I'm sitting in on the Independent Commissions LC this morning. They haven't broken into sub-committees yet, and are dealing as a whole with a petition and resolution regarding the Evangelical Lutheran Church in America (ELCA). The petition states that the ELCA and the UMC would establish a joint committee to discuss how the two churches would work together. The resolution talks about the communion between the two, that we would basically work together in our Christian work, acknowledging the sacraments and ordination of the other.
My question is...so what if the ELCA recognizes homosexual ordination? (I kinda doubt it, just because of the name, Evangelical, I assume they take the more conservative position). But, if the ELCA chose to accept the ordination of homosexuals, as a result of this resolution, we would be forced to regognize the validity of that ordination.
Pretty cool. Again, doubting it will be an issue, certainly not this year, but still, pretty cool.
Friday, April 25, 2008
Thursday, April 24, 2008
The beginning of the Legislative Committees
My computer battery is dying because I sucked it up downloading the pdf version of the ADCAs this morning. (Quite ironic that I downloaded them so I wouldn't have to carry the ADCAs, and downloading it has made accessing it impossible!) But, before it kicks the bucket for the evening, I wanted to give a quick update. We're divided into legislative committees. I'm hanging out in Conferences, which is going to deal with a lot of the issues about Jurisdiction/Central Conferences and representation to General Conference. A lot of the issues about ordination that had originally been assigned here have been referred to Higher Ed and Ministry (actually Ministry and Higher Ed...why they switch the name for the committee from what the GA is called is beyond me!)
The first thing the LC does is elect a chair, vice chair, and secretary. For the Conferences, the Chair is a Young Adult and the Secretary is a youth, one of the youth from the young person's address this morning. I think that's kind of interesting...again, in my effort to recognize inequality, even when it's in favor of my particular "agenda" if I can say that. Of the three, all are lay, two are young people and Caucasian (the third is African American, female) One of the people who ran for secretary was an ordained person of Asian background, and I think having her elected would have rounded out the diversity in regards to age, clergy/lay, ethnicity, and gender. Though, I must say, as we've begun, they young adult chair and youth secretary are doing a very good job. I'm impressed!
My plan is to rotate among the legislative committees for my time here. There are, according to the agenda, 11 legislative committee sessions, so I hope to make it to 11 of the 13 LCs.
Alright, the count down to D-Day for my precious Mac is 0:15. So, I believe I will allow her to sleep for the evening and I'll be back on tomorrow!
The first thing the LC does is elect a chair, vice chair, and secretary. For the Conferences, the Chair is a Young Adult and the Secretary is a youth, one of the youth from the young person's address this morning. I think that's kind of interesting...again, in my effort to recognize inequality, even when it's in favor of my particular "agenda" if I can say that. Of the three, all are lay, two are young people and Caucasian (the third is African American, female) One of the people who ran for secretary was an ordained person of Asian background, and I think having her elected would have rounded out the diversity in regards to age, clergy/lay, ethnicity, and gender. Though, I must say, as we've begun, they young adult chair and youth secretary are doing a very good job. I'm impressed!
My plan is to rotate among the legislative committees for my time here. There are, according to the agenda, 11 legislative committee sessions, so I hope to make it to 11 of the 13 LCs.
Alright, the count down to D-Day for my precious Mac is 0:15. So, I believe I will allow her to sleep for the evening and I'll be back on tomorrow!
Numbers 2
Alright, let's continue this conversation.
What makes me a connectional person? Interaction is so integral to my life. Why is that? Where does that come from? Is it a generational thing? It intrigues me, generational theories and characteristics.
The young people did AMAZINGLY! There were six of them, they spoke around the arena. They talked about their various experiences as individuals - one from Russia where Protestant religion is frowned upon, to the point that Protestant youth and young adults often lie to their parents about going to youth. One from Nebraska who discussed the right/left dichotomy of our church and county (and world) and how he chose a third path of the Wesleyan Quadrilateral. A young adult clergy person who talked about the 20/30 ministry she's begun in her congregation. A young African American youth who spoke of the ministry that's needed to the poor, disenfranchised, sick, and left out.
Simplicity. Action. Faith with works. Their call was to the now. Yes, you call us the church of the future, but if we keep talking about the future and what the future will do, and don't focus on the now, there will be no future. We are ready, was the call. Are you?
I don't know about you, but I'm getting a little sick of numbers. So far, if I'm not mistaken, every speaker has mentioned the fact that the UMC is losing members. By this percentage, at this rate, this many in this number of years.
I understand we need people. We need numbers. We need to constantly be growing, stretching, reaching new people, or else we seriously do become irrelevant and ineffective in the simple fact that we don't exist. But it's the same thing as money. If money is our focus, then our ministry is off the mark, in my opinion. If numbers is our focus, then our ministry is off the mark. The problem isn't that we need to bring in new people, it's that we need to transform the ones who are already here, so that others will be drawn to us, because in us they see the face of God. It reminds me of that insurance commercial where the two people are touring the Hoover Dam, and there's a leak. Instead of finding out the root of the problem, the woman just takes out her gum and plugs the hole.
When someone joins my local church, their picture is taken and hung on the board to show the new members. There's a story told that one day, someone joined the church, and after the service asked, "what now?" and the response was "well, you get your picture taken and that's it." Humorous little story, but holy cow, what a message. That's not it. That's only the beginning. As our pastor says, come as you are, but don't expect to stay as you are.
My fear is as we focus on numbers, we return to or enforce the "you have your picture taken and that's it" mindset. Numbers, numbers, numbers. We just want names on our list. Never mind if they come back to anything, or have a transforming experience with Christ, we've got their name, and it's there for at least 5 years!
Even now, as I'm half listening to the Laity address, that's what I'm picking up - we need to invive people to come to church, we can't count on the pastors to grow the membership, we as laity have to be the ones to bring people into the church. What about what we do with them once they're there?
Her three points:
1. Invite, Invite, Invite
2. Carry the name of Jesus with you in missions
3. Claim one personal ministry.
Okay, I'm with the last one. Well, I'm with them all. Collectively. Like the Fruit of the Spirit - you have to take all of them, you can't pick and choose.
I fear this is our direction in our conference with this new vision of reaching out to the unchurched. At the risk of sounding like a broken record, I'm all about reaching out. But what about the ones who are here? I'm all about the future, but what about the now? The language we still use when talking about youth and young adults is that we're the future. No! We're the present, as much as the 72 year old delegate is the present. We're so concerned with who's not here, that I'm afraid we forget about the ones who are.
I'm guilty of this too. I have to acknowledge that. I get so concerned with the young person's vote, I forget that there is a large contingency of young people who are here, speaking, moving, transforming.
And so the call is to the present. We are here. Now, in the present. What are we doing with this present time?
What makes me a connectional person? Interaction is so integral to my life. Why is that? Where does that come from? Is it a generational thing? It intrigues me, generational theories and characteristics.
The young people did AMAZINGLY! There were six of them, they spoke around the arena. They talked about their various experiences as individuals - one from Russia where Protestant religion is frowned upon, to the point that Protestant youth and young adults often lie to their parents about going to youth. One from Nebraska who discussed the right/left dichotomy of our church and county (and world) and how he chose a third path of the Wesleyan Quadrilateral. A young adult clergy person who talked about the 20/30 ministry she's begun in her congregation. A young African American youth who spoke of the ministry that's needed to the poor, disenfranchised, sick, and left out.
Simplicity. Action. Faith with works. Their call was to the now. Yes, you call us the church of the future, but if we keep talking about the future and what the future will do, and don't focus on the now, there will be no future. We are ready, was the call. Are you?
I don't know about you, but I'm getting a little sick of numbers. So far, if I'm not mistaken, every speaker has mentioned the fact that the UMC is losing members. By this percentage, at this rate, this many in this number of years.
I understand we need people. We need numbers. We need to constantly be growing, stretching, reaching new people, or else we seriously do become irrelevant and ineffective in the simple fact that we don't exist. But it's the same thing as money. If money is our focus, then our ministry is off the mark, in my opinion. If numbers is our focus, then our ministry is off the mark. The problem isn't that we need to bring in new people, it's that we need to transform the ones who are already here, so that others will be drawn to us, because in us they see the face of God. It reminds me of that insurance commercial where the two people are touring the Hoover Dam, and there's a leak. Instead of finding out the root of the problem, the woman just takes out her gum and plugs the hole.
When someone joins my local church, their picture is taken and hung on the board to show the new members. There's a story told that one day, someone joined the church, and after the service asked, "what now?" and the response was "well, you get your picture taken and that's it." Humorous little story, but holy cow, what a message. That's not it. That's only the beginning. As our pastor says, come as you are, but don't expect to stay as you are.
My fear is as we focus on numbers, we return to or enforce the "you have your picture taken and that's it" mindset. Numbers, numbers, numbers. We just want names on our list. Never mind if they come back to anything, or have a transforming experience with Christ, we've got their name, and it's there for at least 5 years!
Even now, as I'm half listening to the Laity address, that's what I'm picking up - we need to invive people to come to church, we can't count on the pastors to grow the membership, we as laity have to be the ones to bring people into the church. What about what we do with them once they're there?
Her three points:
1. Invite, Invite, Invite
2. Carry the name of Jesus with you in missions
3. Claim one personal ministry.
Okay, I'm with the last one. Well, I'm with them all. Collectively. Like the Fruit of the Spirit - you have to take all of them, you can't pick and choose.
I fear this is our direction in our conference with this new vision of reaching out to the unchurched. At the risk of sounding like a broken record, I'm all about reaching out. But what about the ones who are here? I'm all about the future, but what about the now? The language we still use when talking about youth and young adults is that we're the future. No! We're the present, as much as the 72 year old delegate is the present. We're so concerned with who's not here, that I'm afraid we forget about the ones who are.
I'm guilty of this too. I have to acknowledge that. I get so concerned with the young person's vote, I forget that there is a large contingency of young people who are here, speaking, moving, transforming.
And so the call is to the present. We are here. Now, in the present. What are we doing with this present time?
Numbers
Let me start by saying I'm very impressed with our female bishops - many of them have spoken over the past 2 sessions.
The one speaking right now, presenting the budget, has presented the paradigm of a river. We are standing on the shore of a river. Are we to look back at our past glory, remember the majesty, and dwindle here until we become irrelevant, or will we forge the river and enter into a future of hope?
I'm appreciative of her points. She's spouted off the same statistics that we've been hearing - UM membership is declining in US and Europe, growing in Africa and Asia, young clergy are scarce, we always are in need of more money.
Her point is that God is a God of abundance, and we can no longer look at our ministry with a mindset of "If we just had [this], we could do [this]!" We need to focus on what we have, and move beyond the myth of scarcity.
I sense this movement of simplicity, growing as a (generational-wide?) movement larger than the parts I have experienced. Buy Nothing Day, grassroots political movements, greater focus on "going green" and simplifying our lives by reducing the noise that surrounds us. It's coming together. More later...young people's address is beginning!
The one speaking right now, presenting the budget, has presented the paradigm of a river. We are standing on the shore of a river. Are we to look back at our past glory, remember the majesty, and dwindle here until we become irrelevant, or will we forge the river and enter into a future of hope?
I'm appreciative of her points. She's spouted off the same statistics that we've been hearing - UM membership is declining in US and Europe, growing in Africa and Asia, young clergy are scarce, we always are in need of more money.
Her point is that God is a God of abundance, and we can no longer look at our ministry with a mindset of "If we just had [this], we could do [this]!" We need to focus on what we have, and move beyond the myth of scarcity.
I sense this movement of simplicity, growing as a (generational-wide?) movement larger than the parts I have experienced. Buy Nothing Day, grassroots political movements, greater focus on "going green" and simplifying our lives by reducing the noise that surrounds us. It's coming together. More later...young people's address is beginning!
Backdrop
I do have to comment on the amazing staging of this event. The backdrop is a really inventive set of white sheet-type material that's stretched out into various shapes with 4-6 points. White sounds boring, but the amazing thing is they are using lights to change the colors, so the backdrop is always new. It really helps the eyes, and will continue to as we work this week, not having to stare at the same thing every day! I'm very impressed. If I figure out how to upload pictures into this blog, I'll post some.
Organ
Just a side note. I know that we're not going to find a convention center with a full pipe organ installed, but this electric organ just isn't cutting it for me!
In the Name of God
Yea! Internet in the arena!
The Bishop's address is going on, I think. I missed the beginning because of posting my previous posts (didn't know internet was accessible in the arena).
The bishop (Sharon Christopher) who led communion this morning did a really good job, I thought. Throughout the communion liturgy, she interspersed information about what's going on in the world around us. She spoke directly to the conflict we often face and encourage at General Conference, about how we treat other baptized Christians as "the other" simply because we don't see eye to eye. She reminded us that John Wesley called us to love one another, and be in communion with one another. If you love and serve God, you are my neighbor, my friend, and we are working together.
This is such a challenge for me, I am realizing. I always think of myself as an inclusive person, but I certainly have my own agenda. I have a passion for young people - who do I disenfranchise in my work to further the voice and presence of young people?
The Bishop's address is going on, I think. I missed the beginning because of posting my previous posts (didn't know internet was accessible in the arena).
The bishop (Sharon Christopher) who led communion this morning did a really good job, I thought. Throughout the communion liturgy, she interspersed information about what's going on in the world around us. She spoke directly to the conflict we often face and encourage at General Conference, about how we treat other baptized Christians as "the other" simply because we don't see eye to eye. She reminded us that John Wesley called us to love one another, and be in communion with one another. If you love and serve God, you are my neighbor, my friend, and we are working together.
This is such a challenge for me, I am realizing. I always think of myself as an inclusive person, but I certainly have my own agenda. I have a passion for young people - who do I disenfranchise in my work to further the voice and presence of young people?
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)
