General Conference Update
“Happy are people who are hopeless, because the kingdom of heaven is theirs.
“Happy are people who grieve, because they will be made glad.
“Happy are people who are humble, because they will inherit the earth.
“Happy are people who are hungry and thirsty for righteousness, because they will be fed until they are full.
“Happy are people who show mercy, because they will receive mercy.
“Happy are people who have pure hearts, because they will see God.
“Happy are people who make peace, because they will be called God’s children.
“Happy are people whose lives are harassed because they are righteous, because the kingdom of heaven is theirs.
“Happy are you when people insult you and harass you and speak all kinds of bad and false things about you, all because of me. Be full of joy and be glad, because you have a great reward in heaven. In the same way, people harassed the prophets who came before you.”
-The Beatitudes from the Sermon on the Mount
I appreciate everyone who came to hear me share about General Conference during the Sunday school hour last week. Thanks for the many positive comments and feedback! It was so well received that I’ve been invited back May 5 to give a recap!
If you missed the morning and have no idea what I am talking about: General Conference is the legislative body of the United Methodist Church. It meets every four years and is the only entity authorized to speak on behalf of the UMC. The Conference started this past Tuesday in Charlotte, NC and will run through next week. One hoped-for change for this Conference came to fruition yesterday: regionalization. This, if ratified by the annual conferences, will allow for regions like the US to make certain decisions based on a more localized understanding of cultural norms, while still maintaining the connectional nature of the UMC. I will say more about this and other developments on May 5.
Remember to check for official updates on General Conference at resourceumc.org. And here are a couple of prayer guides: https://www.resourceumc.org/.../guidetoprayer_gc24...
https://ntcumc.org/Prayer_Guide_for_GC_final_v2.pdf
I’ve been thinking about Brian McLaren’s take on Jesus’ beatitudes from Matthew 5, quoted above. In his book WE MAKE THE WAY BY WALKING, McLaren reinterprets the classic text and offers this commentary:
“[Jesus’] words no doubt surprise everyone, because we normally play by these rules of the game: Do everything you can to be rich and powerful. Toughen up and harden yourself against all feelings of loss. Measure your success by how much of the time you are thinking only of yourself and your own happiness. Be independent and aggressive, hungry and thirsty for higher status in the social pecking order. Strike back quickly when others strike you, and guard your image so you’ll always be popular.
But Jesus defines success and well-being in a profoundly different way. Who are blessed? What kinds of people should we seek to be identified with?
The poor and those in solidarity with them.
Those who mourn, who feel grief and loss.
The nonviolent and gentle.
Those who hunger and thirst for the common good and aren’t satisfied with the status quo.
The merciful and compassionate.
Those characterized by openness, sincerity, and unadulterated motives.
Those who work for peace and reconciliation.
Those who keep seeking justice even when they’re misunderstood and misjudged.
Those who stand for justice as the prophets did, who refuse to back down or quiet down when they are slandered, mocked, misrepresented, threatened, and harmed.”
This should be the work of the United Methodist Church- from the General Conference to the local church. May the Holy Spirit continue to guide and govern our thoughts and actions.
-Pastor Frank