March 9, 2025 ~ First Sunday in Lent
“Drink from the Fountain of Grace”
Rev. Beckie Sweet
On May 24, 2000 (almost 25 years ago), Jean Caffey Lyles’ article on the UMC General Conference was featured in the Christian Century. The title of her article was “Watershed in Cleveland.” The opening paragraph of the article states,”
Seizing the blessings of a rising stock market and unexpectedly plentiful reserve funds, the United Methodist General Conference approved millions of dollars for innovative programs serving overseas churches, ethnic groups in the US, young people, older people, urban needs, ministries to the deaf, and even the production of cable TV spots to attract new members. But good feelings about the expanding mission of the 9.6 million member church were dampened by a stormier-than-usual conflict over homosexuality. This year’s clash over how to regard gays and lesbians—an issues which has been on the agenda of these quadrennial meetings since 1972 – may mark a watershed in the debate.
She goes on in the article to quote delegates on both sides of these issues, and then reports that the number of votes in favor of abolishing the anti-gay language and rules in the Book of Discipline had failed by a large margin. She then describes the voters from overseas, and those from the heavily conservative southeastern U.S., as well as launching into the history of gay clergy and clergy performing same-sex unions being brought up on charges. The cost of church trials was skyrocketing. Organizations for conservatives were employing effective strategies to maintain the language in the Discipline, and the denomination’s Judicial Council, was becoming more conservative. She speculated that the window for compromise seemed to have closed.
She then goes on to report,
The Cleveland Conference is thought to be the first in denominational history at which protesters were arrested and removed from the floor of the General Conference. Gays, lesbians and their supporters staged provocative demonstrations on two successive days.
In summary, on the first day 191 people were arrested, including Bishop Joseph Sprague and his wife, on charges of “persistent disorderly conduct. The following day about 80 people started chanting “Extend the Table,” and then they started singing liberation hymns as an expression of their protest. They moved to the aisles of the assembly and continued their singing. They were joined by Bishop Susan Morrison (who was my bishop at that time) and Bishop Sprague. 29 of the protesters, including Bishops Morrison and Sprague were arrested and charged with “disrupting a lawful meeting.”
At each of the General Conferences, the commemorative communion chalices which have been used for Holy Communion are given to the bishops, one for each conference. When Bishop Morrison retired in 2006, she gave me a few of her books, and the commemorative chalice from the 2000 General Conference, the one at which she was arrested. I was horrified to find, when I made it home with the goods, that the chalice was chipped and cracked. I honestly don’t know if it was cracked when it was given to me, or if it cracked enroute. But I thought the cracked vessel was an appropriate remembrance of such a painful conference, which continued the denomination’s discriminatory practices. Yet, while the chalice is chipped and cracked, it still holds liquid, to me, a sign of the restorative power of God in the church.
Similar to the broken chalice, even our broken lives can contain the love of Jesus, our treasure, in our hearts, as if in a cracked clay jar. As human beings, we, like clay jars, are fragile. And yet God chooses us as vessels to carry the love of Jesus, and to proclaim the good news ~ that we are loved, forgiven, and given good news to share, despite our brokenness.
The fragility and brokenness of our humanity are mirrored in Jesus’ suffering on the cross. In the story of Jesus’ life, death, and resurrection, we see that God works through what is broken. In our suffering, Jesus is with us. But Jesus was also raised from the dead, overcoming suffering. Just as Jesus is with us in our suffering, so do we get to participate in the new life of Jesus.
Paul tells us in verses 8 & 9 of our text that,
“We often suffer, but are never crushed. Even when we don’t know what to do, we never give up. In times of trouble, God is with us, and when we are knocked down, we get up again.”
This describes what that brokenness looks like: even though we are broken (suffering, crushed, perplexed, struck down), God puts us back together and does not let our brokenness define us.
For the life of Jesus to be visible in our bodies does not mean that we/our jars become fixed and smooth, like they were never broken. Holding the life and death of Jesus in our bodies at the same time means we’ve experienced repaired/mended/healed seams, and can once again hold Jesus’ treasure. The “real power” of putting us back together, creating life from and within death, belongs to God. The clay jars of our lives, broken and repaired, are evidence of God’s work in and through us. We can trust that no matter what happens, God will never abandon us. This gives us hope that in the face of death and suffering, life is always at work.
And remember, this passage is not just about being broken but not destroyed, it is about being made a part of God’s plan for redemption. We are similar to pieces of a beautiful mosaic in God’s art gallery, made of unique broken shards of those clay jars. Or, to put it plainly, the way God is working in us (bringing life from death) is a testimony to the power of God to others.
Where are the places where you/we need healing, repair, mending, or redemption? How will you allow God to fill your cup and pour into you? At the beginning of this Lenten journey, how are you going to seek God’s healing in your life so that you feel better equipped to offer your testimony, in light of your past brokenness?
Make space this week to check-in with yourself. Do a self-awareness check, so that you may acknowledge places of brokenness of which you might not have been aware that you were still carrying. We need to be aware in order to intentionally invite God in.
Where are the places where our church, community, nation, and world are broken? How can we be vessels of grace in those situations?
PRAYER OF CONFESSION: Healing One, We don’t have to look far to see that there are broken places in the world and in ourselves. Forgive us for ways we have contributed to brokenness through our sharpness, our carelessness, or our denial. Forgive us for ways we have tried to fix ourselves.
Help us not be afraid or ashamed of our brokenness, but help us lift it to Jesus, the Great Healer. Help us believe that transformation is possible and that it mend every area of brokenness to give us renewed purpose as those who espouse the treasure that is Jesus abiding with us, always. Amen.