The Joy Of Meeting Again

From Rev Sue Ann Yarbrough

We of SpiritCare are delighted to hear that some of you have begun to tentatively reopen. I look forward to visiting with some of you on your patios or via Zoom beginning as early as next week!

​I received my second vaccination on March 24. Thusly fortified, I feel ready to start moving out and about a bit more. Please let us know how we can be of service to you. I pray that you are feeling hopeful, and that you are enjoying some time of rest and recreation. Thank you for hanging in there!

Pacifica Senior Living, San Leandro, CA

Scripture: Luke 15:4-7
Suppose one of you has a hundred sheep and loses one of them. Doesn’t he leave the ninety-nine in the open country and go after the lost sheep until he finds it? And when he finds it, he joyfully puts it on his shoulders and goes home. Then he calls his friends and neighbors together and says, ‘Rejoice with me; I have found my lost sheep.’ I tell you that in the same way there will be more rejoicing in heaven over one sinner who repents than over ninety-nine righteous persons who do not need to repent.

Meditation
I grew up in cattle ranching country, and my father was a rancher. As I look back, I realize many of my memories revolve around riding with him in his pickup truck. He would drive fairly slowly, and his eyes were always scanning, looking for the herds, and counting the cattle. He always knew the size of the herd, so he knew when one was missing. Yes, he would look for it, and not rest easy until he found it. He may not have overtly rejoiced, but I have seen the relief on his face when the missing were accounted for. He and I did not always see eye to eye, but when I think of him behind the steering wheel as he scanned the herds, I am filled with admiration. Truthfully, I wish I could tell him that in person, but my prayers of gratitude must do. Every day for over four decades, he tended the herds, counting them, and responding to their needs.

This is the love in which all of us are held. Even when we go astray, Christ as the Good Shepherd, will bring us back. When we are ill, we will be tended to. When we falter, Christ is there to gather us in. Let us remember that none of us are forgotten.

​We count as part of God's beloved flock. Such good news. Let us repent what and when we need to repent, and let us all rejoice that we will never be lost, but always found. 

Prayer
Holy Eternal Presence, thank you for leading us to still waters, green pastures, and your faithful love. May we never take these gifts for granted. May we feel their presence wherever we are. In this Eastertide season, we celebrate the gift of Christ, and the knowing that we are held in a love that is beyond our comprehension. May we always be of good faith, trusting that your staff is always there to gently guide on the beautiful paths you set before us forever. Amen.

Rev. Sue Ann Yarbrough, Associate Pastor
San Lorenzo Community Church, United Church of Christ
www.slzchurch.org 
www.hearthpsalms.blogspot.com