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The apostles gathered around Jesus and told him all that they had done and taught. He said to them, “Come away to a deserted place all by yourselves and rest a while.” For many were coming and going, and they had no leisure even to eat.

Mark 6:30-31 (NRSV)

This week I had the pleasure of preaching at Union Baptist Church in Mystic, CT, where I was raised in faith.

It was a great homecoming, and I relished the opportunity. I spoke from the gospel text in the lectionary, Mark 6:30-34, 53-56, and the sermon title was “Everybody Hurts.” 

The title was from a song by R.E.M., which they wrote a few decades ago. The song was addressed to young listeners, and it was more lyrically direct than most R.E.M. songs. It urged anyone hurting to hold on, to look to friends, and to persevere in the face of pain. 

I like the song because it’s a stark reminder: we are not alone when things are not going well.

Everyone knows what it’s like to suffer, in one way or another, and it’s important for us to rally around those who do. I shared that it’s an important Christian distinctive, this mission of healing and caring. The passage we read described how the disciples were so busy teaching and healing that they forgot to take time for themselves to rest.

I hoped it might speak to people who were still thinking about the assassination attempt on Donald Trump, or who were dealing with their own medical challenges. Then, a couple hours after I preached it, Joe Biden announced he was ending his bid for re-election from a covid quarantine. I thought, “everybody hurts, sometimes.” 

Jesus was a healer, and he helped others learn to heal.

I think it’s one of the things we forget to focus on in our church lives. When someone asks you why you go to church, I hope you’ll feel empowered to say, among other things, “for the healing.” It’s healing to spend time in worship. It’s healing to be around folks who know you and who know what you’ve been through. There is healing power in community, and specifically in communities like ours who gather around Jesus. 

Invite folks to Pilgrim, and remind them, as I’m reminding you today: there is healing in our church. A strong faith coupled with good medicine can work wonders. 

For all the things we attribute to Jesus, his healing spirit could be one of the single most important things that we feel we can share with people today.