I stumbled a few days ago.  I was investigating a grotto that I pass almost every day on the route to my office.  It stands at the point of an overgrown wooded lot.  Someone makes sure the grass doesn’t over take the grotto.  The back of it faces an intersection of 4 streets and in this Mardi Gras season, the vine growing up the stone wall is adorned with beads.  After parking a distance away, I put on my rubber boots, jumped the ditch, and made my way to the grotto.  I found Mary and baby Jesus though I was expecting to find a saint since this grotto sits at the intersection of St. Anthony’s and St. Francis.  I began to make photographs of the two only to find the card in my camera wasn’t cooperating, so I trekked back, switched the card, and returned.  Well, I almost made it back.

On my first approach of the grotto I had missed a stump sticking up in the overgrown grass, but I found it upon my return.  As I fell, my zoom lens went flying towards Mother Mary and I did a full-on face plant right in front of her as she held the Savior.   My camera was sandwiched between my face and the concrete base of the grotto upon impact.  I popped back up as fast as I could so only the Holy pair would know I had stumbled.  I assessed the damage; camera and lens were a bit dirty but in working order, I spotted scratches and dirt here and there on my legs and arms, and a knot above my eye throbbed.  There was nothing to prevent me from hanging out with the Jesus and his Momma, so I began to make photographs of them.  They too were wearing Mardi Gras beads.   Laissez les bons temps rouler!

I witnessed a great stumble this week in the United Methodist Church.  Delegates from all over the world gathered to seek a way forward amongst our diverse beliefs concerning LGBTQAI persons.  The church had the opportunity to do more than declare all persons are people of worth.  The church had the opportunity to fully include all persons in ordination and marriage.  The church had the opportunity to discern the Holy Spirit’s leading of how the denomination could be inclusive but honor congregations and pastors who do not feel our doctrine should change.  We had the opportunity to discern how our connectional church could be diverse and live into our common mission to make disciples of Jesus Christ for the transformation of the world.

The plan adopted on the other hand keeps our stance against the LGBTQAI community, has unconstitutional parts that must be addressed, and strengthens punitive measures.  This week the UMC finds itself face planted before the Savior who proclaimed love, offers grace, hope, and forgiveness.

Hearing that Jesus had silenced the Sadducees, the Pharisees got together.  One of them, an expert in the law, tested him with this question: “Teacher, which is the greatest commandment in the Law?”

Jesus replied: “‘Love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your mind.’ This is the first and greatest commandment.  And the second is like it: ‘Love your neighbor as yourself.’ All the Law and the Prophets hang on these two commandments.”                                                               Matthew 22:34-40

This week, the UMC did not love God with everything within us AND our neighbors as ourselves.  I consider myself a progressive and I have to admit I really don’t know what the best way is forward to include all perspectives and be in ministry together within the UMC.  But I became Methodist because of the church’s diversity and I pray it will remain.  A former conservative church member used to say to me, “Pastor, you know what I love about the Methodist Church?  I can be me and you can be you and we can both be Methodist.”  I long for those days to return.

Three days after my time spent with the Mother and Son, I still have the knot above my eye and it still hurts.  Stumbling does that, you know.  The effects linger but they don’t last forever.  I have to say, I’ve stumbled in my faith many more times than I’ve stumbled with my feet.  Each time those spiritual face plants have happened Christ’s face is the fist thing I see as I look up and begin to pick myself up off the ground.  I pray the UMC will get up as quickly as possible, brush off the dirt, bind our wounds, begin healing, and seeking a way to follow Christ and witness to the world in ALL our diversity.  The Madonna and Jesus in the grotto are worn and bear the marks of enduring hurricanes, flooding, and the march of time.  I believe we can do the same: bear the marks of struggle and yet still offer a witness of love, grace, hope, and forgiveness.  Lord, in your mercy.  May it be so.