The Readings are about searching for
something lost and rejoicing when it is found. The parables about lost sheep
and a lost coin teach us the importance of not giving up and working hard to
find the lost. In the Gospel Reading Jesus is specifically targeting the
Pharisees who instead of going out to search for the lost were content, like
many of us, to sit around and condemn sinners. Sinners are like the lost sheep
because they have wandered away from the protection of the community to do
their own thing. September 11 is a good time to honour the hundreds of
policemen and firemen who chose to rush into burning buildings to find and
rescue Gods precious children. By the way if you are ever driving past the
Museum of the Regiments on Crowchild Trail in Calgary and notice what looks
like a steel beam beside the old guns – it’s a piece of the World Trade Centre
presented to Calgary firefighters who volunteered to help the day after.
1.
Jesus Christ came into the world to save sinners
These words jumped out at me in Paul’s
Letter to Timothy. Like the firefighters Jesus came into the world to seek out
people who were confused and lost and bring them home and into God’s Kingdom.
- But in our
time we are trying to be non-judgemental and positive – so I am trying to
re-package this as “Jesus gives us spiritual life”.
- I am in
grief over Synod decision on same-sex marriage and the use of a C of E
Statement of Faith that deconstructs Christianity to “Jesus who lives in
our hearts”. (period)
- Problem may
be confusion over what modern people mean by “spiritual life” – emotional life,
feeling good?
- Theological
liberals do not really believe in sin separating us from God, our need for
salvation by Jesus or the supernatural world of the Bible – Satan, demons
and healing miracles
- These words
gave me comfort in knowing God will not give up on us in this dark time
2.
Spiritual life is our relationship with God in Jesus Christ
English Church has it backward –
Christians live spiritually in Jesus.
- We have a
personal spirit that connects our soul to God
- Our spirit
is how we understand, worship God
- Link to the
spiritual dimension, conscience and intuition
- Holy Spirit
lives in our spirit – if we invite, prepare
- Soul is the
meeting place between our body and spirit – intellect, emotions, will,
self, personality
- Soul
decides between physical desires of our body and spiritual desires of our
spirit – spiritual battle
- Spiritual
life grows as Holy Spirit is allowed (by our mind and will) to direct
first our personal spirit, then our soul and body
3.
Jesus Christ gives us spiritual life
Our lives are a struggle for control
between what our body wants – our physical needs and wants – and what our
spirit wants (holy relationship with God). Readings remind us that Jesus was
like a shepherd who left the comfort of the flock to go out and bring the lost
one home. His sacrificial death on the Cross for our sins enables us to repent
our rebellion, ask for forgiveness, be forgiven, restored to right relationship and come home.
- Rebellion
breaks communion and relationship
- Our spirit
becomes polluted with sin, shrinks and may even die – loose hope of a
spiritual life and eternal spiritual life
- Jesus gives
us spiritual life by rescuing us from our foolishness
Readings
teach us how much God loves us
·
God
does not give up on us
·
God
comes down from Heaven as Jesus and Holy Spirit and seeks us out
·
September
11 firemen modeled this kind of
self-sacrificial love that gave their lives meaning and purpose and joy
·
Readings
call on us to not give up on other people and continue reaching out and
proclaiming the Good News of God’s grace, love, forgiveness and healing
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