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Proper 19, Year C
September 12, 2004
Christ Church, Covington
“Rejoice with me, for I have found my sheep that was lost” (Lk. 15:6).
Everyone knows what it’s like to be lost, or to lose something. From
misplaced glasses, to the wallet or purse that’s been left behind, to the
wrong turn that leaves us “lost” in unfamiliar territory, we know what
this is like. The irritation and helplessness and sense of displacement
are familiar to us. It’s a little sign of instability, dissolution, and
mortality. Even more to the point, people go missing, “lost” in another
sense; nations lose battles and causes are “lost”. Thank God we don’t know
more about this than we do.
Christian tradition is not shy in talking in terms of our human sense of
loss. Jesus himself, of course; the parables of the lost sheep and the
lost coin. You remember the line from the hymn, “I once was lost, but now
am found”? Or perhaps you know Dante’s great poem, The Divine Comedy, in
which the poet begins his journey from hell to heaven by being lost in a
dark wood? “Ay me! How hard to speak of it – the mere breath of memory
stirs the old fear in the blood; it is so bitter, it goes nigh to death”
(trans. by Dorothy Sayers).
But our tradition, if it picks up on our common human sense of loss, on
our perception of human misplacement and instability, also reflects
something else. If there is loss, there is also gain; things which were
lost are uncovered, recognized, and restored, all the time. This is what
God does; he is discovering us all the time, finding us in out-of-the-way
corners and in odd pastures, a bit beat up and the worse for wear,
perhaps, but still recognizably his own possession.
So where is God finding you this morning? Who and what is he discovering?
Are you lost in Dante’s “dark wood”, with memories as bitter as death?
Perhaps this is true for some of us. But it is also true, in every case
and regardless of how we feel about it, that God is discovering and
welcoming his own creature, someone known by him and never misplaced. God
is very excited and pleased to discover you today. After all, you are at
Christ Church, Covington! Perhaps he wasn’t really expecting to find you
in this particular corner of his Church. Maybe you thought he might not
find you if you came here. So what is God finding when he looks in our
direction? Who is this person that God is discovering? Perhaps there have
been so many changes that you’re not even sure you recognize yourself. But
God recognizes us; and he is eager to welcome us and rejoices in his
discovery.
I hope you will take the question of who God is discovering away with you;
also take away the knowledge that God is delighted to find you. But there
is also a follow on question for us. God is looking for us; so what are we
looking for? What are we hoping to discover here today? What is the thing
that has brought us here? What are we searching for? The parables of Jesus
talk about not only sheep and coins, but “repentant sinners”. God is
searching for us; what are we doing? What are we looking for ourselves? I
hope we’re looking for new resurrection life, rebirth, renewal in the
Spirit. I hope we’re discovering God.
There are lots of chances to make these new discoveries here today. There
are a variety of ministries and opportunities for growth that we can learn
about; even some we might commit to. We’re going to need a venturesome
spirit, a love of discovery, a willingness to move from where we are to
new unexplored territory in our relationship with God. Perhaps you’re
unaware of this undiscovered country, this continent that lies beyond the
horizon. You may be content with what you imagine your life and your
relationship with God are, when a vast and rich territory is just out of
view. We won’t know (will we) until we become explorers, go in search, and
discover what’s out there.
The Rev’d John Bauerschmidt is Rector of Christ Church, Covington.
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