W/C 12th September

This week's reading is Luke 15: 1-10

Joy in Heaven

15 Many tax collectors and sinners came to listen to Jesus. ² Then the Pharisees and the teachers of the law began to complain, “Look, this man welcomes sinners and even eats with them!”

³ Then Jesus told them this story: ⁴ “Suppose one of you has 100 sheep, but one of them gets lost. What will you do? You will leave the other 99 sheep there in the field and go out and look for the lost sheep. You will continue to search for it until you find it. ⁵ And when you find it, you will be very happy. You will carry it ⁶ home, go to your friends and neighbors and say to them, ‘Be happy with me because I found my lost sheep!’ ⁷ In the same way, I tell you, heaven is a happy place when one sinner decides to change. There is more joy for that one sinner than for 99 good people who don’t need to change.

⁸ “Suppose a woman has ten silver coins, but she loses one of them. She will take a light and clean the house. She will look carefully for the coin until she finds it. ⁹ And when she finds it, she will call her friends and neighbors and say to them, ‘Be happy with me because I have found the coin that I lost!’ ¹⁰ In the same way, it’s a happy time for the angels of God when one sinner decides to change.”

We thought about why Jesus is a shepherd. This linked to the idea from last week that we are all equally important. 

We used this poem to help us reflect: 

If I lose something that doesn't matter to me -
an old leaflet, a broken pencil, a toy I don't play with any more,
if I lose something that doesn't matter to me -
it doesn't bother me much at all.

If I lose something that does matter to me -
some money, my lunch, my favourite toy,
if I lose something that does matter to me -
I search and search and don't stop until I find it,
or until I know it's really lost.

Jesus said that God looks for me like that:
searching high and low
never letting go
making sure I know
that I'm so very, very special.

Gordon and Ronni Lamont

We have also thought about dignity this week. 

Prayer for the week:

Dear God,​ 

Help us to be the best that we can be,​ 

To be wise in the worst of times,​ 

To endure through the struggle,​ 

​Amen