Sermon preached at St. Alban's, Spirit Lake, on September 16, 2007
(Proper 19, Sixteenth Sunday after Pentecost, Year C, BCP Lectionary)
by the Rev. Carl D. Mann

Texts:   Exodus 32:1,7-14
Psalm 51:1-18
1 Timothy 1:12-17
Luke 15:1-10

For many years my friend and I picked one weekend during the summer and camped out on the big sand bar in the middle of the main channel of the Mississippi River east of Harper’s Ferry and just north of Prairie du Chien.

We would take out just what we needed for supplies and set up camp early on Friday morning with the intention of not coming back to the mainland until Sunday morning. The whole idea was to get away from telephones, computers, and everyday business, and just sit in a lawn chair with a cold adult beverage, and watch the water flow by.

Since it was the main sand bar in the area, we did have to put up with quite a few people during the day with their boats and jet skis and all of the accompanying noise but that was fine because they always left around supper time and then we would have the whole island to ourselves.

The very first year that we attempted this event everything was going as planned. Around six in the evening the boats began to leave one or two at a time. By seven thirty they were all gone. The wind had died down to a slight breeze, just enough to cool us down from the heat of the westward sun. The water became calm as the last of the waves from the wakes of the boats rolled onto shore. The birds began to settle into the trees preparing for the coming night. The wood fire got brighter as the darkness encroached because night comes quickly on the river due to the height of the bluffs. Slowly the stars peeked out until the celestial canopy was awash with silvery brightness. Looking up, it was not hard to imagine Abraham viewing the promise of his legacy from God, unable to count the innumerable lights. Everything was perfect. It was heaven on earth. We felt at one with God within His creation. As they say, "It don’t git no better than this!"

As our fire died down we began to contemplate sleep when we noticed a camp fire across the channel on another island. How about that! Someone else had the same idea as us. That’s ok, it’s a big river. Everyone should have a little piece of heaven.

BUMP BIDUMP BUMP BUMP BIDUMP! The amplified music was so loud it echoed off the bluffs on both sides of the river creating a continual crush of noise with us in the middle. We immediately knew what it was like to be between a hammer and anvil. "Hey everybody! Welcome to our first annual pre-Labor Day party on the river. I hope we don’t bother those people across the channel. Can you guys hear us over there?"

Now don’t get me wrong. My friend and I were some of the most appreciative people when it came to rock and roll music, my friend being a rock drummer and all but doggone it this was our peaceful island, our river, our piece of heaven. As the music continued throughout the entire night we became more livid and tired. As exhaustion crept in we began to plan ways to silence our neighbors; anywhere from constructing a small mortar to drifting our boat across the channel and cutting off their power source commando style.

Finally around an hour before dawn, assuming everybody had dropped into an intoxicated stupor, the music fell silent, and we finally collapsed into slumber for a few hours sleep before the boats and jet skis returned for another day of sunny fun on the river.

The irritation that we had experienced that night was pretty close to the grumbling of the Pharisees and scribes as they watched Jesus eating with tax collectors and sinners. Based on the Law of Moses they had an isolated view of what they thought life should be, and by God, everybody should fall into step and live the same way. Especially this Jesus fellow who apparently knew his way around the Torah. It wasn’t just that he openly flouted the purification laws by eating with these unclean people but it appeared that he may actually be enjoying himself while he was doing it!

So Jesus tells them the parables of the lost sheep and the lost coin. In both stories a small part of the whole has been lost; one out of a hundred sheep and one out of ten silver coins.

Now there are two things of great importance in these stories. The first is that neither the lost sheep nor the lost coin do anything in order to be found. Now that sounds kind of silly because what can a coin do to make it self found? Nothing! And a sheep, if it isn’t in direct trouble will continue to keep on eating, walking aimlessly about, as long as there is food. And in this story even though the sheep is lost, it doesn’t know it’s lost so it does nothing to assist in its being found. And that’s point. There is nothing that we can do to earn salvation. We are lost! We need to be found! As Jesus grows closer to us in proximity we may look up from our aimless wandering and see him coming for us or as his gracious Light of Truth shines upon us we may glimmer in the reflection of his countenance from the darkness. But there is absolutely nothing that we can do of our own merit. In order for salvation to occur we have to be found by Jesus Christ.

But when we are found, look out! Let the party begin! This should appeal to Episcopalians at so many levels! In this short passage the word "rejoice" is mentioned three times and the word "joy" is mentioned twice. Jesus is incredibly joyful when he finds a lost soul. This is why he appears to be having a wonderful time with tax collectors and sinners. He is not drinking and carousing with them but rather he is full of joy when one of them believes in his salvation message. Sinners are not going to inherit the kingdom of God because they are just hanging around with Jesus. They will become co-inheritors when Jesus finds them and they believe in him. And in today’s Gospel, Jesus is reminding the Pharisees and scribes that they, having already been reckoned righteous through their observance of the Law, are able to get along without him while he is rounding up the rest of the flock. But when the lost are found and returned to the fold, then the Pharisees and scribes need to set aside their personal judgment, and join in with him, celebrating the recovery of a lost brother or sister.

Remember last week when I said that God gave us the freedom to choose to be near to Him or far away? And that kind of freedom requires more love than we can even imagine? Well the Love of God which grants us that freedom is the same Divine Love from which stems this kind of supernal joy. A joy so great that it is experienced in the presence of the angels of God in heaven when even one lost sinner is found and repents. This is the same Divine Love that was the precursor of the Incarnation of Christ Jesus, the Good Shepherd and finder of lost things.

Jesus’ message is telling us that there is a big party going on in heaven and that we can partake of it here on earth as well. Leave the judgment to him, that’s his job not ours. Our job, as former lost sheep, is to share in the ongoing celebration and to welcome other lost sheep into the fold as Jesus finds them and introduces them to us. We celebrate this occasion every Sunday when we gather together for the Eucharist. The word Eucharist means "thanksgiving" and each Sunday we give thanks to God for loving us so much that He came down to earth to find us. And together, as we partake of the Holy Sacrament, we are joined in Holy Communion with the Father, and the Son, and the Holy Spirit, and all of those who have been found and have gone before us, sharing a joyful foretaste of that heavenly banquet.

So let us not grumble about whom is invited because all are invited. But let us share in the joy of our Lord and Savior when one lost soul is found and accepts his invitation. It’s a big party and everyone should have a little piece of heaven.

Gloria Patri