Honoring our Father

Have you ever come back to a place you thought your would never go?

I have pictures on my computer of a birthday I missed. It was Grandfather's 75th or 80th birthday I can't remember for sure. I wasn't there but I have the pictures anyway because we are attempting to make photo books of the years. I look at those pictures and I see people in them that I haven't seen for a while. People that had kind of disappeared from the family. A couple of cousins who really had not been around for a while. They just started reconnecting again. There are also grandchildren and separated aunts and uncles who have all come together under one roof again. It seems like a strange combination of people to a certain extent. Marriages no longer together, but the partners still coming together. This group is there for one reason. To honor my Grandad. To honor their Father. To celebrate his life.

Gen 25 has the story of Abraham's death. It is very interesting to me to see that both Isaac and Ishmael are there to bury their father. Isaac who is the promised one, the one whom all the inheritance has been given too. It is no surprise that he is there. But Ishmael, the one sent out into the desert. The one almost left under a bush to die. Ishmael is there as well. He isn't going to get any inheritance out of this deal. It is very clear what the will and testament of Abraham was. This was the reason Ishmael was sent away. Isaac is the only one getting the inheritance. Even the sons born to Abraham's second wife after Sarah dies aren't getting any inheritance although they were given send off gifts, which is more that Ishmael got. Those sons aren't mentioned as being there for the burial.

So why does Ishmael show up? Why does he come back to this place that he has been banished from? Apparently he comes to honor his Father. Even though Abraham sent him away. He comes back to bury him. He comes back to show Abraham honor.

I think about church sometimes. There are weeks when I really don't connect to what is happening from the front. The music doesn't hit me right, the sermon just isn't connecting or I am too busy paying attention to my daughter to even hear it. But I have come to honor my Father in Heaven. So many people that walk through the doors of our church come from different back grounds and some don't even really like each other. But here they are together to honor their Father. Some of them have been hurt badly by the church. Administration has done them wrong, they might even have been cast out at one time or another. But they have come back to honor their Father.

I don't know where you are with church, or the people who go to church. I would like to encourage you in whatever season of life you are in to come back to this place you thought you might never go again, not for me or for the other people in the pews, but to honor your Father. Maybe it will be grief that brings you back as it was for Ishmael or those who are remembering 9 years ago 9/11. But whatever it is I encourage you to come back and honor your father in heaven.

The beautiful thing about our Father in heaven is we all get the inheritance of sons. Everyone of us. So come on back home and find the the love of a Father who really does care for you and love you.