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My heart beats for love. I want to be different. I want to be who I am called to be. WORTHY and LOVED!

Sunday, May 29, 2016

“What We Teach” Romans 12: 6-7 Matthew 10:24

Confession time - sometime I worry about the church. A lot. But while other people are worried about declining numbers, poor finances, and missing generations - all of which are very important - I am worrying about something else. I’m worried that we don’t quite know what we believe therefore we don’t know what to share with other people.
We are now in the final week of our sermon series focused on living our beliefs as United Methodist. And during this, our final week, I want to focus on what we believe so that we come to re-discover what we teach.
For nine months I was part of group of pastors who studied different leadership skills needed for the Church - aptly called Pastoral Leadership Development. Around month seven, we looked at statistics on world religions. According to a variety of news articles, the fastest growing world religion is Islam. According to Pew Research, one of the most respected statistical research organizations in Christianity, the number of people who claim Islam as their faith is going to potentially grow by 73 percent by 2050. Why? Because Muslims teach their faith. They teach their faith to their children and to other people in a simple and understandable way. Muslims teach five pillars of their faith - sincerity in faith, praying five times a day, giving to the poor and needy, fasting, and pilgrimage. Five core beliefs - five ways to actively live out their faith in a way that is easy to understand.
In contrast, Pew Research, predicts that by 2050, Christians will have a net loss of 60 million people in those who switch their religious affiliation alone. Friends, we need to be able to articulate what we believe better. Christians, particularly in the United States, have become very good at stating what they prefer in a Church home, such as musical style or programs offered. We are less in need of being able to articulate preferences and more desperately in need of being able to say what we truly believe.
We could make an entire sermon series about what Christians believe as a whole, but today I want to focus on what United Methodists believe in, some of which are universal to all Christians, some of which are not. The first belief however, is true of all Christians, we believe in Jesus Christ as our one Lord and Savior. The apostle Paul writes in today’s scripture lesson, in him we have redemption and forgiveness because of his grace. These are such huge and lofty words in our faith tradition. To have redemption is to have salvation. We are saved because of the sacrifice of Christ on the cross. But we are not only saved, we are forgiven - pardoned from our sin - even though we deserve punishment. All because God we have undeserved and unearned favor from God. We are saved and forgiven because of the great gift of God in Jesus Christ! Praise be to God! Yet sometimes that is so hard for us to explain. We end up only talking about forgiveness instead of the sin that needs forgiven, or we only talk about sin and not grace. We believe that we are sinners saved by grace because of Jesus Christ. 
As United Methodists we strive to lead others to become disciples of Jesus Christ for the transformation of the world. In fact, that’s why we exist as the local church. Not because we like our building or because of our history, but because we are striving to introduce other people to the saving love of Jesus Christ. That should be our focus in all that we say and do as a church because we believe that Jesus Christ has the ability to change hearts and change the world today. We have an active faith, a transformative faith, that starts by transforming each of us and then transforms communities, neighborhoods, states, and the world. We believe that Jesus saves and that Jesus wants to save this world. So number one, we believe as United Methodists in making disciples for the transformation of the world. 
Number two, we believe that we are striving towards holiness, or having a life that is devoted to God. Notice that we are striving for. Not that we are already there. The big word that John Wesley used to describe this journey towards holiness is sanctification - moving towards deeper love of God and neighbor. As United Methodists we believe in two types of holiness - personal and social. We cannot have one without the other. We believe in a personal relationship with Jesus Christ, but we believe that relationship should be seen in how we treat other people. Personal holiness is the transformation of each of our hearts and social holiness is transforming the world. You cannot have one with the other. The book of James describes the link between the two types of holiness this way: faith without works is also dead. We don’t believe that we do good works to be saved, because we believe salvation is a gift from God, not something that we can earn, but we believe that if our hearts are changed by Christ it should be noticeable in how we treat other people by our actions. Number two, we live by two kinds of holiness: personal and social. 
Number three, we have three simple rules. In fact, these are known as the general rules of the Church that dictate how we live: do no harm, do good, stay in love with God. This is practically how we live our faith, feet on the ground. In the early Methodist movement people were held accountable to these ways of living their faith and now, today, we still examine our personal and public actions by them. To do good, is not limited to thoughts or actions, but to all that we say and do. To do good, is to show kindness and mercy, in order for our faith to glorify God. To do no harm, is to avoid evil of any kind and protect other people. Then to stay in love with God, we seek to grow deeper in our relationship with God every day. When we weave together these general rules they show us that how we live has consequences, for good or bad, that always reflects back on the pioneer and perfecto of our faith, Jesus Christ. Number three, we follow three simple rules: do no harm. do good. stay in love with God. 
Lastly, we focus on changing the world through four areas of focus. Our faith is to be lived out in life changing ways. I have already shared with you some of the reasons I’m proud to be a United Methodist. When their is a natural disaster, we are one of the first organizations in and one of the last organizations to leave. We want informed worshippers and congregations that care about our neighbors next door and around the world. We believe that God is still alive, still moving, still changing the world one heart at a time. And because we are a connectional church we learn more about our brothers and sisters in Christ, around the world, as we seek to glorify the same Lord. Number four, we have four areas of focus: developing leaders, creating new places for new people, eliminating poverty, and improving global health. 

How many of you have heard about these four things we believe and live into as United Methodists before: One Lord. Two Kinds of Holiness. Three Simple Rules. Four Areas of Focus? How many of you have had the opportunity to share what we believe as a United Methodist Church with someone else in the last six months? The last year? We need to be people who know what we believe so that others may come to believe. Because at the end of the day it isn’t about us. Its about our master and lord, Jesus. In the gospel of Matthew we are told that we as disciples are not above the teacher. Its not our job to re-write what Jesus said and did. Its simply our job to proclaim it, but that requires knowing what to proclaim. May you go forth from this place, proclaiming Jesus and how to live as a disciple in such a way that others may come to know the Lord! Amen. 

Saturday, May 28, 2016

Pro Birth Control

   A lot of people walked away unhappy from General Conference 2016 - but the reason I'm unhappy in particular doesn't seem to be getting much attention - we repealed the Responsible Parenting Resolution, put forth by the United Methodist Women. This resolution, which has been part of who we are as United Methodists from 1976, is essentially our pro birth control stance. But this year. we repealed it because some people reading the resolution equated birth control with abortion, that is to say, some considered abortion to be a form of birth control, hence the entire resolution was shot down.
  I remember when one of my brothers was getting married he asked me what the United Methodist Church's stance was on birth control and I proudly told him we were all about birth control - both as a form of preventing pregnancies but also to protect against STIs.
  I remember at my first church, one of the mission projects we undertook was to raise money for condoms to send to Haiti following the earthquake - because of a rise in rape culture that often follows a natural disaster. A colleague was going to teach sex education classes, and the church gladly pitched in by providing condoms. I was proud.
   Today, I'm not as proud. I posted in a forum following the defeat of this resolution: "why do I hear the word "birth control" and think condoms while others think of it as abortion?"
   I'm hoping that even with the defeat of this resolution that we continue to champion birth control - not just to prevent unexpected pregnancies, but also to protect against STIs. I'm hoping in 4 years we remember why we had this resolution in the first place. I'm still holding out hope.

Tuesday, May 24, 2016

Pastoral

   I've been thinking a lot lately about how no one really knows what it means to be pastoral anymore, including some pastors. Based off of conversations I, as well as some of my colleagues, have been having lately, it would seem that the assumption of some laity is that being "pastoral" is equated to giving them what they want. Even when we can't. Even when it isn't the best thing for the entire body. And that is hard. Because many pastors, including myself, want to give people what they want, even if we know the most pastoral thing we could do is not cave into peoples preferences and demands.

  Hence the dilemma. What is being pastoral? I think many of us go through life currently with blinders similar to what they put on horses in a parade. We can see what is in front of us and we want it no matter what. But to be a pastor is to see the whole picture, or at least as much of the picture, as we can. We have to think about how our decisions and actions will effect not just one person, but the entire flock. We have to think about how what we do today could influence not just the church here and now, but the church in the future. Being a pastor also means that we are accountable to more than just our local congregations, which is important, but to our denominations, and most importantly, to God.

 I'm finding that more often than I would like, being pastoral means saying "no". Saying "no" so that the pastor coming after me will be blessed. Saying "no" because in the scheme of the whole picture saying "yes" isn't very responsible. And saying "no" because sometimes what is being asked is simply not feasible or won't bless the church as a whole.

  But I also confess that saying "no" is hard. I really want to be able to say "yes" because the ramification are much nicer in the present. What can we do as pastors and congregations to encourage our pastors to truly be pastoral, even if it means we won't get exactly what we want sometimes?

Sunday, May 22, 2016

What We Believe - Holy Communion

Very rarely does this happen - but as I was reviewing the sermon composed for this week - I felt the Holy Spirit leading me to scrap it. To start all over. And when the Holy Spirit leads, its best to follow.
We are now in our fourth week of our sermon series on why we do what we do as United Methodists. Last week we talked about why we celebrate the sacrament of baptism. Just as last week, we discussed baptism without celebrating the sacrament of baptism together, so this week we are talking about the second sacrament that United Methodist Celebrate (there are two total) - Holy Communion - but not gathering around the table together, as we just did so two weeks ago. Specifically we will be asking ourselves a difficult question: “do we really know why we celebrate this sacrament?” 
The Apostle Paul finds himself addressing a plethora of issues in the church of Corinth. Remember that Paul would come into an area and plant a church - usually starting in the synagogues, when there was one present, and then preaching to the Gentiles - until he had a group of people who wanted to hear more about the message of Jesus Christ. He would raise up leaders and train them in the teachings of the Way, before eventually moving on to the next town. But the churches wrote to him. When he received the letter from the Church in Corinth, he was not happy. They were not conducting themselves as a church should. So he wrote them a long letter calling them out. This letter was probably received by one the church leaders, most notably the person who reported the problems to him in the first place, and then read to the entire body. 
In this particular section of Paul’s letter, he is addressing a very serious issue - Holy Communion. Over my years of being a pastor I have heard several complaints about communion - not practicing it enough, practicing it too much, not liking the words spoken during the liturgy, the presence of germs, not liking it being served in the pews, only wanting it served in the pews. The list goes on and on, but you get my general point. The complaints we have are generally about how communion is practiced. Paul is upset because the church has forgotten why communion is practiced. 
We celebrate communion as a community of faith. As United Methodists we practice an open communion table. This means that we believe that the table is Christ’s table - not ours, either as the United Methodist Church or even this local congregation. Therefore, anyone who wants to seek a relationship with Christ and responds to Christ’s love in their heart can come. 
Paul was furious because people were being excluded from the table. When Paul is writing this letter to the church of Corinth, the sacrament of the Lord’s Supper was part of a great feast, sometimes referred to as the Agape or Love Meal. Each person brought what they could to the table to share. Only class divisions quickly sprang up and the rich were seated at better places at the table, given the finest food, and had more to eat and drink on the whole, while the poor starved. While we may not try to exclude today based off of class, do we truly invite all to the table? Or are those in your heart that you feel should be uninvited, treated differently, or excluded?  If so, are we any bette than the church in Corinth? 
While most United Methodists would strongly say that they don’t see anyone being excluded from the table - I keep thinking back to a church one Sunday where a young woman couldn’t go forward to receive because of what was being served. She suffered from cillicas diseases and couldn’t eat gluten - most often found in bread. She was excluded from the table,. We need to remember that one of the ways we celebrate as a community is by thinking about what we serve. I’ve been asked several times why most Untied Methodists use grape juice while some other traditions use wine. Starting in the 19th century grape juice was used so that recovering alcoholics could come to the table without fear. More recently, many congregations are realizing wheat allergies prevents some from coming to the table, like that young woman, so they offer gluten free bread. We must always be attentive to how we can unknowingly exclude some from the body by what we offer.
We celebrate because we believe hearts can be changed at the table. John Wesley believed that communion was a means of grace, a way to experience God’s love for us, and that we should celebrate it as often as we can. We believe people can be covered at the table, come to relationship with God here, and grow in their relationship with Christ. Because of that belief, we do not require people to be baptized before they can receive the bread and the cup. Because of that belief, we believe that children are welcome to receive, if the parents so wish. Because here is one of the places Christ’s love can be experienced in a tangible way. It’s a mystery - we can’t put into words how it can happen, we only know that it does. That being said, we never force people to receive, or shame them for choosing not to partake in communion.
We celebrate to remember. Different denominations believe different things about Christ’s presence at the table. Some believe that he is truly present in body and blood. Other’s believe that the bread and the cup serve as symbols. Others believe that it is a memorial mean. We believe that the Holy Spirit is present at the table and nourishes all who partake as we remember what Christ has done for us. We are called to remember the night that Christ was betrayed. That the Lord Jesus on the night when he was betrayed took a loaf of bread, and when he had given thanks, he broke it and said, ‘This is my body that is for you. Do this in remembrance of me’. In the same way he took the cup also, after supper saying, “This cup is the new covenant in my blood. Do this, as often as you drink it, in remembrance of me.’ We are called to remember more then the meal itself. Communion is not an event made to be administered in solitude. It’s about the body of Christ coming together to collectively remember the sacrifice of the personal, yet communal Savior. So as we gather at the table we are also called to remember our neighbor. We are called to keep in mind those who couldn’t be with us at the table. To think of our brothers and sisters around the world who don’t have the privilege to worship God publicly.
One of my favorite ways to celebrate communion is around an actual table where the pastor encourages everyone to look into the eyes of the person across from you and to pray for them. As you partake you remember your neighbor and thank God that Christ died for them. We remember the meaning of the meal together. 
We celebrate because we are forgiven. At the table, where all of our sin has been laid at the feet of the cross, we find forgiveness. Forgiveness cannot be separated from confessing our sins, admitting that we are in need of Christ, or remembering the sacrifice made. When we kneel at the table we come broken, but we arise remembering that Christ has made us whole and has deemed us his worthy children.
While I get the pragmatic nature of serving communion in the pews, I think sometimes we lose the sense of forgiveness when we don’t come forward to the rail to receive once in a while and hear those words “arise, you are forgiven”. We lose something we don’t celebrate by dipping the bread into the cup and hear the words spoken just for us, one by one. Words have a powerful way, when combined with this sacrament, of reminding us we are forgiven.
Finally, we celebrate with thanksgiving. For as often as you eat this bread and drink this cup, you proclaim the Lord’s death until he comes. The Lord’s Supper prepares us to celebrate in Heaven someday. It’s supposed to remind us that we are going to be at banquets in Heaven with the Triune God when he deems the time to be right. And as we leave the Lord’s Table, the table we approached so somberly remembering and confessing our sins, we can celebrate because we are forgiven. At the Lord’s table we face a spectrum of emotions. And we can be thankful for each and every one of them, because God has created us to be so emotionally complex. When I was in seminary, we received communion with both wine and grape juice, which is allowed in our United Methodist tradition. Each was clearly marked and we had a choice of what we were to receive that day as we dipped our bread into the cup. I would always access my heart asking inwardly if I was in need of confession for the bitterness of sin - in which case I would choose the bitter wine - or celebration of the sweet love of Christ - in which case I would choose the juice. No matter what I choose however, it was done in a spirit of thanksgiving and gratitude. We have so much to be thankful for as we leave the table.

As we reflect on the fact that we celebrate communion as a community of faith where hearts can be changed in light of remembrance, forgiveness, and thanksgiving, the Lord’s Supper can shed the trivial nature that we sometimes treat it with. We see that the table means so much more then we give it credit for. May we approach the table with an open heart, seeking the Lord, and the grace Christ bestows upon us. Amen. 

Saturday, May 21, 2016

Joyfully

   I was reading today Psalm 95 and was struck by the word joyfully. Let us sing for joy to the Lord. Let us shout joyfully to the rock of our salvation. (Psalm 95:1)
   I found myself wondering how often we actually live joyfully as a church. Yes, we may share our joys and concerns during prayer time - but most congregations I've visited or have been a part of have far more concerns than joys. Further, that is not the same as living joyfully.
   I am the first to admit that we are living in a difficult age for the church. There are financial struggles for both individuals in the congregation and parishes as a whole. In many congregations there aren't as many people worshipping as there were in years past and some of the defining ministries of local churches, historically, are no longer preset. But the question is can we have hope in the midst of this situation? Can we have joy that springs from hope eternal?
   Maybe, just maybe, the reason people aren't filling the pews and entering the doors is that we haven't made a very compelling case to come. We haven't went out to people and shared with them the authentic joy we have in Christ. We haven't sung joyfully to the Lord, and people outside the church know it.
   We need a better witness - not just of our faith in Christ but of our joy in Christ. And that may look different for each of us. For some of us its going to be a complete change in our way of thinking - looking for the blessings instead of the trials. For others its going to mean proclaiming how Christ is redeeming difficult situations. Still, for others, its going to mean sharing what you are grateful for because of your relationship with Christ. Let us reflect on what it means to live joyfully as a church, in order that Christ may be proclaimed and in order that our God may be glorified.

Friday, May 20, 2016

Appreciate

"But we request of you, brethren, that you appreciate those who diligently labor among you, and have charge over you in the Lord and give you instruction, and that you esteem them very highly in love because of their work." - 1 Thessalonians 5: 12-13a

     It has been a hard week. A week of uncertainty and unrest in a denomination that I love. Even viewing from afar I have watched and heard of some of my Christian sisters and brothers engaging in behavior that makes be weep as we have put our arguments and sides over honoring each other. 
    Even as General Conference ends today, the work of our leaders, the Council of Bishops, is far from over. While others are flying home, they will meet to continue to instruct, lead, and pray for the United Methodist Church. I want to take time this day to reflect on the above verses from 1 Thessalonians and ask the following questions: 
   - Do we act as if we appreciate the work of the bishops for our Church?
   - Do we give them the space to actually have charge over us and instructing us?
   - How can we esteem them in love?
   This General Conference something unprecedented happened - a call came from the floor and was affirmed by the majority of the delegates to actually let the bishops lead. To model for us what it means to move forward as a divided Church on difficult issues. Normally our bishops call and preside at General Conference, but we actually gave them space this year to be our spiritual leaders.  May we continue to give them space to lead. May we hear the words they preach and let them convict us - or as I tell my congregations - may the Word preached so deeply sink into us that it transforms us from the inside out.
    Now, do not misunderstand me - I know our bishops are human. But I also know them to be a people of deep spirituality and prayer. I know that we don't all agree with them or with the proposal they made - but it seems to me that Paul's words, at their heart, ask us to trust those who lead and labor among us. Maybe we need to have a little more trust - of God and of our spiritual leaders. If I want my congregations to trust me as their pastor, I need to trust my DS, the cabinet, and the Bishop, as my pastors.
    Further, presiding over meetings is not the same as spiritually leading. There were some very difficult moments to watch this week, where bishops fumbled over parliamentary procedure and leadership. Guess what - that isn't spiritual leadership. Let us forgive them for those errors and let us give them a clean slate to lead by the power and presence of the Holy Spirit. 
   As the Council of Bishops lead let us esteem them. Let us hold them in prayer. Let us send them words of encouragement and support. Let us appreciate them, fully, for the hard and tireless work they do for God's children in the United Methodist Church. 

Thursday, May 19, 2016

Did We Forget our DNA?

   I have been struggling with watching General Conference off and on this week - at times I've had to simply walk away to pray and reflect. What I'm struggling with is actually not the sexuality issues - I trust that our God is big enough to lead us through this time of tension with one another. What I've struggled with is wondering if we have lost our DNA.
   What some people don't know about me is that I explored other churches before finally deciding on being ordained in the United Methodist Church. I grew up United Methodist but in high school and college also attended a Wesleyan Church. In seminary I was part of an Episcopal Church. While at college I was part of a Presbyterian Church Plant. And whenever I'm worshipping at a church I want to know what they believe. While each of those other denominations had some wonderful pieces of theology, I choose to be ordained in the United Methodist Church because I deeply believe in our theology. I love that we are a church that engages both the heart and the head. I love that we believe in both social holiness AND social justice - not one or the other. I believe deeply in our explanation of grace - that God makes the way for us to accept Christ, but even after that moment, we continue to grow - forever - in our love of God and love of neighbor. I think we have three simple rules that are just as needed today as they were when they were written: Do good always. Do no harm. Stay in love with God. We make decisions and reflect theologically based on God's word, our tradition, reason, and personal experience - because we believe the Holy Spirit engages us as whole people. We believe that the faithful witness to Christ with our words and actions can change the world - just to name a few pieces of our theology and doctrine.
   But too many times during this General Conference we have not been acting like United Methodists. We have not acted as if we are growing in our love of God and neighbor (sanctifying grace). We certainly haven't honored our three rules. We want to pick either social holiness or social justice instead of planting ourself firmly in the middle and seeing how they inform one another.
   Church, what happened? When did we forget who we are as the people called Methodists? And how can we remind one another of what we believe so we can continue to make disciples of Jesus Christ for the transformation of the world?

It's That Time of the Year

    It's that time of the year. The time when we pull out the patriotic hymns. A time of year that I struggle with.
    I am American. I love being an American. But above and beyond my national citizenship I am a Christian. Personally, I am also a Christian who has had the deep privilege of traveling and hearing stories from my brothers and sisters in Christ around the world who have different national citizenships, but deeply love the same Lord I do.
    When you break out the patriotic hymns, Church, I start to see their faces and remember their stories. And I lament. I lament for some churches in America, who while I don't think they mean to, have in the words of theologian Frederick Buchner substituted God for one who "sanctifies our foreign policy and our business methods." ("The Gods are Dying" in Listening to Your Life).
   Here's the thing - yes, God is the God of America and we can celebrate that, but let us not forget that God is the God of the world. Let us not forget the words of John 3:16 - for God so loved the world - not a specific nation, but the whole world.
    As we enter into this season of patriotic surge - let us thank God for the privileges and freedom we have been given as Americans as we sing our hymns. But let us also pray for Christians around the world - for blessing and peace to be on them as well, for we are part of a global church, working together for our ultimate identity and home - the Kingdom of God.

Sunday, May 15, 2016

What Happened to the Moderates?

   What happened to the moderates at General Conference? I feel as I look at the depressing twitter feed coming around the screen the last few days that the moderate voice of the United Methodist Church is being drowned out. With rallying cries from the extremes on both sides of some important issues, we forget how to have conversation. And we forget all about the moderates, who could help us see each other's sides and view each other as human.

   Why do we need the moderates you ask? Because one of the proposals presented quite a while ago was that we actually talk, and I mean really talk, about these issues in local churches. Present both sides and let them discern where they fall with all of the facts, not just the assumptions. The proposal in those exact words may not exist anymore, but we still need to be able to talk about a whole issue, not just our particular view. We need the moderates to help us have informed, meaningful, conversation with one another - instead of just picking a side and yelling at each other to change our minds. We need the moderates because they can potentially help keep the church from fracturing.


Why I Changed My Mind on Rule 44


     When I first heard about Rule 44, the now defeated attempt of the General Conference to deal with some petitions in an alternative fashion, I was not a fan. My initial thought was that it seemed like we were trying to short change the legislative process in order to avoid some hard things that needed to be discussed. It also seemed like it needed a lot more explaining and training then our delegates received prior to their arrival at Portland. But the more I learned about the alternative structure, just as the delegates learned about it more during the three days it was discussed, the more I saw it as a potential tool to listen to one another. To truly be in discernment with one another.

    Anyone who knows me knows I love order. Give me a set of rules and we are good to go. It's one of the reasons I enjoy Roberts Rules of Order so much - once you get used to them its pretty clear about what you can and can't do. But as someone who is looking for spiritual reform in the Church at all levels, I can also tell you that as heavily I have read on the topic of discernment, I have yet to find a book that claimed that Roberts Rules of Order and spiritual discernment are linked. 

   Story telling, however. Story telling and small groups have been written about heavily as discernment tools. And that is why I changed my mind about Rule 44. Rule 44 could have worked, if there would have been an understanding of what it was trying to create prior to arrival. Rule 44 could have worked if we better knew how to create safe spaces for conversations where we truly listen to one another. Because the truth is, far too many people enter into General Conference with their mind already made up without looking to truly listen to each other and listen to the Spirit of God to discern. 

   Last year my annual conference brought pastors together for one of the tough conversations General Conference is tackling - human sexuality. But before we came we were given clear rules of how we were to be in respectful conversation with one another, even if we disagreed. We were clearly told to be in an attitude of prayer. The folks leading at the conversation at each table were trained. And two well respected clergy from our annual conversation modeled for us what holy conversation about a hard topic looks like before we even began. 

    We need more spaces for structured holy conversations that honors all sides. Rule 44 could have provided that, but not this year. May we still seek out ways to honor each other in all conversations around discernment, instead of simply looking for Robert's Rules to guide us. 

Church, You Can Do Better

    Church, the title says it all. You can do better. We need to do better. We need to learn how to disagree with each other in love. And the back biting has to stop.
    I'm a self-proclaimed church-nerd. I've been that way for as long as I can remember. I've been disappointed that I haven't been able to watch more of General Conference online, but my schedule last week prohibited it. Yet, at the same time, General Conference has deeply disappointed me this year - legislation aside - because of how United Methodists are treating each other, both in person at General Conference and online. It has been sickening to my heart. One of my wonderful colleagues suggested watching worship in full-screen mode in order to avoid the back-biting on twitter. And that is exactly what it is, back-biting. Not informed conversation with one another. Not holy conferencing. Back-biting.
    Friends, here are some general rules to consider when joining the conversation about issues via twitter or Facebook:
- Do not speak ill of your bishops. Period. We believe that they are called to the office of bishop and are the presiding officers of conferences, like this one. Just don't do it.
- It's okay to disagree, but disagree in love. Here's the dirty little secret about what you post - other people can see it, including people outside of the church. And when non-Christians see what you post, even if you think you are right and passionate, and it isn't said in love, they are not going to be any more eager to come and worship and know Jesus Christ.
- Its okay to quote pieces of conversation, especially if they are meaningful to you, but remember when you reply that it is only one piece - 160 characters or less - of a much larger address. Read the whole sermon and address before attacking someone for a quote they lifted up from it.
- Do not dehumanize either side of the argument. We are all part of one family, one church. We need to learn how to live with one another with Christ as the head, and that becomes insurmountably harder when we villianize each other for taking different stances.
    As for in person - reports are coming out of General Conference that the secretary had to remind delegates not to attack each other or non-delegates. Do we really need that reminder? Apparently so. That is not acceptable on any level. That is not being the church on any level. You will find nothing in what we believe as Christians and as United Methodists that would make this okay. Further, there are other reports coming out of General Conference of how badly some of those in attendance are treating locals - including conference, hotel, and restaurant staff. I know tensions are high. I know people are tired. But this is no excuse to treat local people poorly. When even a few engage in this poor behavior it gives us a bad name as a church - so I plead with you to think before you speak or act for you don't know who is watching.
    Dear Church, you can do better. You need to do better. Because the last thing we need is for General Conference to be a stumbling block for people outside of the church from coming to know about the love of Jesus Christ because of our behavior and words. Let's try to do better this week.