I am United Methodist because of the “united” part every bit as much as the “methodist” part. We are connected around the world by our worship, by the way we preach the gospel and attend to the practical, physical needs of our brothers and sisters. We collect our monetary gifts to invest in communities which are struggling, communities trying to make a difference to the least of these, and in communities who are caring for one another. Our connectedness, and our willingness to be in relationship with one another, has always appealed to me. While we don’t all look or think the same way, we have united over the gospel, for sharing the love of Christ and the peace of Christ with all people.
When I was a youth, I drove all over our conference as a kid who was connected. I attended meetings in churches, I drove to the UM Building in Raleigh, and I had friends in many churches throughout the countryside between Wilmington and Raleigh. I was the president of the Wilmington District youth and served on the Conference Council on Youth Ministries. My favorite thing to do while driving was to look for the “UMC this way” signs in every little community, town and highway. Those signs, with the cross and flame and an arrow pointing the way, gave me comfort. I knew, in my heart, that if something happened along with way (pre-cell phones), I could stop at one of these churches and find help, take refuge, or find the resource I needed. To me, this was connection.
As the body of Christ, we are called to work together, to move together. If we are all parts of the one body, we are very different, gifted in various ways. We are not all the same part nor do we have the same function. And yet scripture tells us, as a body, it takes all parts to function well. It takes not only major organs and limbs and a brain, but small parts like joints and eyelashes and pinky toes to be able to bend, blink and balance, as well as pause, ponder and pray (thank you, Bescye). God made us to be parts of the one whole; Jesus shows us how to live and work and move together as a force for the Kingdom!
Coming up in the lectionary (a resource which also connects us), is Psalm 67, a song which reminds us of God’s radiance shining upon us. It begins:
“May God be gracious to us and bless us and make his face to shine upon us, . . .”
We receive God’s blessing in the same way as receiving the sunshine on a beautiful day: it’s a blessing we didn’t earn or deserve. God simply offers it. The rays reach out to all living things and we reflect back that radiance to God, to the world. We are blessed to share God’s great love and radiance with others. We are made holy, and reminded of our connectedness to God, when we know, love and serve God. We carry Christ within us and have the gift of knowing, holding, living, and sharing God’s truth. This is connection.
When we receive God’s blessing, our ability to move, to make a difference for the Kingdom, is magnified, extended. When we exploit the connection for good, we make an impact that is larger than anything we can do on our own. Congregations come together to feed more people than any one of us could by ourselves. Communities come together for events to honor leaders and workers among us with parties we couldn’t fathom putting on alone. My hope is to continue to have God’s vision about how we will share the gospel as a connection, as the body of Christ. Our mission remains just that: to reflect that radiant light which shines on all people. Thank you for being all the parts of the same whole who help to bring the Light.
If you would like to view past editions of Time with Tara, follow this link:
https://harbordistrictnc.org/category/from-the-ds/