Lost and Found: A Sermon by Deacon Terry

A minister died and was waiting in line at the Pearly Gates. Ahead of him was a guy who was dressed in sunglasses, a loud shirt, leather jacket and jeans. Saint Peter addressed the guy, "Who are you, so that I may know whether or not to admit you to the Kingdom of Heaven?"
The guy replied, "I'm Joe Cohen, taxi driver, of New York City". Saint Peter consulted his list. He smiled and said to the taxi driver, "Take this silk robe and golden staff, and enter the Kingdom of Heaven."
The taxi driver went into Heaven, and then it was the minister's turn. He stood erect and boomed out, "I am Joseph Snow, pastor of Saint Mary's Church for the last forty-three years."
Saint Peter consulted his list and said to the minister, "Take this cotton robe and wooden staff, and enter the Kingdom of Heaven." "Just a minute," said the minister. "That man was a taxi driver and he gets a silk robe and golden staff. How can this be?"
"Up here, we work by results," said Saint Peter. "While you preached, people slept. While he drove, people prayed."
 
I read about an inner city church, in a large city where there were few residents, and was forced to make a decision.
A large company was offering this inner city church a great deal of money for their location, on which the company wanted to put a parking lot.
The money would enable the church to move to another part of the inner city where they would find a lot more homeless and needy people to serve.
Even though this was exciting to some in the congregation, other members were resistant to the idea.
They pointed out that the church was the guardian of a building whose history reached back into the early part of the nineteenth century.
Eventually the congregation decided to sell the site and make the move to a new building across town in a new inner-city neighborhood.
The priest who had been with this congregation through all the upheaval said,
"We had to decide whether we wanted to be in a museum or in mission." They couldn't have it both ways.
It meant staying on their site, glorying in their past history and serving a few needy people,
Or giving up their past and gearing themselves to a more significant ministry among the city's people in a new location.
They opted for mission status over museum status.
This same type of struggle is indicated in this morning's Gospel reading.
The Pharisees and scribes came down on the side of museum religion. They wanted attention given to those who were stable, pious and not a liability if they were invited to the country club.
Their rationale was "Let's have our synagogue programs be for us like-minded types."
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Jesus disappointed them by insisting that the issue was one of mission: to reach out to those who needed great mercy, lessons in etiquette, social graces, and perhaps a bath.
Paying attention to these "lost" persons would change the comfortable fellowship the scribes and Pharisees enjoyed at the synagogue, to say nothing of putting a dent into its budget.
The Pharisees' love of God's law made them forget about God's love.
The parables of the lost sheep and the lost coin are about God's concern for what's lost.
They contain notes of joy, a heavenly celebration caused by a successful search.
But we all know that joy in heaven does not always mean peace on earth.
God cares for each of his children like a parent cares for a child.
Parents will do almost anything for their children. God is the same way. He loves us more than a parent loves a child.
He longs to rescue those who are lost. He saves us from drowning in the sea of life if we call to Him.
God searches for what is lost.
Listening to those of us calling out for him.
Just like looking for a treasure, God's love treasures each and every one of us His children because there's no such thing as a life without worth.
God doesn't mind stooping down to find us and lift us up from the depths we have fallen into.
Have you ever had to search for something you or someone else lost?
 If so, you've probably discovered two things:
1. You will do everything you can to find the lost person or item.
2. The longer the lost item or person remains lost, the less likely it is that the item or person will be found.
Now I would think over the years, we have all heard and read this gospel several times.
But this time, when I read it, I looked at it a bit differently.
Maybe I am the lost sheep, or maybe I am the lost coin?
I’ve never thought of it that way.
I’ve read this gospel tons of times and simply thought it was a nice story, telling me to rejoice over something or someone ELES lost.
Never thinking, maybe in some way I was lost.
I am suggesting we take this morning’s gospel as a spiritual challenge.
A challenge to think about how we in some ways can get lost or in some way we maybe lost.
So, here’s what I looked at.
Am I possibly one of those Pharisees that looks down on those whom I believe is lower on the totem pole than me?
That drunk at the shelter, the person begging at the street corner?
That immigrant who lawfully entered and is now under scrutiny?
That person who earns minimum wage and struggles to provide food and shelter for the family?
Am I that Pharisee who doesn’t want change, who longs simply for the good ole days?
I am that Pharisee who believes everyone else is wrong and only I am right?
Am I more focused on rules than on love?
What makes me so special? What separates me from them?
GOD’s GRACE
It’s not me, it’s not my hard work ethic, and it’s not simply my intelligence.
It’s not my “I worked for everything I got attitude”.
It’s GOD’s Grace.
True, most of us have worked hard and have led honest lives, but I have to look in the mirror and be honest with myself.
If I didn’t have the grace of God, I too could be at the shelter.
Those words from the Footprint poem say it so well.
One night I dreamed I was walking
along the beach with the Lord.
Many scenes from my life flashed across the sky.
In each scene I noticed footprints in the sand.
Sometimes there were two sets of footprints,
other times there were one set of footprints.
This bothered me because I noticed that
during the low periods of my life, when I was
suffering from anguish, sorrow or defeat,
I could see only one set of footprints.
So I said to the Lord,” Lord You promised me
that if I followed you,
you would walk with me always.
But I have noticed that during the most trying periods
of my life there have only been
one set of footprints in the sand.
Why, when I needed you most,
you have not been there for me?”
The Lord replied,
“The times when you have
seen only one set of footprints,
is when I carried you.”
God’s grace.
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So I then started thinking in which ways can I be lost and what may be the lesson God is trying to say to me.
Do I judge, do I look down, do I look the other way on those I believe are lost?
I’m comfortable here amongst you all, but Jesus says there will be more rejoicing in heaven when one who repents than over the others.
Maybe I need to look outside these walls differently.
Maybe I need to pray for those I think are lost; maybe I need to in some small way help those who are lost.
Talk is cheap, and I don’t want to “play church”. I want to follow what Jesus teaches.
I want to take what he says more seriously, not just listen to a nice story, go home and do it again next Sunday.
I say these things to challenge us all to look at ourselves and strive to imitate Christ.
I know one thing.
If God’s grace wasn’t present in my life, I’d be in a mess.
We have all been given a wonderful gift of God’s grace and we need to treasure it, cherish it and share it.
AMEN