Lay and clergy members of the South Carolina Annual Conference met in Florence this week. In the midst of taking care of business, we worshiped and enjoyed some important time of fellowship. And, sometimes we found ourselves or so it seemed to be for me this week.
For a variety of reasons, I arrived a bit tired and harried late Sunday afternoon. Almost immediately I was in the clergy session followed by the ordination service. Although it with great joy to see Jonathan Tompkins commissioned and Alice Deal ordained, I was beginning to be a bit blurry eyed and fuzzy brained with the final laying on of hands. It wasn’t until Monday that I truly began to be in holy conference with my brothers and sisters.
One of the first orders of business was to address the 32 amendments to the Constitution of the United Methodist Church as proposed by the 2008 General Conference. Some of the usual voices gave the predicted speeches for and against them and most of the comments were ones that had been well circulated prior to Annual Conference. However, all of this was conducted with more civility and in less time than I expected. The outcome in South Carolina was about as I predicted. I am not so sure how the UMC as a whole will respond, but somehow I feel it will be the right answer.
As is our custom, we remembered those clergy and clergy spouses who entered the church triumphant during the past year. The Rev. Mel Arant honored their ministries by sharing the Word with clarity and sincerity. With a background of appropriate music, projected pictures of each one of these servants reminded me of their humanity and devoted service. The power of this cloud of witnesses spoke to my soul and seemed to offer me assurance that I am doing what God has called me to do.
Renewing acquaintances and spending time with friends was nurturing, as it often served as a time of accountability. I have discovered that inherent in these relationships is the challenge to uphold my ordination vows. A sense of renewal began to prevail within my soul and by the time that Bishop Taylor sent us forth I was ready to continue the journey with courage and hope. Thanks be to God.
For a variety of reasons, I arrived a bit tired and harried late Sunday afternoon. Almost immediately I was in the clergy session followed by the ordination service. Although it with great joy to see Jonathan Tompkins commissioned and Alice Deal ordained, I was beginning to be a bit blurry eyed and fuzzy brained with the final laying on of hands. It wasn’t until Monday that I truly began to be in holy conference with my brothers and sisters.
One of the first orders of business was to address the 32 amendments to the Constitution of the United Methodist Church as proposed by the 2008 General Conference. Some of the usual voices gave the predicted speeches for and against them and most of the comments were ones that had been well circulated prior to Annual Conference. However, all of this was conducted with more civility and in less time than I expected. The outcome in South Carolina was about as I predicted. I am not so sure how the UMC as a whole will respond, but somehow I feel it will be the right answer.
As is our custom, we remembered those clergy and clergy spouses who entered the church triumphant during the past year. The Rev. Mel Arant honored their ministries by sharing the Word with clarity and sincerity. With a background of appropriate music, projected pictures of each one of these servants reminded me of their humanity and devoted service. The power of this cloud of witnesses spoke to my soul and seemed to offer me assurance that I am doing what God has called me to do.
Renewing acquaintances and spending time with friends was nurturing, as it often served as a time of accountability. I have discovered that inherent in these relationships is the challenge to uphold my ordination vows. A sense of renewal began to prevail within my soul and by the time that Bishop Taylor sent us forth I was ready to continue the journey with courage and hope. Thanks be to God.
2 comments:
I just found the servies are available as MP3 files. I can't help but wonder how we will "do" church business in the coming days and years. Great picture of you and Johnathan!
I have hesitated responding to your blog because of the ambivalence I feel regarding my Annual Conference experience this year. It was a joy to see the friends from across the Conference I have made in my short time in ministry. The worship services were exciting, exhilerating and refreshing. There are some very able and commited young pastors in the Conference.
My frustration came with the vote on the amendments. Like you, I was not surprised at the outcome, just terribly disappointed. I feel the pre-Conference publicity from a few of our "leaders" greatly biased many delegates who understood little about the amendments beyond what had been sent to them. And, of course, it was both frustrating and demeaning to sit there as a second-class citizen, otherwise known as a part time local pastor, who was not allowed to vote. I didn't have the heart to tell the members of the two churches I serve that they were the recipients of the appointment of someone who is something less than whole, according to The Discipline. Fortunately, they don't see me in that way.
That said, I did enjoy Conference. I was uplifted by the worship experiences, and I certainly apprecieated that we ended twenty minutes early!
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