The Lost Sheep

a Short address for Late Evening Office - St Columba's Sunday 13th March 2011

If I had to pick one reading which excites me from the Bible, a reading which sums up the gospel in a nut shell it has to be our reading this evening ... The Lost sheep.

It speaks of the shepherd who is concerned with the individual as well as the group, concerned with the outsider, the one who for whatever reason has wandered away, who may be hurt, who may be thinking that they are a failure, the one who is hungry, who feels that they have been neglected, the one who is struggling.

The shepherd goes to great lengths to reassure, to seek out, to find his precious sheep.

It is a nice story with a happy ending. A story for us today as we begin Lent.

I believe it has an enormous amount to say to us -

Firstly linked to our two initatives which we are running in Lent -

Rediscover the Joy of church. There are so many people across our parish which need to know that the church, and God through this church is reaching out to them, that they do have a place to belong to, that we are missing them.

The the diocesan shopping trolley initiative - of doing something practical for those who are suffering poverty in our community - reaching out and finding people who need to know that there are people who they can turn to for practical help.

Secondly, there is a need to reach out beyond the bounds of this parish, every single one of us knows people who have become disillusioned with church, turned off God for one reason or another. But they may want to chat, they may confide in us that they feel like a lost sheep. We need to realise that God might be putting us in a position where we can help bring the harassed and helpless back to the shepherd.

In a nation which is undergoing major budget cuts, big questions are being asked about purpose, meaning and God. Each one of us are called to be lights in the darkness, we are called to search out those who are hurting. To do what we can where we are. Who this week can you and I encourage

Finally and most importantly, we need to know that we all - each of us -need the good shepherd in our lives, without him we cannot do anything - without him we are lost sheep struggling around on our own - without purpose, without meaning.

We are at the beginning of Lent - a time traditionally when Christians take a look at the important things of Life. On Friday Night, in our youth Group we had a visit from Julie Currie, our diocesan youth worker - She brought down seven pictures which she asked the group to rank from 1 to 10 of wether we could give them up for lent. where 1 was not a problem and 10 was couldn’t do with out it at all.

Things like crisps, chocolate, Television, Computers, Mobile Phones - nothing bad about them at all but she went on to describe that sometimes things like TV could be a distraction from God, and time spent with him.

I wonder do we realise the enormous privilege it is to be Sheep and to have a shepherd who cares for us.

As a reflection and a prayer I would like to read for you a letter which someone has prepared, they have taken various promises found in the pages of Scripture and put them together in what they describe as a love letter from God.

My Child ~
I know when you sit down and when you rise up ~ Psalm 139:2
I am familiar with all your ways ~ Psalm 139:3
Even the very hairs on your head are numbered ~ Matthew 10:29-31
For you were made in my image ~ Genesis 1:27
In me you live and move and have your being ~ Acts 17:28
You were not a mistake, for all your days are written in my book ~ Psalm 139:15-16
I determined the exact time of your birth and where you would live ~ Acts 17:26
You are fearfully and wonderfully made ~ Psalm 139:14
I knit you together in your mother's womb ~ Psalm 139:13
I am not distant and angry, but am the complete expression of love ~ 1 John 4:16
And it is my desire to lavish my love on you ~ 1 John 3:1
Simply because you are my child and I am your father ~ 1 John 3:1
I offer you more than your earthly father ever could ~ Matthew 7:11
For I am the perfect father ~ Matthew 5:48
For I am your provider and I meet all your needs ~ Matthew 6:31-33
My plan for your future has always been filled with hope ~ Jeremiah 29:11
Because I love you with an everlasting love ~ Jeremiah 31:3
My thoughts toward you are countless as the sand on the seashore ~ Psalm 139:17-18
And I rejoice over you with singing ~ Zephaniah 3:17
I will never stop doing good to you ~ Jeremiah 32:40
For you are my treasured possession ~ Exodus 19:5
I desire to establish you with all my heart and all my soul ~ Jeremiah 32:41
And I want to show you great and marvelous things ~ Jeremiah 33:3
If you seek me with all your heart, you will find me ~ Deuteronomy 4:29
Delight in me and I will give you the desires of your heart ~ Psalm 37:4
For it is I who gave you those desires ~ Philippians 2:13
I am able to do more for you than you could possibly imagine ~ Ephesians 3:20
For I am your greatest encourager ~ 2 Thessalonians 2:16-17
I am also the Father who comforts you in all your troubles ~ 2 Corinthians 1:3-4
When you are brokenhearted, I am close to you ~ Psalm 34:18
As a shepherd carries a lamb, I have carried you close to my heart ~ Isaiah 40:11
One day I will wipe away every tear from your eyes ~ Revelation 21:3-4
And I'll take away all the pain you have suffered on this earth ~ Revelation 21:3-4
I am your Father, and I love you even as I love my son, Jesus ~ John 17:23
For in Jesus, my love for you is revealed ~ John 17:26
He is the exact representation of my being ~ Hebrews 1:3
He came to demonstrate that I am for you, not against you ~ Romans 8:31
And to tell you that I am not counting your sins ~ 2 Corinthians 5:18-19
Jesus died so that you and I could be reconciled ~ 2 Corinthians 5:18-19
His death was the ultimate expression of my love for you ~ 1 John 4:10
I gave up everything I loved that I might gain your love ~ Romans 8:31-32
If you receive the gift of my son Jesus, you receive me ~ 1 John 2:23
And nothing will ever separate you from my love again ~ Romans 8:38-39
Come home and I'll throw the biggest party heaven has ever seen ~ Luke 15:7
I have always been Father, and will always be Father ~ Ephesians 3:14-15
My question is ~ Will you be my child? ~ John 1:12-13 Love, Your Dad, Almighty God

Humility & Generous invites!

Food, glorious food

It is amazing how much of our lives are taken up with eating, and how important meals are ... not simply to fulfill the physical need of getting energy into our bodies but the social aspect of meeting people over meals, of celebrating holidays and other special occasions with food.

Over the last month I have been to - Birthday lunches, a wedding Banquet, preparing meals for friends from the USA, breakfast with Christians in Malta, food with friends.

In our culture food is an important part of social life. Wether it be celebrating 50 years of Mens Club, Ladies Guild, the end of the academic year for the vestry, golf club, bridge club ... or whatever the occasion food plays an important part in our social life here in Belfast.

The same was very true in Jesus’ day - When someone prepared a feast - the invites went out. There were those who were invited and those who were not. In today’s reading we see Jesus using this meal which he was a guest at to teach some very important lessons, not simply about protocol at meals but actually digging down to underlying attitudes towards all whom we meet.

Meals in Jesus’ time were important social affairs - those who were important were sitting next to the host. Those who were least were sitting further away. Imagine the problems trying to sort out who would sit where.

I know that this is going to be an issue when it comes to wedding plans in the Ferris household when it comes to table positions for my Sisters wedding next May. Who sits where? Just at the end of July I was invited to a wedding Banquet - there was as there is at all big dinners a seating chart, telling all who is sitting where!

In the first half of the reading - Jesus uses that very scenario - who sits where - as a lesson to those around the the table

The attitude which Jesus is trying to teach is that of humility - of saying look you are just as important as I am, of equality in the sight of God.

This is an attitude which is indeed lacking so often today - where people are trying to go for Gold, trying to climb the social ladder, to portray themselves as better than someone else.

In the second half of the reading - Jesus uses the fact of the invitations being sent out to all - particularly to those who wouldn’t normally get anything - perhaps maybe only the scraps left over. This is radical teaching - the Kingdom of God is indeed being opened to all... to every single person.

What a challenge that is - from a society which is made up of a segragated people - people who were in the loop, people who knew they were right and that everyone else was wrong. To become a society or kingdom where every single person is invited equally.

A world in which those who are at the bottom of the heap are actually invited to the top table

A world where those who are outsiders are actually key to the whole enterprise

A world where all are treated with amazing grace and love regardless of who they are, what they have done.

A world where outward appearances dont matter, but rather the heart is what defines you

That really is silly - it is inside out and back to front - but actually that is what Jesus was doing- it is crazy but that is the gospel.

In this back to front, inside out kingdom - there are a few things we need to know

Firstly the invitation has gone out to us all - are we ready to respond?

Are we ready to say I would love to come along, to get involved, to invite others, to encourage others to play their part

We are all called to serve humbly

None of us as christians can say I don’t need to do anything - we have all been given talents, all been given resources, passions in which we can channel into things which help to build up the kingdom of God.

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How are you and I this year going to serve God, where we are and with what we have this year?

In this church we are are all called to serve - regardless of our age, our background

In the September edition of the magazine, which you will see - centre page is one of the bits of the vision which I along with the rector and group made up of the current youth groups is a vision statement and way forward to re-invigorate the youth ministry of the parish.

You will also get with your magazine a yellow sheet - entitled ... how can you support st columbas - we are trying to see if there are people who could get involved in various aspects of Church life who we could draw upon their talents - not just for youth but for MU, Ladies Guild, mens club etc.

Or if you would like more information.

We want to make sure that there is no one in this parish who is able to say that they have not been invited, nor that they do not belong to the organisations. If you have an inkling that you would like more information about something that is happening, that you might like to get involved please do fill in the yellow sheet.

Myself and the Rector would love to meet people over a coffee to chat about people getting involved in organisations,

we would love to chat with people about faith,

about bible reading,

about prayer,

about getting deeper in their relationship with God,

about using your gifts - whatever they may be

about service with the youth organisations,

Jesus has given us a wonderful example of service, of being a radical invitation giver. As his followers we need to fling wide the doors of our church to an amazing welcoming church. Where those who have not set foot inside this building on a sunday morning before or recently receive a warm welcome, where those who come to our organisations this coming year are welcomed as if they were the VIP’s in the room.

Are we prepared to invite and welcome people who are different - who would we question about inviting along to our groups and why?

Our parish is doing its utmost at the moment to invite young people along to our sunday school, doves and youth group. But it is each one of our responsibilities to invite, to talk to our friends about St. Columba’s, to get involved in what is happening.

It is my prayer that we would each do this - so that the Body of Christ, that is the church here in this parish may be built up and that we would grow in faith, hope and love.

As we conclude - Jesus invites us to humility of spirit and to reaching out - let us do what we can to include others.

Amen