tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-22980286.post8285795140865534706..comments2024-03-28T10:26:20.408-04:00Comments on Ponderings on a Faith Journey: Lost and Found -- A Lectionary MeditationRobert Cornwallhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04581876323110725024noreply@blogger.comBlogger1125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-22980286.post-59084221143728697162010-09-11T10:48:19.798-04:002010-09-11T10:48:19.798-04:00The lamb was lost. It was the shepherd who searche...The lamb was lost. It was the shepherd who searched, found, retrieved, and celebrated the recovery of the lost lamb.<br /><br />The coin was lost. It was the woman who searched, found, retrieved, and celebrated the recovery of the lost coin.<br /><br />"All this is from God, who reconciled us to himself through Christ, and has given us the ministry of reconciliation; that is, in Christ God was reconciling the world to himself, not counting their trespasses against them, and entrusting the message of reconciliation to us."<br />( 2 Corinthians 5:18-19 )<br /><br />God has a purpose for each one of us. The purpose of God for each one of us is reconciliation – reconciliation between each other and reconciliation between ourselves and God. God is engaged in a relentless search for the wayward children of God. God is the loving parent who never stops watching for the prodigal child (Luke 15:11-32). God is the cleaning woman who never, never gives up searching for the one lost coin (Luke 15:8-10). God is the good shepherd who never, never, never gives up searching for the one lost sheep (Luke 15:3-7, Matthew 18:10-14). If God does not give up on us, then who are we to give up on each other?<br /><br />God does not call us to a life of war, violence, justice as condemnation and retribution, or hate – or to a nebulous life yet to be lived at some undefinable place at some unknowable time in an unpredictable future that is perpetually and uselessly beyond our grasp and existence.<br /><br />God does call us to live - here and now - a life of peace, a life of non-violence without vengeance, a life of forgiveness and reconciliation, a life of justice as rehabilitation and restoration, a life of hospitality, generosity, service and love.<br /><br />God does call us to live – here and now - the Good News.<br /><br />God does call us to be – here and now – the Kingdom of God.<br /><br />excerpted from "RECLAIMING FORGIVENESS - its personal" by Doug Sloan<br /><br />http://dmergent.org/2010/08/19/reclaiming-forgiveness-its-personal/Colby Cheesehttps://www.blogger.com/profile/11980909115281293915noreply@blogger.com