By Liz Lennox, former Director of Communications
The Celebration of Ministry Service for the 2024 Annual Conference of the Susquehanna Conference of the United Methodist Church was held on the evening of May 31, 2024 at the Community Arts Center in Williamsport, Pennsylvania. This worship service celebrated the plentiful harvest, culminating in the commissioning of one and ordination of three. Newly licensed local pastors and retirees were also honored. Bishop Cynthia Moore-Koikoi preached a passionate sermon about the movement of Jesus in the Susquehanna Conference and the tools he has given his people for the harvest. The congregation celebrated Holy Communion, and the service concluded with an invitation for those discerning a call to come forward.
Luke 10:1-2
After this the Lord appointed seventy-two others and sent them two by two ahead of him to every town and place where he was about to go. He told them, “The harvest is plentiful, but the workers are few. Ask the Lord of the harvest, therefore, to send out workers into his harvest field.”
In a passionate sermon during the Celebration of Ministry service Friday night, Bishop Cynthia Moore-Koikoi heralded the continuous movement of Jesus throughout history and into the present day. She illustrated how Jesus was a “man on the move”, taking us through his journey from Bethlehem to Egypt as an infant, from Nazareth to Jerusalem as a child, from the River Jordan to the wilderness as a young adult.. “From heaven to earth, from earth to the grave, from the grave to the sky, Jesus was a man on the move.”
The Bishop underscored that Jesus’ mission persists even now. She invoked the hymn, “He lives, He lives. He’s in the world today...He walks with me and talks with me along life’s narrow way,” reinforcing that Jesus continues to move through the world - and here in the Susquehanna Annual Conference.
In her sermon, Bishop Moore-Koikoi likened Jesus to a migrant worker, “moving from harvest to harvest,” emphasizing that he doesn’t leave any field unharvested and is continuously appointing new laborers to prepare his way.
Jesus is on the move in the Susquehanna Annual Conference and he is saying this to us today, “The harvest is plentiful, but the laborers are few; therefore ask the Lord of the harvest to send out laborers into his harvest.”
Bishop Moore-Koikoi addressed the members of the Conference, acknowledging their role as answers to prayers. “Beloved, you are what we asked for! You are an answer to prayer.” She then spoke directly to those newly commissioned and ordained by name, lifting them up as tangible answers to the prayers of the annual conference.
“We are sending you into the harvest,” she told them, “ to seek out those new places among those new people to bring to them a word of peace, to heal them, and to declare to all that the kingdom of God is at hand.”
She emphasized the urgency of this work by sharing a personal story about planting kale in her garden, only to return from a trip to f ind it eaten. “We had missed the opportunity to reap the harvest.” Drawing from this, she warned that distractions and delays could lead to lost opportunities in ministry: “The enemy is out to steal, kill, and destroy the harvest...God needs us to stay focused…”
Bishop Moore-Koikoi laid out Jesus’ guidelines for the harvest, akin to a “Farmer’s Almanac.” She reminded us that Jesus said not to carry a purse, a bag or sandals; basically, to not be bogged down by “stuff.” The metaphorical “stuff,”- like insecurities, cultural biases, pride and arrogance, or righteous indignation—preventing people from going to the places they need to or bringing peace when they arrive. She also advised to “greet no one on the road,” underscoring the importance of maintaining focus and avoiding the distraction of picking up others’ “stuff.”
Furthermore, she stressed the power of peace in ministry. “Jesus gave us peace, a peace that surpasses all understanding. It is a precious gift—a gift that is not to be hoarded, but a gift that is to be freely given to others” She reminded us that peace is not the absence of differences of opinions and does not mandate agreement. Peace, according to the Bishop, transcends differences and disagreements, underlining the importance of positive and constructive communication. “You negate the peace you have spoken...if you don’t have anything positive to say about anyone or any situation.”
On the subject of healing, she stated, “I believe in miraculous healing” through prayer, touch, or words, while recognizing that healing can manifest in various forms, including mending broken hearts or wounded souls, or the liberation of individuals from addiction.
“And sometimes… God uses just being in relationship with others— sitting at table with them, listening to them, eating their food, speaking peace to them, just being with them right where they are, being curious about their journeys without judgment —to bring about miraculous healing.”
Bishop Moore-Koikoi concluded her sermon by emphasizing the importance of declaring the nearness of God’s kingdom. “Tell them the kingdom of God is justice and joy, mercy and grace. Tell them the whole truth. Tell them the kingdom of God is challenge and choice. The Kingdom of God is a gift and a goal.”
With her sermon, Bishop Moore-Koikoi offered a profound call to action and faith, reminding those gathered that “Jesus is on the move,” urging them to stay focused, live out their faith through peace and healing, and actively partake in the divine harvest with the unwavering hope and determination that “the kingdom of God has come near to you.”
View the Celebration of Ministry Service of Annual Conference 2024 here. (Sermon begins at 43:00)
