I'm glad the event went well and that you left it with renewed hope. I've been heartbroken about the split in United Methodist church, but I also have hope for the future as our congregation has been selected by Reverend Sung to be a "lighthouse" congregation that will receive any people who choose to leave their churches due to the disaffiliation.
I am hearing from other local pastors that the UM split is dividing the Methodist congregation in our town. It seems very similar to what happened in my Lutheran congregation 12 years ago: there are people at both extrmemes of the debate, and those who really don't care about what is going on at the national level because "This is my church, I'll believe what I want, I am not leaving this building no matter what." That kind of situations rarely end well. Also, I hear the media pundits are blaming the latest school shooting on lack of "gender affirming care" and "Christian biogtry." Few people will speak the truth that trans people have a mental disorder, called gender disphoria, and need help. More than a century ago, rthe first sociologist Emil Durkheim attributed a rash of suicides to social anomie, that is, normlessness in our society. Suicide stems from depression, and I always think of depression as anger focused inwardly. In our confused, normless society, we are seeing anger focused both outward and inward in shooters who kill others and then themselves (or who know the police will have to kill them).
As you witnessed in Monroeville, you've seen it first hand in the ELCA. "The Prince of Darkness, grim; we tremble not for him. His craft and power are great, and armed with cruel hate, on earth he stirs up a lot of crap." (Going from memory. I think that's how Luther's hymn goes . . .)
Lots of grieving by God's people in this time of upheaval.
Giving Thanks Mark! In Prayer I felt the weary!! The great need for all churches to know the identity crisis we are in. Continued prayer and authority over the vision and ministry to the broken, confused and lost.
I'm glad the event went well and that you left it with renewed hope. I've been heartbroken about the split in United Methodist church, but I also have hope for the future as our congregation has been selected by Reverend Sung to be a "lighthouse" congregation that will receive any people who choose to leave their churches due to the disaffiliation.
That's great, Heather. There will certainly be a shuffling of the cards, but the deck belongs to God.
Precisely!
sounds like a wonderful day!
Debra has connections with someone in Alabama who's itching to have us come. So ya'll get ready!
I am hearing from other local pastors that the UM split is dividing the Methodist congregation in our town. It seems very similar to what happened in my Lutheran congregation 12 years ago: there are people at both extrmemes of the debate, and those who really don't care about what is going on at the national level because "This is my church, I'll believe what I want, I am not leaving this building no matter what." That kind of situations rarely end well. Also, I hear the media pundits are blaming the latest school shooting on lack of "gender affirming care" and "Christian biogtry." Few people will speak the truth that trans people have a mental disorder, called gender disphoria, and need help. More than a century ago, rthe first sociologist Emil Durkheim attributed a rash of suicides to social anomie, that is, normlessness in our society. Suicide stems from depression, and I always think of depression as anger focused inwardly. In our confused, normless society, we are seeing anger focused both outward and inward in shooters who kill others and then themselves (or who know the police will have to kill them).
As you witnessed in Monroeville, you've seen it first hand in the ELCA. "The Prince of Darkness, grim; we tremble not for him. His craft and power are great, and armed with cruel hate, on earth he stirs up a lot of crap." (Going from memory. I think that's how Luther's hymn goes . . .)
Lots of grieving by God's people in this time of upheaval.
Giving Thanks Mark! In Prayer I felt the weary!! The great need for all churches to know the identity crisis we are in. Continued prayer and authority over the vision and ministry to the broken, confused and lost.
As a non-Methodist I thought the material was excellent! I’m looking forward to receiving the PowerPoints
Hoping to share material with our church!
Blessings Bro!
It was so great to see you there, Dean! If you don’t receive the PowerPoint, let me know. So much good info.