Today we had a special guest visit General Conference and speak to us:
Her Excellency President Ellen Johnson Sirleaf, President of Liberia.
She is a United Methodist.
She is a living testimony to the our mission:
Making Disciples of Jesus Christ for the Transformation of the World.
President Johnson Sirleaf was educated in the schools created by the UMC in Liberia.
She went on to advocate for justice and reconciliation, as war raged in Liberia.
She is now leading her country into the future.
It was awe-inspiring to have her fly half-way around the world to be with us.
Her speech was inspirational, as she described the steps she, and her country, were taking
to transform the world around them. She is the first woman elected to lead a country in Africa, and the first leader of an African country to address the General Conference.
When she was done speaking, she stepped down from the platform to greet those in the front row, then spent time greeting the assembled Bishops as the Hope for Africa Children's Choir sang and danced.
It was one of the most powerful non-worship moment I have experienced during General Conference.
The President of Liberia is a United Methodist disciple of Jesus Christ who, out of her own transformation, is now transforming the world.
Celebrating Disciples Transforming the World,
-Jon Moore
Tuesday, April 29, 2008
Watch General Conference Live!!
I was digging around the Methodist Church website and came upon a link to view what is happening at General Conference, live! They have a video-cast of the plenary so you can see what our delegates are seeing.
Click HERE and choose "Today at General Conference" on the right hand side.
Next you choose "Live Streaming" and select your download bandwidth.
Try this link to VIEW one of several video streams.
--Jeff
Click HERE and choose "Today at General Conference" on the right hand side.
Next you choose "Live Streaming" and select your download bandwidth.
Try this link to VIEW one of several video streams.
--Jeff
HOPE FOR AFRICA CHILDREN'S CHOIR
The Spirit of God just floored me... I can't even describe the profound impact that this Children's Choir has had in my life. Every single song they shared brought tears to my eyes. How is it possible that children who are orphans, who have witnessed war, death and destruction, who have been rescued from hopeless situations, can now lift up a joyful, dynamic and powerful song to the Lord and bring the Holy Spirit into our lives? Then I thought how is it possible for me to sometimes allow my own struggles (which cannot be compared at all with theirs) take away my joy?...
(I will be sharing more of the General Conference decisions in the days to come....)
(I will be sharing more of the General Conference decisions in the days to come....)
FRUSTRATIONS OR FELLOWSHIP
Being a Reserve Delegate and attending a Legislative Committee without voice and voting proved to be challenging and at times frustrating for me. Especially when some of the parliamentarian processes were not being followed correctly (I must say though, that I am not an expert when it comes to rules of order). There were several instances when three of us observers became very eager to interject and refer to the rules of the conference in order to help with the process but the reality was that our only allowed role was to be observers of the process. As hard as this restraining exercise was for me, I saw however some benefits: first to my character because patient is indeed a virtue I must continue developing; second, I began reaching out to “perfect strangers” (both observers outside the Legislative Committee and active participants inside the Legislative Committee in order to network and “compare notes”). The reality is that at the end of four days of legislative process I have gotten to know brothers and sisters in Christ and these relationships worth more than any frustration I have experienced! Letting go of frustrations and replacing them with opportunities for fellowship is a good thing so I think I will vote for that… Blessings
Monday, April 28, 2008
A New Hymnal... and a Tired Old Song
I was on the floor of the conference tonight when the study commission report was presented seeking authorization for a new hymnal.
I got to vote on it.
But, before the vote, some quite interesting debate was had.
And, eventually, creation of the new hymnal was authorized... barely!
Now, I'm 34, and I'm a big proponent of contemporary and emergent worship forms... but I was disturbed by some younger adults speaking against the creation of the hymnal.
Sometimes when we feel left out, we act very quickly to leave out others, and I doubt we even realize what we are doing.
Will that cycle ever be broken? By and by, Lord, by and by!
Some people, commenting on the inclusion of praise/contemporary music in a new hymnal said, "They will be out-of-date before the hymnal is ever published."
One problem with that: "Lord I Lift Your Name on High" is STILL on CCLI's top 10 list.
STILL. It was the number 1 most popular praise song every year from 1997 to 2003, and has been in the top 10 every year since. It is currently #9. (sources: ccli.com & wikipedia)
It was written in 1989... the year our last hymnal was published.
Hmmm.
Truthfully, I don't like that song all that much... but it happens to be one of the favorites of a prominent member of my church who is 15 years younger than me.
Yes, I said younger than me.
Hmmmmm.
I guess it's hard to say Lord I Lift is "out-of-date."
Or if it is, what makes it so? You'll have to have a pretty good argument to convince me, given what I've cited above!
Regardless:
As a 34-year-old pastor who pushes contemporary and emergent worship, I voted for the new hymnal, and I see great value in it.
The church I serve has two strong-and-growing traditional services (and a strong-and-growing contemporary service) that deserve a new hymnal worship resource. There is a very wide age-range in every worship service in the church I serve... from Millenials to Builders in traditional AND contemporary. And there are people worshiping in my church that are most connected to God when they are singing, or hearing, traditional hymnody.
And for some of them, it is newer hymnody that carries them to the throne of their Lord.
It IS time for a new hymnal. Why on earth did it get such opposition?
Sometimes the road to being respected is giving respect.
The path to having one's desires for relevant worship music respected
means respecting someone else enough to give them music that makes THEIR worship relevant.
To them. Not to you, or to me. To them. Your, my, brother and/or sister in Christ.
This post may not have been ABOUT General Conference, but it was certainly caused by today's legislation.
I hate to see the Tired Old Song of disrespecting someone else's worship music...
no matter WHO is singing that out-of-tune, dissonant, caterwauling melody!
(or how old they are)
with a Joyful Noise,
Jon
I got to vote on it.
But, before the vote, some quite interesting debate was had.
And, eventually, creation of the new hymnal was authorized... barely!
Now, I'm 34, and I'm a big proponent of contemporary and emergent worship forms... but I was disturbed by some younger adults speaking against the creation of the hymnal.
Sometimes when we feel left out, we act very quickly to leave out others, and I doubt we even realize what we are doing.
Will that cycle ever be broken? By and by, Lord, by and by!
Some people, commenting on the inclusion of praise/contemporary music in a new hymnal said, "They will be out-of-date before the hymnal is ever published."
One problem with that: "Lord I Lift Your Name on High" is STILL on CCLI's top 10 list.
STILL. It was the number 1 most popular praise song every year from 1997 to 2003, and has been in the top 10 every year since. It is currently #9. (sources: ccli.com & wikipedia)
It was written in 1989... the year our last hymnal was published.
Hmmm.
Truthfully, I don't like that song all that much... but it happens to be one of the favorites of a prominent member of my church who is 15 years younger than me.
Yes, I said younger than me.
Hmmmmm.
I guess it's hard to say Lord I Lift is "out-of-date."
Or if it is, what makes it so? You'll have to have a pretty good argument to convince me, given what I've cited above!
Regardless:
As a 34-year-old pastor who pushes contemporary and emergent worship, I voted for the new hymnal, and I see great value in it.
The church I serve has two strong-and-growing traditional services (and a strong-and-growing contemporary service) that deserve a new hymnal worship resource. There is a very wide age-range in every worship service in the church I serve... from Millenials to Builders in traditional AND contemporary. And there are people worshiping in my church that are most connected to God when they are singing, or hearing, traditional hymnody.
And for some of them, it is newer hymnody that carries them to the throne of their Lord.
It IS time for a new hymnal. Why on earth did it get such opposition?
Sometimes the road to being respected is giving respect.
The path to having one's desires for relevant worship music respected
means respecting someone else enough to give them music that makes THEIR worship relevant.
To them. Not to you, or to me. To them. Your, my, brother and/or sister in Christ.
This post may not have been ABOUT General Conference, but it was certainly caused by today's legislation.
I hate to see the Tired Old Song of disrespecting someone else's worship music...
no matter WHO is singing that out-of-tune, dissonant, caterwauling melody!
(or how old they are)
with a Joyful Noise,
Jon
Keeping Up With the Delegate
I truly enjoy being in the midst of General Conference 'Holy Conferecing' and all that it entails. From the reminders from our Central Conference delegates regarding name spellings and pronunciations, to our Jurisdictional Conference delegates reminding us of proper verbiage, to reports on UM mission service projects, I am in constant awe of United Methodism in action. The creative expressions of differing opinions, hopes and dreams for the church may seem to some as noise and nonsense, but to me symbolize a hope for the future and continued growth of the church. I am only dismayed when I hear the sounds of defeat coming from voices in hallway corners and bathroom stalls. Spirits remain high and I pray for the continued strength of each of us throughout this, which is at times, a daunting process.
Within the midst of legislative and plenary sessions, meetings and worship services, their exists many additional opportunities for General Conference precipitants to partake in. One of these opportunities, which I am taking advantage of is this weeks 'Ideas to Live By' author series sponsored by Cokesbury, Abingdon Press, Kingswood Books and The United Methodist Publishing House. It's a great opportunity to hear from authors of books I have read, am reading and have on my 'to read' book list. This afternoon we heard from Rebekah Miles who reminded us of the great Wesleyan Tradition question 'What does God require of you: To do justice, love kindness and walk humbly with your God.' Bishop Ruben Job spoke to the Three Simple Rules: A Wesleyan Way of Living: Do no harm, Do Good and Stay in love with God. Our third speaker was Bishop Robert Schnase reflected on the Five Practices of Fruitful Congregations: Radical Hospitality, Passionate Worship, Intentional faith development, Risk taking mission and service and Extravagant generosity. Each inspired me in various ways, leaving me to continue on my personal faith journey, challenging who I am and what God has called and is calling me to be.
With much continued anticipated for the days to come...
Kelly Brooks
Within the midst of legislative and plenary sessions, meetings and worship services, their exists many additional opportunities for General Conference precipitants to partake in. One of these opportunities, which I am taking advantage of is this weeks 'Ideas to Live By' author series sponsored by Cokesbury, Abingdon Press, Kingswood Books and The United Methodist Publishing House. It's a great opportunity to hear from authors of books I have read, am reading and have on my 'to read' book list. This afternoon we heard from Rebekah Miles who reminded us of the great Wesleyan Tradition question 'What does God require of you: To do justice, love kindness and walk humbly with your God.' Bishop Ruben Job spoke to the Three Simple Rules: A Wesleyan Way of Living: Do no harm, Do Good and Stay in love with God. Our third speaker was Bishop Robert Schnase reflected on the Five Practices of Fruitful Congregations: Radical Hospitality, Passionate Worship, Intentional faith development, Risk taking mission and service and Extravagant generosity. Each inspired me in various ways, leaving me to continue on my personal faith journey, challenging who I am and what God has called and is calling me to be.
With much continued anticipated for the days to come...
Kelly Brooks
Some Conference Pictures
The General Conference Floor.
Waiting to be called to the floor.
The delegation back from lunch.
Entering the conference center.
The entire city welcomed the Methodists.
Prayer Vigil
A good lookin' group!
Sunday, April 27, 2008
The River Runs Through It
The hotel most of our delegation is staying at is the Hotel Trinity. It's perched about 2 miles from downtown Fort Worth and the convention center in which General Conference is happening. The hotel is named for the Trinity River, which flows past us and on into downtown Fort Worth.
The Trinity River happens to be a 550-mile river that flows entirely within the state of Texas, making it the second longest river entirely in one state in the country. (Alaska has the longest: the Kuskokwim.)
Two of the Trinity's four forks meet very near downtown Fort Worth: the East Fork and the Clear Fork.
Right about now you might be asking:
"That's all very nice, but what on earth does this geography lesson have to do with General Conference?!?"
Well, dear reader, it just so happens that today I realized the environment around this General Conference is offering a most apt metaphor for what I see going on within this General Conference.
I see evidence that the two forks might be merging.
I have been thinking a little bit more about Bishop Hutchinson's sermon from yesterday (see an earlier post I wrote about it below), and about our need for the water and the spirit. Just as those two forks of the Trinity merge close to where we enter the downtown en route from our hotel to the Conference site; so I have seen the two great forks of our theological perspectives coming together in this downtown Conference setting.
One of my duties at this General Conference has been the monitoring of the legislative committee that is working on one of our perennial controversial favorites: homosexuality.
I saw people from both liberal and conservative camps working together to search for different lines of communication, and new language that could get them talking TO each other.
I heard young adults call on others to find ways to transcend the divisions that are not foundational for holistic thinking younger generations who are disinterested , disheartened, and just about done with the ceaseless debating.
Not everyone involved wanted to take the rapids down through the swirl of those waters coming together... but those that did began to take action (a key theme of this General Conference) towards creating a Future with Hope (THE theme of this General Conference).
I don't know how things will develop from here.
Water that is seemingly growing calm can suddenly come roaring down cataracts around a simple bend to the right or to the left...
or find itself going down a waterfall...
or crashing into a dam....
And even in those who are still refusing the trip into the whorls of uniting tributaries -- even in them I quite clearly heard hearts desiring to reveal the love of God and heads focusing on the acquisition of the truth of God.
And so the Spirit of God ran right through the middle of everywhere I went this day....
Truly I tell you, General Conference can be a thing of beauty, sparkling in the light of another new day, as the gleaming pathways of the Way of Christ meander across the sometimes parched grounds of bureaucratic meeting-rooms.
Pray that the beauty I have found here doesn't fade over the next few days.
And if it does begin to fade... I'll pray that the Great Physician gives an emergency facelift.
Or at least another drink of that water.
-Jon
The Trinity River happens to be a 550-mile river that flows entirely within the state of Texas, making it the second longest river entirely in one state in the country. (Alaska has the longest: the Kuskokwim.)
Two of the Trinity's four forks meet very near downtown Fort Worth: the East Fork and the Clear Fork.
Right about now you might be asking:
"That's all very nice, but what on earth does this geography lesson have to do with General Conference?!?"
Well, dear reader, it just so happens that today I realized the environment around this General Conference is offering a most apt metaphor for what I see going on within this General Conference.
I see evidence that the two forks might be merging.
I have been thinking a little bit more about Bishop Hutchinson's sermon from yesterday (see an earlier post I wrote about it below), and about our need for the water and the spirit. Just as those two forks of the Trinity merge close to where we enter the downtown en route from our hotel to the Conference site; so I have seen the two great forks of our theological perspectives coming together in this downtown Conference setting.
One of my duties at this General Conference has been the monitoring of the legislative committee that is working on one of our perennial controversial favorites: homosexuality.
I saw people from both liberal and conservative camps working together to search for different lines of communication, and new language that could get them talking TO each other.
I heard young adults call on others to find ways to transcend the divisions that are not foundational for holistic thinking younger generations who are disinterested , disheartened, and just about done with the ceaseless debating.
Not everyone involved wanted to take the rapids down through the swirl of those waters coming together... but those that did began to take action (a key theme of this General Conference) towards creating a Future with Hope (THE theme of this General Conference).
I don't know how things will develop from here.
Water that is seemingly growing calm can suddenly come roaring down cataracts around a simple bend to the right or to the left...
or find itself going down a waterfall...
or crashing into a dam....
And even in those who are still refusing the trip into the whorls of uniting tributaries -- even in them I quite clearly heard hearts desiring to reveal the love of God and heads focusing on the acquisition of the truth of God.
And so the Spirit of God ran right through the middle of everywhere I went this day....
Truly I tell you, General Conference can be a thing of beauty, sparkling in the light of another new day, as the gleaming pathways of the Way of Christ meander across the sometimes parched grounds of bureaucratic meeting-rooms.
Pray that the beauty I have found here doesn't fade over the next few days.
And if it does begin to fade... I'll pray that the Great Physician gives an emergency facelift.
Or at least another drink of that water.
-Jon
Keeping Up With The Delegate
I have come to the conclusion that I am extremely fortunate to have the perspective of comparison regarding the 2004 and 2008 General Conferences. I am aware of the efforts that are being made this year to move words into actions and to be more intentional in setting a positive and God-filled atmosphere at each gathering. I am also more aware of the struggle that the church continues to face concerning being a world-wide and united denomination and all that it entails – language differences in meaning and dialects, social and political concerns such as health care and environmental issues specific to the United States, and global concerns such as diseases, hunger and equality. I am struck by the passion that people feel on all sides of the various issues being discussed in legislative and hallway debates. Everyone is struggling to keep ‘Holy Conferencing’ in the forefront, while trying to keep the spirit of what each wants for the church heard. It’s a fine balance at times, easy for some but more challenging for others, and I do believe that the struggle is well worth what fruits it will bear.
We watched a very poignant skit this morning comparing being a member of the Methodist Church with being the crew of a sail boat. The sailors kept saying: ‘Safety First.’ ‘Follow each rule in the guidebook.’ ‘Know the rules of saving your fellow crew members, but don’t sail into the dangerous waters of the unknown seas.’ The skit made it clear that change can be difficult, but moving forward requires we take risks. I pray the tongue-in-cheek message was heard loud and clear.
Bishop Hutchinson delivered a very moving message this morning, making me very proud to declare that he was a former pastor. (Check the UMC.org website for an audio clip.)
One of my favorite things about conferences is meeting and reconnecting with people from across our denomination. I have reconnected with friends from past gatherings and have made new connections with many more. Strange how this thing called Methodism can bring so many people together, making fast friends and long-lasting connections.
I was talking with a group of young clergy this afternoon and as we were gathered, a man walked by and said, "The revolution is coming, but it won’t be televised." With a second breath a young women clergy responded, "But it will be pod-cast."
We watched a very poignant skit this morning comparing being a member of the Methodist Church with being the crew of a sail boat. The sailors kept saying: ‘Safety First.’ ‘Follow each rule in the guidebook.’ ‘Know the rules of saving your fellow crew members, but don’t sail into the dangerous waters of the unknown seas.’ The skit made it clear that change can be difficult, but moving forward requires we take risks. I pray the tongue-in-cheek message was heard loud and clear.
Bishop Hutchinson delivered a very moving message this morning, making me very proud to declare that he was a former pastor. (Check the UMC.org website for an audio clip.)
One of my favorite things about conferences is meeting and reconnecting with people from across our denomination. I have reconnected with friends from past gatherings and have made new connections with many more. Strange how this thing called Methodism can bring so many people together, making fast friends and long-lasting connections.
I was talking with a group of young clergy this afternoon and as we were gathered, a man walked by and said, "The revolution is coming, but it won’t be televised." With a second breath a young women clergy responded, "But it will be pod-cast."
Saturday, April 26, 2008
I Kid You Not... Some of the Best Preaching Ever
With this update I'll catch you up on the last 2 morning worship services... and then tomorrow I'll post more on the legislative committee experience. Also coming up will be a "bit" on other New Mexicans who are involved in General Conference.
And I had lunch the other day with Bishop Schnase. Had to get that one in....
Yesterday Bishop Joao Somane Machado of Mozambique preached in Portuguese, using a translator. It was, in a word, powerful.
Add to that one more word: convicting.
His text was from Galatians, and the thrust of his sermon was: "You (U.S. United Methodists) were running so well. What happened? Who made you stop? What made you stop?"
He shared with us some of the missionary and evangelism work of the Methodists in Africa and elsewhere, and then called us to face what apparently stopped sometime in the 1970s.
Using the "Three Simple Rules" of John Wesley as re-formatted in a book by Bishop Rueben Job that has been repeatedly referred to at this General Conference:
Do No Harm, Do Good, Stay in Love with God (the 3rd is the reformatted one),
Bishop Machado laid out the challenge that we have, quite simply, stopped doing good.
We have stopped doing. We have stopped acting.
He told the story of a new pastor who got in trouble for preaching the same sermon his first three weeks in a row. When confronted, the pastor responded:
"Until you show me that you can put into action the words I am preaching, I'm not going to change my sermon."
Truly I tell you, I heard a great sermon from Bishop Machado.
But hearing a great sermon just isn't enough.
This morning Bishop Bill Hutchinson preached.
It made my list of one of the ten BEST live sermons I have ever heard.
Intensely funny, and intensely pointed, too, Bishop Hutchinson preached on "water and the spirit" from John 3. He challenged us, in short, to restore our willingness to experience the baptism of the spirit.
We need to stop making life in the spirit an exercise in propriety, and exchange the "my, my, my" of baptism for the "yes, indeed" of baptism. He told the story of 200 Cuban Methodists awaiting baptism outside where the world could see, with anticipation so tangible they couldn't keep still.
He then told stories of his family tree in the Nazarene/Holiness tradition, and how the desire for "sophistication" and the cessation of "embarrassment" had led them to become Methodists.
How did we become the kind of Christian you become if you want to avoid embarrassing outpourings of the spirit?
What we need is waterand the Spirit.
I could say a lot more about either one of those powerful sermons... but for right now, it's time to end today's blog update.
Blessings to you all,
Jon Moore
And I had lunch the other day with Bishop Schnase. Had to get that one in....
Yesterday Bishop Joao Somane Machado of Mozambique preached in Portuguese, using a translator. It was, in a word, powerful.
Add to that one more word: convicting.
His text was from Galatians, and the thrust of his sermon was: "You (U.S. United Methodists) were running so well. What happened? Who made you stop? What made you stop?"
He shared with us some of the missionary and evangelism work of the Methodists in Africa and elsewhere, and then called us to face what apparently stopped sometime in the 1970s.
Using the "Three Simple Rules" of John Wesley as re-formatted in a book by Bishop Rueben Job that has been repeatedly referred to at this General Conference:
Do No Harm, Do Good, Stay in Love with God (the 3rd is the reformatted one),
Bishop Machado laid out the challenge that we have, quite simply, stopped doing good.
We have stopped doing. We have stopped acting.
He told the story of a new pastor who got in trouble for preaching the same sermon his first three weeks in a row. When confronted, the pastor responded:
"Until you show me that you can put into action the words I am preaching, I'm not going to change my sermon."
Truly I tell you, I heard a great sermon from Bishop Machado.
But hearing a great sermon just isn't enough.
This morning Bishop Bill Hutchinson preached.
It made my list of one of the ten BEST live sermons I have ever heard.
Intensely funny, and intensely pointed, too, Bishop Hutchinson preached on "water and the spirit" from John 3. He challenged us, in short, to restore our willingness to experience the baptism of the spirit.
We need to stop making life in the spirit an exercise in propriety, and exchange the "my, my, my" of baptism for the "yes, indeed" of baptism. He told the story of 200 Cuban Methodists awaiting baptism outside where the world could see, with anticipation so tangible they couldn't keep still.
He then told stories of his family tree in the Nazarene/Holiness tradition, and how the desire for "sophistication" and the cessation of "embarrassment" had led them to become Methodists.
How did we become the kind of Christian you become if you want to avoid embarrassing outpourings of the spirit?
What we need is waterand the Spirit.
I could say a lot more about either one of those powerful sermons... but for right now, it's time to end today's blog update.
Blessings to you all,
Jon Moore
THE HOLY ONE AMIDST THE UNHOLY ONES
During the opening worship service of General Conference I asked myself some profound questions: How can God love a church that is so fractured and divided? How is it possible for God to work through a church that is so polarized? Does God manifest His presence in the midst of a church that continues to be imperfect in some of its social and theological stances? I was struggling with these questions because what I was witnessing in front of my eyes was God’s presence being manifested through song, word and table and through many other ways. I was tremendously blessed by the way God made His presence be known among us United Methodists since the first day of General Conference.
God showing up for General Conference made the mystery even deeper. Then I realized that in my life I have experienced in several instances the love of God even when I was not “at my best.” There were times in my life that He embraced my brokenness so I could be made whole, He loved me when I was down so I could be lifted up. I understand now that God can indeed embrace our church as imperfect as it is. It is His desire to lift us up when we are down as a denomination. It is His wish to embrace our brokenness to make us whole. God can still work in us and through us in spite of our imperfections. So I join with the proclamation of our General Conference echoing the words of the prophet Jeremiah: that in God and with God there is a future filled with hope for the United Methodist Church!
God showing up for General Conference made the mystery even deeper. Then I realized that in my life I have experienced in several instances the love of God even when I was not “at my best.” There were times in my life that He embraced my brokenness so I could be made whole, He loved me when I was down so I could be lifted up. I understand now that God can indeed embrace our church as imperfect as it is. It is His desire to lift us up when we are down as a denomination. It is His wish to embrace our brokenness to make us whole. God can still work in us and through us in spite of our imperfections. So I join with the proclamation of our General Conference echoing the words of the prophet Jeremiah: that in God and with God there is a future filled with hope for the United Methodist Church!
Friday, April 25, 2008
I Saw It Happening... Holy Conferencing
There are 13 Legislative Committees handling the enormous volume of petitions, resolutions, and "non-disciplinary legislation" submitted to General Conference.
With our 2 voting delegates (1 clergy, 1 lay) getting voice and vote in the Committees they chose, the reserves have been scattered amongst the remaining 11 committees to monitor and report.
I have spent about 11 hours since 4 pm on Thursday the 24th covering the "Church and Society 2" Committee. The Discipline paragraphs assigned to this committee include some of the "key" controversial issues in our Social Principles such as Abortion and Human Sexuality/Homosexuality.
Past General Conferences have included some tempestuous reactions to the treatment of these issues. I approached the monitoring task with some real trepidation. What would I bear witness to, as I monitored the return to the discussion of these issues?
What I saw... was Holy Conferencing.* I saw people treating one another with the utmost respect, while still being clear about where they stood and what they believed. I watched people struggle together to work in unity. I beheld people, voting for something that did not pass, quietly withdraw inward for a brief time to deal with their disappointment with dignity, re-engaging the conversation as they quickly recovered. I watched Christians who disagreed with one another listen, then talk. Pray, then talk some more. Debate, then laugh together.
Surely these legendarily divisive issues would generate the oft-reported outbursts of emotion in uncontrolled storms that would derail the common work!
But they didn't.
Not at all.
Instead, I Saw It Happening...
What we talked about.
What we hoped to see.
The Spirit of Jesus Christ, giving grace and power so United Methodist brothers and sisters could do their work...
...in Holy Conferencing.*
I'll share more from General Conference with you soon.
Peace,
Jon Moore
* "Holy Conferencing" is the term for our Wesleyan understanding that talking to one another, as brothers and sisters in Christ, even when it becomes impassioned or centers on items we disagree about, can be done in such a loving, respectful, and Christ-like way that it becomes a means of God's grace.
With our 2 voting delegates (1 clergy, 1 lay) getting voice and vote in the Committees they chose, the reserves have been scattered amongst the remaining 11 committees to monitor and report.
I have spent about 11 hours since 4 pm on Thursday the 24th covering the "Church and Society 2" Committee. The Discipline paragraphs assigned to this committee include some of the "key" controversial issues in our Social Principles such as Abortion and Human Sexuality/Homosexuality.
Past General Conferences have included some tempestuous reactions to the treatment of these issues. I approached the monitoring task with some real trepidation. What would I bear witness to, as I monitored the return to the discussion of these issues?
What I saw... was Holy Conferencing.* I saw people treating one another with the utmost respect, while still being clear about where they stood and what they believed. I watched people struggle together to work in unity. I beheld people, voting for something that did not pass, quietly withdraw inward for a brief time to deal with their disappointment with dignity, re-engaging the conversation as they quickly recovered. I watched Christians who disagreed with one another listen, then talk. Pray, then talk some more. Debate, then laugh together.
Surely these legendarily divisive issues would generate the oft-reported outbursts of emotion in uncontrolled storms that would derail the common work!
But they didn't.
Not at all.
Instead, I Saw It Happening...
What we talked about.
What we hoped to see.
The Spirit of Jesus Christ, giving grace and power so United Methodist brothers and sisters could do their work...
...in Holy Conferencing.*
I'll share more from General Conference with you soon.
Peace,
Jon Moore
* "Holy Conferencing" is the term for our Wesleyan understanding that talking to one another, as brothers and sisters in Christ, even when it becomes impassioned or centers on items we disagree about, can be done in such a loving, respectful, and Christ-like way that it becomes a means of God's grace.
Thursday, April 24, 2008
Keeping Up with the Delegate
Just a brief update on the goings on here at General Conference 2008. I arrived on Tuesday, checked into my hotel (what has become the Women’s NM Delegation Official Napping Space) and obtained my credentials/checked into the conference. I inadvertently ran into several Friends of NM (Bishop Crutchfield and Bishop Hutchison), took some pictures, ate dinner with the rest of the NM delegation and went to bed for my last anticipated full nights sleep.
Wednesday was filled with ongoing registration issues with other NM Delegates, exploring the conference spaces, hanging out in the Young Delegates Lounge with Rev Moore (our last conference in which we can say that we are both officially ‘Young Delegates) and last, but not least, the Cokesbury Mega Bookstore. We concluded the day with a fulfilling worship service and opening to conference legislative procedures…Rules and Order, duh dummmmm.
Today/Thursday, things have really started happening. We opening with worship and opening addresses by a variety of people. The one I found most inspiring and moving was the much anticipated Young People’s Address. Now I know that Street Reported Louise M reported on some of this, but I’m going to share what I thought of it…
I was moved by the passion and honesty of the testimonies of the six individuals. They each had an open and unique perspective United Methodism. It’s hard to describe what I was feeling while each shared their stories, or what I continue to feel as I process the overall experience. I can say that it was powerful and I am touched. Now, more than ever, I am convinced that we as a church must recognize those 35 and under…those who are ready NOW to serve God, not ‘in the future.’ I will be talking to the UM Communications group to find out how I can obtain a copy of the address so I can share with all of you what I have found to be the most moving experience I have had in a long time. Following this inspirational high, a few of us ventured to lunch and then it was off to legislative groups. I have found myself in Church and Society I – working through legislation which deals with economic issues, war and peace, evolution and education in the schools, immigration, human rights and restorative justice. I will be participating in some discussion (not voting) and will report regularly on the process as I journey on.
With much anticipation for the days to come…
Kelly Brooks
Wednesday was filled with ongoing registration issues with other NM Delegates, exploring the conference spaces, hanging out in the Young Delegates Lounge with Rev Moore (our last conference in which we can say that we are both officially ‘Young Delegates) and last, but not least, the Cokesbury Mega Bookstore. We concluded the day with a fulfilling worship service and opening to conference legislative procedures…Rules and Order, duh dummmmm.
Today/Thursday, things have really started happening. We opening with worship and opening addresses by a variety of people. The one I found most inspiring and moving was the much anticipated Young People’s Address. Now I know that Street Reported Louise M reported on some of this, but I’m going to share what I thought of it…
I was moved by the passion and honesty of the testimonies of the six individuals. They each had an open and unique perspective United Methodism. It’s hard to describe what I was feeling while each shared their stories, or what I continue to feel as I process the overall experience. I can say that it was powerful and I am touched. Now, more than ever, I am convinced that we as a church must recognize those 35 and under…those who are ready NOW to serve God, not ‘in the future.’ I will be talking to the UM Communications group to find out how I can obtain a copy of the address so I can share with all of you what I have found to be the most moving experience I have had in a long time. Following this inspirational high, a few of us ventured to lunch and then it was off to legislative groups. I have found myself in Church and Society I – working through legislation which deals with economic issues, war and peace, evolution and education in the schools, immigration, human rights and restorative justice. I will be participating in some discussion (not voting) and will report regularly on the process as I journey on.
With much anticipation for the days to come…
Kelly Brooks
The Episcopal Address
The episcopal address at General Conference was, in a word, stunning. Delivered by Bishop Sharon Brown Christopher, it was integrated into the Communion liturgy for morning worship, interspersed with clips that served as dynamic illustrations of our ministries and churches.
Our own St. Mark's UMC was featured in one of those clips... and I happened to be sitting right in front of Tom Nagle, who was visiting this morning.
We were guided into a seemless flow of worshipful experience as we slipped from the Bishop's words to video clips to songs to the voices of all the Bishop's present reciting pieces of the Great Thanksgiving. Bishop Christopher gave us a riveting sound byte at one point, that I believe will stick with me: "Let's threaten the world with the resurrection."
Later in the morning we were challenged by the story of Peter in John 21 to be led even to places we might not wish to go, as four General Secretaries talked about the 4 Areas of Focus for our church: 1. Beginning New Congregations and Transforming existing ones; 2. Developing Christian Leaders for the church and world; 3. Working to end poverty; 4. Stamping out killer diseases.
During the presentation on stamping out diseases, we were all introduced to a 7-year-old girl who has raised $40,000 for Nothing But Nets. Her goal: every single child in Africa sleeping under a mosquito net!
I have to confess that too often my goals are way too timid.
Other members of the delegation will be sharing more of Thursday's events, so I'll leave them to it.
Thanks for reading, supporting, and praying!
-Jon Moore
Our own St. Mark's UMC was featured in one of those clips... and I happened to be sitting right in front of Tom Nagle, who was visiting this morning.
We were guided into a seemless flow of worshipful experience as we slipped from the Bishop's words to video clips to songs to the voices of all the Bishop's present reciting pieces of the Great Thanksgiving. Bishop Christopher gave us a riveting sound byte at one point, that I believe will stick with me: "Let's threaten the world with the resurrection."
Later in the morning we were challenged by the story of Peter in John 21 to be led even to places we might not wish to go, as four General Secretaries talked about the 4 Areas of Focus for our church: 1. Beginning New Congregations and Transforming existing ones; 2. Developing Christian Leaders for the church and world; 3. Working to end poverty; 4. Stamping out killer diseases.
During the presentation on stamping out diseases, we were all introduced to a 7-year-old girl who has raised $40,000 for Nothing But Nets. Her goal: every single child in Africa sleeping under a mosquito net!
I have to confess that too often my goals are way too timid.
Other members of the delegation will be sharing more of Thursday's events, so I'll leave them to it.
Thanks for reading, supporting, and praying!
-Jon Moore
More Greetings
Greetings on April 24 from the United Methodist General Conference. This message is from your reporters on the street, Louise Mendius and Kelly Brooks. We are having an interesting time here at the Conference.
Yesterday, we all arrived at 8 am to get registered. Three of us—Louise, Charles, and Jon—had to wait for our credentials to be vetted and ran around the conference without nametags for a while. We finally got the credentials taken care of and got our nametags and were finally official at 2:30 p.m. At 10:00 a.m., the group got together to discuss our plan of action. Those of us that did not have our credentials yet were told to wait until after lunch to see if they were taken care of.
While waiting, Louise attended the Women Delegates orientation and met several delegates from the African Conferences. They were great women and spoke mostly French. Louise got to practice her French, which the ladies said was quite good. However, they said that she spoke French a little strangely because her accent was too bright. This reporter knew that her ability with the Italian language and accent were showing, again!
This reporter learned during the orientation and luncheon that most of the women delegates are here for the first time. The presenters went through the processes of General Conference and many questions were asked. There are 13 legislative committees that make changes to the Discipline of the church. There were also many petitions that were discussed that were of interest to women in the Methodist Church. After the luncheon, the group broke up into small groups for each of the legislative committees. At that point, this reporter had to leave to go get her credentials, which is a saga in itself.
After getting my credentials, this reporter wandered through the Exhibit Hall with Rev. Jon Moore. We found a great little exhibit with plenty of international products. Many of these objects came from Africa and South America. Regretfully, we had to leave to go to dinner.
The Conference officially began at 6:00 p.m. with Opening Worship and Holy Communion. This service was spectacular with processions, liturgical dance, three choirs, an orchestra, and great music from the General Conference Music Director and his coterie of musicians. Bishop Janice Riggle Huie, President of the College of Bishops, spoke on “Celebrating God’s Promise of Hope.” Her speech was inspiring and delineated the theme of the conference. The dancing was really spectacular. Many of the delegates wore traditional dress from their country, which added a lot of color to the ceremony. Many of the African women wore beautiful traditional costumes incolors of bright greens, yellows, browns, golds, oranges, and the like. The patterns on the clothing were beautiful and this reporter wished that her camera had been available so that she could take pictures. The African dress is flowing and follows the line of the body in a way that Americans cannot copy. These costumes added to the pageantry of the service. The service was extremely moving and this reporter felt blessed to be with this great and interesting group of people.
The business of the Conference did not start until slightly after 8:00 p.m. The bar of the Conference was set and the body began to work on the Rules of the Conference. First, however, the delegates had to learn how to use the voting machines. The machines were explained and test votes were taken. The first vote had 21% that were invalid votes. Apparently the voting machines are a little hard to use.
Many changes were proposed for the rules of the Conference. During one of the motions, Presiding Bishop Huie had made a decision. This decision did not sit well with one of the delegates and that delegate spoke up to protest the ruling, stating that the decision did not quite match up with the rules of order. It was interesting to see how Bishops worked. Bishop Huie basically said that the decision had been made and that challenges to the chair when a decision had been made were out of order. It was fascinating to see the process at work. It will be interesting to see how each of the changes to the rules play out.
During the session, a tremendous rainstorm arrived. There was a great deal of rain and thunder, and you could hear the thunder right in the auditorium.
A movie was played that was about the 40th Anniversary of the United Methodist Church (started on April 23, 1968). After several more motions and much discussion on referring certain petitions to the Judicial Council, the meeting was adjourned at 10:53 p.m. This reporter got back to her room at the hotel after 11:00 at night. She gratefully fell into bed because she had to get up at 5:00 a.m. the next day.
The next day arrived really early. Breakfast was actually quite good at the hotel. It consisted of fruit, yogurt, scrambled eggs, sausage, bacon, toast, potatoes, cereal, orange juice, apple juice, grape juice, coffee, and more. Several of the group ate breakfast together. Three of the group actually are staying at the Hilton downtown and were not able to be with the group for breakfast. The rest of the group is staying at the Trinity Inn and Suites. We got out of the hotel and on the road to downtown Fort Worth at 7:30 a.m. With several cars in the group, it is easy to catch a ride to the Conference.
Conference started this morning with choral music from a Korean choir. Their voices were beautiful and the music was haunting! Another great worship serviced ensued. Dancers, blended praise and traditional music, traditional hymns sung to new tunes…all of these elements created a memorable worship service. The sermon was given by Bishop Sharon Brown Christopher. Her message basically stated the three simple rules that Methodists should live by—Do no harm; Do good; Stay in love with God.
We then moved on to several really professional presentations. It was wonderful to see the Church moving in the direction of using technology and having presentations that were multi-media productions. This use of technology made these normally boring presentations interesting. The first two talks dealt with the four areas that the church is focusing on for this Quadrennia. These areas are 1) poverty, 2) health and wholeness, 3) creating new churches and renewing old churches, and 4) developing leaders for the global church. The most interesting part of these talks was when a little 7-year-old girl, Catherine, was brought before the assembly. She has raised $40,000 for mosquito nets for African children. These nets are used to combat malaria in Africa. This reporter intends to find out more about this program and how it is funded.
The most interesting talk of the day, however, was the first-ever young people’s message. A great group of youth and young adults got up to speak about their hopes, dreams, and changes that need to be made. Each of the group gave a message that showed a diverse range of thoughts and backgrounds. Several of the youth and young adults had some very hard truths to tell the assembly, all of which must be addressed. These young people are doers and leaders. If we allow these young people to assist in the direction of the church, we will make changes that will last several lifetimes! This reporter has never seen such a dynamic group of young people. One of them was a young lady from Russia and she spoke of the persecution of Methodists in Russia and how the church needs to be aware of persecution around the world. Street Reporter Kelly will have some observations on this group as well.
We also had the Lay address to the conference. General Conference Lay Leader Llyn Powell gave an inspiring talk. Her message essentially dealt with the responsibilities of the lay person in ministry. But more of that later.
One thing that this reporter found annoying was the dismissal process of the body. During each session, songs were sung and each session seemed to be closing with prayer. The delegates and observers would begin to leave only to be told to return because the session was not adjourned. When that happened you could hear the groans from the plenary floor. It was comical how people would scramble back to their seats.
One thing that we reserve delegates are grateful for are the comfortable seats that we have. Jeff and Daniel have folding chairs with some padding on them. These seats look entirely uncomfortable from where all of the reserves sit.
In all, these past two days have been exciting. We’ve even been under a tornado watch both days! We’ve been told that if we hear a siren to immediately take cover in the hallways! So you can see that General Conference can be a blend of excitement, boredom, and absolute fascination with the interesting people that you meet.
Until next time……this is your Street Report Louise Mendius signing off. Good night and good luck!
Yesterday, we all arrived at 8 am to get registered. Three of us—Louise, Charles, and Jon—had to wait for our credentials to be vetted and ran around the conference without nametags for a while. We finally got the credentials taken care of and got our nametags and were finally official at 2:30 p.m. At 10:00 a.m., the group got together to discuss our plan of action. Those of us that did not have our credentials yet were told to wait until after lunch to see if they were taken care of.
While waiting, Louise attended the Women Delegates orientation and met several delegates from the African Conferences. They were great women and spoke mostly French. Louise got to practice her French, which the ladies said was quite good. However, they said that she spoke French a little strangely because her accent was too bright. This reporter knew that her ability with the Italian language and accent were showing, again!
This reporter learned during the orientation and luncheon that most of the women delegates are here for the first time. The presenters went through the processes of General Conference and many questions were asked. There are 13 legislative committees that make changes to the Discipline of the church. There were also many petitions that were discussed that were of interest to women in the Methodist Church. After the luncheon, the group broke up into small groups for each of the legislative committees. At that point, this reporter had to leave to go get her credentials, which is a saga in itself.
After getting my credentials, this reporter wandered through the Exhibit Hall with Rev. Jon Moore. We found a great little exhibit with plenty of international products. Many of these objects came from Africa and South America. Regretfully, we had to leave to go to dinner.
The Conference officially began at 6:00 p.m. with Opening Worship and Holy Communion. This service was spectacular with processions, liturgical dance, three choirs, an orchestra, and great music from the General Conference Music Director and his coterie of musicians. Bishop Janice Riggle Huie, President of the College of Bishops, spoke on “Celebrating God’s Promise of Hope.” Her speech was inspiring and delineated the theme of the conference. The dancing was really spectacular. Many of the delegates wore traditional dress from their country, which added a lot of color to the ceremony. Many of the African women wore beautiful traditional costumes incolors of bright greens, yellows, browns, golds, oranges, and the like. The patterns on the clothing were beautiful and this reporter wished that her camera had been available so that she could take pictures. The African dress is flowing and follows the line of the body in a way that Americans cannot copy. These costumes added to the pageantry of the service. The service was extremely moving and this reporter felt blessed to be with this great and interesting group of people.
The business of the Conference did not start until slightly after 8:00 p.m. The bar of the Conference was set and the body began to work on the Rules of the Conference. First, however, the delegates had to learn how to use the voting machines. The machines were explained and test votes were taken. The first vote had 21% that were invalid votes. Apparently the voting machines are a little hard to use.
Many changes were proposed for the rules of the Conference. During one of the motions, Presiding Bishop Huie had made a decision. This decision did not sit well with one of the delegates and that delegate spoke up to protest the ruling, stating that the decision did not quite match up with the rules of order. It was interesting to see how Bishops worked. Bishop Huie basically said that the decision had been made and that challenges to the chair when a decision had been made were out of order. It was fascinating to see the process at work. It will be interesting to see how each of the changes to the rules play out.
During the session, a tremendous rainstorm arrived. There was a great deal of rain and thunder, and you could hear the thunder right in the auditorium.
A movie was played that was about the 40th Anniversary of the United Methodist Church (started on April 23, 1968). After several more motions and much discussion on referring certain petitions to the Judicial Council, the meeting was adjourned at 10:53 p.m. This reporter got back to her room at the hotel after 11:00 at night. She gratefully fell into bed because she had to get up at 5:00 a.m. the next day.
The next day arrived really early. Breakfast was actually quite good at the hotel. It consisted of fruit, yogurt, scrambled eggs, sausage, bacon, toast, potatoes, cereal, orange juice, apple juice, grape juice, coffee, and more. Several of the group ate breakfast together. Three of the group actually are staying at the Hilton downtown and were not able to be with the group for breakfast. The rest of the group is staying at the Trinity Inn and Suites. We got out of the hotel and on the road to downtown Fort Worth at 7:30 a.m. With several cars in the group, it is easy to catch a ride to the Conference.
Conference started this morning with choral music from a Korean choir. Their voices were beautiful and the music was haunting! Another great worship serviced ensued. Dancers, blended praise and traditional music, traditional hymns sung to new tunes…all of these elements created a memorable worship service. The sermon was given by Bishop Sharon Brown Christopher. Her message basically stated the three simple rules that Methodists should live by—Do no harm; Do good; Stay in love with God.
We then moved on to several really professional presentations. It was wonderful to see the Church moving in the direction of using technology and having presentations that were multi-media productions. This use of technology made these normally boring presentations interesting. The first two talks dealt with the four areas that the church is focusing on for this Quadrennia. These areas are 1) poverty, 2) health and wholeness, 3) creating new churches and renewing old churches, and 4) developing leaders for the global church. The most interesting part of these talks was when a little 7-year-old girl, Catherine, was brought before the assembly. She has raised $40,000 for mosquito nets for African children. These nets are used to combat malaria in Africa. This reporter intends to find out more about this program and how it is funded.
The most interesting talk of the day, however, was the first-ever young people’s message. A great group of youth and young adults got up to speak about their hopes, dreams, and changes that need to be made. Each of the group gave a message that showed a diverse range of thoughts and backgrounds. Several of the youth and young adults had some very hard truths to tell the assembly, all of which must be addressed. These young people are doers and leaders. If we allow these young people to assist in the direction of the church, we will make changes that will last several lifetimes! This reporter has never seen such a dynamic group of young people. One of them was a young lady from Russia and she spoke of the persecution of Methodists in Russia and how the church needs to be aware of persecution around the world. Street Reporter Kelly will have some observations on this group as well.
We also had the Lay address to the conference. General Conference Lay Leader Llyn Powell gave an inspiring talk. Her message essentially dealt with the responsibilities of the lay person in ministry. But more of that later.
One thing that this reporter found annoying was the dismissal process of the body. During each session, songs were sung and each session seemed to be closing with prayer. The delegates and observers would begin to leave only to be told to return because the session was not adjourned. When that happened you could hear the groans from the plenary floor. It was comical how people would scramble back to their seats.
One thing that we reserve delegates are grateful for are the comfortable seats that we have. Jeff and Daniel have folding chairs with some padding on them. These seats look entirely uncomfortable from where all of the reserves sit.
In all, these past two days have been exciting. We’ve even been under a tornado watch both days! We’ve been told that if we hear a siren to immediately take cover in the hallways! So you can see that General Conference can be a blend of excitement, boredom, and absolute fascination with the interesting people that you meet.
Until next time……this is your Street Report Louise Mendius signing off. Good night and good luck!
Wednesday, April 23, 2008
Opening Worship
We were ushered into opening worship tonight by the "mingled tongues" of beautiful traditional choirs accompanied by orchestra and jazz-infused gospel music accompanied by African drumming. The Processional shifted from the "Zimbabwe Halleluya" to "God of Grace and God of Glory" (with some alternate lyrics), then back to the "Halleluya." As the Bishops processed in, I could feel the deep shift as the vertical realm of relationship with the Spirit expanded to fully include the horizontal realm of our connected fellowship.
Other than at my ordination, I have never so powerfully felt the means of grace of our connection.
Bishop Janice Huie, President of the Council of Bishops, preached a sermon that shared its title with the theme of the conference, "A Future with Hope." It was based on Jeremiah 29:10-14 and Romans 8:18-28. During the sermon she "called out" the special interest groups that "think they've cornered the market on righteousness" with Paul's answer to the special interest groups of his time: "all have sinned and fallen short of the glory of God." She shifted away from church politics by talking about the mission of the 11.4 million United Methodists found in 50 countries on 5 continents. Hope, Bishop Huie said, is what 21st century Christians must be known by, as she led us through a series of biblical images of hope.
The 6,400 people in attendance concluded the opening worship session by celebrating Communion.
The Opening Business Session after the worship service contained the sorts of matters one might expect from an opening session... but one element really stood out for me.
Exactly 40 years ago, on April 23rd, 1968, the Evangelical United Brethren and the Methodist Church united to form the United Methodist Church.
We watched video from that event, 40 years ago tonight. Some of the "veteran" General Conference delegates have shared with me they sense a greater spirit of unity this year than in the past few Conferences. Perhaps beginning with the shared remembrance of the unity achieved 40 years ago for the sake of the Gospel of Jesus Christ will lead us to experience a similar coming together in 2008.
Pray that it will be so.
-Jon Moore
Oh... they warned me these business sessions last until 11 pm, but they were wrong.
Tonight we got out at 10:57 pm.
Arrival & Orientation
Yesterday, April 22nd, we all came coasting down out of the skies and into the Ft Worth/Dallas area by ones and twos.
Except for a couple of us already in the area for pre-conference meetings.
One way or another, we made our way to downtown Fort Worth, or slightly outside of downtown to the hotel most of us are staying at.
Along the way we made the acquaintance of other delegates.
Business cards were exchanged. The connection is alive and well.
It was good to be gathered back together. Almost 100 other General Conference attenders had found the same hotel, including some "stragglers" who have ended up hanging out with your New Mexico conference crowd.
Today, April 23rd, registration and orientation meetings. The delegation gathered together at 10 am to get geared up for things coming up.
Thanks to Jeff, we among the reserve delegates got our credentials established, and could (theoretically) be on the floor.
It's just nice to have a nametag.
That way the parliamentarians don't have to say,
"Who are you, and what do you think you're doing here?"
So far, it's been a day of meeting new people, and catching up with old friends.
I've even found a few classmates from seminary days... the grace of relationships that come with the business of General Conference!
Anyway, more posts to come, and hopefully some pictures, too.
Thanks to everyone, including you, dear reader, for the support and prayers.
Grace and Peace from Cowtown,
-Jon Moore
Except for a couple of us already in the area for pre-conference meetings.
One way or another, we made our way to downtown Fort Worth, or slightly outside of downtown to the hotel most of us are staying at.
Along the way we made the acquaintance of other delegates.
Business cards were exchanged. The connection is alive and well.
It was good to be gathered back together. Almost 100 other General Conference attenders had found the same hotel, including some "stragglers" who have ended up hanging out with your New Mexico conference crowd.
Today, April 23rd, registration and orientation meetings. The delegation gathered together at 10 am to get geared up for things coming up.
Thanks to Jeff, we among the reserve delegates got our credentials established, and could (theoretically) be on the floor.
It's just nice to have a nametag.
That way the parliamentarians don't have to say,
"Who are you, and what do you think you're doing here?"
So far, it's been a day of meeting new people, and catching up with old friends.
I've even found a few classmates from seminary days... the grace of relationships that come with the business of General Conference!
Anyway, more posts to come, and hopefully some pictures, too.
Thanks to everyone, including you, dear reader, for the support and prayers.
Grace and Peace from Cowtown,
-Jon Moore
Tuesday, April 8, 2008
Stay Tuned
Stay tuned for information from the United Methodist Church General and Jurisdictional Conferences.
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