Somebody recently asked me what I thought about the work of the UMC General Conference meeting that just happened in Tampa, Florida and what it might mean for the UMC. Here was my answer:
We have 14 wonderful Young Persons in Confirmation Class at the church I serve, Kessler Park United Methodist Church. They have a deep knowledge of God and the Bible; they care passionately about all of God’s Creation; they have talked about following John Wesley’s rules for being a Methodist 1) Do No Harm, 2) Do Good, 3) Stay In Love with God; they know to practice discernment using the Wesley Quadrilateral looking at all things theologically through the multiple lenses of Scripture (which is primary), Tradition, Reason, and Experience; they have learned that salvation lies in recovering the Image of God that they were created in, and this Image is best understood as Love- Love of God, Love of Neighbor, Love of Self; and I think each of them truly believes that God has something important for them to do in joining God’s Mission to save The World!
To which I received this response:
“What does that have to do with all of the decisions (or lack of decisions) of General Conference?” To which I replied “EXACTLY!”
You see Methodism is a Movement primarily. It is not a legislative body of 1,000 well-meaning folks working to craft a better bureaucratic institution. Methodism is people who want to join what God is doing in the world and not just talking about God, People, and Things in an abstract way. Some of the greatest Theologians in the UMC will be Confirmed at KPUMC this Sunday! They will change the world! Of this I have no doubt!
Now, what about the rest of us? How is it with our faith formation? How is it with our souls? I have no worries about these Confirmands, but frankly sometimes I worry about myself. And if it is OK for me to be really honest, sometimes I worry about each of you. I mean, when was the last time I took my own faith formation as seriously as each of these Confirmands has and as seriously as their families have, working with them each week on their spiritual homework, answering tough questions about the Bible, God, and their own Mission in the world?
What will you and I do in the coming weeks and months to truly be a part of the Methodist Movement in the Kessler Park community? What are we doing to help each other in our own faith-formation? What is God calling us to do? Are we recovering that Image of God we were each created in? Are we using the gifts and graces God has already given us in Love to change the world? Will we?
I need your help to live up to the high calling God has placed before us. Our Confirmation Class of 2012 will be leading the way. Shall we join them together?
