Luke 15:24

"'...for this son of mine was dead and is alive again; he was lost and is found!' And they began to celebrate."   

Reflection by Elissa Johnk

It seems to me that the late 1980s and early '90s were primarily good for one thing: reimagining the power ballad. Who can forget Bon Jovi crooning, "I'll Be There for You," or bandanna-clad Bret Michaels lamenting, "Every Rose Has Its Thorn"?

Whoopi Goldberg performed the ultimate reimagining in the 1992 movie, Sister Act. In it, she helps a group of emotionally repressed nuns express themselves by singing Diana Ross. It turns out "My Guy" sounds even better if you are singing it to God. (Doubtful? Try singing Sonny & Cher's "I Got You Babe" to God, and see how you feel.)

But here's what today's scripture tells us: the reverse is also true. Some of those power-ballads sound an awful lot like scripture – or God's power-ballad to us.  Think about it:

Heart: "What about love? Don't you want someone to care about you?" (Yes!)

Lionel Richie: "Hello, is it me you're looking for?" (Yes!)

This works, miraculously, even with Sister Sledge: "Let me tell you 'bout my love/Brought to you by an angel from above."

Too often we find ourselves turning away from love – human, divine, all of it. (As Tina Turner put it, "Who needs a heart, when a heart can be broken?") So the next time you find yourself shutting down, turn on your radio or pull out your Bible, and listen for the words of God, singing to you.

Prayer

Today, God, let's sing it together, in the words of Whitney Houston: "...your love is my love, and my love is your love."  Amen.

About the Author Elissa Johnk is the Senior Pastor of The Old Meeting House, East Montpelier Center, Vermont.