FAVORITES

GOOD MORNING

I'D LIKE TO START
BY TELLING YOU A FEW STORIES

IN MY MOTHER'S COFFIN
WERE PLACED FOUR ROSES.
ATTACHED TO THEM WAS A CARD
THAT SAID
FROM YOUR FAVORITES.

A SEMI-SERIOUS GAME
MY THREE SISTERS
AND I HAVE PLAYED
MOST OF OUR LIVES
THE GAME OF
WHO WAS MOM'S FAVORITE.

I HAVE RECEIVED BIRTHDAY CARDS
FROM MY SISTERS
THAT SAID FOR MY BIRTHDAY
MOM GAVE ME FIVE HUNDRED DOLLARS
WHAT DID SHE GIVE YOU.

OR HAS MOM TOLD YOU YET
THAT YOU WERE ADOPTED

IT WAS A SILLY GAME
IT WAS A FUN GAME
MOM ENJOYED IT.
THOUGH IN SECRET
SHE TOLD ME
THAT I WAS HER FAVORITE.

LATELY I'VE SUSPECTED
THAT SHE TOLD MY SISTERS THE SAME THING


MY SECOND STORY CONCERNS
LUTHER AS A YOUNG MAN.
AS A YOUNG MAN AND AS A YOUNG MONK
HE CERTAINLY DID NOT THINK HIMSELF
AS GODS FAVORITE.

LUTHER AS A RESULT
OF HOW HE WAS TAUGHT RELIGION
HAD EVOLVED A SET OF FOUR QUESTIONS
FROM WHICH HE COULD NOT ESCAPE
THEY WERE


CAN YOU BE FREE FROM SIN
NO HE ANSWERED

IS THERE A DAY OF JUDGMENT
YES HE ANSWERED

IS GOD INDIFFERENT TO SIN
NO HE ANSWERED

WILL YOU BE DAMMED FOR YOUR SINS
YES HE ANSWERED

LUTHER HAD NO TROUBLE
UNDERSTANDING TODAY'S LESSON
IN WHICH GOD IS QUOTED AS SAYING
BECAUSE YOU DAVID HAVE SINNED
YOUR CHILD MUST DIE.

THERE WAS NO LOVE IN LUTHER'S GOD
WHEN HE WAS A YOUNG MAN.

ANOTHER STORY
IS FROM THE LAST CHAPTER OF JOHN
IN WHICH JESUS SAYS TO PETER

PETER DO YOU LOVE ME
YES LORD I DO
PETER FEED MY LAMBS

AND AGAIN JESUS ASKED PETER
PETER DO YOU LOVE ME
LORD YOU KNOW I DO
FEED MY SHEEP

AND A THIRD TIME JESUS ASKED
PETER DO YOU LOVE ME
TO WHICH
IF PETER HAD GROWN UP IN MY NEIGHBORHOOD
HE WOULD HAVE SAID
YO JESUS I ALREADY TOLD YOU TWICE

BUT PETER SAID
LORD YOU KNOW EVERYTHING
YOU KNOW MY HEART,
YOU KNOW I LOVE YOU
AND JESUS SAID FEED MY LAMBS.

THIS SCENE TO ME
IS ONE OF THE TENDEREST SCENES
IN THE NEW TESTAMENT.

I VISION PETER
AS A BIG INARTICULATE BEAR OF A MAN.
GIVEN TO RASH ACTION.
STRIVING HARD TO FOLLOW THE LORD
SHOOTING HIMSELF IN THE FOOT AS HE GOES.
SUFFERING FROM FOOT IN MOUTH DISEASE
AS WITNESSED BY WHAT HAPPENED NEXT
FOR PETER TURNS AROUND
AND SPIES JOHN
RUMORED TO BE JESUS' FAVORITE
AND HE SAYS
WHAT ABOUT THAT MAN
AND JESUS SAYS
WHAT IS THAT TO YOU
IT'S NONE OF YOUR BUSINESS.

TOP TO BOTTOM IN ZERO SECONDS
GOES PETER.
GO PETER

EVERY MORNING WHEN I WASH MY FACE
I THINK I SEE PETER.

TOP TO BOTTOM IN ZERO SECONDS
GO PETER



MY LAST STORY
IS ONE WE ALL KNOW
THERE WAS A MAN
WHO HAD TWO SONS.
THE YOUNGER ONE SAID
FATHER GIVE ME ALL THAT IS MINE
I WANT TO LEAVE.

THE FATHER DID AS THE SON REQUESTED
AND THE YOUNG MAN WENT OFF
SPENT ALL HIS MONEY
ENDING UP EATING WITH THE PIGS.

HE SAID TO HIMSELF
MY FATHERS SERVANTS LIVE BETTER THAN THIS.
I WILL RISE AND GO TO MY FATHER
AND BEG HIM TO LET ME BE ONE OF HIS SERVANTS.

EVERY EVENING SINCE THE SON HAD LEFT
THE FATHER HAD CLIMBED A HILLSIDE
FOR A BETTER VIEW
AND HAD WATCHED
AND WAITED FOR HIS SON TO RETURN.


WHEN HE SAW HIM AT A DISTANCE
AT A LONG LONG DISTANCE
WHEN HE SAW HIM AT A DISTANCE
AND RECOGNIZED HIS WALK
AS ONLY A PARENT CAN KNOW A CHILD'S WALK.

WHEN HE SAW HIM AT A DISTANCE
AT A LONG LONG DISTANCE
HE RAN TO HIM LAUGHING
AND CRYING
AND SHOUTING
MY SON HAS RETURNED
THE ONE I THOUGHT WAS LOST
HAS RETURNED

AND HE RAN TO HIM
EMBRACED HIM
BEAR HUGGED HIM SO TIGHT
THAT THE SON'S MUMBLED
I WANT TO BE ONE OF YOUR SERVANTS
WAS NEVER HEARD

WAS NEVER HEARD
IN THE FATHER S EXUBERANT JOY

HIS COMING HOME
WAS MESSAGE ENOUGH


NOW COMES INTO THE STORY
YOU AND I
AT SOME TIME IN OUR LIVES
WE ARE THE OLDER BROTHER.
THE ONE WHO DID EVERY THING RIGHT.
WE SEE THE HAPPINESS OF THE FATHER
AND HOW THE FATHER HAS RESTORED
THE YOUNGER BROTHER
TO AT PLACE OF HONOR
AND WE ARE JEALOUS.

I THINK IF THIS WASN'T A BIBLE STORY
WE WOULD ALL THINK
THAT THE OLDER BROTHER
WAS POORLY TREATED

BUT THAT IS EXACTLY
WHAT JESUS WANTS US TO THINK
ABOUT THIS STORY.

LEFT TO OUR OWN JUDGMENTS
THE YOUNGER SON
WOULD HAVE BEEN BANISHED FROM THE FARM

AND ALL HONOR GIVEN TO THE OLDER SON
WHO HAD DONE NO WRONG.

WE WOULD HAVE BEEN WILLING
TO KILL THE BABY TOO
BECAUSE SIN NEEDS PUNISHMENT
IN OUR MIND

BUT JESUS WANTS US TO KNOW
THAT WHAT WAS
IS NO MORE

THAT BECAUSE OF HIS DEATH
AND RESURRECTION
THE LOVE OF GOD FOR HIS CREATURES
HAS BECOME IRRATIONAL,
DOES NOT GO BY RULES
BY WHICH WE FEEL COMFORTABLE
THAT WHEN GOD LOOKS AT US
THAT WE ARE ALL INDIVIDUALLY
GOD'S FAVORITE

THAT HIS FORGIVENESS IS THERE
BEFORE WE SIN
WHILE WE SIN
AND AFTER WE SIN.
THAT ALL WE HAVE TO DO
IS ASK FORGIVENESS
AND TRY TO SIN NO MORE

THIS IS THE LESSON MARTIN LUTHER LEARNED
WHILE STUDYING THE SCRIPTURES
WE READ TODAY
GALATIANS AND JOHN
THAT GOD LOVED HIM
INDIVIDUALLY AND TOTALLY.
THAT FORGIVENESS WAS FREE
AND FREELY GIVEN

THIS IS THE LESSON PETER LEARNED
THAT GOD LOVED HIM
GOOD TIMES AND BAD.
WHETHER STRONGLY DEFENDING JESUS
WITH A SWORD
OR COWERING BEFORE A SERVANT MAIDS GLANCE

HE WAS LOVED BEFORE
DURING
AND AFTER
HE WAS LOVED

THIS IS A LESSON MY MOTHER
TAUGHT MY SISTERS AND I
I WILL LOVE YOU TOTALLY
AND INDIVIDUALLY WITH ALL MY HEART.

AND THIS IS THE LESSON I DECLARE TO YOU TODAY.
I CAN DECLARE IT
BECAUSE GOD HAS DECLARED IT FIRST

AND THAT IS
THAT EACH OF US
INDIVIDUALLY
IS GODS FAVORITE
THAT WHEN HE LOOKS ON US
HIS CREATION
ALL IS FORGOTTEN
AND FORGIVEN
EXCEPT HIS LOVE FOR US

OUR GOD HAS CARVED OUR NAME
ON THE PALM OF HIS HAND
THAT OUR NAME MIGHT ALWAYS BE BEFORE HIM

THAT EACH OF US HAS A SPECIAL PLACE IN HIS HEART
AND OVER THE DOOR
OF THAT PLACE
IS A SIGN THAT SAYS
HOME OF MY FAVORITE