We're all a little lost

Somehow I forgot to hit the publish button. This moodling was actually written on September 11th.

Today's reflection is brought to you by 
Luke 15: 1-32.

This morning's Gospel reading of Jesus' stories about the lost sheep, the lost coin and the lost son is a beautiful message for us in light of the past week's events. Or any week's events, for that matter.

What it boils down to is that we're all a little lost. We think we know what we're about, and we like to project a certain level of self assurance, but it doesn't take much for us to get turned around, like the little lamb or the woman whose coin goes missing.

The loss of a relationship, a death in the family, a missed opportunity, even just a misplaced cell phone, and life goes off the rails to varying degrees (cell phones are minor issues, mostly). Some events leave much bigger holes in our lives and souls than others.

But God knows us, and knows what we need at every given moment, because God is always with us. God is embracing us in the midst of divorce, death, unemployment, addictions, mental health crises, you name it. The Comforter in all our losses, if only we reach for that comfort, especially when we go astray. And as Pastor Quinn pointed out, the fact that we can sometimes laugh or smile in the midst of disasters is a sign of God's presence. God is in our sense of humour! 

God meets us in our lost moments, and waits for an invitation to celebrate with us once we find our way again. Grace is always there, waiting, to embrace us in whatever way we need.

These are the things we celebrated at Inner City Pastoral Ministry this morning. Today was a sad and quiet morning of mourning with James Smith Cree Nation, with Dorothy, who lost her older brother, and with remembering Brian, who was murdered in Tuesday's stabbing rampage here in the city. We are not the Community of Emmanuel for nothing. God-is-with-us even in these hard, hard things that make the tears run down our cheeks. And also in the smiles and jokes with which we often say farewell for another week.

Farley closed the service by singing Gretchen Peters' song, Say Grace, which was a truly perfect choice (God inspires Farley regularly). I leave it with you, and wish you a week of knowing you are found, and always welcomed back with open arms.