The landowner looked outside at his yard. He loved to look at God’s handiwork as he worked from the home office. The crepe myrtles had been especially inspiring this year! And yet, the summer greenery was needing some sprucing up. The crepe myrtles, though inspiring all season, were way past prime. To keep his yard looking good he decided to get some help.
He called his regular landscaper and said:
“It’s the end of summer, fall is coming on, and my yard needs a trim. Can you come today? Please pay special attention to the shrubbery and my beloved crepe myrtles out front.”
The homeowner left to go about his day. When he came home that evening his gaze lingered on the bushes and the trees. They had been wrecked, in his humble opinion. Nothing was left. The branches of the crepe myrtles were whittled down to nubs! The shrubs look like they are all piles of sticks, no leaves left! He had one word for it: ugly.
He lamented. The pruning was done. What could he do but watch and wait? Throughout the winter those sticks stuck out and the trees were barren as usual. The feeling of sadness lingered in his heart.
As winter moved away and springtime arrived, something amazing happened. The growth of his yard was off the charts. As spring rains and warm temperatures nurtured the yard, the shrubbery came back full of bright green leaves. And the crepe myrtles became lush and full of blooms throughout the season. The homeowner found his yard was more beautiful than it had been the year before. Could it be that this deep pruning had ushered in, prepared the way for, something even more beautiful?
* * * * *
Saturday, November 19th, our beloved North Carolina Conference gathered for a vote. Bishop Fairley guided us through our time together with grace and compassion for all. Our clergy and lay members to the Annual Conference voted to allow those congregations, who duly voted to disaffiliate from the United Methodist denomination, to go in peace. This day was sad for many, both clergy and lay who made a decision to remain in the denomination, and those who made the decision to leave. We grieve over this fracture
While we may not share the same understanding around human sexuality in the church or other beliefs, we all know that making this decision has become a real distraction in the life of the United Methodist Church. The meetings and debates have overwhelmed and frustrated many of us, leading to the disaffiliation discussions taking center stage rather than loving God and neighbor. As I traveled from church to church to conduct Church Conferences (for disaffiliation) and annual Charge Conferences, we all lamented this distraction; we long for, as a whole, to reposition our love of Christ, making disciples, and offering Christly care to our communities into the center.
For all who remain in the United Methodist Church, my hope is that we will support one another in an effort to move forward well.
– Pray for the leaders and the people of the UMC.
– Keep your eyes open for wounded brothers and sisters seeking a new church home; welcome them in with compassion and great care.
– Allow yourself time and space to grieve in your own way; show grace and compassion to others who may be at different stages of grief that you and I
– Seek out holy conversations; we are a part of helping our denomination continue to uphold scriptures, to be reformed and shaped by God as a denomination, and to “get out of the way” so Christ shines through us!
* * * * *
“For surely I know the plans I have for you, says the Lord, plans for your welfare and not for harm, to give you a future with hope. Then when you call upon me and come and pray to me, I will hear you. When you search for me, you will find me; if you seek me with all your heart, I will let you find me, says the Lord . . . “ Jeremiah 29:11-14 NRSV
Our future is bright! God brings us to today with a plan, God joins us into this journey into a new place as a denomination and as Easter people. As the Bishop shared, “it feels like Friday; Sunday is coming.” My hope is that we will set aside our own frustration and distraction so that we can seek God with all our heart, so we can hear God’s still small voice, so that we may learn about and lean into God’s future for us. Let us join one another and with Christ our Lord as we anticipate a future with hope, a future more beautiful than we can imagine. We have always loved the people God calls us to be as United Methodists; as we journey together, let us go with expectation into a bright, bold and beautiful future.
I am grateful for each of you and to share this journey with you.
Peace,
Tara