Lost and Bein' Found - Party On.

Pentecost 17c, September 15, 2013 (Luke 15:1-10)

Have you ever lost something precious to you – something that really matters? About 6 months after my wedding, I was laying in the water, waiting to be pulled up to waterski in a northern Saskatchewan lake. As the boat's engine revved and I was drawn up out of the water my wedding ring slipped off my finger. Immediately I let go of the tow rope and thrashed around in the  water. Thoughts whirled around in my mind. How could I ever tell my wife that less than a year after we were married I had lost my ring?  What would I do? How could I be so stupid? But then, even as my thoughts raced one of my friend's wives who had been standing on the shore walked with her wee babe in arms out into the water. When she was nearly waist deep she said, "Tim, I think that I see your ring!" I thought to myself, "Yah, sure and pigs fly too." Nevertheless I sent a younger boy swimming carefully over to where this woman was standing. He dove down and came up with my ring in his hand. Can you imagine how relieved I was, how thankful I am? Even when I look at my ring today, I can sense that joy and relief of it nearly being lost some 30 years ago.

 

Moving beyond that ring, as precious a thing as it is to me, let me ask you this.  Have you ever lost someone precious to you – or nearly lost them. I remember just over a year ago when our Bishop's daughter under went what was supposedly a "regular" tonsillectomy. Only a few days later feeling some pain she went to the hospital. While there, blood vessels ruptured and she could have died. Fortunately afgter some time in the ICU she could go home. What joy in our Bishop's family when their daughter could come home? What joy and appreciation of this young woman's own life might occur, be lived out! ?  

Or, can we imagine – what the parents and families of those 3 young women abducted in Cleveland andheld hostage for years have been through? They may have thought that their daughters had been killed, in some sense lost to them forever. But then one day their children are brought home- home to heal, to hopefully experience new life, have new possibilities unfold for them. The ones lost are found. Rejoicing, thanksgiving, unbelievable. Life could never the same again. They have experienced the depths of despair. Hopefully they can also experience the wonder of new life and great joy.  

 

So it is that we are ushered/delivered/thrust by Jesus and the Spirit into these 2 parables. At first glance they may seem to be irrelevant. The images are variously unfamiliar because of their historical context. A lost sheep? A lost coin? They don't seem to have much significance for we 21^st century N. Americans. We are beginning to do away with coins. Occasionally we sometimes toss them into water. But rarely are coins found in our pockets. After all we live in a digital, computerized world. As for the image of sheep: unless we are from a rural background we just can't identify. We don't even count "sheep" anymore to attempt to sleep. Instead we turn up the music or take a pill.

 

But let me ask you this – are you ever "lost". I don't just mean geographically, like a young man refusing to ask directions or an older person suffering from dementia. Rather do we ever have the sense of being rootless, utterly exhausted, hopeless, without God? Are we ever "lost" in such ways?

 

Might the parents who want their children to succeed so much that they wrap their whole lives around hockey games and dance recitals be lost?

Might the career minded man or woman who has made moving up the ladder the one and only priority be lost?  

Might the folks who work jobs they hate just to give their family things they never had be lost?

Might the teen who works so hard to be perfect and who is willing to do just anything to fit in be lost?

Might the earnest Christian who is constantly expecting that others have to live certain ways to be a Christian be lost?

Might our world which so often neglects those closest to us without home or shelter, those affected by domestic violence, to instead being obsessed with bank rates and stimulating the economy be lost?

Might our world which employs euphemisms like friendly fire and peacemaker submarines be lost?

 

The answer is yes, yes, yes! Our reality is multifaceted. We are a people individually and collectively who so easily can be swept away, lose any sense of foundation or purpose that is life bringing. Even our churches can get caught up in a survival mentality. (Pause)

 

But there is hope. This great God, Creator of the universe, imaginer of each person's unique DNA, deeply loves us and this world. God's love for the world is so deep that God dares to become human in Jesus of Nazareth. God through the Spirit and the Spirit's working, keeps on looking for us – to seek and to deliver all who are lost into a community of belonging where God's love, mutual care and forgiveness are the modus operandi. God's seeking all of us out is an ongoing process for all of us and for the world. Let me tell you – there is great abounding joy in heaven and on earth when any of us are so found. It is in being found by God that we begin to realize whose we are and live by our God given identity – as God's own sons and daughters, brothers and sisters in this mystical but wonder-filled body of Christ. As such we are also stewards, caretakers of creation.

 

So as we are blessed to live our lives will we rejoice, celebrate, dance, sing and joyfully share as God reaches out to find us again and again, even as others too are being found? Will we welcome all to God's table and seek to extend God's gracefulness to all whom we meet, including God's and wonder-filled creation? Or will we grumble and complain, be overcome by fear and suspicion as we attempt to categorize the "other" and so lose sight of whose we are and therefore who we are?

 

When God's children pray and sing, share and sacrifice, love and forgive what rejoicing there can be and will be. May it be so with us and through us, for Christ's sake and the sake of the world. Amen.

           

 

 

Love, Pain and New Life

Sermon on Pentecost 16c, September 8, 2013. (Jeremiah 18:1-11 and Psalm 139)

 

Have you ever gone shopping for clothes with someone you love? What's that experience like? You know it's not really any different if it's your grown daughter or son, wife or husband or close friend. What do you do when they pick up something they really like and you realize not only that it doesn't look that good on them, but in fact it may even look really bad. Do you say nothing because you don't want to hurt their feelings? Do you actually trespass your better judgment and because of their excitement tell them something that isn't really true – that the dress, the shirt, the slacks look good on them? Or because you actually do care about them will you make yourself vulnerable and open up the possibility of hurt by telling them something like this –" perhaps there is something else that you would really like that might look better on you?" Make no mistake – they aren't dumb. They know you at least as well as you know them. Even though you are attempting to cushion the words, they will get the message. That particular thing which they really like doesn't really look very good on them.

 

Of course, this is just the tip of the iceberg. When we actually care about someone else, we seek to act consistently in their best interests. All of this becomes  more complex as we seek to follow Jesus. The risen Jesus through the Holy Spirit calls us to act in the best interests of all others including ourselves. Remember, God  loves the world!

 

This becomes increasingly difficult  as we seek to love those whom we know the very best. There are occasions when soft or loud "no's " are required. As we raise children there are times when they really want to do something Which could result in harm for themselves or others. Then we will be called upon to say, NO! They may not much like us then. But that's not what really matters, even though it will be painful. Because we love them, there will be times when we will need to speak a word they don't wish to hear.

 

The more deeply we come to know each other, the easier it is to hurt each other – sometimes even when we don't intend to:  by a lack of a word or the tone of our voice, or by forgetting an important event or a promise. If you have lived very long and ever been in caring relationships you will know what I mean.

 

But what if the One who knows us so intimately, is God? God knows not just what we do or don't do, but all our thoughts, our words, internal and external, our feelings towards others and ourselves. What if this God also deeply cares about us, and so wills at times to redirect us, in order to protect us from ourselves?  So it is that God gives us rules, guidelines – to put God first always, to take one day off each week to rest and to worship, not to do a hundred and one other things that we didn't get done the rest of the time because, well we are so busy? What if that One calls us to honor and love our parents even when that is so very hard? What if that one commands us not to kill, not merely literally but figuratively via disparaging words or gossip? What if that One realizes that when we keep wanting more and more we only become empty, less satisfied, less fulfilled? So, it is that God calls us to stop wanting more and more – and look for meaning and purpose with God and with others. Will we listen to such a One? Will we obey God – seeking to be closer? Or, will we rebel and turn our backs – thinking we know best and will do whatever we wan? After all, we live in  a free world, don't we? But I ask, where has such freedom gotten us?

 

How amazing it is to reflect upon this reality – that the wondrous God, creator of the universe, dares to love us even though She/He knows us intimately, even so much  better than we know ourselves. This God, out of love for us, dares to become human! Bask in this mystery. It is mind boggling – sometimes frightening. Yet, at the same time it is also comforting, even hope bringing. God refuses to give up on us, because God loves us.

 

We need to know. The reality of God's love does not give us licence to do whatever we want, taking God's love for granted, anymore than we have license in our marriages or friendships to betray those we deeply love, who trust us. Even more so, it is good for us to strive to honor God's will.

 

Dear people I encourage us to be still and know God. Know this One who knows us, who loves us so, who dies so that we can be reconciled to God and each other. God's love for us is steadfast. Rest in that – and then run with it, limp with it ,crawl with it. It is God's love and forgiveness, that is the hope of the world. It is God's love and forgiveness that is the source of hope of every parent, of every husband and wife, of every friend – and yes even of every enemy even, though they or we may not be consciously aware of this.

 

We are fearfully and wonderfully made by God. We have strengths and weaknesses, the capacity to care and hate. Oh God, help us to love and not hate, to forgive by refusing to hold on to wrong- to trust you and so be able to discern whom else we may trust. May God give us the courage to risk by taking part in God's grand mission of loving the world which always must start with loving those closest to us, those we know best, those who know us best, warts and all,  with truth, compassion, mercy and justice, humility and grace. May God bless us all as God's children. May we not turn our backs on God. Instead may we daily turn to God, depending on God's love, for Christ's sake and the sake of the world.  Amen.