the "lost" belong to Him, too

The parables of Jesus are a wonder to me, like a kaleidoscope, I see something different nearly every time I read them. This week I have been thinking about the parables of the lost sheep, the lost coin, and the prodigal son in Luke 15.
I realized, for the first time ever, that each parable begins talking about ownership;

"If any of you has 100 sheep..."(v.4)
"What will a woman do if she has ten silver coins..." (v. 8)
"Once a man had two sons..." (v.11).

Why would Jesus talk about what a person owns? Property. Money. Relationship.
Why would Jesus tell these parables as a response to the Pharisees' and Sadducee's' grumbling; their judgement against who He ate with?

The Pharisees and Sadducees had much. They understood a person's feelings toward what they owned. Jesus spoke to them of owning much property (100 sheep). He spoke to them of owning some money (10 coins). And He spoke to them about having cherished sons.

In the parables each of the main characters losses a portion of their welth; the shepherd looses 1%, the woman 10%, the man 50%. Jesus reminded his accusers that if a person cares enough to go out and look for that which has been lost, whether it is little or much, then they will rejoice when they have found it because it BELONGED to them.

Jesus is telling us that He came because those who belonged to HIM are lost. He ate with tax collectors, prostitutes, Samaritians, the unclean...because they belonged to Him.

It is not only those of us who "have it all together"or "do it all right" who belong to God, but also those of us who mess up, who "go down the wrong path" and who are "one of those". The lost belong to Him, too.

How does God meet our NEED?

Since I wrote last this is what has come up, or rather laid on my heart...

NEED!

There is so much of it in the world right now. How does God do it? How does God see, hear, feel all of the world's need? Cry over it, wrap his arms around it? How does God take it into himself, bear it all, make it all work out for good?

loneliness and depression, cancer, alcoholism, divorce, families separated by ecconomic downturn, hunger, brokeness, joblessnes, homelessness,

Each one of these horrors has stepped into my life just over the past couple of weeks, not in my own life, but in the lives of people close to me, people I love. Just last night one of our long time friends who is in desperate need asked me, "Why is it like this? Is God testing our faith?"

I don't know why this is happening, but I do know that every need is known by God. I do know that He never leaves us, but rather remains with us (closer than our own skins) through every trial. In this world where the lonely live, God places friends. Where the depressed suffer, God places helpers. Where the sick, broken, hungry and homeless cry out God places his people to be his hands and feet.

Scripture tells us that from the very beginning God knew of our need. God provided a place for us, food for us, relationship in community for us. When human kind became separated from the intimate relationship of love and trust God intended from the beginning, God came in Person through Jesus. When Jesus returned to the Father, the Spirit of God came to dwell among us.

So I ask again, How does God do it? How does God see, hear, feel all of the world's need? Cry over it, wrap his arms around it? How does God take it into himself, bear it all and make it all work out for good?

By being present NOT far off, NOT distant. God's Spirit lives in God's church, in every one of God's children, in every act of love and grace, in every act of kindness and healing word.

http://http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=OLy-B9LuqMo

Phantom of the Opera

Carellyn is listening to the sound track from The Phantom of the Opera in her room. I can hear the phantom calling out to Christine and I wonder...
What phantom is haunting the shadowy places of the opera house that is Christa?
What is waiting for me to step down off of my stage?
Phantom! Step out of the darkness. Phantom step into the light and been seen for what you really are; a wounded being needing to be loved. Step out and be healed.

I recall what I know about God from scripture...
He knows all about me
" you have looked deep into my heart, Lord, and you know all about me" Psalm 139:1
There is nowhere I can go that God is not
"Where could I go to escape from your Spirit or from your sight" Psalm139:7
there is no darkness in me God cannot get to.
" But you see in the dark because daylight and dark are the same to you" Psalm139:12

so I pray, Lord, "Look deep into my heart, God, and find out everything I am thinking. Don't let me follow evil ways, but lead me in the way that time has proven true." Psalm 139:23-24.

In the end, the Phantom of the Opera could not remain in the darkness either. The blazing light of a tremendous fire destroyed every dark place he sought to hide and was the catalyst for Christine, whom he loved so passionately, being set free.

Let it be so with us.

beautiful bones

Bones! I have read that from dust I came and to dust I shall return, but I know the pharaohs of Egypt did not believe that. They had every intention of taking their beautiful bones with them into the afterlife. In life, multiple wives caressed them, religious leaders blessed them and enemies stressed them. In death embalmers dressed them and I... viewed them in a museum, 3000 plus year after the fact. The bones of the pharaohs still held the muscle and sinew and hair together, still held their shape beneath linen wrappings and masks made of solid gold. Lovely
bones.

Bones! What framework that holds my muscle, hair, flesh and...fat together! They hold my shape beneath cotton t-shirt and shorts and leather sandals. I am fearfully and wonderfully made.

When I die my bones will not be dressed in linen wrappings, my head and shoulders not covered in a mask of solid gold. Most likely they will be burned and become like the dust Adam was formed from, but my soul...the part of me that will return to the one who owns it will shine brighter than gold.

Until then I will delight in these lovely bones.

Down from the mountain top

Down from the Mountain top of Presbyterian Youth Triennium...

I imagine that Peter, James and John had a pretty clear idea of what they wanted to do with their lives when they were on the mountian top with Jesus, Moses and Elijah. (What a fellowship of believers!!) they wanted to build an alter of worship, stay up there all the time, remain "high" in the Lord.

I can totally relate! Having just come home from PYT, a gathering of 5-6K Presbyterian youth and adult leaders at Purdue University. In that setting of high energy, higher education and intense worship, it was so easy for me to imagine myself enrolling fulltime at a seminary, becoming a youth minister and just staying "high" in the Lord.

But... (there is that word)

Just as it was for Peter, James and John, Jesus has not created me to remain in that high and lofty place of imagination. The disciples were led down off the mountain to "multitudes" of hungry people. Hungry for food? Yes. Hungry for direction? Hope? Healing? Yes, yes, yes! The God they were called to serve lead them down from the mountain and into the place where the would live out their calling. And He gifted them, prepared them, filled them for that work.

And am I any different? No. God invites me to join Him on the mountain top, to worship with other believers, to bask in His Glory, to fill my eyes with the wonder of all God has made and I know God has a plan for me in all of it. It is the times of intense worship that I recognize I am being prepared for His calling...down off the mountain top.