Rev. Elder Mark Byrd

Hello, I am Reverend Elder Mark Byrd and currently serve on our Council of Elders. I would like to share a few brief thoughts about the line in our MCC statement of Faith that says:

“Baptized and filled with the Holy Spirit, You empower us to be Your Presence in a hurting world. In MCC we may share common and differing theologies, beliefs, and practices around many things… Baptism and the Holy Spirit included… that’s the beauty of who we are.

And yet, if we are not careful the terms “baptized” and “filled with the Holy Spirit” could be perceived as a litmus test for how well, or even if, God can or will use us to help someone else.

For our purposes today, let us keep it simple… thinking of baptism as a way of connecting with the divine in a manner which allows us to connect or reconnect with our own humanness… a humanness that is sometimes hurting and broken too.

And maybe we simply think of the Spirit as God’s presence in and around us, sometimes obvious sometimes not… that opens our awareness not only to God, but others and in ways we may never imagined… ways that allows us to see hear and feel the pain others may be experiencing… pain that can be just as diverse as we are. Not everyone’s hurt is the same.

I am reminded of the story someone shared about a little girl who walked to and from school and one day did not make it home when she was supposed to.. her mom went looking for her and found her on the steps at school with another little girl… when her mom asked why she did not come directly home… she said, “I was helping my friend, her doll broke.” Her mom said, “did you help her fix the doll?” “No, Mommy, I was helping her cry.“

Yes, sometimes just our presence and being there can make a difference – especially in those situations with folks for when, as Rev. Delores Berry used to be fond of saying “some things only heaven can cure.”

Especially now, when it seems the hurt and pain of the world in which we live can overwhelm and paralyze us on all levels, it is easy to get burned out or frustrated when our efforts don’t seem to make a difference or help.

So, I would be amiss not to say too, that in our willingness and efforts to allow the divine Spirit to work in and through us, we must also be intentional in allowing her to help us take care of ourselves as well.

In books, songs, and even sermons, we have all heard “Hurting people, hurt people.” Last year, country singer Tim McGraw released a song by the same title which reminds us we can (and I would add with the Spirit’s help) break this cycle.

The words go: Hope is the thread and faith is the needle…For people like you and me. So maybe we can be… Hurt people healing people Broken people fixing people Wounded people mending people Love forgives and love forgets So One day we won't be Hurt people, hurting people Yeah, love is the thread and faith is the needle

May God hold us as we hold each other. God bless you my friends!

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