Keeping the Arms of Love Open

One emerging point of focus for our new Futurist Team is what to do with our southeast lawn and future main Sunday entrance to say that we care for you, and we care for our planet. Architecturally, the angled walls on either side of the three doors can be seen as open arms of welcome – for all. How do we leverage that? How can we build on that in clear and inviting ways, especially for rising generations who embrace the call of Christ better than their preceding generations? We must care for one another and our planet better than we have.  

Similarly, our General Conference in Charlotte, North Carolina next week will work on new ways to care better for one another and our planet. There is good movement to give regions around the world autonomy to care for others better within their context rather than fashioning a “one size fits all” that is U.S.-centric. The Catholic Church has set a good precedent creating over 60 variations of the Mass tailored to the cultural context in which it is shared. We have a proposed new edition of our Social Principles and Resolutions that has been written by United Methodists from the Philippines, countries in Africa, Eurasia, and Central America in addition to the United States, representing our global peoples’ concerns and not just American concerns. This is right and just.  

 Because our polity was patterned in the 18th century after the American government model of legislative checks and balances, the process for getting to these ends is messy as together the 862 delegates (half lay people, half clergy) prayerfully discern God’s will for our church. By organization, they are the only ones who can do so.  

 I ask you to pray for our Futurist Team as it peers into the future and seeks to discern the mission, structure, and strategies to get there. 

I ask that you pray for Rev. Cammy Gaston and the other 861 delegates to General Conference as they peer into the future and discern the mission, structure, and strategies to get there.

At the end of the day, both groups want to keep the arms of love open for all persons and for our planet, for the sake of the risen Christ and his call upon all of our lives.  Amen.  

Connecting God and Grace to Self and Community,