On Tuesday, March 12, 115 Roman Catholic cardinals from throughout the world gathered at the Sistine Chapel of St. Peter’s Church in Rome for the conclave. This gathering marked the beginning of the discernment process for the next Pope. The conclave is a spirit filled process bathed in prayer not only by the cardinals themselves but also by Christians throughout the world. People are eagerly anticipating the sign of election: smoke. Black smoke indicates no Pope has been elected and white smoke is the sign that the 266th Pope has been elected. And it’s not just Catholics who are watching and wondering in anticipation, churched and unchurched alike are watching wonder who God’s going to pick.
But on Tuesday as the world was checking CNN, FOX news, and the latest twitter feed, The Board of Ordained Ministry for The West Ohio Conference of The United Methodist Church was also gathered together for a process of discernment. But this one was non-smoking. We were gathered to interview candidates making requests in the process for ordination. I didn’t miss the spiritual significance of having people: clergy people, pastor people, and lay people gathered together to seek God for guidance and direction on the same day that the cardinals were gather for their process of discernment. In Ephesian 1:17-18 the Jesus follower Paul writes, “I keep asking that the God of our Lord Jesus Christ, the glorious Father, may give you the Spirit of wisdom and revelation, so that you may know him better. I pray that the eyes of your heart may be enlightened in order that you may know the hope to which he has called you, the riches of his glorious inheritance in his holy people” (NIV). Discernment is a spiritual gift, given to us by God. It’s when God opens our minds and our hearts to God’s will, God’s plan, God’s wish for the world. Discernment isn’t easy and it doesn’t just happen in a moment; discernment takes time.
Maybe you don’t have to choose the next Pope, perhaps you have zero plans to help determine whether or not a pastor is called to ordination, but all of us have decisions to make. Decisions that affect our lives and the lives of others, and so I want to encourage you to go to God to pray and to ask God to open your eyes and your heart to God’s will, God’s plan, God’s wish.
Our prayer is that God is with the cardinals, God is with the Board of Ordained Ministry, and that God is with us as we make choices everyday of our lives.
We may not be looking for smoke from our chimneys but we are certainly looking for God’s help.
Blessings
Pastor Rachel
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