Consider throughout these decades how God the Father works in our lives. So often we selfishly take what he has given us and squander it. Sometimes we become jealous of others. How does our resentments impact our behaviors? Through it all, our God remains a faithful father, who loves us more than words can describe, and he forgives us every time we come home to him.

 

The Departure

 

Imagine the scene when the son goes to his father. What does the house look like? How does that scene play out? What do the facial expressions of the participants look like? How do you think this scene went down?

 

The Journey

 

Imagine the young man’s journey away from home. Where did he go? What was life like wherever he went? What did his life look like in his new home? What was his behavior?

 

The Return

 

Imagine the young man’s decision to return home. Imagine him sitting among the pigs he’d been hired to care for. What did his desperation look like? What are the smells in the air? How has this experience worn on the young man? What was he thinking about on his way home?

 

The Father

 

Imagine the reaction of the father upon the young man’s return. What does this scene really look like? Does the father run up the road from the house? What does the property look like? What does the father look like? Do his eyes glisten with tears of relief and joy?

 

The Older Son

 

Imagine the reaction of the older son. How does he stand as he talks to the father? What is his body language? What does his voice sound like? What does his life in the home look like? What history with his brother does he reflect on upon his return?