13th Sunday after Trinity 2025 St Andrew’s Milngavie
Today we celebrated the 13th Sunday after Trinity accompanied by Aeronwy who we welcome to play for us for the first time.
This Week
Tuesday 10am – Prayer Group in the Garden Room
Thursday 10am – Said Holy Communion followed by coffee in Friendship House.
Readings for next Sunday – 14th Sunday after Trinity – Amos 8:4-7 1 Timothy 2:1-7 Luke 16:1-13
Today’s readings – 1 Timothy 1:12-17, Exodus 32:7-14, Luke 15: 1-10
If you are anything like me, untidy and messy by nature, you will spend more time than you should looking for things and it’s frustrating and irritating. But there is always that feeling of relief when the article is eventually found!
And it is relief because it matters and is usually important.
Any of us who have led coach trips or church outings will know the one thing that’s done before setting off is to count the number of people on the coach is correct. It’s not enough to see a crowd of people and think “Oh I think we are all here – looks about right – let’s go!”
Each individually must be accounted for. It’s the same with my dogs. On a walk, if I go out with three, then I must come home with three.
In the parables this morning – the return of the lost sheep and lost coin – both created cause for much rejoicing because in different ways they both mattered.
What Jesus was illustrating was that we all matter as individuals to God. Whoever we are. Whatever we have done (he was with tax collectors and sinners at the time). He cares when one of us is lost. He cares when one of us falls by the wayside. He cares for us when we are low.
I remember when we lived in Corfe Castle, over the summer we had many visitors to the church. Some came out of architectural curiosity, some for something to do and for some just a chance to sit down and escape the weather.
But many were in fact seeking spiritual consolation.
This was confirmed by the number of prayers left on the prayer board. These payers of supplication varied in their content but generally, there were requests for help for bereavement, sick family and friends, relationships, world affairs and so on. But the point is each individual prayer was offered with hope and trust.
And so, our gospel tells us today that each individual prayer is equally important in the eyes of God, as is each individual soul seeking to be found.
But the themes of today’s readings – taken in a wider context, go rather further. They speak about not just being found and therefore being saved but also of forgiveness.
In Exodus we hear how God saved the Israelites from the Egyptians but then became so angry with them for worshiping false gods. He wants to punish them severely. Moses reminds him of the covenant he made with his people and so, God relents and forgives them.
In the epistle Paul talks about how God had saved him from being a blasphemer, a persecutor and a man of violence. He was saved by God and called to his service “The saying is sure and worthy of full acceptance” he tells us. “That Christ Jesus came into the world to save sinners – of whom I am the foremost” 1 Timothy 1:15
So, being saved and found goes hand in hand with forgiveness and acceptance. God had to forgive Paul before he could save him.
The shepherd in his joy of finding his lost sheep forgives him and returns him to the flock.
Underlying all this, however, is a feeling of wanting to be found. In order for God to find, save and nurture us we must want it – we must be open to it.
One of the greatest barriers we can put up is the unforgiveness of ourselves. Sometimes it’s easier to forgive others than ourselves. As many of us know guilt can be a stubborn emotion. But we must learn to overcome it – accept ourselves as we are. And so, allow God into our hearts and souls.
To save us – in a sense – from ourselves
Perhaps we need to remember the familiar words from John Newton’s hymn which he wrote after he found forgiveness from God.
“Amazing grace! How sweet the sound
That saved a wretch like me
I once was lost, but now I’m found’
Was blind but now I see!”.
Amen