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Precious Unity

Psalm 133: 1-3           

¹ How wonderful and pleasant it is
    when brothers live together in harmony!
² For harmony is as precious as the anointing oil
    that was poured over Aaron’s head,
    that ran down his beard
    and onto the border of his robe.
³ Harmony is as refreshing as the dew from Mount Hermon
    that falls on the mountains of Zion.
And there the Lord has pronounced his blessing,
    even life everlasting.

Families - we all have them.

They are the place where life begins…

- Where we are nurtured, protected, fed, and raised.


- Where we learn to interact with others and the world around us.


- We learn how to say “please” and “thank you”
.

- We learn how to say “excuse me” and “I’m sorry”.


- We learn that falling down or touching a hot stove can be painful.



And we learn how love - expressed in a hug, a kiss, an embrace, a kind word - can make things, at least a little, better.


But families can also be one of the first places where we learn other things….

- How to hurt or be hurt by those who are supposed to love us the best - the most


- Exposure to disagreements and dysfunctional relationships


- Where we can be spoken to harshly


- Where we can feel the sting of betrayal


- Where an exit seems like salvation…



Families are tricky things.


Families can be messy.


Places of love, and places of pain.


Families gather around the table, sharing their lives and sometimes their differences, seeking to find and maintain a precious unity that stays with us through the good and the bad.


Unity, by the way, is not uniformity.


Unity is not the absence of differences - it is the choice of  intentional relationship in the midst of those differences - held together by a bond that does not come natural to any of us.


A bond of love.



The family that I call the United Methodist Church -

The family in which I first heard about real life (abundant and eternal)…

The family that nurtured, fed, and protected my faith… 

The family that taught me how to say “please” and “thank you”, and “excuse me”, and “I’m sorry.”…

The family that comforted me when life hurt….


Had a fight last week.


One that started when I was very young and one that the enemy of the KOG has been using to divide us for far, far too long.


Members of the family came together, trying to find a way forward that could preserve our precious unity…


But, instead, made decisions that may have only added fuel to the fire and may unavoidably lead to a painful divorce.

I pray that is not the case.


You have no idea how I pray that is not the case.


You see, I am a child of divorce….


When I was about 13, my parents - who must have loved each other at some point in their 25 year marriage - now found themselves living at opposite ends of the house.


Each night, as I said my prayers, I cried out to God:


“God, please don’t let happen what I think is going to happen.”


But then, one night … it did.


Sitting on the couch in our den, my father told me their decision.


As the news sank deep into my chest, he asked me if I was OK.


I swallowed hard … and lied - “Yes”, while every fiber in my body wanted to cry out “No!”


Before I knew it, the house was sold and our lives turned upside down.


It was a painful experience, to be sure.


And though un-welcomed, it became a place of great strength, learning, and growth for me.


I discovered truths - some good, some not so good - about my mother, my father, our family, even myself.


And through it all, I learned how to firmly trust in God - a gift I am grateful for, especially today.



My other family - The United Methodist Church - may be headed down a similar road.


I honestly don’t know.


I can assure you that I am - and have been - praying for peace and continued unity.


But even if the answer is an un-welcome one, I know God will see us through.


He always has.



Part of my pain this past week is in seeing a church - a family that I love - struggle to hold on to what they feel is essential -


One side seeking to preserve their understanding of marriage, the other seeking to be loved unconditionally.


Neither side wants to hurt the other.


But the pain is real, and palpable. And unfortunate.


For me, what is truly heartbreaking, is to see the church where my faith was born - a church that welcomed me and allowed me to question, grow, and mature - potentially lose what I feel is uniquely ours as Wesleyan Christians:


- The ability to recognize that devoted, well meaning and serious Christians can read the Scriptures and come to different understandings.

- The ability to listen to one another - to be challenged - and maybe see something we didn’t see before, or be strengthened in our convictions.

- The ability to hold different views, but remain in love.


As my colleague Magrey DeVega reminded me this week, in a statement to the congregation he leads at Hyde Park in Tampa:

“What made me fall deeply in love with this denomination is the aspirational belief that John Wesley demonstrated time and again in his writings and his ministry, that there is always a third way - in the center - that could bring out the best of polarized extremes and produce a vibrant, redemptive, third way forward.”

It was John Wesley who asked: 


“Though we cannot think alike, may we not love alike?
May we of one heart, though we are not of one opinion? Without all doubt, we may.”


It breaks my heart that we seemingly cannot find a “third way”.

But I will continue to strive for one, regardless.


Conclusion:


(Image on screen - top of this blog post)

Illus. Of Wesley and Coke -

“Offer them Christ, Thomas”



30 years ago, when I was being interviewed during the Ordination process, I was asked a question regarding my role during the administration of Communion:

“What do you feel or think about when presenting Communion?”

My response?

“I am ordained to administer the sacraments, not to determine who is worthy of them.”

And that is what I will always do.


Like so many others, I will offer Christ.


My job - and quite frankly, the job of every follower of Christ - is to love as Jesus has loved - unconditionally and without condemnation - and let the Holy Spirit do the rest.


So now what?


Frankly, denominationally speaking, I don’t know.


The weeks and months ahead will reveal that.


But here’s what I do know:


I am a minister of the Gospel - ordained to offer the love of Christ, seeking to “make disciples of all nations”.


I am a minister of the Gospel - and it is not my job to fix the church.


It is my job to be the church and to equip others to do the same.


That is what I have done and will continue to do, and no matter which side of this issue you may find yourself on, and I pray you will join me.


Regardless of what the future holds - what we are called to do as Hope church has not - nor will it ever - change:


Be the church.


You already know what God wants from you - To do justice, love mercy, and walk humbly with your God.


To be a cup of cold water, salt and light, grace and truth - for a hurting and dying world.


To be the church - the church that Jesus lived and died for…


The church I will live and die for, too.


Not because she is perfect, but because she is beloved by God.


Because You are beloved by God.


In the end, General Conference voted not to allow clergy to perform weddings for anyone in the LGBTQ community, or to allow for their ordination within the United Methodist Church to serve as clergy.


But do not mistake those restrictions for a statement about your worth or value.


To those who identify with the LGBTQ community …. God sees you…I see you… God loves you, and so do I.


For those who have family members who identify with LGBTQ community….siblings, sons, daughters, grandchildren….. God sees you…I see you….God loves you, and so do I.


To those of you who hold to a traditional view on these issues…. God sees you… I see you… God loves you, and so do I.


Together, let us do as Philippians 2:12 instructs us - to “work out our own salvation with fear and trembling”, knowing that all of us are saved by the grace of God and nothing else.


Let us work to preserve a precious unity - a unity that is won by erring on the side of compassion and love.


A unity Jesus Himself prayed we would have, in the Garden of Gethsemane.


READ   - John 17: 20-23


Paul also reminds us of the precious unity God wants for us -


Ephesians 4: 1-6

Therefore I, a prisoner for serving the Lord, beg you to lead a life worthy of your calling, for you have been called by God.
2 Always be humble and gentle. Be patient with each other, making allowance for each other’s faults because of your love.
3 Make every effort to keep yourselves united in the Spirit, binding yourselves together with peace.
4 For there is one body and one Spirit, just as you have been called to one glorious hope for the future.
5 There is one Lord, one faith, one baptism,

6 one God and Father of all, who is over all, in all, and living through all.


Yes, families are tricky things.


Families can be messy.


But families gather around the table, sharing their lives, their hurts, their joys, their love, their pain …

- and, yes, sometimes even their differences


- all the while seeking to find a precious unity that remains.


Families gather around the table...

I Am Disgusted

I am disgusted...

Disgusted with the fact that over 30% of women - our wives, mothers, sisters, daughter, nieces, aunts... have been the victims of sexual harassment.

I am disgusted...

That 20% of men - our husbands, fathers, wives, brothers, nephews, uncles... are also victims of sexual harassment.

I am disgusted...

Disgusted with the fact that the first reaction to any accusation is to doubt the person making such a serious claim.

I am disgusted...

Disgusted that though every person should be heard and given a chance to tell their story, many will not for fear of repercussions that can come in the form or rejection, separation, or accused of ulterior motives.

I am disgusted...

Disgusted at how saying something is made more difficult by those who refuse to hear from those who have been hurt.

I am disgusted...

Disgusted by how politicians will use this (and other) issue to further divide us.

I am disgusted...

Disgusted by how we, as a society, have made a mockery of terms like "due process".

I am disgusted...

Disgusted by how we, as a society, will remain in our echo-chambers and refuse to listed to anyone who may see things differently than we do.

I am disgusted...

Disgusted by how real victims are further victimized by this ongoing, political power play - by elected officials and by a biased media - how each will say they stand with victims, but will then use them as leverage to score political points on both sides. 

I am disgusted...

Disgusted that our pride and our desire to be right is more important to us than things like love and understanding, for both the accuser and the accused.

I am disgusted...

Disgusted that we will voyeuristically watch exchanges, but quickly forget what we have seen and heard, as we move on to the next critical issue, never taking the time to understand what has happened or how it will impact the future.

I am disgusted...

Disgusted that we refuse to find ways to fairly address the serious issues that face us, as a people, settling for the recently won "battle" while collectively, we are losing the "war".


But I have hope.....

It is a hope that does not originate in the hearts of men and women...

It is a hope that is not based in politics, or government, or the rule of law...

It is a hope that is not contingent upon the current "wind of popular belief"...

It is the hope we have been given by God, particularly in Jesus Christ.

A hope for the Kingdom of God to become a reality here on earth (which, by God's own doing, with us or without us, it will).

A hope that is placed in the One who gave Himself for us -  to cleanse us from sin and redeem us from death.

A hope that is found in "loving God with all your heart, mind, soul, and strength" which equally "loves neighbor as self."

A hope that is placed in action by the Holy Spirit of God, Who equips, moves, and empowers us to love as Christ has loved.

A hope that one day, "the lion will lie down with the lamb".

A hope that one day we will take God at His Word and truly humble ourselves before Him (2 Chronicles 7:14), He will restore, bless, and heal us.

A hope that is grounded in the disgusting death of the Son of God, which results in the salvation of the world.

Perhaps, by staring at the cross - a disgusting picture, to be sure - we will find our hope, our strength, and a renewed love for God and neighbor.

A love that listens.

A love that embraces.

A love that runs to, not away from - like the father in the Parable of the Prodigal.

A love that fights: for the innocent and the marginalized.

A love that fights: for justice, for both those who have been victimized and for those who have been wrongly accused.

A love that seeks justice over power.

A love that seeks to restore, repair, and redeem, rather than a pride that seeks its own way (2 Cor. 13)

Yes, in many ways I am disgusted.

But more than that - I am hopeful.

Because my hope is not placed in human beings (Ps. 20:7), or the structures we create, but in the God who never gives up on us (Deut. 31:6) - Who gave Himself for us (Eph. 5:2) - Who is working for the redemption of the entire world. (Rom. 8:9)

Hopeful - that is what I truly am and will strive to be.

Invitation to the Point of View (“POV”) event on September 22, 2018

    You are invited to experience what we believe is a somewhat different and uncommon event.  It’s called POV (or Point of View).

    The purpose of our POV event is to provide an environment where people of various opinions/convictions about an issue can safely share their opinions, developing empathy for those with whom we may deeply disagree, and listening to one another as the body of Christ.

    We believe that the POV experience is different because it's counter-cultural and an uncommon experience, since, in our polarized world, there are not many spaces left that don’t have dividing lines.

    The POV process has been developed by both Pastoral and Lay leadership in the Florida Conference and is based on materials derived from The Anatomy of Peace, a book centered on resolving the essential elements within ourselves that lead to conflict. (You can check the book out for yourself: http://ws.arbinger.com/anatomyofpeace/, and it is also available on Amazon.)

    Why we are focused on the POV process is in response to the issue of LGBTQIA inclusion, which will be determined at a special called General Conference of the United Methodist Church, in February of 2019.

    For a more complete explanation of why we are having this initial discussion, I refer you to my recent pastoral letter, which can be found on my blog, just below this post, entitled, The Road Before Us.


    I want to explain what our September 22nd, POV meeting will and will not be.

What POV is:

POV is - a one day experience that creates a safe space for engaging difficult conversations through the lens of empathy, context and mission.

POV is - an opportunity for you to bring your thoughts, questions, emotions, and heart without the fear of being judged or coerced.


What POV is not:

POV is not - an attempt to change your convictions - no matter what they may be.

POV is not - a place to try and convince others of your deeply held convictions, though we want everyone to share their perspective.

The POV experience is a place and time where we will listen, we will share, we will reflect, and we will engage with one another.

    Again, our POV experience will be held from 9 am to 3:30 pm on Saturday, September 22nd, at Hope UMC.

    It is important for you to sign up at the Connection Center, as we will need to prepare the room, provide refreshments, and reproduce materials for each participant.

    I look forward to our time together. Peace.


You Are Loved,

Kelly W. Smith
Senior Pastor, Hope UMC

The Road Before Us

A Pastoral Letter for Hope UMC

August, 2018

How We Got Here -

    The United Methodist Church, as we know it, was formed from two main denominations - the Methodist church and the Evangelical United Brethren church - in 1968. From our very inception, differences over human sexuality emerged and have grown in intensity with every General Conference, which meets every four years. There is much diversity of thought in the United Methodist Church everywhere, but there is also general differences of conscience in different parts of the country when it comes to practical matters such as marriage and ordination.

    This conflict at General Conference reached a boiling point in 2016. Recognizing that we were at an impasse regarding issues related to ordination, marriage, and human sexuality, the General Conference voted to ask our bishops to lead us out of the disagreement (this is unprecedented since in our polity, bishops do not have influence over the decisions of the General Conference). A plan was put in place for the bishops to develop a Commission on a Way Forward. The Commission was empowered to provide a recommendation on this issue and present that to a specially called General Conference of the world wide UMC to be held in February of 2019.

    The Commission was instructed that we must be open to new ways of being in relationship and in new forms of autonomy, the use of apportionment funds, etc. People from all over the world were represented on the Commission. The Commission met 9 times over 17 months, with 25 days of face time and many conference calls.The work of the Commission has since completed its work and 3 proposals were offered.

    For the complete report, you can go to: http://s3.amazonaws.com/Website_Properties/council-of-bishops/news_and_statements/documents/Way_Forward_Report_-_Final_-_ENGLISH.pdf

    To summarize the full report, three models under consideration - the Traditional Model (with enhanced accountability), the One Church Model (which removes current restrictions and decentralized decisions regarding wedding and ordinations in some way), and the Connectional Conference Model (a multi-branch model, which provides an entirely new structure with different kinds of relationships).
 
    In the May 2018 meeting, a motion was approved overwhelmingly. All three plans would be considered by the Commission on a Way Forward and by the called General Conference in 2019, but the majority of the bishops approve the One Church Plan.

    The Traditional Plan would streamline the process of imposing penalties for not following the Discipline and maintains the current structure of the world-wide church.

    The One Church Plan protects churches, pastors, and boards of ordained ministry who choose NOT to be progressive. Yet it provides the ability to minister in context.

    The Connectional Conference model features a unified core and shared doctrine, but would create a different kind of unity including 3 “values based” connectional conferences that would replace our present-day Annual Conference structure. Central conferences like African Conferences could be their own values-based conference, or join one of the 3.

    In addition, alternative plans can be presented at the General Conference in 2019. The Judicial Council (a sort of “Supreme Court” of our United Methodist Structure) was requested to answer a question about whether or not petitions could be received at the called General Conference beyond the report of the Council of Bishops on the Commission on a Way Forward. They determined that yes, they can, as long as the petitions are “in harmony” with the Council of Bishops report.

    The essential decision is about our world-wide structure - we do not anticipate a sudden change in the ministry and practices of Hope UMC or the Florida Conference and, in fact, if any changes are made, it could take several years of adjustment. 


What We Can Do -

    Our bishop has asked us to pray during this time. Fasting and prayer are common practices as it relates to discernment and are encouraged. As part of our heritage, a Wesleyan fast, from Thursday after dinner to Friday afternoon, has become common place. In addition, if you would not choose to fast from food, there are, of course, other things we could choose to fast from, such as social media.

    In addition, each day for 4 minutes, from 2:23 to 2:26 (either am or pm - The General Conference will be held Feb. 23-26, thus the times of 2:23-2:26), we have been asked to pray. We are called to pray for the effectiveness of the Church and for the called General Conference.

    I myself have made the commitment to the daily Wesleyan prayer time and do so every afternoon. Regardless of what you may decide to do, I invite you to do something as a way of joining in this great call to prayer.

    Now that the lengthy report is made public (see link above), I would encourage you to read it carefully with the following things in mind:

    First, do not make any judgments until you have read the plans.

    Second, read them several times - first from your own perspective, than again from a perspective different from yours, and than a third time from the perspective of the Philippines and Africa.

    As I have said before, and will no doubt say again, we can hold to our convictions, while maintaining love and compassion for the differing views of others. The POV in September, and any subsequent meetings, will be focused on having peaceful conversations, as we listen to one another to understand, rather than to convince.

    With that in mind, as we enter into this time of discernment and our upcoming POV, we will follow a “rule of life” to guide our conversations:

- Assume the best about each other’s intentions.

- Follow the Matthew 18 Principle.

- Do not speak ill of others.

- Practice Facebook and Twitter restraint.

- Observe the 24 hour email/text rule. (do not forward or create an email until you have had 24 hours of reflection prior to sending)

- Participate in daily prayer and a weekly fast.

- Accentuate the positive with those outside the UMC family.



In Conclusion -

It is my sincere hope and prayer that this information is helpful to you.

We are in liminal space, on the threshold of something potentially new, a fresh way of being in communion with one another across the world. I invite us to pray through it together. Along the way, I invite us to love somebody different than we are and somebody who doesn’t think like we do - that is the only way to grow in understanding and empathy.

I am not sure yet whether this is a “Barnabas and Paul” moment (Acts 15:36- 16:10) when different groups go different directions, or whether it’s an Acts 15: 1-35 “moment” when together we discern, through holy conversation and a bit of compromise, a new direction.

This is a truly divisive time in American culture, and the Church must lead with a spirit of love and humility. If the church cannot model civility and gentleness, no one else will.

Perhaps that is a larger part of the whole process for us - to be a witness to a dying world of what real love and humility can accomplish.

You will, if you haven’t already, see negative energy from both extremes, on social media and otherwise. I invite you to lead from the holy center. We don’t have to agree with one another to be in loving community and stand against the cultural propensity for polarities. Agreement and unity are not the same thing … as the song reminds us, “They’ll know we are Christians by our love.”

Hope UMC is a church where everybody is welcome with open minds, open hearts, and open doors. Our Vision and Mission call us to “connect with God, each other, and our community, as we become mature followers of Jesus Christ ... (as we) experience the love of God and share God’s love with others.” My desire (and I believe God’s desire) is that our church not be distracted from our focus.

Grace and peace to you in the name of Christ.


You Are Loved,

Kelly W. Smith

Senior Pastor, Hope UMC

Peace

Two NYPD police officers were murdered last night, by an assailant who allegedly vowed to kill police officers in revenge for the deaths of Micheal Brown and Eric Garner.

(http://www.cnn.com/2014/12/21/us/new-york-police-officers-shot/index.html?hpt=hp_t1)

Peace. Something we long for, but don't seem to really want.

As a people, we seem more concerned with our rights than with our responsibilities.

And you cannot have the first without taking up the second. 

Justice comes when our rights are protected and we take care of what we are responsible for.

Advent is a time of hope, love, joy and peace.

In thinking about this fourth candle in our Advent wreath, I am reminded of the hymn that we sing from time to time, Let Peace Begin with Me:

Let there be peace on Earth,
And let it begin with me.
Let there be peace on Earth,
The peace that was meant to be.

With God as our Father,
Brothers all are we,
Let me walk with my brother,
In perfect harmony.

Let peace begin with me,
Let this be the moment now,
With every step I take,
Let this be my solemn vow,

To take each moment and live each moment
In peace, eternally.
Let there be peace on Earth,
And let it begin with me.

Peace is not an abstract hope, but a reality that can be experienced.

But it can only become a reality for those around me when it becomes a priority in me.

Only when Peace is something I choose to be responsible for, will it become a reaity - for us or for others.

Peace begins with each of us – a commitment to live in peace through the knowledge that every man, woman and child is our sibling when God is our Father.

Let peace begin with me.

Joy

 

Joy.

It is an attitude that creates reality, not the result of circumstances.

Joy comes from knowing God and His promises to us, even in the face of circumstances.

As we celebrate this Third Sunday of Advent, here are a few verses about joy for us to focus on.

Psalm 16:11 – “You have made known to me the path of life; you will fill me with joy in your presence, with eternal pleasures at your right hand.”

Isaiah 12:6 – “Shout aloud and sing for joy, people of Zion, for great is the Holy One of Israel among you.”

Luke 1:14 – “He will be a joy and delight to you, and many will rejoice because of his birth…”

John 16:20 – “I tell you the truth, you will weep and mourn while the world rejoices. You will grieve, but your grief will turn to joy.”

Matthew 28:8 – “So the women hurried away from the tomb, afraid yet filled with joy, and ran to tell his disciples.”

Romans 15:13 – “May the God of hope fill you with all joy and peace as you trust in him, so that you may overflow with hope by the power of the Holy Spirit.”

May the reality of Christ’s love for us fill us with unspeakable joy this week and always.