You've all probably heard the old story about the town drunk who was down on his hands and knees one night underneath the streetlight searching and searching for something. The preacher happened to be walking by and asked him, "Sam, what in the world are you doing out here on your hands and knees?"

Sam looked up and said, "Oh, Hi Preacher, I'm hunting for my keys. I lost my keys."

The preacher, being kind hearted, got down on his hands and knees to help and said, "Show me where you dropped them and I'll help you find them."

Sam pointed off about 50 or 60 feet in the distance and said, "Oh, I lost them way over there in the grass."

That really got to the preacher so he asked, "Well, if you lost them way over there in the grass, why are you looking for them over here on the sidewalk?"

And Sam said, "Because this is where the light is."

As old and as dumb as that joke is, there is a semblance of truth to it. People look for things where there is light. And I have a feeling that a lot of people come to church because somewhere they have lost something.

They're not sure what they've lost; maybe it's themselves or their faith or their belief in life. They're not sure what they've lost or even where they lost it. But, they are convinced that the Church is where the light is.

And we shouldn't be surprised, because this is what we've been telling the folks for years. This is the place of the light. This is the place of Christ, the light of the world. This is the place where people come to find answers. Jesus put it a little more direct in today's passage. He spoke about "welcoming our neighbors" and "giving a cup of cold water" to the thirsty.