Churches With Heart

Moody First United Methodist Church

Isaiah 41:13 (NRSV)

For I, the Lord your God,

I will help you.

Thomas Andrew Dorsey grew up in Georgia as a “preachers’s kid.” He began to be successful as a composer of jazz and blues songs. Dorsey became a composer of gospel music, but his songs were not accepted by most of the church. In the process he strayed away from God. As he moved back to the church, writing his music, he went to a revival meeting in St. Louis where he received a telegram telling the tragic news of the death of his wife and infant son during child birth.

Dorsey cried out, “God, you aren’t worth a dime to me right now!” It would be a few weeks later that Dorsey would pen the words,

“Precious Lord, take my hand, lead me on, help me stand–I am tired, I am weak, I am worn; thro’ the storm, thro’ the night, lead me on to the light–Take my hand, precious Lord, lead me home.”

The next Sunday the Ebenezer Baptist Church choir in South Chicago sang the new song. It touched everyone present that day. It has touched the lives of many ever since.

Thomas Dorsey knew the pain of losing a wife and baby, but Thomas also knew that God had a strong grip on his hand. The God who promised the Israelites, “Do not fear; I will help you” had a firm hold on Thomas.

Some of us have known the pain of such a tragic loss. Some of us know what it is to loose someone you love. Some of us know the pain of losing a job. Some of us have experienced that medical diagnosis that we did not want to hear. Some of us have known grief that has caused our bones to ache. Can you hear the Lord? Do you hear the words, “For I am the Lord, your God, who takes hold of your right hand?”

Amy Carmichael once wrote in Christianity Today, “If God can make His birds to whistle in drenched and stormy darkness, if He can make His butterflies able to bear up under rain, what can He not do for the heart that trusts Him?”

Today we have celebrated the sacrament of Holy Baptism. Patton Elmore was baptized today. In her baptism we have declared that there is no way that Patton can ever wander beyond the reach of God. No matter where she goes or what she does God will always be there to reach out to her. God will always be there to take hold of Patton’s right hand.

Ray Boltz, one of my favorite contemporary Christian musicians, recalls sitting in a New England hotel room with his friend Lawrence Chewning. As they were talking Lawrence shared with Ray the lyrics he had been working on. Life for Lawrence had been rough in recent years. His wife had experienced several miscarriages and the last one had been particularly difficult. Lawrence held the little unborn child in the palm of his hand. As he was telling his story to Ray, he quoted the lyrics to this new song.

I’ve had visions. I’ve had dreams.

I’ve even held them in my hands.

I never knew they could slip right through

like they were only grains of sand.

The Anchor holds though the ship is battered.

The Anchor holds though the sails are torn.

I have fallen on my knees.

As I faced the raging seas.

The anchor holds in spite of the storm.

As we celebrate Holy Communion today, as we share in the broken body and shed blood of Christ, as we remember we are reminded that we worship a God who takes hold of our right hand. We can hear God speaking to us today, “Do not fear, I will help you.” Today you have the opportunity to say, “Precious Lord take my hand.” You can experience the Anchor that holds.