A little bit of background of my history as a Methodist goes like this. As a family unit, mom and dad took us four girls to Sunday school and church. At some point in our young lives our parents left the church when we were too young to get back to church. At age 19 it was my decision to get to church. My husband and I were married in a Methodist church and our children have been raised here at Independence United Methodist Church.
Fast-forward to now and my Joyous Burdens of Love. In our most recent “Reading with the Pastor” book titled CLAIMING ALL THINGS FOR GOD the author summarizes for us about an experience of reading a collection of articles and talks of Tomas Kelly a Quaker philosopher. It reads, “Perhaps there is no more important Word for us activists whose lives are too busy, who hear so many urgent voices, and who care about so many ongoing tragedies. God “does not burden us equally with all things,” but only with certain callings and tasks which are to be our part in the “joyous burdens of love.” And mark this: “We cannot die on every cross nor are we expected to.” Rather, we are to focus on the particular arena to which God leads us. And there we are to labor in peace and power and faith and joy, rooted in “the unhurried serenity of the Eternal” at work. Rather, we are to focus on the particular arena to which God leads us. And there we are to labor in peace and power and faith and joy, rooted in “the unhurried serenity of the Eternal” at work. Thanks be to God!”
One of my joyous burdens of love was working on me for a couple of years. God was unhurried in my heart. I wanted to make sundresses for little girls in need. When the earthquake in Haiti caused so many people to be in need of assistance, there was an urgent call for me to get started making dresses. I labor at the sewing machine in great joy.
Another joyous burden of love is our Sunday morning class. God led me to ask for a Sunday morning class over 10 years ago. Eventually I started to lead the class. This joyous burden of leading the class is that I’m not a teacher. We’ve discovered that I facilitate. We started this fall in a study about hospitality and welcome and the risks involved. The first day of class I experienced my joyous burden of love combined with hospitality and welcome and risk all at the same time when we all came in along with Pastor Jared who also walked in, sat down and didn’t leave.
One more labor in peace and power and faith and joy rooted in God is the meal we prepare and serve at Pearl Road United Methodist Church. Again God was working on me for several years only I had a barrier. This barrier or risk was my idea that I might precipitate upon seeing a child needing his or her hair combed or experiencing a person in need of a pair of shoes. I risked going to labor and saw what I had feared and didn’t cry. I came away from another joyous burden of love with a commitment to going again and again. I will go and do likewise.
To close I think about the lyrics to Lay Down your Burdens sung by Amy Grant. The chorus repeats “lay down your burden I will carry you, I will carry you my child, my child. As I lay down my burdens to God, I can get past public speaking, and uncomfortable feelings involved with being a servant and realize my work is a joyous burden of love.
Thanks be to God! Amen!
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