August 2016
Restoring Hope in the God of Second Chances!
A Church Divided or United? The United Methodist Church is facing its greatest challenge in my memory. Recent events around the country are straining our unity, our witness and potentially our future, perhaps to the breaking point. Lines are being drawn and attacks are being made against brothers and sisters in Christ in the public forum. These events are as tragic as they are confounding, calling into question who we really are and especially what we believe. Our Resident Bishop, Sandra Steiner-Ball, has taken this opportunity to address the churches of the WV Annual Conference in a letter you will find on the next page. In the weeks and months ahead it will be increasingly important for us to remain focused on who we are and what we believe. Some will be tempted to abandon ship and seek calmer waters elsewhere. But I learned some time ago that storms often serve a deeper spiritual purpose. These storms often reveal the strength of our convictions and the value of our connection. I am confident, however, that the people of Mt. Pleasant United Methodist Church will be drawn together because of the deep inner calm you have in Christ, because you care deeply for one another and because you have learned the sacred art of listening and laughing with one another! So despite the uproar, I remain optimistic about our future. As we move forward, there are a few points I hope you will remember… God is with us. These are the dying words of John Wesley. They remind us that even when we see only one set of footprints in the sand, God has not abandoned us. So don’t freak out! Jesus said, “Do not let your hearts be troubled. Trust in God, trust also in me.” John 14:1 (CEB) Let’s do that! We’re all a little broken. We must acknowledge that we all have baggage, we all have egos that are easily bruised and we all have fears that torment our minds. This can make for a very volatile combination in any marriage, family or church. The only thing that holds us together is our faith in Christ, who gave his life for confused sinners like me. So let us not demonize, but re-humanize the broken places in our world. We come together as wounded disciples in order to confront who we are, pursue who we could be, and build a better world.