Lost and Found

Martyn Payne

On Your marks:

Again and again throughout the Bible we find God searching for those who are lost. In many ways the whole Bible is a story of 'lost and found'. People choose to go their own way and leave the security of God's love but God does not give up on them. God comes searching to bring people home because, as St Augustine's prayer puts it, 'we are restless, until we find our rest in [God]'.

This session is part of a series that explores this theme in stories from the Old and New Testaments. In each we see individuals who are lost for a variety of reasons, but God rejoices to find them again and bring them back to his loving arms.

All the stories could be introduced using the following big reflective story that we recommend is used at the beginning and then again at the end of the series. For more information on this approach to the Bible see the feature article The Barnabas Bible goes large.

Get set:

Here are the stories from The Barnabas Children's Bible and the associated jigsaw piece colour which will be used to present this reflective story

A Runaway World: Adam and Eve are sent away - story 4, page 14 (dark green)

A Runaway Maid: Sarai's maidservant - story 14, page 22 (orange)

A Runaway Hero: Earthquake, fire and whisper - story 169, page 151 (grey)

A Runaway Prophet: Jonah runs away - story 186, page 165 (dark blue)

A 'Runaway' Child: Lost in Jerusalem - story 253, page 222 (brown)

A Runaway Sheep: The good shepherd - story 281, page 248 (light green)

A Runaway Slave: The runaway slave - story 358, page 310 (light purple)

Each of the stories is represented by a jigsaw piece of a different colour (see above) that matches the setting of each story as best it can. The resulting jigsaw is circular and when assembled covers a large circle of red felt that represents God's love, but leaves a cross shape in the centre that represents the cost of that love to find the lost.

In the opening lines of the story, the jigsaw pieces are laid down randomly around the red circle. There will also be a symbol that goes on each piece (in order: two trees; a small circular mirror to represent water and a bucket; a rock; a boat; a city wall; a wooden sheep; a chain and padlock).

As each story is introduced, the relevant jigsaw piece is picked up and fitted on to the circle starting at the top (nearest the storyteller) and then right and then left from the storyteller's point of view, each time moving away from the top. Also add the relevant symbol each time a jigsaw piece is laid.

Go!

Here is the text for the big story. To see how it works with the visuals, click here.

God has given us the stories in his book to show us what God is like and how much God loves us.

I wonder if you have ever done a jigsaw and then discovered that there was a piece missing?

Or maybe you had a piece left over that just didn't seem to fit anywhere?

A lost jigsaw piece can drive you mad!

Not knowing where the missing piece is can be so frustrating!

You can't complete the picture.

You can't finish the puzzle.

And so, did you go searching to find the lost piece?

Did you look high and low?

Did you try every possible place and even a few impossible ones, too?

Do you remember how you felt?

If this has happened to you, then you will know something of what God feels like.

Throughout the stories of his book, God is also searching.

God is looking for what has been lost.

God is looking high and low to find the people he created, because God knows that on our own we are lost and incomplete.

God has never given up this search, because God's love never ends.

In the beautiful garden at the beginning, the God who lets us choose came looking for Adam and Eve.

They were hiding, ashamed of what they had done.

But God came looking and found them.

In the loneliness of the desert, the God who sees came looking for Hagar.

She had had to run away, because of what others had done to her.

But God came looking and found her.

High on the rocky mountaintop among the caves, the God of the still small voice came looking for the prophet Elijah.

He had hidden there in fear and was depressed because of how bad things can be.

But God came looking and found him.

Out among the waves of the storm-tossed ocean, the God who forgives his enemies came looking for Jonah.

He had run away from God's voice and the work he was meant to do.

But God came looking and found him.

God is always looking and searching for his people.

Finally, God sent Jesus who said: I have come to look for and to rescue the lost.

Jesus came to open the way for us all to be found by God.

Once in the narrow streets of Jerusalem even Jesus was lost and Mary came looking.

He wasn't with the pilgrims returning to Nazareth.

And Mary found him.

But strangely she discovered that Jesus wasn't really lost; he was already at home with God his Father in the temple.

Out on the hills, far away from the safety of the fold, Jesus told the story of a poor sheep.

It had wandered off and got lost.

But Jesus said that the shepherd came looking and found it.

In a prison cell and far from home, the God of true freedom came looking for a useless slave.

Onesimus had run away from his master.

But God came looking and found him.

God has never given up looking for his people.

God has never stopped searching for the lost .

Why?

Because God longs to bring everyone back to where they belong.

Safe in his everlasting arms.

Questions for reflection:

I wonder if you have ever lost something that was important to you?

Maybe it was something very special?

And if you have, did you go searching to find it?

Do you remember how you felt?

I wonder what it feels like to be lost?

I wonder what it feels like to be found?

I wonder why the people in this story became lost?

I wonder why they ended up far from God?

I wonder why God came to find them?

I wonder which 'lost and found' story you like the best?

I wonder which 'lost and found' story is the most important for you?

I wonder where you are in this story?

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See how this story works with the visuals