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Tag Archives: Methodist Conference

Life, Death and Resurrection of the Church

The life of the church is a strange thing at times, we can get so caught up in trying to keep the show going that we forget that there can be more than that to be done. At the Methodist Conference in 2017, there was a challenge for all the local churches across Methodism to come up with a “Growth Plan” or an “End of Life Plan” (on page 40 of the link).

It is the latter of these I’m thinking about. For some this has cast an image of closing tomorrow – or even today. But end of life is not about this moment but about what is to come. Some suggest that this can help free up resources, but also can help new life come. For we are Resurrection people, and that can be expected. However along with this for me I see that it lets us die well.

To not be afraid, to not let our heart be troubled, but to know the peace that we can receive. That we can plan how things will go, and not have the threat of things just ending, but rather allow peace to be present, and to support those who have long been faithful in a place.

 
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Posted by on June 16, 2018 in Ministry

 

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End of the year reflection

A little over a year ago, I had the pleasure of listening to Rev’d Ruth Gee give her address as the newly installed President of the Methodist Conference, a few days ago I had the pleasure of hearing her give the pastoral address at the end of her year of office. And again as the opening address did, this one sparked off a poem. The poem for the opening address was “Expectantly waiting to glimpse God’s glory“, so here is the next one.

Do we … in every sense

Do we glimpse God’s glory
do we see God passing
do we notice glory all around
are our eyes closed?
 
Do we listen for the voice of God
do we hear God passing
do we hear the still small voice
are our ears stoppered?
 
Do we taste and know that God is good
do we taste God passing
do we only taste the ash
is our tongue scoured?
 
Do we smell the sweet, sweet fragrance of God
do we smell God passing
do we mask your fragrance
is our nose bunged up?
 
Do we feel God near
do we feel God passing
do we still know of your touch
is our feeling numbed?
 
We can see, hear, taste,
smell and feel God
despite all we do you are ever there
and love us in every sense.
 
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Posted by on July 5, 2014 in Poetry

 

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The Conference

The Conference

Gathered,
drawn together.
From all corners
and places.
To confer and
to discuss.
To try and come to
know the will.
To try and hear
the still small voice.
To try and understand
the purpose before us.
To try and see
through the glass darkly.
Coming to a mind
as best we can.
 
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Posted by on July 5, 2014 in Ministry, Poetry

 

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An account of the departing of the people called Methodist who had been gathered together to form the Conference

It was upon the third day in the seventh month that the people called Methodist who had been gathered together to form the Conference did depart, going to all the parts of the Connexion, unto each and every district from whence they had come. They went having connived to confer and consider, matters which where before them laid. Having conferred together on such matters as where duly presented to them, in the Agenda, it’s supplements, order papers, notices of motion – in both the first series; pertaining to the matters presented before they did gather, and in the second series; pertaining to matters presented before them that had not already been presented – and other such matters that emerged from the discussion and where deemed to be acceptable in the eyes of those to whom the task of deeming them so acceptable had been given. And from the matters that had been duly laid before them in accordance with those practices and customs which they held, the people called Methodist who had been gathered together to form the Conference did come to a mind on these issues, as to whether the where minded to give support or to resist those matters laid before them. At times those from among their number who had been called and appointed to the task of making the count of the people called Methodist who had been gathered together to form the Conference, where called upon to count the people called Methodist who had been gathered together to form the Conference, and then to give an accounting of those whom they had counted and how those they had counted where so minded. And all that the people called Methodist who had been gathered together to form the Conference had done, and where minded to have done, that which they commended, directed and encouraged was duly recorded and noted, to be drawn together within the Daily Record, which did record all that the people called Methodist who had been gathered together to form the Conference had done. And from which, with such other materials as drawn from the Agenda, it’s supplements, order papers, notices of motion – in both series, bring the first and the second – along with other materials as needed, would be formed the entry in the Journal of the Conference for that year, to show and give record of what the people called Methodist who had been gathered together to form the Conference had been minded to. So the people called Methodist who had been gathered together to form the Conference did depart from that place whence they had for a time come to dwell in. They did depart to return to the districts from which they had come, to take news of those matters of which they had considered and come to a mind upon to those who had sent them forth. And so that news may also be spread from such gatherings to the wider body of the people called Methodist, and also beyond it. The people called Methodist who had been gathered together to form the Conference did depart and return to being among the people called Methodist, until the time time would come again for some of the people called Methodist to gather as the Conference. And though much was done, much was considered, and from it there would be more to come and do, the people called Methodist as a whole, and those from among their number who where called and sent to form the Conference, knew that they needed to divine the call of God upon them, and know that as they did this they are, and where those to whom, with all others, the grace of God is offered. So in this grace the people called Methodist who had been gathered together to form the Conference did depart from that place whence they had for a time come to dwell, and came once more to dwell in those places from whence they had come out, those places where they had formerly dwelt and did regularly dwell. Thus endeth the account of the people called Methodist who had been gathered together to form the Conference of that time.

 
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Posted by on July 4, 2014 in Ministry, Wheeel&Spoke

 

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To what are we called?

This was inspired by the melding together of the addresses to the Methodist Conference of the President and Vice-President of the Conference.

To what are we called?

To what are we called?
To famine or feast
to good or bad years
To what are we called?
To city or wilderness
to multitude or hermitage
To what are we called?
To be in season and out of it
to highs and lows
To what are we called?
To word and sacrament
to be unheard or empty
To what are we called?
To witness and service
to be unseen or unknown
To what are we called?
To mission or holiness
to a scriptureless dichotomy
To what are we called?
To be in or of the world
to be in ways set aside
To what are we called?
To core and rule
to inspiration or spontaneity
To what are we called?
To many, to all and more
to be done by the grace of God.
 
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Posted by on June 30, 2014 in Ministry, Poetry

 

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Expectantly waiting to glimpse God’s glory

Expectantly waiting to glimpse God’s glory

Wait with expectation
for what may come
to glimpse God’s glory
as it comes.
 
To be passed by
and to see the
presence here among us
as it goes ever on.
 
Is God among us?
Do we see God passing
in the darkness?
Do we glimpse the glory?
 
In expectation let us
wait to glimpse the glory
it is here with us
if only we can see it.

 

This poem was written in response to the Presidential address of Rev’d Ruth Gee, the Presidents of Conference for the Methodist Church in Britain, 2013-14.

 

 
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Posted by on July 6, 2013 in Ministry, Poetry, Spiritual Vocab

 

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