Welcome Back!

Welcome back! That is a phrase we may hear a lot this time of year. Welcome back to school! Welcome back from vacation! Welcome back to church! Welcome back to this or that group or event. The gospel reading for this weekend's worship is one of my favorites - and it fits well with this theme of being welcomed back. Jesus tells two stories, one of a lost sheep and another of a lost coin. The value of retrieving what is lost is a central message in each story. However, we don't always think this way. If I were advising the shepherd, I might caution against leaving the ninety-nine sheep to search for the one that is lost. Is it really worth the risk? If I were giving financial advice to the woman who searched for and found the missing coin, I might mention that it hardly makes sense to throw a party that costs more than the value of the coin itself. These parables turn our conventional way of thinking on its head. It does not make sense to seek out the one lost sheep or throw a party after finding a lost coin unless you understand that, as one Bible scholar notes, "wholeness is part of holiness." Without the lost sheep, our community is incomplete. The sheep’s return means restoration for the whole community. A phrase Pastor Katie and I often like to say is that our church is more of who God hopes we will be when you are with us! So welcome to church this weekend - in person or online! You are treasured and valued by us and by God!