Gatdä ɛmɛ cɛ li̱w, kɛ cɛ rɔ nyɔk kɛ tëk. Cɛ bath, kä
ca jek!]
And Jesus will say to us: No-one will take your joy away
from you. [Thilɛ
ram mi bi tɛ̈th lɔaacdun ka̱n kä yɛ.]
Amen.
And the peace
of God which passes all understanding keep our hearts and minds in Christ Jesus
our Lord. [Mal Kuɔth min leny ni ŋäc ŋɔaani nath, bɛ lo̱ckun amäni ca̱r
wuɔ̱thnikun tit rɛy Kritho Yecu.] Amen.
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