I arrived in St. Louis this afternoon, late to most of the preliminary gathering and, unfortunately, too late to take part in the day of prayer. But no sooner was I in my hotel room than I got a text message from an old friend. “Hey, we’re having dinner over at (name of local establishment). Come and join us when you get in!”
Later, after discovering that registation had closed an hour earlier than scheduled, I stopped in at another hotel near mine for a rally for the One Church Plan, the plan I think gives us the best path forward and the one that reflects best the realities of who we are. As I made my way through the sizeable crowds, I saw several old friends – friends I only ever see at these whole-church gatherings – and was reminded how much I love being part of this church. There were several pastoral leaders I have come to respect tremendously over the years, like Adam Hamilton and Tom Berlin and Brian Milford and John and Elaine Hopkins. There were newer friends like Adam Young. There were dear friends closer to home, too. It was good to see so many people who have helped me be a better pastor, a better person. I found myself wondering if we would all still be part of one church a few days from now.
It reminded me of an event a few months ago at home. The delegation from our conference held “listening post” meetings around the conference to hear from people in our congregations, to present the plans for A Way Forward, and to learn which plans they supported and why. One of the meetings was close to where I grew up, in the town where I taught school for four years once upon a time. When I got there, I found several dear friends, some of whom I hadn’t seen in over 20 years. Encountering each other, we were overjoyed, hugging and smiling and laughing, sharing memories and exchanging family news. Then the meeting started.
By the time the dust settled on all that was said, the deeply held convictions about what was right and what was wrong – about who was right and who was wrong, it seemed we could no longer be who we were two hours earlier. Those same smiles were replaced be long faces, the hugs set aside as people sullenly made their way out the door, surrounded not by old friends but by allies in the same line of belief. Is this what our faith in Christ is supposed to produce?
I’m looking forward to an early morning and a chance to renew yet more old friendships. I’m praying that this meeting turns out to have a different, more hopeful outcome than the one a few months ago.
Oh, and for those of you at Church of the Saviour or who are connected with the Facebook Group, with any luck I’ll be doing a live video a few minutes before 7:30 CST, 8:30 EST. Just a birds-eye view of the space and some words of encouragement before the day’s business begins.
A UM in St. Louis 