What was lost....

I have a problem.  At church there is a safe which contains all the legal stuff, like marriage and baptism registers etc.  I don't need to access it very often, as we don't have all that many weddings, and I tend to keep the baptism register in the church office.  I decided this week, after conduction what is likely to be my final baptism before we leave Doncaster, that I ought to return the baptism register to the church safe.  Unfortunately I discovered that the key to the safe isn't in the place I expected it to be.  What's more, there isn't a duplicate!  At least the next wedding isn't for several weeks, which gives me a little time to search for the key.

I must confess that this isn't the first time I've managed to misplace a church safe key.  The first time happened when I was a minister in Stoke-on-Trent many years ago.  I was due to conduct a wedding, and some time in advance I discovered that the safe key was missing.  As the due date approached, I became quite concerned.  I searched high and low, but the key was not to be found.  I even went to have a chat with a locksmith to see what could be done if the key remained lost.  It was certainly going to be a very expensive job!

It so happened that the weather that year had been extremely dry (not unlike this year, until the last few very wet days).  Then one day the rain came, and it came very heavily.  On my way out of the house I reached for an umbrella, and lo and behold, when I opened it up, out fell the missing safe key!  It must have fallen in, unnoticed, some weeks earlier.  What was lost had been found, and we didn't have to hire a safe breaker!

the lost key has reminded me of 3 stories which Jesus told, recorded in the 15th chapter of Luke's gospel: the stories of the lost sheep, the lost coin, and the lost (or prodigal) son.  The three stories have variations, but each concern something which was lost, and the great rejoicing when it was found.  In telling the stories, Jesus is highlighting the tremendous love of God for all people, and how God longs that those who are alienated from him might return to him and experience his love and grace.  However far away from God we might roam, he is always waiting with open arms for us to come back to him.  When someone turns back to God, says Jesus, there is great rejoicing in heaven.


I hope and pray that there will soon be great rejoicing in my heart when the lost safe key is found!

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