Finding Joy

Luke 15:1-10

I felt called to ministry as a young child.  However, my parents were not active church people and thus it was not encouraged.  During my teenage years I even rebelled some from the church, being someone that was concerned about the abuses of the historical church.  I did have a friend named David that would remind me that I did still have faith in God, sometimes he was very gentle and nice about it, but I do remember one time that he pushed my pendant of the Holy Spirit into my chest, that I always wore, and said, “remember.”  I did finally start going back to church, because as David reminded me, I remember how God had “spoke” to me as a child.  It was after living in Belfast, Ireland, I observed how even young people went to church, and I realized that if I wanted to answer questions about the Divine, I needed the history, practice, and fellowship of the church to explore.  I started going back to church in Manhattan, and I never felt welcomed into the congregation and thus not engaged.  I must admit I continued to feel lost among all those that worshipped around me.  I then moved to my dad’s home to help take care of him and to simply get out of the city.  I found a church in town and when I started going I felt welcomed by most, probably because I had befriended the associate pastor in the dog park.  I know that there were some wary of a man in his 20’s who had no children or wife going to church in this town.  I was different, and I certainly felt lost as someone that had ignored my calling for so long.  If it was not for the handful of people who were simply overjoyed to learn with me, work with me, and incorporate me into the fellowship I would not be here.  I would not have felt engaged without that welcome, that radical hospitality. 

A year or so later we all experienced the terrible trauma of September 11, 2001.  I was devastated, but glad I had a church home.  I found myself on September 12 acting as an usher for the ecumenical prayer service.  Many of the new people who showed up did not fit the “norm” of the church.  That is of course interesting, but what I truly observed was the open welcome that came from those established in the pews.  It could have been because of the greater number and the excitement of that instead of one or two new visitors that did not fit the mold.  However, I believe the welcome came from that fact everyone was dealing with this tragic event.  Not only were the new members looking for answers those in the church also were looking for answers from the seekers. 

Today’s scriptures do show us that God is always looking for us, and will not stop until we are found, and will celebrate!  That is great news.  Jesus shares these parables, because some religious leaders (Pharisees and scribes) were grumbling because Jesus welcomed sinners to table fellowship.  Not only did the shepherd look for the one lost, he left the 99 in the wilderness to find the lost.  Is not the church still in the wilderness awaiting the Kingdom on earth as it is in Heaven?  The woman burns precious oil to look for the lost coin, does not the church use resources to share the gospel with the lost?  And in these two cases and the one following the Forgiving Father (often referred to as the Prodigal Son) there is a celebration.  Thus when people do come to use to eat at this communion table we should in our hearts see the celebration and celebrate with God for those found.  To insure this we most practice radical hospitality.  It is not about finding joy, God does the finding, it is about enjoying the joy and love of being found.  These parables remind me that I was also lost but by the grace of God was found.  I remember this joy at the table and at times remember David prodding, so that I can celebrate all of us who are found.