Retrieving the Lost

[RevJohn]

Having grown up with a dog that was a retriever, an English Springer Spaniel, I learned early on what a retriever does. They spend their time looking for things. They look under every bush, ditch, hedge, hole, and thicket for what they were sent to find. They are proactive. They are full of energy. They love looking for things. At times I would have to go into the woods to call our dog back, as he got so focused on looking, he would not turn around.

Early in my preparation for ministry, I met several people who had left church. Some had turned from Christ. Others had a strong walk with Christ, but had been hurt by the church. My heart was broken for these people. I felt their pain in their broken relationships.

I felt called to listen. For many of them, few had bothered to take the time to listen to them. For most, that seals the deal. When they do not feel cared for my another Christian, they wander further and further away. I never really sought them out, I just stumbled upon them, or they stumbled upon me.

The stories of lost sheep in "Lost and Found" remind me of the passion I need to have for those who have lost their way. It was Jesus' mission. It needs to be my mission.

Over the years, I've had a heart for those who have lost their way. For me this has meant those who have left some fellowship at some point in their lives. The two churches I have served have seen those who have left a church at some point in their lives, return and become reconnected. In the church I now serve, about half those joining each year, are reconnecting after some period of detachment from another church.

Like another poster, I too am challenged by the phrase, "Shepherd leaders feel comfortable in places where sheep get lost. We need to know our way around tough neighborhoods, vacant lots, bars, and homeless shelters."
That is a challenge for me. I tend to stay away from the places where sheep get lost. I don't like tough neighborhoods. I walk by million dollar homes around the church. I don't like bars. There aren't any homeless shelters in our town.

There are still plenty of those who have lost their way. And I am called to retrieve them and restore them to their shepherd. Lord, keep me faithful at that.