Me on Your Mind
Do you remember where you were and what you were doing on September 11, 2001? Do you remember what you were feeling?
My Story – 6th grade camp – parents contacting us – just because they wanted their kids near them – Gathered the kids – watched about 10 minutes of the news coverage – and we prayed – we didn’t just say prayers – we prayed.
Tragic loss of life, stories of heroic bravery…people turned back to God.
And, I believe, on that day God wept with us!
God loves us so much!
Even when the Israelites build a calf out of gold and worshipped it.
Even when they gave the credit and gratitude for having saved them from slavery in Egypt – gratitude that was due to God – to this idol – to the work of their own hands, God did not abandon them.
And are we really any better than our ancestors in faith?
We don’t really have “idols” do we? What was that show, the first of a talent show format … American…? IDOL! Interesting.
I have 466 “friends” on facebook!
Don’t we, at times, take things in our life – the work of our hands – and credit them with our happiness, our success, our goodness instead of giving thanks and praise to God.
My granddaughter, little Bailey, 2 ½, says, “Me do it!”
Don’t we do much the same?
And yet God does not abandon us. He loves us so much!
Matthew West song: Me on Your Mind
I've read the words in red
How You leave the 99
To find the one missing
Feels like that was written
With me on Your mind
And the prodigal son who ran, leaving his home behind
The part where the father came running to meet him
Did You say that with me on Your mind?
Who am I that the King of the world
Would give one single thought about my broken heart?
Who am I that the God of all grace
Wipes the tears from my face and says, "Come as you are"?
You paid the price, You took the cross
You gave Your life and You did it all with me on Your mind.
We are always on God’s mind. He is all-knowing and ever-present and he loves us as if we were the only one.
What man among you having a hundred sheep, and losing one of them, would not leave the ninety-nine in the dessert and go after the lost one until he finds it?
Who would do that? Nobody! Wolves, thieves, … why risk it. Jesus knew that the answer that he gave to his rhetorical question was not what the people were thinking. But God’s ways are not our ways. He would leave the rest and come after us – he loves us that much.
And the woman who lost a coin – throws a party to celebrate – she probably spent more than the value of the coin on the celebration. By human standards, she would have been better of just to forget the coin. Who would do what she did? God would! He would spare no cost to bring us back.
And the prodigal son…
He says, “give me my inheritance now!” He is saying to his father, you are dead to me. Such disrespect – never would have been tolerated in first century Judaism.
The father not only tolerated his son’s behavior, he went out each day to search the horizon for him. And when finally, he saw him, he ran to him and welcomed him back!
Who among the crowd to whom Jesus was speaking would do that – no one! But God would – in fact He did!
Jesus paid the price, He took the cross, He gave his life and he did it all with us on his mind.
And knowing that Jesus died for us, experiencing that he loves us that much...has the power to change us.
St. Paul pours his heart out to Timothy and to us in our second reading today. He shares his conversion story. He says, “I was once a blasphemer and a persecutor and arrogant…I acted out of ignorance in my unbelief…” He persecuted the early followers of Jesus – and even had them killed!
But then, Paul encounters Jesus – Saul, Saul, Why are you persecuting me?
This encounter with Jesus changed his life. At first he was blind so that when he was able to open his eyes, he saw the world and his life in it in a new way.
Surrounded by the disciples of Jesus, the presence and grace of God was abundant!
And the song continues…
Just knowing You're mindful of me
Just knowing You call me Your child
It's flooding my soul with unspeakable hope
Thank You, Lord, that it's me on Your mind
Paul says, “I was treated mercifully as an example of what Jesus can do in the lives of those who believe.” (That’s a paraphrase!)
Who are we that the King of the world
Would give one single thought about our broken hearts?
And who are we that the God of all grace
Wipes the tears from our faces and says, "Come as you are"?
He paid the price, He took the cross
He gave His life and He did it all with us on His mind.
Today, we gather here and this table, at this Eucharist to give praise and thanks to God.
Let’s think about our lives. Let’s think about what it means that God has us on his mind.
He picks us up. He puts us on his shoulders and carries us home.
He searches the dark corners of our life and finds us.
When we turn to come home, he runs to us and welcomes us back.
And the song concludes
I've read the words in red of a heavenly home on high
You're preparing a place where the sorrow's erased
And when I stand before You, I'll find
All along, it was me on Your mind
Me on Your Mind
Source: Musixmatch
Songwriters: Matthew Joseph West / Jeff Pardo / Anne Wilson
Me on Your Mind lyrics © Combustion Five, Third Story House Music