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.

Sunday Reflection: Thanksgiving pants

You know,

O God,

how I've been struggling

to believe

that you are there

and care for every individual, 

for every so-called sparrow 

that falls.

Are you just

a story we tell ourselves

to feel better

in the face of hard realities?

I have been feeling that way

a lot lately

because of many things.

And then

a young woman is found 

shivering under a blanket,

naked,

on our back step of

the Community of Emmanuel,

the community where you-are-with-us

this Thanksgiving morning,

Our pastor asks me 

to be present with her 

on the very day

that I have finally brought along

a pair of pants

that was too long for me

but hemmed too short,

pants

that were forgotten 

in the back corner of my dresser drawer

for at least two years.

Which, 

of course,

fit her perfectly.

Random occurrence

or God-incidence?

I'm told

that belief in you 

is in my DNA,

but lately,

it's been a challenge

to believe it.

Thank you

for today's more tangible reminders,

and the little nudge of the Spirit

that made me turn back 

(though I was running late)

for those perfectly fitted pants for her

even before anyone knew she was there.

Thank you for life, 

its struggles and challenges

and these serendipities

that seem to say

you are there

in spite of my doubts.

+Amen.

Sunday reflection: A call for help

A camp for the homeless behind where
the Community of Emmanuel meets

Today I had the privilege of singing "My Soul is Filled with Joy/Holy Is Your Name"* (Mary's Magnificat) for the Community of Emmanuel (God-with-us) at Inner City Pastoral Ministry. Farley played the chords of Wild Mountain Thyme on his guitar, and I did my best to lift up Mary's praise to the Creator:

"My soul is filled with joy

As I sing to God my saviour:

You have looked upon your servant,

You have visited your people.

And holy is your name

through all generations!
Everlasting is your mercy
For the people you have chosen,
And holy is your name."

Mary's beautiful prayer indicates that God sides with "the little ones" rather than the rich and powerful:

"I proclaim the pow'r of God,
You do marvels for your servants;
Though you scatter the proud-hearted
And destroy the might of princes.

To the hungry you give food, 
Send the rich away empty.
In your mercy you are mindful 
Of the people you have chosen."

In the inner city, where we often find small tent communities along fences near vacant properties, Mary's words come to life in a different way than in our suburban churches. As I handed out snack bags to some of God's chosen ones after our Community of Emmanuel service this morning, I marveled at the group lined up and waiting, most of them regulars who know each other from their time on the streets. Inevitably, when we get down to the last few snack bags, there's always someone who will give theirs up to the disappointed person who arrives just a few minutes too late to get one, or at least divide the contents of their own snack in half.

Once upon a time, I was afraid of the people of the inner city, probably because I was afraid they might want more from me than I could give, or because I sensed that they would pull me out of my middle-class comfort zone. But they have also showed me our Creator's presence in the ways they care for each other, and continue to remind me that Jesus encourages us to move out of our comfort zones to care for "the little ones."

At the end of August, our ICPM team is losing two very important people, Linda, our coffee-brewer extraordinaire, and Gord, our coffee runner, whose 200 caffeine-laden double doubles are extremely important to Sunday morning morale in the Boyle Street neighbourhood where we meet. Linda and Gord are moving on -- to care for people in other capacities, no doubt. So you can consider today's reflection a call for help.

If you or someone you know in the Edmonton area might be willing to take on coffee ministry for our Inner City Pastoral Ministry community, I'd love to hear from you. It's just a matter of joining us for our service on Sunday mornings, making the coffee, and delivering it down the hall to the front door so it can be passed out with our snack bags. The persons willing to do these behind-the-scenes tasks from 7:45 to 11 am fulfill a gentle and very much appreciated ministry in inner city life.

Consider this moodling to be a call to help the people God has chosen, our inner city sisters and brothers, in a very tangible way, by being a sign of God's everlasting mercy in the form of a cup of coffee made with love.

*original arrangement written by an anonymous musician and found in a 1978 UK hymnal, though David Haas re-arranged words and melody timing and took credit for it at some point...

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vYzJNXcoLUg