Following is the 2023 Susuquehanna Conference Opening Celebration message from Bishop Cynthia Moore-Koikoi. You can view a video of the service here. The Bishop’s message begins at 1:00:40.
2 Corinthians 5:16-18 NRSV
From now on, therefore, we regard no one from a human point of view; even though we once knew Christ from a human point of view, we no longer know him in that way. So if anyone is in Christ, there is a new creation: everything old has passed away; see, everything has become new! All this is from God, who reconciled us to himself through Christ and has given us the ministry of reconciliation...
Prayer: May the words of my mouth and the meditation of my heart be pleasing to you, O LORD, my rock and my redeemer.
A conditional statement (also called an If-Then Statement) is a statement with a hypothesis followed by a conclusion. Conditional statements often take the form of, “If this happens, then that will happen.” The if clause is the hypothesis. The then clause offers the conclusion. However, a conditional statement does not have to actually use the words if or then. The statement just needs a hypothesis and a resulting conclusion. I am going somewhere with this, so follow me.
There are four different types of conditional statement. There is a Zero conditional statement, a first conditional sentence, a second conditional sentence, and third conditional sentence. Zero, first, second, and third.
Third conditional sentences are used to explain that present circumstances would be different if something different had happened in the past. If I had known what it was going to be like to be a bishop, I would not have given up my good government job.
Second conditional sentences express outcomes that are completely unrealistic or will not likely happen in the future. If Tom Salsgiver ever really retires, then we will throw him a big party.
First conditional sentences are used to express situations in which the outcome is likely (but not guaranteed) to happen in the future. If we care for all of our resolutions efficiently, we will be able to adjourn early.
Then there is the zero conditional sentence. This is the one I really want you to hear. Zero conditional sentences express general truths—situations in which one thing always causes another. Somebody knows where I am going with this. In a zero conditional sentence, both clauses—the hypothesis and the conclusion—are in the present tense. In a zero conditional sentence the words if and when are interchangeable because the outcome will be the same anytime the condition is in place.
In the verse that provides the foundation for this sermon and our theme for this annual conference, Paul, the writer of 2 Corinthians, utilizes a zero conditional sentence. He is expressing a general truth, a situation in which one thing always causes another. He writes, “if anyone is in Christ, there is a new creation, everything old has passed away.” And in case the hearers didn’t get it, Paul calls the hearer to attend to the condition, “See, everything has become new!” It’s not in the synoptic gospels, but that there is good news. “So if anyone is in Christ, there is a new creation: everything old has passed away; see, everything has become new!”
Is there anyone in here who is in Christ? Is there anyone here who is in Christ? Let me put it another way. Is there anyone here who trusts in Jesus? Is there anyone here who has faith in the Son of the Living God? Is there anyone here who knows Jesus as Savior? Is there anyone here who has ever had an encounter with the Way, the Truth, and the Life? Is there anyone here who knows the Lily of the Valley, the Bright and Morning Star? Is there anyone here who knows the Alpha and the Omega? Is there anyone here who has ever had a drink from the Living Water? Is there anyone here who knows there is something about that name? Is there anyone here who has ever called on the name of Jesus? Is there anyone here who knows Jesus to be Wonderful, Counselor, the Mighty God, the Everlasting Father, the Prince of Peace? Is there anyone here who knows he is a way maker, miracle worker, promise keeper, light in the darkness? Is there anyone here who is in Christ?
Then you have met the hypothesis. Let me assure you of the conclusion. Beloved, since you are in Christ, then in the present tense, in the here and now you are a new creation. For you, everything old has passed away. See it now, for you everything has become new. Your relationship with God—it is new. Your relationship with your neighbor—it is new. Your spirit has become new. Your ability to love and be loved has become new. Your ability to give and receive grace—it’s new. The hymn writer put it this way, “Morning by morning new mercies I see. All I have needed thy hand has provided. Great is thy faithfulness Lord unto me.” So, if anyone is in Christ, there is a new creation: everything old has passed away; see, everything has become new!
Not everything that is new is better than the old. Does anybody remember the DeLorean Motor Company of the late 1970’s and early 1980’s? Not everything that is new is improved. Does anybody remember the new Coke formula in the mid 1980’s? Not everything that is new is improved? How many of you had a BetaMax video player? Not everything that is new is improved? I actually wish there were more people among us who have no idea of the references I am making. Here’s one for the younger crowd. Remember iPods? Not everything that is new is improved.
Here’s why I know our newness is new and improved. Our growth comes from the soil of the Word of God, fertilized by the blood of Jesus, nurtured by the power of the Holy Spirit.
In the verse that follows our sermonic verse, verse 18 of the 5th chapter of 2 Corinthians, Paul writes, “All this is from God, who reconciled us to himself through Christ and has given us the ministry of reconciliation...”
Our newness is from God. Here this zero conditional sentence. If your newness is from God, it is an improvement. Our newness is made possible because God reconciled us to God’s self through Christ Jesus. The concept of reconciliation that is interesting. Paul uses the Greek term kat-al-las-so which is translated reconciliation. We only find this term in the Bible in Romans and the two letters to the Corinthians. Kat-al-las-so literally means to change, exchange coins for others of equivalent value. It means to reconcile those who at variance, return to favor with, or to receive one into favor.
Through his death and resurrection, Jesus paid the cost for our reconciliation. Jesus exchanged his sinlessness for our sinfulness. Our sins put us at odds or at variance with God. God used the blood of Jesus to close the variance gap. Jesus stood in the gap for us. God chose to use Jesus to return us to favor with God. Because of Jesus we have been received into the favor of God. Can I get an amen? Maybe your variance gap wasn’t that big. Is there anyone here who loves Jesus. Is there anyone who is in Christ.
New and improved creatures open themselves to self reflection. Out of their love and desire to be in right relationship they make themselves accountable to God and one another. They receive the wisdom, insight, and grace offered by God. And have faith in God’s process of sanctification.
There are some place and spaces in our annual conference that are valley’s of dry bones. There are places where we have not had new professions of faith in years. There are places where no new ministries been birthed, places no one has received a call and been launched into ministry. There are places where the church has become isolated from the community in which it resides. There are some structures in our annual conference that have supported stagnation and death. There are places where we are so used to being in conflict, we don’t know how to be any other way. There are places where we are so ignorant to our own privilege we believe we are offering radical hospitality when in fact we are not. Truth is some of us thought Disaffiliation would be the death of us. Truth be told some of us are so weary from the cultural and church wars that we feel like dry bones. Some of us are just weary that our bones and our spirits are dry.
Perhaps God is asking us the ancient question asked of the prophet Ezekiel. “Can these dry bones live? O dry bones, hear the word of the Lord. Thus says the Lord God to these bones: I will cause breath to enter you, and you shall live.”
When God breathes the breath of life into us, we are not going to be the same old body. The dry bones are going to be a new and improved creation. I hear the word of the Lord.
And when we come to ourselves and arise new and improved. Looked at my hands, my hands looked new. Looked at my feet and they did too. Started to walk, got a brand new walk. Started to talk, got a brand new talk.
We will live. We will be new and improved.
All of us, all of us gathered here are a part of this new and improved body. All of us who are members of the Susquehanna Annual Conference of The United Methodist Church are new and improved. Everything old has passed away. I need somebody to hear me now. Everything old has passed away. I need somebody to see it. See everything has become new. Can you see it?
In the new and improved Susquehanna Annual Conference—laser focused on love of God and love of neighbor, when distractions come we say get behind me satan.
In the new and improved Susquehanna Annual Conference—each local church is such an essential part of the communities in which it finds itself that the community cannot exist without the local church and the local church cannot exist without the community
In the new and improved Susquehanna Annual Conference—conference structures and local churches are flexible and nimble so that we all move with the movement of the Holy Spirit and none of us are windbreakers.
In the new and improved Susquehanna Annual Conference—we practice a theology of abundance because we really do believe scripture that says that our God shall supply our every need according to God’s riches in glory by Christ Jesus.
In the new and improved Susquehanna Annual Conference—we offer radical hospitality and build beloved community so that we reflect the racial and economic diverse demographics of our region.
In the new and improved Susquehanna Annual Conference—we know what the Lord requires of us—to act justly, love mercy, and walk humbly with our God.
The new and improved Susquehanna Annual Conference is not going to be smooth sailing. No organization that is truly doing kingdom building work enjoys smooth sailing all the time. Some things will have to end. There will be tears. As we get used to our new feet, there will be times that we will stumble and fall. When the going gets tough, and the road is rough, and the hills are hard to climb, remember what you decided. You decided to make Jesus your choice. Remember that we are together in this because all of us have made Jesus our choice.
Revelation 21:1-5 NRSV
Then I saw a new heaven and a new earth, for the first heaven and the first earth had passed away, and the sea was no more. And I saw the holy city, the new Jerusalem, coming down out of heaven from God, prepared as a bride adorned for her husband. And I heard a loud voice from the throne saying,
“See, the home of God is among mortals. He will dwell with them; they will be his peoples, and God himself will be with them and be their God; he will wipe every tear from their eyes. Death will be no more; mourning and crying and pain will be no more, for the first things have passed away.”
And the one who was seated on the throne said, “See, I am making all things new.” Also he said, “Write this, for these words are trustworthy and true.”
