GC Day 4

Downtown Fort Worth this morning was brimming with activity as it hosted a "Walk/Run for the Cure" Breast Cancer Research Fund Raiser. Some 20,000 runners and walkers appeared downtown. It was a crazy morning in Fort Worth.

Worship began with a great drama by the Strangely Warmed Players that was of a sail boat and crew who has never left the safety of the dock, afraid where the wind might take them. A timely word to churches who are afraid to untie themselves and let the wind of the Spirit move them to new places.

Bishop William Hutchinson gave an energetic sermon on the power of baptism: "have we been born into form (of the normal, the bland, the ritual) or into power?"

"have we been born of water only? Or also of the Spirit?" he said. We were challenged to renew our baptism, but not just to move to the water, rather allow ourselves to be moved by the Spirit to the waters of baptism. Or another way to say it: (my paraphrase)"Don't just move when you are called, rather allow yourselves to be moved by the Spirit."

The afternoon was spent in Legislative Groups where there was a lot of discussion on difficult topics.

There remains a deep divide in the UM Church. There is a passionate group who have made it their mission to see that United Methodism fully embrace the cultural phenomenon of mainstream homosexuality. In fact, the pain that is felt by many who identify themselves as homosexual is so deep that is it truly felt by many of us. (definitely not by all.) There is a double standard present in the Church, especially in the US. Clergy, including Bishops, who act immorally and are never censured. So there is a divide that will not be bridged, at least not easily until the church takes a stand to define moral/immoral behavior among its clergy AND it members.

A large, quiet protest took place today outside the Convention Center first by Soulforce, a pro-homosexuality group who passed out flyers, sang songs, held banners speaking harsh language, and simply made themselves known all day. There was also a student gathering that held a prayer vigil outside each of the Legislative Group rooms. What I've appreciated today is the grace with which they were received and in which they came. There was little or no confrontation (that I saw), rather it was focused on prayer and peace.

As I write now, I am saddened. The legislative process at times waters down the power of the Gospel. I fear the same will happen as we move to full plenary sessions. I understand the need to do what we do yet I pray for a new way. We focus on process, rules of order, specifics on words, language, etc. and leave the Christian Conferencing behind. I guess it makes sense that we are in the true gateway to the west, where the stockyards still rustle with steer, horses and dust because we are wrestling with words, ideas and scripture. What we end up with is no less a trophy to the winner and lots of losers left behind to wrestle another day.

I guess Bishop Hutchinson's words were more prophetic than he knew, "will we allow ourselves to be moved by the Spirit?"

It's a good question for the church, but it's equally good for the Conference as well!

Peace ><>

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GC Day 3

It's been a great day.

Last night was late ending. We started the Legislation Groups and some when past 11:00 in just the basic organization. So by the time we settled in, we were wired and tired.

Started early this morning at the Reform and Renewal Coalition (free!) Breakfast where we were prepped for the items of the day, specifically the Judicial Council nominees. There are many nominees from some splinter/edgy groups that have the potential of forcing some radical judicial decisions, even making some of our discipline unconstitutional (United Methodist Constitution not US).

Worship was nicely done again, a rockin' worship band by a UM church from Lake Harriet UMC, Minneapolis, MN (okay, so it wasn't really a rockin' band, but it was more than we've seen so far!)

A great report was given by the group NothingButNets.org it's a partnership between the UMC, the NBA, E SPN, and the Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation to purchase and deliver insecticide laced mosquito nets to children in sub-Saharan Africa so that they can sleep without worry about getting bitten by Malaria infected Mosquitoes. 20% of all children under age 5 in this area die of Malaria every year. $10 buys and delivers one net. A young girl of 6 here in the US heard about this project and began collecting money for nets. So far she has collected enough for 4000 nets (yes, that's $40,000 by one little girl alone!). This is a great project we should get behind because it's easy to "sell" and quickly effective. Watch for "Buzzkill" shirts….

More Legislative group meetings until lunch then an amazing presentation by Dr. Mark Yarhouse on Scientific Research, Sexual Identity and Sanctification. I'll say more about this later but let's leave it at this, he brings some refreshing new insight to this challenging issue. And it just may get us further in ministry and welcoming to people who have felt ostracized by the church.

More Legislative group meetings finished the day.

But on a more personal note...

I met Benton Heisler on the shuttle from the airport to the hotel. He is a District Superintendent in Western Michigan. We've had dinner together last night and tonight. We've had some wonderful discussions about ministry, about struggles in our conferences and many friends in common. It's amazing how God places the right people in our lives to bless us and help us grow. Benton will be one of those not only for this conference, but for years to come I'm sure.

Holly Grant is a lay delegate from East Ohio (far east). She is in the Legislative Group I have been sitting in on with Kim Reisman. (of our delegation) I sat with her at the Renewal Luncheon and talked about her ministry with her husband (a pastor of about the same sized church as COFS) and our common beliefs in the traditional conservative views of Methodism.

It really has been a beautiful day on many levels. God is doing something like we've asked, the Holy Spirit has been moving. When one bishop from Africa, Joao Somane Marchado, began to preach some simply began to weep. It was a passionate sermon, a challenge to get back to our first love, Jesus Christ! It begins and may God continue to touch hearts and lives in this General Conference.

Tomorrow will be much of the same. We'll be in a plenary session until lunch and then legislative groups until 11:00 p.m.

This evening I took a walk to Walgreens to get some medicine for this terrible cold I've contracted and turning in early. More tomorrow, very tired.

Peace ><>

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Day 1 – Official Opening Day

It's been an interesting day. Tiring, but interesting. The conference finally opened in the morning allowing registration, an exhibit hall and Cokesbury book store to open! (Yes, I bought 2 books already with more to come I'm afraid!)

The Day's session began with worship and Holy Communion. Bishop Huie gave a great sermon on the Hope of Resurrection. It was poignant and pointed, a good word for the opening. A good word for anytime. There is hope in Christ, in the face of all hopelessness of the world. Christ still stands as a beacon of hope. When natural disaster, death, destruction, fear, human atrocities, etc happen in the world, Christ still stands as one who provides hope, of forgiveness, of future, of love.

We closed with Holy Communion given to the entire 6500 people by the Council of Bishops. Scattered throughout the auditorium, the bishops served all as we sang together. A heart warming moment, to begin with the prayer of unity and the act of commUnion.

 
 

Then the fun began, a 2 hour 45 minute meeting to establish the rules of conference. While interesting, it was also challenging. (and now I'm ready for bed!)

 
 

There is a hope and a positive attitude that is permeating the meetings so far. At least that's the feeling I am getting from our delegation, from many of the South Indiana group and others I've talked to. Our prayer has been to call forth the movement of the Holy Spirit and allow all delegates and leaders to be moved in the way the Spirit would move. May we not get caught up in language, in procedure, in rules of order, in untying us from the bonds of Grace. Rather, let Pentecost happen within us here.

 
 

That is our prayer. I hope it is yours as well.

More to come tomorrow.

Peace ><>
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Opening Day

I'm trying to decide how to spend the day exactly. I've much reading to do to catch up on some of the proposed legislation and then I have to decide which legislative committee to attend.

 

Church and Society #2 will be dealing with issues related to the social community and the Social Principles which has many key issues coming before it: (Petition Numbers: Issues)

    #80034-C2P161.C    Amending the definition of marriage to be "between two adult persons" replacing "between a man and a woman."

    #80959-C2-P161.A    Amending the definition of family removing "men and women" and "mothers and fathers" replacing with "loving parents," "same gender parents" and "two parents".

    #80028-C2-P161.G    a redefinition of our stance on human sexuality, specifically homosexuality.

    #80449-C2-P161.G    A replacement section on Human Sexuality

    (There are many more petitions that are similar and these will be either combined into one or more specific possible actions)

 

    P161.J – on Abortion    There are many more petitions dealing with our stance on abortion, some to restrict if further, others to open wider the door. Our traditional stance has been to oppose abortion (a true pro-life position), with the possibility of legal abortion but only where the mother's life is at risk or where an unacceptable pregnancy could bring devastating damage to life. (I'm not exactly sure how that has been interpreted.)

 

Another main issue is whether to remain a member of the organization Religious Coalition for Reproductive Choice.

 

There are many other issues and (non-binding) resolutions that are proposed, but the bulk of the conversation will be from the above I believe.

 

Discipleship will be dealing with the report of the GBOD, the study of ministry (and ordination services), the creation of a new UM Hymnal and others.

 

Faith and Order will be about the ordering of the church, hearing the report of the Study of Ministry and propose changes to our mission statement from the Council of Bishops (#80272-FO-P121) to include the phrase, "to make disciples for Jesus Christ" for the transformation of the world. There will also be issues on candidates for ministry, personal and sexual conduct of ordained persons.

 

General Administration will deal with the Council of Bishops Report and the Connectional Table, also the Global Nature of the Church report that affects how the UM Church will be organized in the coming years, changing from a US centered ministry with world wide mission (Central Conferences) to a world-wide Church made up of Central Conferences (which the US would become a Central Conference). It's a big deal and an interesting look at the change of the church. The Council of Bishops and the Connectional Table bring this proposed change, which has the most far reaching effects for the whole church.

 

Okay, so that's a lot to take in before I ever leave my hotel room on opening day, but that's the nature of General Conference.

Pray for us! We are praying for you and the whole Church!

Peace ><>
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UM General Conference 2008

It's travel day.

Early this morning I boarded a bus for O'Hare Airport for my flight to Fort Worth, Texas. It's only a travel day, to get organized with the delegation from Indiana. We met this afternoon at the hotel and then downtown to register and share a meal together. it was good to get our team together and begin the prayer process that is so important to this conference.

Already I've been surprised by the action of God. On the bus to the airport I encountered a woman named Susan traveling back home to Oklahoma after staying with her grandchildren for the past week while her daughter and Son-In-Law went on a trip they had won through work. Susan and her husband moved to OK to work at a presbyterian ministry and they remain there in other things. It was a great spiritual conversation.

But at the very next stop, our District Superintendent Michelle Cobb joined us. It is good to catch up with Michelle, she has so much insight for the church, a real prophet with a heart for Jesus. I truly appreciate her partnership with us, she is a blessing more than many know.

Then I met Joe, an aftrican-american who was going to California to be with his brother who was dying.They had been estranged through their mother, but had been reaquainted through his illness. Both are Christians so the time is bittersweet. We parted with mutual blessings.

On the flight I met Terry, an account executive at Caterpillar. A devout Christian who grew up Moravian, father of one 15 year old daughter who loves volleyball and is learning to drive. We had many things in common. Our conversation included the relationship between the UM Church and Caterpillar Inc. after the recent use of Cat equipment by Israel to destroy homes and lives in Gaza and the West Bank. But we didn't end there, we also discussed many things: world travel, flying, family, world history and contemporary issues of world politics, and faith. Terry also had a son, Michael, who died at birth, a pain he still bears deep within.

On the shuttle I met several people from California, Nevada, North Carolina, Oregon, and Michigan. They included Rev. Dr. Andy Langford, who edited the 1989 UM Hymnal and is working on the proposal to update it. He is also good friends with Riley Case, my clergy mentor and fellow Confessing Movement Member. Brendon is a District Superintendent from W. Mich. and was instrumental in putting the plan together for the uniting of the Michigan Conferences. While the vote failed (by only 13 votes in one conference and an overwhelming victory in the other.) he is still working on the details to bring back to the conferences later. Many fresh ideas went into this plan that we in Indiana may want to look at more carefully.

After dinner we ended the day with a long bus ride back to the Hotel, where I am staying with Rev. Dr. Frank Beard. Frank is a dear friend and colleague who will be up for the Episcopacy this summer at Juridictional Conference. (He may become a Bishop).

it has been an exhausting day, but a day filled with little nudges from God. In fact, all of our days are that way if we only pay attention. It is the place we are praying we remain, right in the palm of God's hand and will.

Pray for us...
Peace ><>
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