august 8th

One month and one week into my new appointment.  This next week we are able to move into the parsonage and begin that process of unpacking.  During this month I have had time to reflect on the church, the mission of the church, the issues as I perceive, and where God is in the mix of all of this.  I have had time to look at my new responsibilities and am still in that learning process.  I am thankful for my colleagues and their support.  And for the bishop who has been encouraging.  I am reminded of the TV program NCIS and Gibbs head slaps when someone does something stupid.  Thankfully none have had to adopt that with me, at least not yet.

I have been reflecting on the Great Commission Jesus gave to his disciples found in Matthew 28:18-20.  The United Methodist Church has adapted that as the mission of the church to make disciples of Jesus Christ to transform the world.  I also like what Jesus told the disciples in Acts 1:8.  As one reflects on these commands from Jesus, are they still relevant to making disciples in the 21st century?  I believe that they are still commands we are to remember and to not just know but do.  For me this is the “keeping the main thing the main thing” as Bishop Jones frequently states.  It seems that too often we spend more time arguing internally about what Wesley might consider as non-essentials (certainly what I perceive as non-essential) we lose sight of Jesus’ commands found in the gospels.  It certainly has more to do with loving one another and loving others than in the letter of the law.  I believe we need to return to the heart of the law reading the sermon on the mount in Matthew or the sermon on the plains in Luke.  So how do we go about doing these commands?  That to me is the main question.

I want to challenge churches to remember in all that they do what Jesus has professed for all people. To remember Proverbs 29:18 “Without a vision the people perish (KJV).”  Let every church take time to read the gospels.  To reflect not just on favorite passages but the entire gospel.  Another challenge would be to read a chapter of Proverbs a day as there are 31 chapters.  Let the words of wisdom and of Jesus lead us as we continue to grow in our faith.