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| Image by Michel Rathwell |
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A GREETING
Rise up, come to our help.
Redeem us for the sake of your steadfast love.
(Psalm 44:26)
A READING
What do you think? If a shepherd has a hundred sheep, and one of them has gone astray, does he not leave the ninety-nine on the mountains and go in search of the one that went astray? And if he finds it, truly I tell you, he rejoices over it more than over the ninety-nine that never went astray. So it is not the will of your Father in heaven that one of these little ones should be lost.
(Matthew 18:12-14)
MUSIC
A MEDITATIVE VERSE
Rouse yourself! Why do you sleep, O God?
Awake, do not cast us off for ever!
(Psalm 44:23)
A PRAYER
Bless us with love, given and received;
And bless us with your presence,
even when we know it in your absence.
Lead us into exile,
until we find that on the road
is where you are,
and where you are is going home.
Bless us, lead us, love us, bring us home
bearing the gospel of life.
- from a poem by Kathy Galloway,
found in The Flowering of the Soul: A Book of Prayers by Women
ed. by Lucinda Vardey
VERSE OF THE DAY
Then God led out the people like sheep,
and guided them in the wilderness like a flock.
(Psalm 78:52)
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| Image by Nina |
Sometimes it can feel like God has forgotten us and is not listening to our prayers. We can feel in these times like the lost sheep of the parable that Jesus tells in today's reading. We feel somehow set apart and alone in our challenges and as if there is nobody who really understands what we're going through. Jesus tells this story not just as instruction and encouragement to shepherds and flocks, but to reassure the missing one that every single child of God is precious to him.
The ‘shepherd’ pervades both the Hebrew Bible and the New Testament as an image of God and of Jesus, but often in the sense of being the who helps guide the flock to a place of faithful following. It is possible to hear the story, however, as about what it means to be lost and found, to be isolated or outside of the community and what it means to truly belong. Jesus does not wait to see what the political views are of the one who is lost; he doesn't care whether they are a certain creed or colour or sexual orientation, he simply says he cannot rest until they are found.
How do we hear this in a contemporary time? And what does it mean to be found? Does being found mean that we subscribe to a particular ideology of Christianity? Does being found mean that we have been invited into a fold that will have rules about membership? And once someone has been found, what then? Do we wait for Jesus to keep propping them up, while we continue our lives? The found one relies on the community to be a part of its ongoing wellness. Everyone in the flock needs everyone else.
Sometimes when we hear of challenging situations in the lives of others, it can be tempting to think, “I’m so busy. I really hope someone else can help that person.” It feels legitimate in the moment: there is only so much each of us can do. But most of us know the difference between a healthy boundary and a vague indifference. In today’s meditative verse we hear the Psalmist begging God to ‘wake up’ to his distress. This is the voice of the one who is lost, crying from the wilderness. We are God’s hands and feet in the world, so it is for us to try to find the sheep also. Not for our own ideological purpose, but because simply bringing that one to safety already builds the realm of God.
How can we examine our hearts to be more aware of when we are setting up important healthy boundaries, and when we simply don’t want to be involved? What can we do to share more of ourselves so that those who want to be found, will know they’ve been seen?
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A STORY OF ENDURANCE
Fiona is a sheep who became separated from her mother and somehow descended a steep cliff in Northern Scotland. Unable to get back up again, she found a cave and stayed there, surrounded by plenty of grass and water. She was first spotted by a kayaker in 2021 standing at the mouth of a cave. Although the kayaker noticed her, she was unable to help. Two years later on the same kayaking trek, this same woman saw the sheep again and this time took action. The farmer who owned her had known about the sheep, but was unable to find resources to bring her to safety. The sheep became famous when the Scottish SPA attempted to rescue her and bring her to a sanctuary. The plan was scooped by the original owner with some other farmers and a well-known tv presenter, who got there first and live-stremaed the rescue. Fiona was brought to an animal farm park, and was sheared on live television. The SPA made a complaint, saying that Fiona could have gone to the sanctuary, rather than become a tourist attraction at the farm park. Fiona lived in further isolation for several weeks as the controversy raged. She was finally integrated into the farm park community of animals. The owners of the park now say that she will not be put on show. She is still there, and can be watched on a live webcam. At Christmas, the UK government used her as a mascot for a campaign on loneliness.
(Go here to read a non-paywall New York Times full story on Fiona.)
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| Fiona the sheep: Image by Animal Rising, found in the NYT piece linked above. |
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LC† Awakened by the Spirit is a project of Lutherans Connect, supported by the Eastern Synod of the Evangelical Lutheran Church in Canada and the Centre for Spirituality and Media at Martin Luther University College. To receive the devotions by email, write to lutheransconnect@gmail.com. The devotional pages are written and curated by Deacon Sherry Coman, with support and input from Pastor Steve Hoffard, Catherine Evenden and Henriette Thompson. Join us on Facebook, and on Twitter. Lutherans Connect invites you to make a donation to the Ministry by going to this link on the website of the ELCIC Eastern Synod and selecting "Lutherans Connect Devotionals" under "Fund". Devotions are always freely offered, however your donations help support the ongoing work.
Thank you and peace be with you!