CLUB 444: Blake Lasater, “Why I am United Methodist”

Why I am United Methodist:

Because we see flowers where others see weeds.

It’s all about grace and seeing people as children of God; it’s not about “us” and “them”, and a God that needs defending, but a world that needs to be loved.

It is about open hearts, open minds, and open doors, and though we are not perfect we are on that road to perfection.

We hold as our mentors Good Samaritans and Prodigal sons, faithful prostitutes and generous widows, unclean lepers and thieves on a cross. We realize we are all that strange mixture of Saint and sinner.

It’s never about being right but always about doing right. Our mission is not to defend the church but simply to do all the good we can, to all the people we can, in all the ways we can, as long as we can.

We see flowers where others see weeds, because we figured out long ago that we were weeds that someone watered with grace and love.

In a world that sees only weeds to be pulled, I am thankful for a church filled with God’s grace that sees things in a different light.