There is a song out by Amy Grant called “Better Than A Hallelujah“. Each and every time I hear it, there is a lyric that captures me. She sings:

“Beautiful the mess we are, honest cries of breaking hearts…are better than a hallelujah”

Tonight I met with some other brothers in Christ and that lyric came ringing back. While this was a “business meeting”, we started off by discussing some prayer requests. Within moments, grown men who you would otherwise think were just fine and dandy are sharing what’s really going on in their lives.

“Beautiful the mess we are”

The requests are heavy, scary, real and not something any of us would have suspected walking in the door. They are for wives, children, friends, parents, co-workers, bosses, and on and on. They come from places of concern for each. They represent what’s really in our soul that would otherwise go untouched.

“The honest cries of breaking hearts”

I wondered what would happen if we had not met together. I wondered what would have happened if someone wouldn’t have said “let’s start off with some requests”. Those burdens, that weight on the shoulders, that grief, fear and pain would have stayed deep in each of our lives and…no one would even know. Man we need each other. We need accountability. We need someone to carry the mat. We need a place, a moment and an opportunity to “share our requests”.

“Better than a hallelujah”

I don’t know a lot but I have to think that God knows those requests. He sees our souls and knows each burden. What he built us for was community. While we’re here to share the gospel and grow the Kingdom, we are here together. So often we rush in, say our greetings, pay a tithe, sing a few songs, here a sermon and rush out. The church is sharing the journey. The church is sharing the requests. It’s being beautiful as the mess we are.

Question: Who’s carrying the mat with you today?

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