{"id":9053,"date":"2022-03-22T08:21:19","date_gmt":"2022-03-22T13:21:19","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/blogs.elca.org\/faithlens\/?p=9053"},"modified":"2022-03-14T09:09:45","modified_gmt":"2022-03-14T14:09:45","slug":"march-27-2022","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/blogs.elca.org\/faithlens\/march-27-2022\/","title":{"rendered":"March 27, 2022–Lost and Found"},"content":{"rendered":"

Elizabeth Hood, Palo Alto, CA<\/b><\/p>\n

Warm-up Question<\/b><\/h4>\n

Have you ever felt lost? Lost something really important to you?<\/p>\n

Lost and Found<\/b><\/h4>\n

\"\"<\/a><\/p>\n

After 106 years of searching, a ship lost miles below the icy water near Antartica was recently found!<\/a> Explorer Ernest Shackleford\u2019s ship, Endurance, was exploring these frigid waters when it became trapped by ice and could no longer move. Miraculously, most of the crew survived by making camp on a smaller boat on the ice, living there for months before they were rescued.\u00a0 <\/span>The Endurance sank and researchers have been looking for the ship ever since. Scientists say that because it sank in such cold water the ship is almost perfectly intact, as if it sunk yesterday! Such a discovery!<\/p>\n

Discussion Questions<\/b><\/h4>\n

Would you search as long for something as scientists did for the Endurance? At what point would you\u00a0give up? What make it worth the search?<\/p>\n

Fourth Sunday of Lent<\/b><\/h4>\n

Joshua 5:9-12<\/a><\/p>\n

2 Corinthians 5:16-21<\/a><\/p>\n

Luke 15:1-3, 11b-32<\/a><\/p>\n

(Text links are to Oremus Bible Browser<\/a>. Oremus Bible Browser is not affiliated with or supported by the Evangelical Lutheran Church in America. You can find the calendar of readings for Year C at Lectionary Readings<\/a>.)<\/p>\n

For lectionary humor and insight, check the weekly comic Agnus Day.<\/a><\/p>\n

Gospel Reflection<\/b><\/h4>\n

In this text we hear about\u00a0things lost\u00a0and then found. Jesus tells us several parables, stories which help us understand a lesson. The three stories in Luke 15 focus on a lost sheep, a lost coin, and a lost son\u2014all lost and all found at a cost. We often call the third story the parable of the prodigal son.\u00a0 <\/span>Prodigal means\u00a0one who spends or gives lavishly or foolishly.<\/p>\n

The\u00a0father has two sons, the younger one asks for his inheritance, goes away from home, and spends it all.\u00a0 <\/span>The older son stays and works hard on the farm. One day the younger son comes home poor, planning to beg forgiveness and ask that he be treated as a servant.\u00a0 <\/span>But the father sees him coming and runs to greet him. \u00a0He gives him a robe and plans a large feast to welcome\u00a0him\u00a0home. The older son is angry with his father, feeling this\u00a0is unfair, as he\u00a0has been\u00a0working this whole time, while his younger brother spent his inheritance.<\/p>\n

The father\u00a0responds that everything he owns has been available to his older son all along.\u00a0 <\/span>He invites his angry son to let go of his bitterness and embrace the celebration.\u00a0 <\/span>\u201cThis is your brother,\u201d the father says; \u201che was lost and dead, but now he\u2019s home!\u00a0\u00a0<\/span>Don\u2019t sulk in the darkness. Come in, join the party, and rejoice!<\/p>\n

Discussion Questions<\/b><\/h4>\n