 |
| Download the PDF at www.susumc.org/files/news/suslink/2018/Jul_LINK_2018.pdf |
Susquehanna Conference of the United Methodist Church
Friday, July 6, 2018
Unity: it’s about Jesus Christ
Following is part one of an edited transcript of Bishop Jeremiah J. Park’s Opening Celebration address at the 2018 Susquehanna Annual Conference, held May 31 through June 2 in Hershey, Pennsylvania.
Scripture references: John 17:20-26; Colossians 1:15-20
I would like you to know that I feel so privileged to serve our beloved church with the committed, dedicated, mission-minded, and generous people of the Susquehanna Conference. Under many challenging circumstances, God’s people of the Susquehanna Conference, laity and clergy alike, continue to provide so many amazing, exhilarating, and powerful testimonies to what discipleship is about as they constantly extend themselves to offer so freely their gifts and graces to serve and love God and God’s people in the world. The heart-warming evidence of your faithfulness and fruitfulness is all over the place. Thanks be to God for you!
Indeed, the Susquehanna Conference is a church alive in Christ together! So I say this out of my heart: I love Pennsylvania! I love the Susquehanna Conference!
Your bishop and Cabinet have a renewed sense of excitement to share with you a refined expression of what our mission is as an annual conference.
You need to remember three words about the mission of our conference:
Grow! Equip! Connect!
The mission of Susquehanna Conference is to:
- GROW spiritual transformational leaders,
- EQUIP vital congregations and create new places for new people, and
- CONNECT with each other and the world
so that (our vision) alive in Christ together, the Susquehanna Conference will embody the beloved community of disciple-making congregations.
That’s who we are and what we are about.
The beloved community is a window for the world to see what the reign of God is like where all live in peace and justice and harmony. It’s the vision of the shalom of God. The prophets envisioned it. Martin Luther King Jr. described it. Jesus proclaimed, taught, lived, died, and was resurrected for it.
The Cabinet and I will do our best to communicate the conference mission with clarity and implement it with clear goals in mind. Accordingly, we will continue to explore the ways to align our resources and structure with this understanding of our mission and vision. The Cabinet and I are enthused as we imagine and envision what this mission-driven focus of the conference will help our churches accomplish.
Thanks and praises be to God that we have many thriving churches, highly vital congregations, and effective leaders among us. But we realize that many of our churches are either barely maintaining or declining, some of them at a rapid pace. Under an unfavorable cultural environment for the church, we are continuously losing worship attenders and members, and we are confirming fewer new disciples. The rate of decline seems to be accelerating, causing some significant concerns regarding human, financial, and programmatic resources for ministry. Our future journey will be very challenging.
Besides, we as a local church and as an annual conference, are not immune to the potential impact that may come from the uncertainty of our current denominational situation regarding the question of human sexuality. The unity of our church is at stake.
When people on both sides of the matter are so passionate and resolved in their position, there seems to be no good or right way forward for all. A certain way forward may please some, but dissatisfy others, causing disillusion and even anger. Whatever I say for the sake of a way forward in unity may gratify some and disappoint others — doomed to say, and doomed not to say. However, in the midst of uncertainty, with many unanswered questions and no easy way forward in sight, I continue to feel God calling me to lead the church to unity as best as I can.
Knowing that the unity of our church is under serious threat, but also recognizing that unity is Jesus’ ardent prayer and aspiration for his followers, we started our quadrennial journey last year as a conference with the theme of unity: “Better Together: Make Us One.” Today we gather once again as the Susquehanna Annual Conference in the spirit of unity under the theme: “Better Together: One With Christ.”
Jesus’ prayer in John 17 will continue to be our biblical foundation for unity.
Unity is a biblical mandate for the Body of Christ. However, we realize that unity is a challenging agenda for the church. The fact of the matter is that unity doesn’t have a chance until we acknowledge that “our way or the highway” is not a way at all, and that breakthroughs can only be made when we are willing and ready to create room for others. It means a change of heart on our part.
Hear me clearly, changing our hearts does not mean to change our core values, beliefs, and convictions or compromising our conscience. It means changing from a heart at war to a heart at peace.
A heart at war sees the other side as an object to overcome. It does not recognize that the other side has as many rights, privileges, and validity as it does. It leaves no room for the other side.
A heart at peace sees the other side as a person who deserves to be of equal worth. It allows the other side to have a space and thus seeks coexistence without demanding or requiring my way or no way at all.
But we know that changing a heart is the most challenging agenda of all, particularly when it comes to examining if our own heart needs to change, let alone changing another person’s heart. Changing our heart is beyond what we can do by ourselves. It’s what the Holy Spirit does. So we have to depend on prayer. “‘Not by might nor by power, but by my Spirit,’ says the Lord.” (Zechariah 4:6)
One of the most intriguing and helpful insights for unity comes from A.W. Tozer: “Has it ever occurred to you that one hundred pianos all tuned to the same fork are automatically tuned to each other? They are of one accord by being tuned, not to each other, but to another standard to which each one must individually bow.”
His point? Seek first to be one with Christ then unity will follow.
What Tozer said connected me to the Colossians’ passage known as “The Supremacy of Christ.” The Merriam-Webster dictionary defines “supreme” as “highest in rank or authority” or “highest in degree or quality.” In essence, there is none better. The supreme of something is its ultimate. So what is the supremacy of Christ and what are its implications? What do these words evoke? What happens inside of you when you hear them?
One of the Cabinet members shared with us this quote about the supremacy of Christ from Sam Storms: “Jesus Christ is the reason, the goal, the aim, the intent, the point, the purpose, the end, the terminus, the consummation, and [the] culmination of every molecule that moves.”
And he added, “For me, the supremacy of Christ is a powerful reminder that: Christ is before all, as in him all things were created.
Christ is for all, in that he died for us while we were yet sinners, proving God’s love toward us.
Christ is over all, in that one day every knee will bow and every tongue confess that He is Lord.
Christ is after all, the One who is Alpha and Omega, the First and the Last, the Beginning and the End.”
“Lived out, it means that Jesus Christ is not just the means by which we find our life — He is our life!”
The point of the supremacy of Christ can be expressed in many other words. Simply put: Jesus Christ is the One. Whatever we are to be and are to do as disciples, God’s people, and the church, Jesus Christ is our ultimate reason and purpose. It’s about Jesus Christ.
The unity we seek is about Jesus Christ. Unity without Christ, unity outside of Christ, unity that has little or nothing to do with Christ is not the unity we seek. The unity of the Body of Christ is unity with Christ, of Christ, for Christ, and in Christ. It’s about Jesus Christ.
Tozer’s metaphor of the tuning fork for unity comes alive when we realize that Jesus Christ is supreme — He is the primary, standard, and ultimate tuning fork for all of us to tune ourselves to.
***
Watch for the next installment of Bishop Park’s Opening Celebration address in the September issue of Susquehanna LINK. You can view the 2018 Susquehanna Annual Conference Opening Celebration service, including Bishop Park’s address, at tinyurl.com/susumcAC2018video.
Ordained & Commissioned in 2018
Ordained Elders
Left to right: Ronald Baker, Audrey M. Brosious, Richard P. Hanlon, Jonathan D. Morningstar, Rebecca L. Holland, Rebecca J. (Woomer) McGee
Ordained Deacon
Ruth L. Myers
Provisional Elders
Left to right: John F. Mackey, Donald J. Smith, Kristopher R. Sledge, David Keyworth, and John W. Bondhus.
Finding the right pace
I believe stories are important. You get to know a lot about a person by listening to their stories and the details they include. To tell you a little bit about me, I want to tell you a story.
Two years ago, I did something insane. I decided to enter a triathlon. It wasn’t an Ironman, that would be absolute suicide. It was an international, which is a one-mile swim, 25-mile bike ride, and a six-mile run. It took me just over three hours to cross the finish line, and I felt relieved and amazed. I have never considered myself to be athletic, and I had only run my first 5K one year earlier. Nonetheless, I had made a promise to myself that I was going to do this.
Back in January Bishop Park called me into his office and had a crazy idea (though he wouldn’t call it an “idea.” I’m pretty sure the term he used was “appointment”). When he asked me to be the Director of Connectional Ministries, I was stunned. I was humbled. I was honored. But I was also terrified. I could think of a dozen people whom I thought were more qualified, more experienced, more deserving. And yet he was clear, “Jason, this is your appointment.” I had to do this.
Over the past few months as the shock has worn off, and I’ve slowly transitioned into this new role, working closely with Tom [Salsgiver] and Cabinet, meeting the staff, and preparing for Annual Conference, it has reminded me of training for my triathlon. Twelve weeks before the race, I began a focused training regimen. The workouts started out short and built over time. As your stamina grows, you start to see that you really can do this, but you also discover what you have yet to learn.
For the race, I started watching YouTube videos, reading Triathlon magazine, and talking to experienced racers. Coming into the conference office, I feel blessed to have already had a good deal of training. From seminary at Evangelical, to working with the Young Pastors Network, Lewis Fellows, the Board of Pensions & Health, the Sessions Committee for Annual Conference, and having served at CrossPoint, Harrisburg, and Trinity UMC, Hummelstown,I have great tools at my disposal. But I also know what I need to learn. I have a stack of 20-plus books to read by August, and I’m signed up for two conferences!
Of course, the most important thing I learned when training was the importance of setting your own pace. If you don’t, you’ll wear yourself out or get hurt. When you find your groove, there’s a peace and a rhythm that allows you to run all day. This new position is no different. I have to find my pace, meeting the needs of the conference while also nurturing my relationship with God, who provides the wisdom and peace needed to lead.
So I make this promise to you. I will do this to the best of my ability, committed and focused, willing to learn and ready to find my pace.
Let’s run.
Behind the Scenes: Telling our stories
Telling stories. It’s something that we all do, it’s a human characteristic.
In the weeks after Annual Conference, I was asked to help chronicle the history of Uriah United Methodist Church for the celebrations of their 140th anniversary. Talking to some of their members, I was struck by how clearly they all remembered very specific details of their times and the growing ministry of their church.
Luke 8:39 says, “Return home and tell the story of what God has done for you.” (CEB) And that is what this experience felt like. So many people returned home to Uriah to share their stories. With a history that stretched back to 1878, there were so many things that everyone could’ve spoken about. But, there was a special focus on what kind of future they wanted for their church.
Joann Day, a Uriah member for over 65 years said, “I would want them to make sure that they should be dedicated to the Lord. Take that commitment very seriously. And if you’re asked to do something and help, don’t say ‘I can’t.’ Say ‘I’ll try.’”
These words have really resonated with me, even in the past few days. In my new role here at the Conference, it’s often felt like each and every day a new challenge presents itself. And through everything, honestly, I’ve sometimes felt ill-equipped to handle it all. But hearing these words felt different.
Many times I’ve asked God “Are You sure?” And I know the answer, and I’m not trying to second-guess God’s plan; I guess it’s my reaction to where He’s leading me. Uncertainty. But, I know He’s done so much for me and will continue to do so. And the same is true for our churches and for our Conference. What He has led us through and where we have been are just the beginning.
So, even as tough as it is, I’ll be promising God that whatever He asks of me, I will be responding in only one way from now on: “I’ll try.”
Conference staffing changes
As the Susquehanna Conference continues to focus on its missional priorities to GROW, EQUIP, and CONNECT, a number of Conference staffing changes are taking place. Molly Inners will fill the position of Conference Receptionist as Amy Wynn assumes her new role as Executive Administrative Assistant for Connectional Ministries. Christine Sims will be the new Fund Specialist in the Finance Office as Pastor Jane Rosborough begins her full-time appointment as a local pastor. In the midst of change, we must say goodbye to Sharon Keebaugh who served on our Communications Team. We are grateful for her near 20 years of faithful service. Likewise, we extend gratitude to Curt Knouse, Director of Volunteers in Mission. Throughout his years of service, many people across the conference experienced their first mission trip, served in countless locations, and brought Christ to the rest of the world. Curt will be stepping down, effective August 15, 2018. We pray for Sharon and Curt in their future endeavors.
Deaconesses consecrated at Assembly 2018 and Annual Conference
 |
| Deaconesses Allison Francesco and Fawn McCallister were affirmed in their call and commissioned at the 2018 Susquehanna Annual Conference. |
by Tara Barnes*
Reprinted with permission
“Called to Be What for God’s World?” was the theme of the deaconess consecration service May 18 at the Greater Columbus Convention Center in Columbus, Ohio, part of UMW Assembly 2018. Twenty-four women from 19 conferences, including Allison Francesco and Fawn McCallister of the Susquehanna Conference, were consecrated for a lifetime of lay servant ministry in relationship with The United Methodist Church.
Deaconesses are laywomen who have responded to the call of God to full-time ministries of love, justice and service. Their life-giving work provides support and dignity to those in need and helps individuals and communities reach their full potential.
“Deaconesses and home missioners today, as throughout their history, serve in many areas of need, in places where the church has not been, was not aware it should be or was afraid or unwilling to be,” said Deaconess Megan Hale to open the service. “Their daily task of serving and empowering is a visible symbol of the link between the church and the world.” Hale is the executive for candidacy for United Methodist Women’s Office of Deaconess and Home Missioner.
Answering a call
Individuals consecrated and commissioned to the Office of Deaconess and Home Missioner in The United Methodist Church form a covenant community in service as a lay order. After discerning a call to lay ministry, deaconesses and home missioners (laymen) finish a course of study to ensure biblical, theological and sociological grounding in their ministries. They are consecrated and commissioned full-time mission-oriented service as part of the lay diaconate.“The first time I read a brochure about the deaconess calling, in the early 1990s, I felt the Holy Spirit speaking to me,” said newly consecrated deaconess and photojournalist Laurel Akin. “Years later I attended a discernment event and learned more about the wide varieties of ways deaconesses and home missioners work in ministries of love, justice and service.”
Deaconesses consecrated on Friday will serve in such various vocations as parish nurses, social services, photojournalism and Christian education in various communities across the country.
***
Barnes is editor of Response, the magazine of (United Methodist) women in mission. For more information about the ministry of Deaconess and Home Missioner, visit www.unitedmethodistwomen.org/dhm
***
Bishops Gregory Palmer of the West Ohio Conference, in which Assembly 2018 took place, and retired Bishop Ann Sherer-Simpson took part in the consecration service.
“When I heard a talk about what a Deaconess is, what they are called to do, I truly sat up straight and listened,” said Deaconess Fawn McCallister. “A moment later is when I heard God’s voice, felt His breath on my neck, with the words, “This is what you are meant to do.”
Continue Your Mission
George’s family bought the farm in 1923. On the farm they grew corn, wheat, and hay, and raised turkeys and chickens. George remembers they were the only ones in the area with a telephone, and the farm had its own electrical system.
The woods, which still surround Normandie Ridge, were used for Boy Scout camping and church picnics. The farm was made up of 26 acres of land on both sides of Bull Road, which at the time was a dirt road. The Spangler home was located on the Manchester Township side of the property.
On the farm was an old German style barn with pegged and hand-hewn logs. Tourists were drawn to the barn and its “soul box,” which was really a little door. Superstition had it that when there was a death, the door would be left open so the soul could get out, and when there was a birth, it would be opened for the soul to come in. The barn was the subject of many paintings and was featured in many newspaper stories over the years.
The Spangler family continued to farm the land for many years, but in the late 1980s, the remaining family members decided to sell the farm, which was divided into small parcels. George built his home on one of the parcels.
In 1987 United Methodist Homes of Lewisburg purchased all of the land in response to a request for assistance from United Methodist Care of York, to build senior housing and a nursing home. This was the beginning of Normandie Ridge. Today, the former Spangler farm is home to three churches, several homes, an apartment complex, and Normandie Ridge.
In 2008 George was ready to move to a senior living community, so Normandie Ridge was the obvious choice. George lived at Normandie Ridge from 2008 until 2017, when he decided to move to a facility in Gettysburg to be closer to his daughter. However, he soon found that he really missed all of his Normandie Ridge friends and chose to move back in 2018. George was warmly welcomed by everyone at Normandie Ridge, and he’s extremely happy to be back among his friends.
George says he loves living at Normandie Ridge, where the people are great and his children have peace of mind knowing he always has help available if he needs it. But the best part, he says, is “all the memories that, living once again on this land, brings back.”
Albright Care Services is proud that George Spangler is part of our family. Albright invites you to continue your mission by joining us at one of our six locations. Visit www.albrightcare.org for information on senior living, day programs, giving, or volunteering.
Praying Our Way Forward
The Council of Bishops, in partnership with The Upper Room, has launched Phase 3 of Praying our Way Forward.
“... Phase 3 [began] June 3 and continues through the Special Session of General Conference in February 2019. In this phase, we are encouraging every United Methodist to fast weekly and to pray daily with the Council of Bishops,” said Bishop Al Gwinn, the prayer team coordinator.
In Phase 3, all United Methodists are invited to:
- Engage in a weekly Wesleyan 24-hour fast from Thursday after dinner to Friday mid-afternoon. Those who have health situations causing food fasts to be unadvisable might consider fasting from social media, emails, or another daily activity.
- Pause and pray for our church’s mission and way forward daily for four minutes from 2:23 through 2:26 a.m. or p.m. in their own time zone OR at another time. This is because the Special Session of General Conference will be held February 23 through February 26, 2019.
- Pray using a weekly prayer calendar that will be posted on the UMCPrays.org website from June 2, 2018, through the end of February 2019. The calendar will list a unique cluster of names each week. The names will balance United States bishops and delegates with Central Conference bishops and delegates. It will also include General Secretaries, Commission on a Way Forward members, the Commission of the General Conference, and the staff of the General Conference.
There is a local church media kit with downloadable resources including logos, social media posts, and bulletin inserts available at UMCprays.org.
Volunteers in Mission
Susquehanna Conference leads the way
In the statistical report recently released from the NEJ regarding Volunteers in Mission (short-term missions) the Susquehanna Conference led the jurisdiction in the number of teams serving in local, national, and international missions. The conference was also among the top three in total number or members participating in mission and percentage of members participating in missions. The numbers reported that from 2012 to 2016 the number of mission teams in Susquehanna Conference have more than doubled from 114 to 253.Congratulations to the VIM Council and all those serving for being the hands and feet of Christ in the world today.
VIM Training
There will be a Volunteers in Mission team leader/member training August 4, beginning with check-in at 8:45 a.m. Lunch and training manual will be provided. The training will cover topics such as mission promotion, budgeting, insurance, and selecting mission partners. Please register with your name and home church to vim@susumc.org. There is no cost for the training.
Young People's Ministry
Assistance needed to help youth affect change as leaders
By Ed Preston“Youth leadership is more than just a pie in the face. Youth leadership brings a necessary perspective, is the hope for future leadership, and a way to bring young people to Christ. We are leaders in the church now, as middle- and high-schoolers, because we know that one day we will be in your position helping our own children become church leaders.” With this important observation, Julia, Jacob, Lydia, and Hannah offered the report of the Young People’s Ministry Council.
Julia shared that while impacted by the surrounding culture and having ways to connect and share Christ, “My faith puts me in the minority opinion.” Even so, she asserted that, “Leadership as youth in the church helps me bridge this gap.” The youth lifted up the new, fresh voice they can bring to the table of local church leadership. They offered the ability of the youth voice to help bring change in motives, opinions, and ministry options. “In twenty years I will be 36,” said one youth. “Where do you want me to be in church leadership?”
But youth leadership isn’t just about the church, it’s also the individual relationship with God. One story shared was of a church camp experience during a time of grief over the loss of a friend to cancer. “It wasn’t until church camp that I realized that the Holy Spirit has been working in his life for the future of youth. When he passed away, it was known that we were not alone. As brothers and sisters we need to make sure that the youth know they are never alone. Three levels of assistance are needed in helping youth affect change as leaders: personal, local church, and conference. On the personal level, mentoring, intentional messages of support, and personal openness to their perspectives. At the local church level, having voices on committees, sharing meaningfully in worship, and being given resources to advance their faith journey through service would help youth grow. Giving youth the grace to try and sometimes fail as part of learning and growing is part of the total support that helps them become effective leaders. At the conference and jurisdictional level, the youth need to know that you really care about us being here.”
Youth seek conversation about examples of their impact and the difference they make. Finding new ways to increase youth attendance at Annual Conference is a challenging conversation which they desire to have. We were left with these words: “I encourage you all to go back to your home church and empower your youth to be leaders for the kingdom of God.”
 |
| Bishop Jeremiah J. Park (right), Audrey Wilder, and the Annual Conference prayed over the delegates to the Global Young People’s Convocation being held in Johannesburg, South Africa, this summer. (Left to right) Christina McDermott, Hannah Carter, Alexander Clark, and Taylor Johnston. This is a unique discipleship opportunity for these young poeple. Follow their experience on Instagram @youngpplministry. |
And the winner is ... Young People!
By Bethany Wood
One of the Annual Conference fundraisers for the Youth Service Fund was a Pie-in-Face Challenge. Candidates included Rev. Dr. Tom Salsgiver, Audrey Wilder, Kevin Witt, John Konieczny, Rev. Beth Jones, Rev. Marian Hartman, Rev. Barry Robison, and Rev. Larry Leland Jr.
People were encouraged to “vote” by dropping spare change or loose bills into competitor-labeled buckets at the Young People’s Ministry display table.
Audrey Wilder, Director of Young People’s Ministry, stated that she should have learned [by now] how competitive this Annual Conference is, and its history of giving great support to the Young People’s Ministry.
Other fundraising efforts included a gift basket silent auction, a charging station, text2give, and the sale of printed AC workbooks. Over $7,700 was raised for the Youth Service Fund, of which a significant amount came from the pie challenge. The bottom four candidates raised $361.25 collectively. The top four candidates and the amount they raised were: Rev. Marian Hartman, $487.43; Rev. Larry Leland Jr., $632.71; Rev. Beth Jones, $659; and the “winner” – was Audrey Wilder, with $1,005.51 in “votes.” Wilder donned a red rain poncho and a shower cap to receive not one, but four pies to the face to celebrate a resounding Youth Service Fund victory.
In addition, sales of Better Together t-shirts and Polo shirts helped raise over $2,900 for Annual Conference Youth Scholarships, to help youth offset the cost of participating in Annual Conference.
IMPACT! Reclaiming the Call of Lay Ministry
Following is an edited transcript of Kay Kotan’s presentation in the Laity Session of the 2018 Susquehanna Annual Conference. You can view the presentation at tinyurl.com/susumcAC2018video
All of us are a called people and we are called for kingdom impact. Each and every one of us, not just clergy. One of the best examples of a lay leader in the Bible is Nehemiah. He had all the strengths of good leadership; he was decisive, he was well organized, he was a wise overseer of other people, was a good administrator, a skilled project manager, and he knew how to get things done. Regarding spiritual leadership he had; godly character, a consistent testimony, a burning zeal for the Lord, a desire to serve, and a commitment to honor God in all that he did. Above all, Nehemiah teaches us what a vibrant prayer life ought to be. He was passionate, but not driven by his emotions. He was a hardworking man, but also understood the importance of delegating tasks. And he loved people, but never compromised on matters of principle.
Nehemiah is a model for lay leadership. He was not a priest, a scribe, or an expert in the law. He wasn’t a theologian, he wasn’t a teacher. He was a servant in the king’s palace in Persia. He labored among the people of Jerusalem as a fellow worker and he earned their respect by serving them, and by being a flesh-and-blood example of what the people of Israel ought to be. Servitude is the best kind of training for spiritual leadership. A servant is exactly what Jesus said a true leader ought to be. Nehemiah teaches us that whoever we are, whatever our background or training is, or whatever our position in life is, God has called us to use our gifts as servants. If we’re willing to serve, God can use us in mighty ways.
John Wesley knew about the laity movement as well. He said, “Give me one hundred preachers who fear nothing but sin and desire nothing but God, and I care not a straw whether they be clergy or laymen, such alone will shake the gates of hell and set up the kingdom of heaven on earth.” Amen.
I’m calling for a renewal, a reclaiming of our role as laity. Each and every one of us is called for a God-sized impact. I cringe at that a little bit, as a layperson myself, and I’ve been guilty of thinking, “Oh, I am just a lay person.” Let’s remove “just” from our vocabulary. We are lay people and we are called for God-sized impact.
As I’ve travelled the country I’ve found that we’re lacking equipping and opportunities for knowing our role as laity. I’ve heard a number of people saying, “Oh, I’m just a lay person,” or “That’s clergy work.” I began to have a little heartache around that, along with a clergy friend of mine. I asked, “How do we reclaim our roots? We are a Wesleyan movement. How are we going to once again be raised up to be the [laity] in the movement that we once were?” And thus was born this book “IMPACT! Reclaiming the Call of Lay Ministry.”
Methodism was founded on the movement of laity and through that millions and millions of people were reached. United Methodists are a declining denomination. How can we reclaim those roots and once again reach millions for Christ? Wesley believed that all people could have impact, not just clergy. I’m calling for a rekindling, a sparking, and a set-the-laity-on-fire to reach new people, as we’re called to do.
Our mission is to make disciples. We need to have greater impact and reach new people. With the professionalization of clergy, more and more schooling was required and it changed the way laity started thinking about themselves. Like, “I’m not equipped for that. I haven’t gone to seminary, therefore I can’t (fill in the blank.)” Because of that professionalization we gave away our movement, and our power and impact as lay people.
Acts 6 tells us that that the disciples were increasing daily. The priests couldn’t give up their responsibilities for preaching and teaching to care for the sick and the poor. So what did they do? Seven people were commissioned for this work. Lay movement right there. How are we doing that in our local churches today?
We’re looking for outcomes with a God-sized impact. How do we ignite, once again, our culture that is no longer church-centric, a culture where church people are the minority? I don’t want that to continue on my watch — do you want that to continue on your watch? There are enough of us to effect change if we decide we want to have a God-sized impact. Let’s get to work.
In the book we identified eight different areas for God-sized impact in your church:
- Christ’s Church for Christ’s Impact
- Cultural Impact
- Discipleship Impact
- Relational Impact
- Missions Impact
- Worship with Impact
- Impact-focused Lay Leadership
- New Pastor’s Arrival: An Opportunity for Impact
Christ’s Church for Christ’s Impact
It’s time to plant and harvest in a new way. The way we were taught and did evangelism — invite people to church or create the right event — is not working. We first have to build authentic relationships with people and then we can talk about God and the church. We have to be willing to get in the trenches and do life with people if we’re going to build the church and have a God-sized impact once again. We have to have a complete buy-in and commitment. A recent Barna study asked a number of church “members” how their church was fulfilling the Great Commission. Most didn’t know what the Great Commission was and less than half knew their church existed to make disciples.According to Adam Hamilton, seekers are asking four questions: 1. “Why God?” Why do we choose to follow this God? Why is it important? Why do we choose this lifestyle? How does it make a difference in our life? 2. “Why do I need a church?” What does a church have to do with it? Why would that make a difference? 3. “Why your church?” 4. “To whom does the church belong?”
The church belongs to Jesus Christ. When we forget who we belong to our own personal preferences and relationships with one another overtake the mission. We have to go from persuasion and consensus to collaborative leadership. We’re looking for accountable, missional leadership that leads the church in its mission to make disciples.
Cultural Impact
The church is struggling to keep up with culture. The world is moving on but we think it’s okay that the church remains exactly the same. We believe that there’s sacredness in the building, or sacredness in the traditions, or in the way we’ve always done things. The sacredness is being the church and making disciples.The US population is expected to become majority-minority by 2044 and if you look around this conference, we are a predominantly Caucasian, middle-class denomination. That does not reflect our culture. We have become culturally irrelevant.
The world around us is changing the way it learns and communicates. We have to communicate in a new language, both metaphorically and literally, in order for the world to be able to understand. We need to stop using church language like “Narthex.” Does anybody else know what that is besides a church person?
Discipleship Impact
Everything we are doing in the church should be helping people develop into disciples, who will disciple others. How does someone come into your church and become a fully devoted follower of Jesus Christ? Do you have an intentional faith-development process? Discipleship is not a Bible study, or a curriculum — those may be elements of a discipleship pathway. Discipleship includes generosity (giving) and we need to allow pastors to talk about that. And we need to remember Wesley’s idea of small groups — classes — where we disciple one another and hold each other accountable, asking, “How’s it going with your relationship with Christ?” and “How can I be helpful or supportive?”Relational Impact
We are in the relationship business and as such we have to make ourselves available. Are you preparing for and expecting guests each and every Sunday? It starts with hospitality — making that first impression. More importantly radical hospitality — going above and beyond baseline expectations — because that’s what people will remember. Are there three points-of-contact: outside the building, at the exterior entrance — more than one entrance = more than one person — and then at the sanctuary doors? What is the pre-worship experience atmosphere? Is there anything scrolling on screens; is there any music in the background? What do you do after worship? If they come once, what’s going to have them come again? How do you follow up? How can we as lay people have a God-sized impact as part of hospitality and the connection process?Then there’s congregational care, which is different from pastoral care. Pastoral care (“the big stuff”) is done only by the pastor. But we can pray. We can go and share care and concern, and say, “Our pastor is aware that you are suffering, or having this issue, or is celebrating with you, and I’ll report back.” It’s about training. As laity we are called for congregational care, caring for one another.
Missions Impact
What does outreach mean? I think it’s both missions and service: good news and good deeds, together.Is your mission field your zip code, your school district, a two-mile radius? Is your mission field a street to the north, south, east, and west, or a highway, a dirt path, or a river? Name it and claim it! Intentionally name who God is calling your church to reach, own it, and then go after it. Communities are changing constantly so you should re-identify your mission field every year, making tweaks to your ministries, and sometimes even your vision.
You’ve got to partner with, and be an integral part of your community. Find out what your community needs are and how your church can be helpful. Jesus did not only hang out in the temple, He hung out with the sinners. Where do we go to hang out with the people that we’re trying to reach? Fresh Expressions is creating new places for new people in some very unusual places. Kayaking. Bar church. Meeting at the winery. Gym, yoga, hiking … all of those are meeting people where they’re at. What’s your passion? Where do you like to hang out? Begin a group, begin a Fresh Expression, and create those places outside your church for missions impact.
Worship with Impact
“WOW” worship” is when you say, “Wow! I experienced God.” “Wow! I can’t wait to tell somebody about that message.” “Wow! I can’t wait to invite someone to come with me.” You walk away changed, thinking about something, wanting to do something differently. It’s not flashing lights, a big band, and lots of noise. Worship is vertical and horizontal; it has to be multi-layered and meet all of the senses. Clergy and laity should design and lead worship together. Our hearts must ache more for the unchurched than for our preferences and traditions in worship.Impact-focused Lay Leadership
Our ministries should help us live into our vision and our mission. We need to be asking how each ministry is helping us make disciples. How are we stepping up with passion, in our areas of spiritual giftedness, to lead? It’s the job of laity to lead the ministries, not the pastor who is the teacher and the equipper.Do we have an intentional leadership development processes? We need to be raising up the next generation of leaders. Young people are looking for authentic, transparent leadership. Lay leaders should be governing the church and not managing it (the job of the pastor and staff.) We cannot be afraid of conflict. How you manage conflict, how you treat one another, how you come to the table to have healthy conversations make a big difference. Lay leaders need to mentor and collaborate with young people.
New Pastor’s Arrival: An Opportunity for Impact
A new pastoral appointment is a restart, an opportunity to look at your church through new eyes, to seek and listen to new ideas. Take advantage of it. As laity, take ownership of the mission and vision of your church. Reassess how you communicate. Reassess your mission field. Look at your strategies for making and growing disciples, building relationships, and developing leaders, and make changes as needed.
Set your ministries ablaze!
The following is PART ONE of an edited transcript of a presentation by Kay Kotan, Director of Equipping Vital Congregations, at the 2018 Susquehanna Annual Conference, Plenary 2. The video of her full presentation can be viewed at tinyurl.com/susumcAC2018video
SCENE 1
Three friends sitting in camp chairs surround by what will become a campfire. They have backpacks, camping gear, hot dogs, marshmallows, and other camp items with them. They bring the cooler on-stage with them.Daniel: Ah … gotta love the great outdoors! Can’t wait to get this fire going. I love the smell of fire, the warmth it gives off, and I’m ready for some roasted hot dogs and marshmallows.
Jen: I’m right there with you on all counts, but I can’t help but remember the last time you tried to start the fire; you needed a can of gasoline and a flame thrower, and you still couldn’t get it going.
Kris: Yeah, and prior to that you were rubbing two sticks together for an hour and a half, disproving the saying, “where there’s smoke, there’s fire.”
Daniel: Alright … I’m not a firebug. You don’t have to rub it in.
Jen: Well, you’re not as bad as Kris. The last time we were out here, he was trying to start the fire with a magnifying glass … wait for it … AT NIGHT … with a flashlight!
Kris: True … so true. I guess I’m not on Smokey the Bear’s most wanted list.
Daniel: Yeah, me neither, but Jen, you’re not exactly an Eagle Scout yourself.
Jen: This is true … but since the last time we were out here, I’ve done my homework. I’ve learned that getting a fire going requires certain tools and conditions. With a little effort, it’s not so hard to get a fire started, keep it going and maintained, AND even make it bigger - in a safe way of course.
Daniel: Kris, call Smokey the Bear, we’ve got an expert here.
Kris: On it!
Jen: I’m serious. Tonight is going to be different. No more struggling to get the fire going. I’ve got a secret weapon.
[Jen goes to her backpack and pulls out ...]
Kris: Woah, what’s that?
Daniel: A shoe box? Did you bring special shoes to start the fire?
Jen: No, this is a tinderbox. It’s a toolbox for starting fires. Everything we need is contained within. I’ve studied, practiced, and now it’s time to get this fire going.
[All three approach the fire ring and get down on their knees around the fire. One adds kindling, the others adds larger wood. Jen pulls the flint from the tinderbox and strikes it. The fire is lit.]
Jen: … And we have fire.
Daniel and Kris: Impressive!
* * *
How many of you have been on a campout like our friends [in SCENE 1], and when it’s time to start the fire, you just can’t get it going? Or how many of you got the fire going, only to see it fade out to soon? How many of you saw your fire grow so big and intense that you had to back off because the heat was so intense?
Through the [next few LINKs] we’re going to stoke that fire and share with you how Equipping Vital Congregations can help you set your ministry ablaze.
In the opening scene, we didn’t have experienced fire builders. They had to experiment and try new things. Not all fires are built the same. We have to do things differently depending on our circumstances.
Equipping Vital Congregations have developed for you what we’re calling a Tinderbox. A tinderbox is a toolbox for building fires.
There are various compartments in our tinderbox, all of which contain different tools to help you start a fire that we want to keep burning for a very long time. I want to share with you five tools that are contained within our Equipping Vital Congregations tinderbox:
- Consultation
- Coaching
- Small Group Resources and Curricula
- Workshops and General Tools
- New Places for New People
***
Watch for PART TWO in the next issue of Susquehanna LINK.
View the full presentation at tinyurl.com/susumcAC2018video
Living as the Body of Christ
 |
| Bihsop Sandra Steiner Ball |
“I appeal to you therefore, brothers and sisters, by the mercies of God, to present your bodies as a living sacrifice, holy and acceptable to God, which is your spiritual worship. Do not be conformed to this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your minds, so that you may discern what is the will of God — what is good and acceptable and perfect. For by the grace given to me I say to everyone among you not to think of yourself more highly than you ought to think, but to think with sober judgment, each according to the measure of faith that God has assigned. For as in one body we have many members, and not all the members have the same function, so we, who are many, are one body in Christ, and individually we are members one of another. We have gifts that differ according to the grace given to us: prophecy, in proportion to faith; ministry, in ministering; the teacher, in teaching; the exhorter, in exhortation; the giver, in generosity; the leader, in diligence; the compassionate, in cheerfulness.” Romans 12:1-8 NRSV
By Brenda Leigey
The Annual Conference was blessed to begin their Saturday morning with a Bible study lead by Bishop Sandra L. Steiner Ball, Episcopal leader of the West Virginia Conference.
Drawing her message from Romans 12:1-8 and selected verses from 1 Corinthians 12, Ball said, “The purpose of Bible study is to examine and help us to see what it means to be one in Christ.” Ball then led those gathered in prayerfully singing, “O Lord, open our lips and we shall declare your praise.”
Ball, in preparing to read from Romans 12, said, “The Bible tells us about us and tells us about God and how that all works together. This book is a fantastic story that binds us together in ways that helps us be better in the mission God has called us to.”
 | |||
| “The Body of Christ” | Artist: Becky Collier Doman © 2007 | The U.S. Library of Congress |
Ball presented an image that is part of a larger painting by artist Becky Collier Doman. Doman was inspired when reading Scripture and seeking to know and understand what it means to be one in Christ’s body. The painting (pictured below) is called, “The Body of Christ.” Ball introduced it by saying the morning Bible study will be under the “backdrop of God.” The slide displayed various positions of human eyes as a motivation for us to have God open up our inner eye to wrestle with ourselves to see and outwardly to grasp what God calls us to do and be.
Ball said the letter of Romans is a gift to us. Paul wrote the letter of Romans to be a letter of love that reaches out and encompasses all people. It fits well with our Wesleyan understanding of prevenient grace – a grace that assures us that God goes before us and God chases us, woos us, pursues us, even though we are still yet sinners.
Our response to the letter written to the Romans is that we are to turn the entirety of our lives to God, so that daily we are transformed by Christ. A process that involves heart, mind, will, and actions as we become new persons who want what God wants. It is a process of becoming one in Christ, which is a matter of heart, mind, and spirit.
Beginning with Romans 12:1-2, Ball invited those who gathered to listen for the words that come to their mind from the passage: “I appeal to you therefore, brothers and sisters, by the mercies of God, to present your bodies as a living sacrifice, holy and acceptable to God, which is your spiritual worship. Do not be conformed to this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your minds, so that you may discern what is the will of God — what is good and acceptable and perfect.” (NRSV)
Ball then pointed out the first word of the passage, “Therefore.” “Therefore” lets us know that the verses are connected back to something else; something that has come before. Referring back to Romans 6:1-2, Ball shared that Paul did not want people to know that simply believing is not enough, because that will cause us to live in a way that is not what we are called to do. True faith should result in something more – the living of holy lives.
Paul in writing to the Roman Christian community instructed them about the connection of body and spirit which is essential in our lives. Our bodies are part of our whole being; sacred and beloved of God. Paul also shares with the Roman Christians that we are to offer ourselves as a living sacrifice, a holy sacrifice. We are to live as one with Christ, saying yes to Christ and making a decision to dedicate our lives to following the example of Christ.
Going back to Romans 12:1-2, Ball talked about what it means to “not to be conformed.” Conform looks like fitting in, following the crowd, moving from one thing to the next. Instead, we are to be transformed. We are to be molded and shaped by the kingdom of Christ, to be one in Christ. It is by the grace of God that we are being transformed to be something different than the world. This involves the physical and the mind, for behavior follows belief. We become what our minds consume.
Paul calls for us to let God transform our minds, be transformed of the stuff that leads to a change that is transformed to more Godly thoughts and living. We should do this because it is what is good and pleasing, perfect will of God. Unfortunately, some people believe that God’s will should model their own will.
Ball then moved on to verses 3-4 of Romans 12: “ For by the grace given to me I say to everyone among you not to think of yourself more highly than you ought to think, but to think with sober judgment, each according to the measure of faith that God has assigned. For as in one body we have many members, and not all the members have the same function.” (NRSV)
Grace is given to us for the renewing of our minds; to think of ourselves realistically and humbly. We have no right to feel superior to those who have different gifts. Followers of Christ do not put down or tear apart others, but lift them up. None of the gifts we receive are for our boasting but for building up individual members – sharing our gifts because of the grace given us.
Ball then referred back to the first slide by artist Becky Collier Doman.
“It is the eye in the Body of Christ” reminding us that we are to be God’s eyes in the world. The eyes are the entry into our hearts. The hands represented are God’s love outreaching and encompassing us.
The second slide is a painting of another aspect of the body of Christ. Paul talked about the church being the hands and feet of Christ. Holding up one another when we cannot stand on our own; upholding others when they cannot hold up themselves.
The third slide represented the Body of Christ as we remember Christ through the sacraments. The means of grace as we are knitted together; one with each other; intersecting the divine and the human.
The fourth slide displayed the experience of sound represented by the ears of Christ; not just the hearing but the receiving of the word that will become one with us. When Christ calls out to us, our response is to receive the word, offering it as a witness to others.
The fifth slide was a painting of a mouth and how our mouth can be a significant gift if it is used with renewed minds.
The sixth slide is the receiving of the Holy Spirit through the water of baptism; the water used for foot washing through the Spirit of God reminding us of servanthood as the body of Christ.
The seventh slide depicted the body of Christ as each panel connected together to take the shape of the cross; representing the flow of the Holy Spirit as the feet are firmly planted on the Bible and grounded in faith to allow God to move us to not be conformed but be transformed through the renewing of our minds. A journey to be traveled throughout our lives, through physical and spiritual feeding.
Ball emphasized, “We are One in Christ. All the panels, all the colors, the bands of the color, (the Holy Spirit) reflect that we are all unique and we have different gifts. We are not all the same, but one in the body of Christ.” The picture is not complete if not all of the colors work together. As the colors work together in harmony, so should the body of Christ.
Ball then lifted up the seven gifts of the Spirit that Paul talks about: the gifts of prophecy, service, teaching, exhorting, giving, leadership, and compassion. All these spiritual gifts are given by God to be used on the behalf of others.
This is what the body of Christ is to be: One in the Body; One in Christ. We are to be God’s blessing to others.
***
The video of the Bible Study with Bishop Sandra Steiner Ball on Saturday morning, June 2, of the 2018 Susquehanna Annual Conference can be viewed at tinyurl.com/susumcAC2018video
The Changing Landscape of Camp & Retreat Ministry
The Board of Camp & Retreat Ministry and staff have prayerfully discerned four new horizons and visions to expand the missional impact and long-term vitality and sustainability of the conference’s camp and retreat centers and ministries. These efforts focus on making sure that camp and retreat ministries are adaptive and dynamic pathways of discipleship that are true extensions of the ministries of our local churches. Camp & Retreat Ministry, with our colleagues in local churches, will create new forms of ministry and collaboration that take seriously the needs of the changing landscape of society and the church. We look forward to talking with those of you who are leaders in local churches and extension ministries to dream together about new possibilities.
ONE
Develop Fresh Partnerships with Congregations to Help Enhance Relationships and Missional Outreach within their Local Communities.Experiential faith formation is a powerful avenue for developing new relationships with people in fresh and dynamic discipleship opportunities.
A. Perhaps it is a new idea that Camp & Retreat Ministry can come collaborate with your congregations to bring the benefits of outdoor ministry to where you are. We are launching Camp in the Community in 2019, in which a new form of day camp will be done with local churches in their own local communities that will be bridging opportunities to form new relationships with families and individuals in your own communities. This approach is a very positive and beneficial way to create new pathways to relationship and discipleship.
B. We will also support congregations engaged in the Equipping Vital Congregations processes for creative ways to help these churches fulfill some of the new visions for strategic planning, outreach, and ministry that they will be developing. In addition to the wide array of camps and retreats being offered already, we know that there are also churches that want to plan their own retreats and camps designed with specific faith formation and missional outcomes related to their context. We are eager to help.
TWO
Extend the Wide Embrace of God Among Underserved Persons and Communities.We will remove barriers and deepen relationships so those who participate and lead within our camp and retreat ministries more fully reflect the diversity of people and families living in our communities.
A. This project includes a major renovation and expansion of accessibility for persons with handicapping conditions, beginning with Wesley Forest.
B. Also underway is an initiative to establish partnerships with United Methodist urban ministries, congregations, and other partners to enable children, youth, and families to participate who now have financial or other barriers that hinder their involvement and access. This includes intentional relationship building and shared leadership with ethnic communities.
C. It is also clear that the northern region of our conference is underserved in terms of camp and retreat ministry opportunities due to distance and an historical affinity with Sky Lake Camp. We now have a new collaboration with Sky Lake.
THREE
Steward the Ministry to Healthy Growth and Vitality in order to Establish Greater Long-Term Capacity to Fulfill our Mission.We are working diligently to expand our collaborations and grow the ministry by 20 percent by 2020, which will bring us more into alignment with other UM camp and retreat ministries that have reached a level that enables long-term health and vitality.
It is crucial that we steward the ministry well so that it will have the capacity to serve the conference and the region into the future as we reach more people in the fulfillment of our important shared mission.
We will be reaching out to caring donors who have a passion to make sure no one is prevented from attending UM camp and retreat ministries due to finances.
We will also be assessing rates and aligning our resources to expand the impact of these pathways of discipleship.
FOUR
Excel at Inspiring, Developing, and Renewing Christian Servant Leaders, Especially Those New to Their Roles.Camps and retreats have long been one of the milestone experiences for many laity and clergy in discerning direction in life, hearing the call of God, growing in spiritual leadership, and finding rhythms of renewal and restoration.
It can be particularly challenging for laity and clergy new to leadership roles, so we want to be especially attentive to see that those persons also receive encouragement and assistance as we collaborate and coordinate with other groups in the conference focused on spiritual leadership development to expand the intentionality and opportunities to grow in spiritual leadership.
This includes collaborations with Young’s People’s Ministry of the conference in the training and support of persons leading local church youth ministries.
Meet the Team
 | ||||||
|
 | ||||||
|
 | ||||||
|
 | ||||||
|
 | ||||||
|
 | ||||||
|
 | ||||
|
 | ||||
|
To live is Christ; to die is gain
Memorial Service, May 31, 2018. Susquehanna Annual Conference
It was an honor and a privilege for me to stand before the family members of those being honored in the Memorial Service. Because first and foremost, the service is about remembering. Remembering the lives of those who have served the church in different ways. Those who served as pastors, their spouses, conference staff, and lay members.
Undoubtedly their family members loved them and supported them in the way that they served. And we thank them, because we know that they made sacrifices. I am sure there were those phone calls that disrupted dinner, and plans that were made and had to be changed because of something happening. And so we thank the families for the love and the support that they gave to their loved ones.
A memorial service serves also to remember that we are one with Christ. Earlier at Annual Conference we said the words of the Apostles Creed. We said, “I believe in the communion of saints.” Took me a long time to figure out what that meant — the communion of saints. As a child I pictured a whole bunch of people with wings and halos sitting around drinking little cups of grape juice. You know, that’s the kind of communion of saints that a child thinks about.
But the communion of saints says that we are one with Christ whether we lived yesterday, today, tomorrow, or all the tomorrows after that. We are here today because of saints going all the way back to saints like Peter, Mary Magdalene, the Apostle Paul, and Lydia. Saints like John Wesley, Sojourner Truth, Harry Hoosier, and Bishop Park. Yeah, he’s a saint. We’re saints. Oh, I don’t have a capital “S” saint by my name, believe me. But those who are part of Christ are saints. And these loved ones we honor are saints that helped shape our lives.
They say confession is good for the soul, and I am going to confess something.
We won’t say how many years ago, but when I was a young seminary student, and attended my first Annual Conference, the first experience I had was a memorial service, and I sat there scratching my head. My family didn’t do death very well at all. When someone in my family died, we had a memorial service with just the family, and then we didn’t talk about that person anymore. And I thought that’s the way the whole world did death. But over the years I have come to appreciate this service.
It helped as I began to know some of the names. In those early years I didn’t know any of those people that died. But tonight as I listened to the names, smiles came to my face as I heard the names of pastors from my district, of colleagues, friends, pioneers who paved the way for women in ministry.
It’s important that we remember we are connected with each other, because we are connected with Christ. I have no doubt that sitting among us, both clergy and laity, there are others among us who are grieving the loss of family members, mentors, and friends, people who helped shape your Christian life.
If someone had not proclaimed the Word to us, how would we hear? We have the written Scripture, but how much more alive it comes when someone shares with us what God has done in their life. And that’s what these loved ones that we honor have done. Some of them proclaimed it from the pulpit. Some of them proclaimed it as they baked pies and cakes. And if I may take a moment, there was one very special lay member of Annual Conference, Jim Smailes, who was my parsonage guy. He took care of my parsonage. And anytime I needed him, I called him up, and he was there. He served God with screwdrivers and hammers and paintbrushes. You see, we are one in Christ.
You may have heard the poem, and I didn’t memorize it, but it talks about the “dash.” On your tombstone, 1953 “dash” whatever. And the year you were born and the year you die really don’t mean a whole lot, it’s that “dash” in the middle that makes the difference.
What do you do with your “dash”?
You see, if we’re one with Christ, and we have been touched by those who have gone before us, the job now comes to us. It’s our turn to share the good news of Jesus Christ so that the next generation is not lost. I don’t want the church to die on my watch. God won’t let it. I believe that. But God needs you and I to make it happen.
So what will your legacy be? How are you living your life as a follower of Christ so that others will know and come to love Jesus? It’s not always easy.
The message doesn’t change, but the way we present the message sometimes needs to change. If we never changed music in the church, we might still be singing Gregorian chants. And I’m sorry, that is not my favorite genre. We may have to package the gospel in some new ways to reach new people in new places.
The church met in catacombs and homes and fields. John Wesley preached from atop a tombstone and outside the mines. There is a generation, more than one generation, out there who need to hear the good news of Jesus Christ, so that there will be more and more who become one with Christ today and into the future.
It’s our job to go to heaven and to take as many people along with us as we can. Paul said, “For to me, to live is Christ and to die is gain. If I am to go on living in the body, this will mean fruitful labor for me. Yet what shall I choose? I do not know! I am torn between the two: I desire to depart and be with Christ, which is better by far; but it is more necessary for you that I remain in the body.” (Philippians 1:21-24 NIV) I like that — if I remain I know that it will bear fruit for Christ.
Sometimes we get to the point of saying, what can I do? I am old. I don’t have much influence. I don’t have all those gifts that other people have. Do me a favor: Take two fingers, press them to the inside of your wrist. You got a pulse? You’re alive? God’s got something for you to do! God always has something for you to do.
When we lose someone we love, we experience grief. But we don’t grieve as those who have no hope. Not to say we don’t grieve, because grief is real. But in our grief, we have hope. We have hope that we will be one with Christ yesterday, today, and forever.
I remember a sermon preached by Rev. Jody Link. She preached the Memorial Service the year her husband died in the early days of the AIDS epidemic. And I remember that she said grief is so high, you can’t get over it; so low, you can’t under it; so wide, you can’t get around it; you gotta go through it. I never knew how much those words would affect my life. I have no idea why I remember that particular sermon or why I remember that that’s what she said.
Fourteen years ago in May, I lost my son in a car accident. And that was when I had to figure out if all the things I had been saying to people all these years about death and grief were real for myself. Did I have that hope? And Jody’s words came back to me. And she was right, you can’t get over it, you can’t get under it, you can’t get around it, but you can get through it. Because unlike the way my family did death when I was a kid, I learned that if we do death together, if in death we remember that we are one with Christ, we have such support to carry us through. We cannot be a Christian alone. We cannot be a Christian isolated from others.
Paul says for me to live is Christ. It’s to know that we are one with each other in Christ. We put off the old self and put on the new. We help and love and support and carry each other because of the love we have in Christ Jesus. And so the hope we have, the hope we offer, the hope we share, is that we will be one with Christ forever, with all those who’ve gone before us.
And I gotta tell ya’, Jesus and I have had a couple of conversations about this. I’m telling you, I want to go to heaven and see Jesus, but I want my boy standing right beside him, because that’s who I want to see. We no longer have those loved ones in our lives here, but they are not gone. They are not gone from us, because we are one with Christ yesterday, today, and forever.
I want to close with a little story. And some of you have probably read it on Facebook, but I like the way I tell it. There was a woman who was given the diagnosis from her doctor that she had not long to live. So she called for the pastor to come over. And the pastor came and offered words of comfort and assurance. And she said, “Pastor, ease up. I’m dying. I’m going to heaven. I’m good with that.” He said, “Oh, OK. Why did you ask me to come over?” And the woman said, “Well, because I want you to do something for me. And people are going to ask, so you are going to have to be able to explain it. When I die and they put me in that coffin, I want you to make sure that I have a Bible in one hand and a fork in the other. And when they say what’s she doing with a fork in her hand, you’re going to say this: ‘She loved coming to worship. She loved serving the Lord, carrying his Word to the children in VBS, and at the food pantry, and in service, and in all the places she was. But the thing she liked best about our church was our fellowship dinners. And the part of the dinner she liked best, was when they came around and cleared the plates and said, ‘But keep your fork.’ Because, when you keep your fork, you know you’re not getting Jello. You are getting the good stuff. You need a fork for cake with gooey icing or pie.’ Tell them that I held onto my fork because I know the best is yet to come.”
That is the faith we proclaim. We are one with Christ and the best is yet to come. To live is Christ; to die is gain. So whether I live or whether I die, whether you live or whether you die, we belong to Christ and to each other.
Thanks be to God. Amen.
***
The video of the Memorial Service can be viewed at tinyurl.com/susumcAC2018video
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)