beauty and joy in the church...

For months we've been ending worship with these words:
"God will take care of you
in every way o'er all the way...
God will take care of you."

While the congregation sings
I move towards the back of the sanctuary
positioning myself to greet folks
near the main doors of the sanctuary.
That's where she sits....
the oldest member of the congregation.
She takes pride in that designation.

As I stood near her
she took my hand and
looked me in the eye...
we sang the last words together...
"God will take care of you."

This is why I've remained active
in the church.....
moments like these
when all the stuff of life falls away
and in an instant...
one holy instant...
God's grace outshines all else.

I and other pastors
especially in the blog world
have a lot to say about the
condition of church
in these times.
We are called by God to do such.
Indeed we have many challenges...
unrest, anxiety....
things we must talk about
and face together.

Yet, in the middle of all our
talking and arguing and fretting
God's simple grace remains.
One hand holding another...
affirming the truth of our faith:

God will take care of you...
through everyday, o'er all the way.