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I am writing today from Charlotte, NC, where I'm serving as a reserve delegate from the Missouri Annual Conference at the General Conference of the United Methodist Church. If that sounds like a lot of “Methodist” jargon, it is. It's here where over 800 delegates from around the world are making decisions that will influence the future of our denomination, and in turn, the local church.
I am learning. I am learning the complexities of working within a denomination that is so much more diverse than my experiences in southwest Missouri. All around me are humans with beautifully different cultures and languages moving forward in our differences and working toward unity as followers of Jesus Christ. There are people who have been marginalized for too long in our polity, and as their voices are heard, they are being welcomed into leadership positions. There are bishops who are preaching prophetically about who we are called to be as the beloved community. And it is all coming together, so far, with people extending grace to one another.
This was not what I expected. The United Methodist Church has been through such a season of disheartening strife and conflict that I was prepared for it to taint this Conference. Instead, I am finding a wonderful sense of determination to let love lead and to move forward beyond this moment into who we are called to be as the Body of Christ.
Want to follow along and learn with me? You can do so by going to umc.org.
What would happen if we began to pray daily what Bishop Tom Bickerton shared as his personal prayer before each sermon? “Oh God, remove me from me, and fill me with you.”
I’ll be watching online Sunday,
Lori
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