by Steve | Dec 22, 2021 | Magazine Articles, November/December 2021
The Rev. Rob Renfroe, president of Good News
I do not believe you will find a book in the Bible more relevant to The United Methodist Church than the Epistle of Jude.
Early in his letter Jude writes: “Although I was very eager to write to you about the salvation we share, I felt compelled to write and urge you to contend for the faith that was once for all entrusted to God’s holy people. For certain individuals have secretly slipped in among you. They are ungodly people, who pervert the grace of our God into a license for immorality and deny Jesus Christ our only Sovereign and Lord” (verses 3-4).
Jude tells his readers he had intended to send them a letter going into depth about our salvation in Christ. But grave reports about matters in the church have compelled him to write a very different letter. The problem? False teachers in the church are denying Christ and promoting immorality.
What are the characteristics of those leading the church astray?
1. They claimed a wrong source of authority. “Yet in the same way these dreamers also defile the flesh, reject authority, and slander celestial beings” (verse 8, emphasis added). What is the basis for their heretical teaching? Their dreams. Their visions. Their personal experiences that tell them we should embrace a truth that is contrary to what Jesus and the apostles taught.
The false teachers Jude described are similar to false teachers and prophets throughout the ages. They say, “God has told me.” Or “the Holy Spirit has revealed something to me.” What they claim to be their personal revelation now trumps what the Scriptures teach.
In our time the phrase is usually, “The Holy Spirit is doing something new.” And false teachers claim to be privy to this revelation in a way the rest of the church is not. No matter that the Scriptures are clear, and the church has taught the same doctrine for 2000 years, and 95 percent of all Christians around the globe still uphold what the church has taught for millennia. A relatively few, “enlightened” Western Christians in a hedonistic, postmodern culture now believe they alone have been chosen to receive and promote a novel doctrine that supersedes what the Scriptures reveal to be God’s will.
Ask them how they know this is God’s revelation and they have a difficult time responding. They just know it. They feel it. It’s obvious, in their minds, that God is doing a new thing that is pleasing to our culture and anathema to the Bible.
I once asked a respected progressive pastor how he could promote what was contrary to the Bible. He was very frank. He told me, “Rob, the church created the Bible. So, we can re-create the Bible.”
And on what basis? Our feelings, our imaginings, our dreams? A belief that this is what all “good, loving people” would teach as the truth if they were God? For those who taught false doctrines in Jude’s day and for false teachers in our own time, yes, a foundation as flimsy as an individualistic conviction that the Bible cannot be right is sufficient to claim that God is revealing new truth.
2. They possessed a wrong Christology. Past cults have taught that Jesus was not truly divine – they esteem him as a moral teacher, a cultural reformer, or a highly-evolved being who realized his God-consciousness. But they do not believe he was God incarnate.
What does Jude say about the false teachers of his time? “(They) deny Jesus Christ our only Sovereign and Lord” (Jude 4). How exactly they were doing this, we are not told. But in some way, they were diminishing the uniqueness and the Lordship of Jesus. They were making him one of many rather than the One and Only.
Today, what you may hear is “Jesus is my Savior and my way, but there are many ways – all of them valid.” I once asked a UM pastor who was a candidate for bishop if other religious teachers, Buddha and Mohammad, for example, brought the same kind of revelation and truth to their followers that Jesus brings to Christians. Quickly and unashamedly, he responded, “Oh, yes. I tell my students, ‘God is wholesale. Jesus is retail.’” Buddha, Mohammad and Jesus are simply retail outlets for the same wholesale God – just different ways of receiving the same (saving?) truth.
By the way, who were his students? Men and women training to become pastors at the United Methodist seminary where he taught.
A related way the divinity and uniqueness of Jesus is diminished is through implied universalism. This is the belief that everyone will go to heaven and that there is really no need for people to surrender their lives to Jesus Christ as Savior and Lord. The lack of urgency around evangelism in our denomination betrays the unspoken understanding of many that faith in Christ is a good thing for those who want it, but it is not necessary for salvation and eternal life.
I wish I could tell you these understandings of Jesus are uncommon within the UM Church. But the truth is this false teaching has been propagated in our seminaries for decades and it has infected many of those who are now serving as our pastors and preaching in our pulpits.
3. They promote a wrong understanding of morality. They pervert the “grace of our God into a license for immorality” (Jude 4). Wrong beliefs will lead to wrong behavior. Deny the authority of the Scriptures and the full divinity of Christ, and you can be sure that a compromised morality will soon follow.
Throughout the ages, there have been three responses to God’s grace. One is legalism – those who sin cannot remain in fellowship with the body of Christ. Another is license (what the false teachers in Jude’s letter were and many in our own time are embracing) – because of grace we are free to live as we desire. God will accept us and affirm whatever behavior we believe is right for us. The third response is liberty – through the work of the Spirit, we become free from the power of sin and begin to live a new life.
True freedom is not the right or the ability to do whatever we desire. True freedom is the power to do whatever we should, including dying to the base desires of the flesh and living a life that pleases God.
Jude told his readers and I tell you: The truth is under siege. It’s being undermined by some in the church. By teachers in the church. And the charge for us is the same that Jude gave to his readers “Contend for the faith once and for all entrusted to the saints” (Jude 3).
The United Methodist Church is divided on the most basic beliefs any church can face. Do we follow the Scriptures? Do we confess Jesus as Savior and Lord, the only begotten Son of God? Do we believe grace leads to license or liberty?
We orthodox Wesleyan Methodists are to know the truth; promote the truth; and, where it is under attack, contend for the truth. For it is the truth that will set us free.
by Steve | Dec 22, 2021 | Front Page News, Home Page Hero Slider, In the News
Mary’s Devoted Heart
By Dick McClain
Growing up, I don’t recall having heard a sermon on Mary, the mother of Jesus. She did get dusted off every December for the Christmas pageant. But apart from her annual appearance reincarnated in the form of a budding young thespian, she hardly existed. Perhaps the folks in my evangelical Protestant circle felt that the Catholics went a little too far.
While I’ve never been accused of tilting toward Rome, somewhere along the line I began to suspect that we were being robbed by our silence about Mary. After all, the woman God chose to become the mother of our Lord just might have something to say to us today.
Which brings up another point. Not only did I not hear much about Mary; I didn’t hear much about any of the women of the Bible. When they were presented, it was only in the context of their being a model for women, never for men. The implication was that the male heroes of the faith – Moses, Joshua, David, Peter, and all the rest – were role models for all Christians, men and women alike. But the female heroes of the Bible – Deborah, Naomi, Ruth, and Priscilla – were only models of Christian womanhood.
I ditched that idea.
All of this leads me to suggest two things. First, Mary’s life is worth studying and emulating. Secondly, she is a good model for my entire family, both male and female.
In the first two chapters of Luke, there are fascinating insights into the quality of Mary’s life and faith. Her godliness was evident in a number of traits that we would do well to pattern.
Faith in God. Who comes to mind when you think of biblical examples of faith? I’ll bet you immediately thought of Abraham. Not a bad pick, considering the fact that he believed some rather unbelievable things God told him. But have you thought about the message Gabriel brought to Mary?
Mary was a teenage girl from a poor family who lived in an obscure village in a tiny nation which itself was under subjection to a foreign power. One day an angel came to her with a message from God.
She had found favor with God; she would give birth to a Son whom she was to name Jesus; her baby would be called the Son of the Most High and would sit on David’s throne forever; his kingdom would never end; and all this was going to happen without her ever having sexual relations with a man.
Now, be honest. Would you have believed that?
The remarkable thing is that Mary did! In fact, her cousin, Elizabeth, greeted her as “She who believed that what the Lord has said to her will be accomplished” (Luke 1:45).
That’s real faith! She was willing to take God at his word, even when what he said didn’t square with anything her experience told her to be true. We too must choose to believe God if we are to be godly people.
A surrendered life. Perhaps you have read Mary’s story, sensed the unparalleled excitement of what she was experiencing, tried to put yourself in her place, and concluded, “Wouldn’t it have been glorious to be Mary!”
But stop and think about it. How could she tell Joseph, to whom she was already legally betrothed? Although they had not yet begun living together, they were considered married and could be separated only through divorce. Don’t you think the prospect of suspicion flashed through her mind? It must have. Under similar circumstances, most of us would have asked the Lord to find someone else to do the job.
But not Mary. Her answer to the angel was a model of submission. “I am the Lord’s servant. May it be to me as you have said” (Luke 1:38).
Why was she so ready to submit? Because she understood herself to be God’s servant. Maybe the reason we are so prone to resist God is that we see him as our servant. We’ve got it backwards. We need to come to see, as Mary did, that God is God and not just some spiritual genie that we hope will magically fulfill our every whim.
A life of unassuming humility. One thing about Mary in those Christmas pageants that always struck me was her willingness to go without complaint to the stable.
Not me! If I had been Mary, I probably would have said, “Listen here, buster! This baby I’m about to have is no ordinary child. He is God’s Son and your King. We deserve better than this!”
In Luke’s version of the Sermon on the Mount, Jesus said, “Blessed are the poor” (Luke 6:20). Mary was poor. We know that because of the sacrifice she and Joseph offered when they presented Jesus at the temple. Since they fell below the poverty line, they qualified to give a pair of doves or two young pigeons, rather than bringing the customary lamb (see Luke 2:24 and Leviticus 12:8).
I don’t buy into the notion that God loves poor people and hates rich folks, or that the impoverished are constitutionally spiritual, while the wealthy are hopelessly ungodly. But I do know that amidst our affluence we have adopted an inflated sense of our own importance, rights, and prerogatives. Consequently, we have concluded that the world owes us a lot; other people owe us a lot; and God also owes us a lot. We have a bad case of inflated expectations.
The answer is not quitting our jobs and signing up for welfare. But if we are serious about godliness, we, like Mary, must relinquish our rights, surrender our demands, and accept whatever God gives.
Faithfulness in spiritual disciplines. Unlike many people today, Mary didn’t treat spiritual things casually.
When it came time to present Jesus at the temple, Joseph and Mary headed for Jerusalem (Luke 2:22). Only after they “had performed everything according to the Law of the Lord” did they return home (2:39). And when Passover season came, they went up to Jerusalem “every year” (2:41).
The implication is that Mary wasn’t one to shirk her spiritual responsibilities. It’s easy for us to neglect spiritual disciplines. Average annual worship attendance in the United Methodist Church typically limps along at less than half the membership. Many Christians would recoil at the suggestion that we should actually part with 10 percent of our income. I’m reminded of a cartoon that pictured a church sign that read: “The Original Lite Church: Home of the 3 Percent Tithe and the 45 Minute Worship Hour – 50 Percent Less Commitment Required.”
Sincerely godly people don’t neglect the Word or worship, prayer or tithing. They don’t treat spiritual disciplines cavalierly.
Spiritual sensitivity. Read Mary’s song, recorded in Luke 1:46-55. It’s more than magnificent. It is the overflow of a heart that was accustomed to communion with God.
How did Mary come to be so spiritually alert? Luke gives us a clue.
Following the shepherds’ visit, we are told that Mary “treasured up all these things, pondering them in her heart” (2:19). And when Mary and her family returned to Nazareth from their trip to Jerusalem for Passover when Jesus was twelve, we read that she “treasured all these things in her heart” (2:51).
Mary managed to carve time out of her busy life to ponder the deeper significance of what was taking place. She took time to pray, to meditate, and to reflect on what God was doing.
Most of us do not decide one day that we don’t want to be in tune with God. We don’t decide not to pray. We just let the priceless treasure of communion with God slip unnoticed through our fingers.
Spiritual sensitivity is not inherited, it is acquired through spending time with God. To borrow Terry Teykl’s phrase, Mary “prayed the price.” If we want to experience true godliness, we must do the same.
In trusting God, surrendering her life, giving up her rights, and learning to listen to the Spirit, Mary set an example for us all to follow.
Was she a super saint? No. Did she demonstrate sinless perfection? Not likely. But a devoted follower of God? You can be sure of it.
We can be the same.
Dick McClain is the former CEO of The Mission Society (now TMS Global). He is retired in Leadville, Colorado, with his wife Pam. This article originally appeared in Good News in 2003. Art by Kateryna Shadrina (Iconart-gallery.com).
by Steve | Dec 13, 2021 | In the News
Image: Iowa Annual Conference
By Thomas Lambrecht
In the sport of track, races are often set off by the firing of a starter’s gun. Racers who cross the starting line and begin the race before the gun fires are said to have “jumped the gun.”
That is exactly what the Iowa Appointive Cabinet has done by issuing its statement, “Leading Now and Into the Future.” A Frequently Asked Questions document fleshes out some of the details. The statement purports to begin implementing the post-separation United Methodist Church in Iowa before the General Conference has acted to pass the Protocol.
One Church Plan Again
“Leading Now” essentially tries to implement the One Church Plan (which was defeated by the 2019 General Conference) by episcopal fiat. It states, effective January 1, 2022, “pastors will be able to choose which weddings they officiate, as long as it is two consenting adults who have been counseled. Likewise, church leadership, in consultation with their pastors, will be able to determine their own policy regarding weddings.” Thus, despite 50 years of holy conferencing and decision-making by the denomination’s top policy-making body, General Conference, the Iowa cabinet will now explicitly override the definition of marriage in our Book of Discipline and permit what the Discipline bars.
Think about that for a moment. It is one thing to temporarily suspend enforcement of a disciplinary provision in anticipation of a forthcoming General Conference action (as the Protocol invites with its proposal of a moratorium on complaints). It is an entirely different thing to say that the disciplinary provision no longer applies, period.
In a swift rejoinder to an Iowa WCA response statement (linked below), the cabinet justifies the need to actualize this plan now. “The urgency of our response is directly related to organized groups that have made the decision to leave The United Methodist Church and have sought to define the post-separation United Methodist Church. … We strongly object to organizations that are both determined to leave The United Methodist Church and are telling others how we will behave post-separation. We have chosen to articulate a vision of The United Methodist Church that we believe we can live into in Iowa now.”
Those leading into the post-separation reality of The United Methodist Church should feel free to lay out publicly their vision for how that church will operate. Many have chosen to do so. But there is a difference between laying out a vision and actualizing it (or in the cabinet’s words, “living into it now”). Traditionalists are not allowed to live into our vision of the Global Methodist Church until the Protocol passes and that new church is formed. What gives the Iowa leaders the right to “jump the gun” and start living into their vision before receiving the authorization from General Conference to do so?
The answer may be found in a further statement of their rejoinder. “This statement is a matter of conscience for each of us, akin to non-violent resistance to unfair civil laws. We realize that taking this stand may have consequences and we accept those consequences, whatever they may be, openly and freely.” In other words, the Iowa leaders are engaging in ecclesiastical disobedience. They are prioritizing their own understanding of our Methodist faith over the communal discernment of General Conference. Since they hold the power in the Iowa Conference, they are unlikely to experience many adverse consequences personally for their decision. What consequences occur will mostly hurt the ministries and mission of the Iowa Conference. Yet, you can be sure that these same leaders will ensure that any clergy or congregations in Iowa that engage in ecclesiastical disobedience will experience strict consequences.
An Unrepresentative and Unfair Action
This action was taken by the appointive cabinet (the bishop and district superintendents), not by vote of the annual conference. It reflects the view of a small group of leaders, not the view of grassroots Methodism in Iowa. This was done because the leaders became impatient to live out their particular vision of the church, in light of the continued postponement of General Conference. It was also done to “jump the gun” on implementing a post-separation UM Church on January 1, rather than waiting for the annual conference to make that decision next June. The leaders may also have wanted to hurry up and implement their vision before it could be challenged legally before the denomination’s Judicial Council. That challenge cannot happen until annual conference meets in June. The Judicial Council would undoubtedly nullify the decision to negate the Discipline, but could not do so before its November 2022 meetings. That gives the Iowa cabinet 11 months to live into their vision and establish “facts on the ground” to set the course they want Iowa Methodism to take.
“Leading Now” states, “This decision by the Appointive Cabinet grants contextual permissions not for the sake of taking a side, but as a way for us to move through the impasse and invite us all into a way forward together.” Except the statement does not give a way for all Methodists to move forward. It allows those wanting to perform same-sex weddings to move forward with their agenda. But it does not allow traditionalists to move forward with establishing a new expression of Methodism. That can only happen when General Conference meets and passes the Protocol.
“Leading Now” goes on, “This vision provides a home for everyone – whether they consider themselves liberal, evangelical, progressive, traditionalist, middle of the road, conservative, centrist or something else – who wants a home in the remaining Iowa Annual conference of The United Methodist Church.” But there is no “remaining Iowa Annual Conference.” There is only the Iowa Annual Conference of The United Methodist Church, to be governed by the Book of Discipline of the UM Church. The statement betrays their haste to move into a new reality before being given official sanction from the denomination to do so.
If the Iowa Appointive Cabinet truly wanted to move all Methodists into a new future in Iowa, they could have found a way under the Discipline to implement the terms of the Protocol, allowing churches to leave with their property and without payment of apportionments or pension liability. Such a way is available under ¶ 2548.2. Instead, the cabinet felt perfectly fine setting aside explicit provisions of the Discipline to allow same-sex weddings, but is holding churches that want to withdraw and align with a new traditionalist denomination strictly to the provisions of ¶ 2553. That provision requires payment of two years’ apportionments and pension liabilities up front in order for a church to withdraw, a fiscal impossibility for many congregations.
The rejoinder statement linked above declares, “While it was, and continues to be, our desire to facilitate the grace-filled exit of any congregation that is uncomfortable with this vision, matters of property move into the sphere of state laws. While we remain willing to violate this single matter in the Book of Discipline to lead our church, violation of state law regarding property would jeopardize the local congregation and the Iowa Annual Conference.”
With all due respect, this is a bogus claim. State law does not regulate how churches and non-profits can dispose of their property (other than prohibiting conflicts of interest or self-dealing). For many years, annual conferences have negotiated an exit for congregations even before ¶ 2553 was enacted in 2019. There are at least three ways under the Book of Discipline that an annual conference can release a congregation with its property (closure and resale, deeding to another evangelical denomination, and disaffiliation). Only one of those requires the payment of a fixed amount of money to the conference. If the conference wanted to let churches go under the terms of the Protocol, it could do so.
Troubling Theology
Theologically troubling is the premise that the statement is based on. Bishop Laurie Haller’s earlier “Vision 2032” statement about the future declares as one of its founding principles that “relationships are more important than theological convictions.” In other words, traditionalists are expected to renounce or hold in abeyance the theological convictions of 2,000 years of church teaching for the sake of staying “in relationship” with progressives who want to move in a different direction.
That approach certainly does not fit with the apostle Paul’s condemnation of any who would preach “a gospel other than the one we preached to you” (Galatians 1:8). Paul valued the approval of God more than the approval of human beings (vs. 10). Jesus said, “Anyone who loves their father or mother more than me is not worthy of me; anyone who loves their son or daughter more than me is not worthy of me” (Matthew 10:37). If even these most intimate family relationships are not as important as maintaining a relationship of love and obedience to Jesus Christ, how can we say that relationships are more important than theological convictions?
Beware Unintended Consequences
This precedent-setting move by the Iowa cabinet creates a general disregard for the church’s teachings, policies, and procedures established by General Conference. If an annual conference is allowed to disregard some disciplinary provisions, why should churches and pastors be held to account for disregarding other provisions? This devolves to a question of power: who has the power to enforce its decisions and who does not? Obviously, the bishop and cabinet hold the power in an annual conference to enforce their decisions through the power of appointment of pastors and of setting the conference’s agenda. The power differential with clergy and congregations means that, in this instance, “might makes right.”
However, the cabinet needs to be careful about opening this can of worms. There are other forms of power, and other ways of exercising power. Unleashing a game of power only leads to conflict, strife, and harm inflicted on all sides.
The Iowa WCA Regional Chapter has issued an excellent response to their cabinet’s action. The Iowa WCA statement declares, “We respectfully call on Bishop Haller and the Cabinet to rescind ‘Leading Now.’ We also urge episcopal colleagues in the North Central Jurisdiction and among the Council of Bishops to strongly encourage Bishop Haller and the Cabinet to withdraw ‘Leading Now.’
“If the document is not rescinded, we are confident faithful local UM churches (traditionalist, centrist, and progressive) in the Iowa Annual Conference will decide they can no longer submit to the authority of leaders who legitimize acts in defiance of our church’s teachings and its time-honored way of discerning God’s will for the whole.”
Local churches and laity have power, too. They have the power of purse strings. They can refuse to fund a bishop and cabinet that has gone off the rails and repudiated United Methodist connectionalism by their unilateral renunciation of the Discipline. And secular courts might be inclined to say that, by this action, the Iowa conference has repudiated its status as a United Methodist conference, breaking the trust clause that holds churches hostage to the whims of a wayward church leadership. Who knows where this road of rule by power could lead?
Peace-loving United Methodists of all stripes should hope that the Iowa Appointive Cabinet rethinks its position. We need to draw back from the brink of confrontation and outright warfare for the sake of the body of Christ. Conflict serves no one and destroys the church.
In the words of the Iowa WCA statement, “We are all disappointed the UM Church has not been able to convene a General Conference and so adopt the Protocol of Reconciliation and Grace through Separation, an amicable and orderly plan of separation widely endorsed by leading Bishops, theologically diverse advocacy groups, and annual conferences. However, disappointment does not entitle Bishop Haller and the Cabinet to make up their own rules in the interim. Again, we call on the Bishop and the Cabinet to rescind ‘Leading Now.’”
by Steve | Dec 3, 2021 | In the News
Photo courtesy of Shutterstock.
By Thomas Lambrecht –
In the church calendar, the Advent season – the four weeks leading up to Christmas – are set aside as a time of preparation for the celebration of Christ’s birth. The idea is taken from Isaiah 40:3, “A voice of one calling in the wilderness, ‘Prepare the way for the Lord, make straight paths for him.’” This verse is quoted in Mark 1:3 as applying to John the Baptist, who came, “preaching a baptism of repentance for the forgiveness of sins” (Mark 1:4). Just as John came to prepare the people of Israel to receive Jesus in the first century, we take time during Advent to prepare to receive Christ anew in the celebration of Christmas.
The late statesman and political figure James Baker III is quoted as saying, “Proper preparation prevents poor performance.” Preparation is a necessary part of any major project and the key to its success.
What is true of our spiritual preparation for celebrating the birth of Jesus Christ is also true of the needed preparation for the separation of The United Methodist Church and the founding of the Global Methodist Church. Acting without proper preparation would ensure poor performance!
The Timing of Preparation
What is disturbing many United Methodists today is the length of time needed for preparation. What was originally projected to be a nine-month period of preparation in 2020 has now stretched into at least 32 months. And even that length of time is uncertain, depending upon decisions made around holding General Conference and when to launch the new Global Methodist Church.
A cursory look at the Bible, though, helps put the preparation timeline in perspective.
Noah and his family spent over a year floating around in the ark before the floodwaters had sufficiently receded. However, that amount of time is dwarfed by the decades he spent building the ark in the first place, uncertain when the floods would come.
The people of Israel spent 40 years wandering in the wilderness, waiting for the disobedient generation to die off so they could enter the Promised Land. All the while, they were learning to live according to God’s instruction through Moses.
The nation of Judah spent 70 years in exile in Babylon, waiting for the opportunity to return to their homeland, uncertain when or how such a miraculous return could ever take place.
The fulfillment of Isaiah’s prophecy with the coming of John the Baptist took place over 700 years after it was first written down. There was a lapse of over 400 years from the last prophetic word of the Old Testament (Malachi 3:1) until its fulfillment by John, as quoted in Mark 1:2. The people had no idea when the Messiah would come, but the belief in his coming persisted through hundreds of years of war, turmoil, exile, hardship, and even just the mundane realities of everyday life. They “kept the faith” in the face of uncertainty.
In a completely different context, as we prepare for the coming Global Methodist Church, we too can “keep the faith,” believing that God will open the door to a new reality in his time and in his way. We can become discouraged at times with the waiting and the uncertainty. But we know we can trust God to lead us and to accomplish his purpose at the right time.
The Tasks of Preparation
The key to the preparations for Christmas is not just getting all the decorations put up, all the presents wrapped, and all the baking done. Advent is a time of spiritual preparation, to make certain our hearts are open and ready to receive the gift of God’s Son as we celebrate his coming into the world. As the carol puts it, “in this world of sin, where meek souls will receive him, still the dear Christ enters in.” We are encouraged to take the season of Advent to examine our hearts, confess our sins, and allow the Lord to make us “meek souls,” so that we are prepared for what he wants to do in our lives.
In the same way, preparation for the new Global Methodist Church begins with prayerful self-examination and humbling ourselves before God. We want to start a new reality with a clean slate, with our sins identified and washed away by the blood of the Lamb. We do not want to carry old bad habits or unloving patterns of thinking or behaving into the new church.
In addition to the necessary spiritual preparation, there are other, more concrete, ways to prepare. One way is to disseminate information about the Protocol, the options available under it, and the Global Methodist Church. There are many local churches who are unaware of the decisions that are coming in the not-so-distant future. Helping pastors and congregations get clear and truthful information will help all make informed decisions that lead to no regrets later.
Information on the Protocol is available on the Protocol website, including details of the proposed legislation, a summary, and frequently asked questions. These materials have also been translated into the church’s official languages available on the website.
Information on the Global Methodist Church is available on the GM Church’s website, including summary information about the proposed new denomination, the transitional Book of Doctrines and Discipline, frequently asked questions, and ways to connect to and financially support the project of building the new church. All that information can similarly be accessed in all the church’s official languages.
Literally hundreds of people have been involved in various task forces and councils, beginning even now to shape the ministry of the new denomination. Ministry plans have been formulated for various population groups and types of ministry. Some clergy are already in training programs for church revitalization and church planting. The process for clergy and congregations to transition into the new church is being finalized. Pension and other insurance programs are being fleshed out.
Contacts are taking place with United Methodists in various parts of the world to ensure they have the information they need to make informed decisions about their future. Other Methodists who are not part of the UM Church are also exploring options to cooperate with or join the new GM Church. Passing the Protocol is essential for many United Methodists to be totally free to join the new church, so regardless of any other interim contingency plans, the goal will always be to pass the Protocol, no matter when General Conference takes place.
Preparation is hard work and it is often less than satisfying. During preparation, we do not see the results of our labors. In fact, sometimes the situation looks worse during preparation than before! (Visualize a wall that has been scraped and sanded before it is primed and painted.)
But the quality of our preparation will determine how well the project goes. Proper preparation can turn Christmas into a deeply meaningful spiritual time, rather than a chaotic material-focused bedlam. Proper spiritual and logistical preparation can make us ready to experience a new kind of church in the Global Methodist Church, and it can make the GM Church the kind of church we are eager to join and support.
“Let us not become weary in [preparing], for at the proper time we will reap a harvest if we do not give up” (Galatians 6:9).
by Steve | Nov 24, 2021 | Perspective E-Newsletter
Photo courtesy of Shutterstock.
All of us at Good News wish you a Happy Thanksgiving. Our thoughts on gratitude were brought into focus this week through a column by the Rev. Tish Harrison Warren. As one of our favorite writers, we have deep appreciation for her books Liturgy of the Ordinary and Prayer in the Night. She is a columnist for Christianity Today, and writes a weekly newsletter for the New York Times.
What follows is a brief excerpt from this week’s article in the Times newsletter.
“The practice of gratitude is central to nearly every religious and spiritual tradition. And all of us have much to be grateful for. We get the shocking privilege of living on this planet that is uniquely crafted so that humans can be born, breathe, grow, work, harvest and create. We have bodies that know the pleasures of strawberries, guacamole and buttery popcorn. We hear laughter and breathe in the steam of hot coffee.
“The practice of gratitude teaches us, as the theologian Christine D. Pohl put it,’the giftedness of our total existence.’ This posture of receptiveness — living as the thankful beneficiary of gifts — is the path of joy because it reminds us that we do not have to be the makers and sustainers of our life. Gratitude is how we embrace beauty without clutching it so tightly that we strangle it.
“To receive life as a gift is to acknowledge that we do not — and indeed cannot — hold our world together out of our sheer effort, will and strength. Most of the best things in life can only be received and held with open hands. Like the story of the Israelites receiving manna from God in the desert, we receive what we need as sheer mercy, but it cannot be hoarded, clung to or clutched. Instead, understanding all of our existence as a gift allows us to see that we are limited in our own capacity to control the world and yet we are given what we need, day by day.
“Maybe your Thanksgiving will be dreamy, full of abundant food, family, friends, and laughter. Or maybe you’ll burn the turkey, maybe you are barely getting by, maybe you will feel lonely or hurt by your family and friends. Even still, there are ordinary gifts and overlooked graces that surround us on each day of our lives.
“‘Even in these lowly lovelinesses,’ says the title character Thomas Wingfield in George MacDonald’s novel, ‘there is a something that has its root deeper than your pain; that, all about us, in earth and air, wherever eye or ear can reach, there is a power ever breathing itself forth in signs, now in a daisy, now in a wind waft, a cloud, a sunset, a power that holds constant and sweetest relation with the dark and silent world within us.’
“Thanksgiving Day softly asks us to practice thanks for the lowly lovelinesses that make up each of our lives, to take time to notice the constant and sweetest relation offered by the giver of every good gift.”
