First Sunday of Advent - Gifted

Lectionary Reading for the First Sunday of Advent: 1 Corinthians 1:3-9

It's hard to believe that the Advent season has arrived.  This seems like it has been an extraordinarily busy year for me and my guess is that others have felt the same way.  I don't believe that I've done any Christmas shopping yet and may be in a bit of denial on where we are in the calendar!

As we share in the devotional readings each week from the epistle lesson featured in the lectionary for Sunday, I have pulled out themes from each reading to help us spiritually in our waiting for Christmas.

How do we express ourselves to others in the midst?

 

What stood out for me in today's reading of Paul's letter was the idea that we are already gifted in the Holy Spirit.  While Paul goes on to lift up charismatic gifts later in his correspondence, we also know about the fruits of the Holy Spirit from the apostle.  In the fifth chapter of Paul's letter to the Galatians, he extols the following as attributes that Christians should be multiplying in their own behavior: love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, generosity, faithfulness, gentleness and self-control.

How would it be to begin to define ourselves by these each day during Advent?  To remind ourselves that we are already gifted in the Spirit and have much to share with the world through these?

As I examine my own behavior, what would it mean to give these gifts to all we meet during Advent this year?  And if I am to take it a step further, what would it mean to begin to look for this fruit on display in others?

Prayer: Gracious God, we give thanks for this time of waiting.  May the fruit of the Holy Spirit flourish in us and may we begin to look for this fruit in the behavior we see all around us.  It may be that the more we look, the more that they abound.  Give us eyes to see!  We pray this in the name of the Christ, who was and is and is to come.  Amen.

 Photo by Anthony Quintano via Flickr.com.  Used under the Creative Commons license.

 

What Does an Anchor Church Look Like in The UMC?

Now that disaffiliation is largely in the rear-view mirror for United Methodists in the Oklahoma Conference, I have enjoyed the conversations at various charge conferences on moving forward both locally and as an annual conference.

As we reconfigure the number of districts and look at their new boundaries, we want to have a certain number of healthy churches spread through each geographic area.  

While a healthy church is largely recognized by its multi-generational membership which is also reflected in its leadership, it is also one that is reaching its community in transformational ways.  Baptism is celebrated throughout the year and the church looks outwardly more than inwardly.

Prior to disaffiliation, I have always assumed that many of our healthy churches were serving as what I would call "anchor" churches in our conference, helping us to move forward as a whole.  Post-disaffiliation, I now realize that I misjudged some of them.  It's likely that we didn't expressly state our expectations for these churches and their leadership.  As I appreciate transparency, I thought it would be helpful for us in realizing our best future to share the characteristics of an anchor church in our conference.  We will need them in each district as we live into our future together.

1)   The Anchor Church understands its mission to make disciples of Jesus Christ for the transformation of the world.

While a local church may have its own mission statement, it should be congruent to our denomination's understanding of our purpose.  Our mission is rooted in Wesleyan grace in that all people are called to discipleship through prevenient grace.  We would seek for as many to respond as possible to the grace of Jesus Christ through justifying grace.  The transformation of the world comes within our personal growth through sanctifying grace.  The truth of "for God so loved the world" reminds us of the diversity of the church at Pentecost and we seek to integrate that wider vision into our churches today. 

2)  The Anchor Church is deeply connectional as a congregation and excited to be a part of The United Methodist Church.

This is harder to define and we may "know it when we see it"!  We are living in an anti-institutional time where individuals mistrust larger organizations.  Currently in our society, the focus on the individual eclipses the focus on the community which makes it harder to work together.  But working together as the body of Christ is certainly Pauline as we look back to the early church and it is entirely Wesleyan as a part of our heritage.  Lately, in those churches that have remained with us, I've noticed less hesitance to live out what we have vowed to be.

3)  The Anchor Church offers both clergy and lay leadership to the annual conference and district out of its congregation.

A church that only has enough leadership for itself may be able to thrive locally, but it doesn't share with the congregation a connection to the wider world.  The opportunities of service together builds lasting relationships and it often spurs on new possibilities for local mission, programming and outreach.

4)  The Anchor Church regularly lifts up laity out of their congregation for consideration for professional ministry.

The culture of call is so important for who we are.  All of our churches have received pastors and staff from a wide variety of churches around our conference.  The clergy that emerge from anchor churches do not remain "at home" but are freely shared with the conference to strengthen the connection.

5)   The Anchor Church seeks to proudly pay 100% of its apportionments each year and often exceeds 100% for the more overtly missional items.

If congregations see their apportionments or denominational giving as a "tax", they are likely to promote apportionment hesitancy.  Many of our disaffiliated churches saw apportionments as money they could utilize locally and were blind to the larger picture of what it means to work together.  Those that understand this feel good about sending that final check to the conference each year.  This is because it represents their support of God's work in people's lives that they may never personally touch.

6)  The Anchor Church supports campus ministry in our conference and is active in the closest Wesley Foundation.

Providing ministry for college students allows us to be present in the lives of young adults when they are most vulnerable to dropping out of church.  Wesley Foundations allow students to continue in their faith journey as well as increasing the awareness of the connection.  Ideally, this leads young adults back to United Methodist congregations no matter where they land after college. 

7)  The Anchor Church sees itself as a leader among the churches around them and will offer space and hospitality for regional gatherings at little or no cost to the district or annual conference.

As congregations engage regionally, they gladly host United Methodist gatherings as a way to participate in the larger ministries of our shared work.  This comes out of a greater sense of welcome that all our churches should seek to enhance.

8)  The Anchor Church supports our United Methodist summer camping program, sending adult leaders, youth and children to our three campgrounds.

Our camping program has been very successful at strengthening discipleship in all ages as well as allowing many of our clergy to experience their call to ministry.  Furthermore, our United Methodist camping is one of the greatest vehicles for encouraging relationships within our conference.

9)  The Anchor Church is strong in active mission participation and regularly sends people on Volunteers in Mission (VIM) projects.

Volunteers in Mission programs have been the backbone of the outreach of many of our local churches prior to the pandemic.  Whether churches send a lone team or join other congregations, these projects allow our members to be the hands and feet of Jesus Christ to a hurting world that often challenges the participants' world-views while strengthening their discipleship.  Anchor churches will host VIM trips and invite other area churches to participate.

10)  The Anchor Church's discipleship programs regularly utilize United Methodist education materials.

We'll be looking for more than one!

Whether engaging in Disciple Bible Study or working through the latest Adam Hamilton study, utilizing curriculum developed by United Methodists provides a similar ethos across our churches that helps us in our shared vision.

An anchor church may not be the largest church in a geographic region but will be one that shares in these characteristics.  As an area church leads with these attributes, our stated virtues become contagious to the other United Methodists in their vicinity.  And as we strengthen one another, we begin to lift and support each other in our shared faith in Jesus Christ.  

If you are a United Methodist reading this, maybe this is a leading of the Holy Spirit for you to work towards your local church being an anchor for your area!

Photo by John Bugg via Flickr.com.  Used under the Creative Commons license.