Sing: Lord of wisdom, Lord of truth, Lord of justice, Lord of mercy; walk beside us down the years till we see you in your glory. Striving to attain the heights, turning in a new direction, entering a lonely place, welcoming a friend or stranger.
Imagine that you are the lost sheep. All alone. Frightened. Not sure of what to do. Then you hear the shepherd’s voice:
Sing refrain; I am here, I am with you. I have called: do you hear me? I am here, I am here. I am with you.
The number 10 is important in the bible. It’s used 242 times. 10 coins, 100 sheep (which 10 x 10), 10 lepers that were healed. 10 virgins waiting for the Bride Groom. 10 Commandments. In the first book of the bible, Genesis, the term, God said is used 10 times. We still use it to catorgize a person, “She’s a 10.” The top ten list at the end of the year.
10 symbolizes perfection, completion or wholeness. So a way a thinking about the woman who lost one coin, is that it symbolizes that she no longer has perfection or wholeness. One coin is no big deal, but it’s a metaphor for us to think deeper.
Think of your life as a whole entity like this pie [Reveal a circle cut into 10 pieces - like a pie]
Think of this as your life. Maybe you are feeling whole, complete. Good for you. But for most of us, we have a slice missing [remove a slice] or maybe more than one [take away 3 pieces]
Think of what is missing in your life . . . .
Maybe there are some family issues that are not settled.
Maybe you are not feeling good about that particular friend.
May you don’t have enough hobbies of interests.
Maybe you just need to get back to exercising
Maybe it’s some good health habits.
Are you still growing, learning.
Maybe it’s the foods you eat.
Is your work satisfying?
Maybe it’s a spirituality thing. Are you spending enough time in prayer? Are you active in church? We have a need for more of you to step up and help with Fall Fest. Or have you been reluctant to sign up for Fire yet. Get to it.
Maybe it is as simple as needing to fix that relationship. Not so much needing that other person to apologize (which probably will NEVER happen), maybe it’s you. You be the one to say, “Let’s start over, let’s look at this differently. If I have hurt you in anyway . . . I’m sorry.”
Of course you can keep doing what you are doing, with no desire to improve or change yourself. But it is interesting that Jesus, back 2000 years ago used the image of 10, of wholeness. Meaning that we don’t have to do it alone. That Jesus wants to assist us, wants to help us.
Whatever your issue it, you don’t have to do it alone.
Sing refrain: I am here, I am with you. I have called: do you hear me? I am here, I am here. I am with you.