Christian, ever feel lost? Worried no-one is singing for you? [Blog]

If, like me, you grew up in a Church Culture that emphasised the need to 'make a decision' for Jesus, or 'come to faith, or 'turn to Christ,' you may have a particular blind spot to something that really arrested me this morning.

As I checked my Lectionary (calendar of readings for the year), I was taken to Luke 15. Immediately, my heart sank a little: the parable of the lost sheep and the lost coin (Luke 15:1-10). I feel like this has been preached at me dozens and dozens of times (it may of course be that I imagine this has happened!). In my childhood the purpose of this parable was simple: it illustrates that we must repent, for that is when the angels in heaven will be singing. As Jesus says, "there will be more rejoicing in heaven over one sinner who repents than over ninety-nine righteous people who do not need to repent." And later, "there is rejoicing in the presence of the angels of God over one sinner who repents." (vv.7, 10)

And that's the deal, yeah?

When a person prays the prayer, or comes to faith, or responds to the altar call, when they do that for the first time - the angels are rejoicing.

It's like heaven is a huge office with angels and the like beavering about on the phone, and every once in a while there's this cry, "Hold one everyone! Yes...we've just heard news, Terry has become a Christian!" And there's these whoops and cheers as the counter ticks over one more number. And some office intern hits a button and this choir is revealed to sing the Hallelujah Chorus, but is quickly ushered away back behind a curtain.

(Now please don't mistake me - Heaven and Earth care about individuals coming to faith - we're in the business of encouraging people to come to God, come to

Jesus, come to life. And this does require decisions.)

However, and here's my point: if the parable refers only to starting faith, what relevance does it have for me?

Perhaps, just perhaps, Jesus is reminding me that every time in my daily life I repent, I turn from one way of thinking, acting, behaving, and I recommit to a life as God's child - not my own master - whenever I do this, whenever I repent - there is rejoicing in heaven.

Heaven delights when it sees us following Jesus. This is why the angels are forever singing - there are Christians all over the world at this very moment rededicating themselves.

But it is not as though this praise is simply a recognition of my work. They don't sing praises to me, as if they go, "well done Rolf, you've chosen the right path again!" In fact, it is God who says that, like a parent - but it's much MUCH more about the angels delighting in the one who sought me out - the Shepherd or the Woman who lost her coins.

The praise in heaven is simultaneously about the Lover and the Loved - the Shepherd and the Sheep.

Be encouraged this day, that the angels and heaven delight and sing praises to God whenever and wherever you repent and turn back to Christ. You are never too lost or too broken - you are always being sought and loved by God.