Wipe away every tear

Out there is someone this morning who needs to hear what Meridith Andrews has to say.

In her wonderful anthem "You are not alone" she writes, "You cry yourself to sleep cause the hurt is real and the pain cuts deep. All hope seems lost with heartache your closest friend, and everyone else long gone. You've had to face the music on your own but there is a sweeter song that calls you home, saying ...

"You are not alone for I am here; let me wipe away every tear."

This morning as I look at the "preferred vision" of the governing United Methodist body of the state in which I reside and do ministry, I see some things that really, really speak to my heart.

The five points found in our Bishop's vision for us include "integrity, accountability, unrelenting love for all people, courage and risk, and holding nothing sacred but the mission."

What does all that mean? Actually, I'm not entirely sure. But I would like to think it means that when you cry yourself to sleep cause the hurt is real we are there for you. When the pain cuts deep, we're waiting to help. When all hope seems lost, we're there to offer hope and direction and the most unconditional love we can muster. When heartaches is your closest friend and everyone else is long gone, I pray we're there to tell someone about Jesus to the best and most honest of our abilities.

When I was lost -- and I was -- and the life I was living was in shambles spiritually and emotionally even if physically that couldn't be seen by most, someone I don't even remember this day was there to tell me about a Savior I didn't want to know or believe in. When I did know him, my life changed. Every breath was filled with newness. Every time I read scripture a fire was set. I was, well, changed.

Everything I've done in the past 18 years has been in regards to that. In church after church I've tried to preach Jesus resurrected, and that gives us hope where there is little. We might not always be healed by his stripes, but because he took the stripes, absorbed the pain, let the nails scar and let the crown cut, we are given a reason to sing, to worship, to be never alone. Resurrection means love wins.

Certainly I want our churches to grow, but I like what our Bishop has said about that. "We place the needs and interests of people before the needs and interests of the institution. We prioritize transformative relationships over sustaining buildings and budgets."

That seems dangerously close to what Jesus said was his mission statement. In Luke 19 he says, "I came to seek and save the lost."

Furthermore, his last words on the planet were these: Therefore go and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, and teaching them to obey all I have commanded you."

If we're, as instructed, United Methodists are doing what is described as holding nothing sacred but the mission, then nothing but seeking and saving the lost so that we can make them disciples is the only thing left for us.

First we have to make sure that each of ours mission.
then we have to figure new ways of accomplishing that mission.
Then comes the easy part I would figure: we have to do the mission.

Our Bishop says this: We are open to the creative movement of God's spirit, not institutional priorities, in order to serve the mission.

With every breath, let us offer Jesus.
In every action, let us offer Jesus.
In every thought, let us offer Jesus.

To a world that is in pain, sometimes unknown and unacknowledged pain, there is one balm of Gilead. If we see open emotional sores forming, wouldn't we offer the solution we've found ourselves?

That's what this means. Not counting the persons, not creating new members, not worrying about statistics in any way. Instead, counting the cost if we fail. Counting the hearts soothed if we succeed.

Unrelenting, unbiased, unjudgmental, unconditional love for all the persons who feel alone in a crowd.

I once was one of those; I once was lost; I once was in jeopardy of the mightiest kind.

And He found me, washed me clean, set me on a different path.

Am I a great pastor, preacher, theologian? Well, no. But what I am is saved, forgiven, loved. That I simply try to pass on. On occasion I use words.