It is still the season of Pentecost—so we are still celebrating God’s gift of the Spirit to the Church! We have wrapped up the “Living it UP” series. I will start up a new one this weekend called “Lost and Found,” which will run through the end of October. We will focus on stories from Luke 15-17 and continue to think about what a Spirit-filled, Spirit-led life looks like.

This week’s scripture reading includes the first of three “lost-and-found” parables in Luke 15. Luke links these three parables together, skillfully building in intensity and power the force of the remarkable messages they convey. We can also identify “layers” of meaning in the stories.

By speaking directly to the religious leaders, Jesus asks them to validate the shepherd’s determination. Instead of judging the shepherd to be foolish for leaving the 99, Jesus brings us alongside the man’s all-out search for his one lost sheep. When he returns triumphantly, the shepherd invites everyone to rejoice with him!

Have you ever lost and/or found anything that was valuable? As we begin to consider these parables, the timing is interesting. Think about what the countless number of people lost during the recent hurricane. And on September 11 we remember the devastating losses in 2001. Not all of our stories have happy endings. So how do we find strength in God and each other to find our way through our losses?