Are we relevant?

This weekend I had the honor of being a part of The West Ohio Annual Conference Team that traveled to Nashville for a Quadrennial Event hosted by the General Board of Discipleship for The United Methodist Church.  For those of you unfamiliar with our United Methodist system-Shiloh is just one of about 1100 churches that make up our Annual Conference and then there are 63 Annual Conferences in the United States.  Over 1000 people from those Annual Conferences gathered to talk about leadership, adaptive leadership and the kind of risk taking necessary for United Methodism to not only survive, but thrive in the future.  Dr. Philip Clayton, Provost of Claremont Lincoln University and Dean of Claremont School of Theology, reminded us that United Methodist have a unique Wesleyan DNA.  John Wesley was committed to personal piety (loving God) and social holiness (loving others as ourselves) in such a way that it changed lives.  Dr. Clayton pointed out that our culture and the religious obstacles we face in the 21st century mirror some of the obstacles Wesley faced in the 18th century.  It all begs the question, “Are United Methodist Christians relevant in the 21st century?”  Do we really have a voice?  In century where millions of people in the United States are claiming little to no religious affiliation we can honestly wonder if the answer to that question is no.  No we are not relevant and no we don’t have a voice.   

And yet this week I can’t help but see God’s hope on the horizon.  Over the weekend the announcement was made that one of our own Adam Hamilton, Senior pastor of The United Methodist Church of the Resurrection in Leawood, Kansas would be giving the sermon during Tuesday Mornings National Prayer Service, an inaugural tradition that dates back to George Washington.  To be honest when I heard the announcement I cried!  Perhaps because of my respect for Pastor Adam and the people of the Church of the Resurrection, but also because I had this sense that we still have a voice.  That our commitment to personal piety and social holiness can speak directly into the division that so often characterizes our nation.  Some of you will see this blog prior to the service.  It will be broadcast live at http:/inauguration2013.nationalcathedral.org on Tuesday, January 22, 2013 at 10:30am, or can be watch on You Tube following the live broadcast.  I want to encourage you to pray for Pastor Adam, not only will be be speaking to the President and Vice President, but he also will be speaking to members of House, Senate, Cabinet and 2000 other honored guests.  Adam has a unique opportunity to speak into the our Nations Leaders, and to share a vision, God’s vision of what our Nation can be.  

So Shiloh, are we relevant for the 21st century?  If we stay committed to the gospel of Jesus Christ, not only spoken, but lived out in our everyday lives, you better believe we have a story to tell to the Nation.  

Blessings, 

Pastor Rachel