A Time for Renewal
Revelations 21:1-7
Special Sessions of Detroit and
West Michigan Annual Conferences
Saturday, April 5, 2008
The late Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. wrote a famous letter from the Birmingham Jail. He was responding to the criticism of majority clergy who took him to task for coming to Birmingham. More importantly, King protested the longevity of segregation because he saw a new day for Birmingham, Alabama. King persisted. And a new day came to fruition. John went him one better. He wrote the book of Revelation, the last book of the Christian canon. In the text, John challenged Rome's treatment of the people of God. For daring to protest Caesar worship-for publicly advocating that the people of God keep the faith-for the courage of his convictions in the face of persecution unto death, John was banished to the Isle of Patmos. By day, he labored in penal work camps for his Roman captors. By night and other opportune moments, he wrote divinely inspired dreams and visions that fired the resistance of the church.
John foresaw a new day-a day when Caesar worship ceased to hold on sway on the people of God-a day when the church would rise up and make a public witness with recrimination from the state-a day when he could go home again and walk the streets of Ephesus. By the time John composed the 21st chapter of Revelation, his soul got happy as the old folks used to say. The "now" gave way to the "not yet," in his mind. Anticipation jumped off the page and seemingly infused him with unspeakable joy captured in the following words,
"Then I saw a new heaven and a new earth; for the first heaven and the first earth had passed away, and the sea was no more. And I saw the Holy City, a new Jerusalem, coming down out of heaven from God, prepared as a bride adorned for her husband; and I heard a loud voice from the throne saying "Behold, the dwelling of God is with humankind. He/God will dwell with them, and they shall be his people, and God himself will be with them." Then, a statement of promise emboldened John even further in 21:5 "And God who sat upon the throne said, "Behold, I make all things new."
Clearly, John foresaw a time of Renewal-renewal akin to the following: "Every valley shall be exalted, every mountain and hill would be laid, and the rough places smoothed and the crooked ways, and all flesh shall see it together for the mouth of the Lord hath spoken it." Let's reflect briefly on A Time for Renewal using points like something has to change, the time is now, and the new age is here.
SOMETHING HAS TO CHANGE
To be the best that the church of Jesus Christ can be in the first century, the author of Revelation decides that something has to change. Like other religious groups, Christians were allowing Caesar worship and the power of Rome to determine the ministry of the church. To worship Caesar, Christians were breaking the first and foremost commandment to the Covenant People: "I am the Lord thy God, who brought you out of the land of Egypt, out of the house of bondage, thou shalt have no other gods before me."
Though banished to the Isle of Patmos, John knew that the church had strayed and he had a role to play. Something had to change in the seven churches in Asia. For example, Ephesus "had abandoned its first love", i.e. Jesus Christ for something else. Smyrna was immobilized and intimidated by the death threats of Caesar. The church of Pergamum followed the teachings of Balaam, sacrificed to idols and practiced immorality. Like Pergamum, the church at Thyatira embraced and immorality. At the same time, she loved Jezebel. Something had to change. Sardis had a reputation for being alive but she was dead. Whenever you took the temperature of Laodicea, she was lukewarm about everything, neither hot nor cold. John was right; something's got to change. Six churches had to get their act together. The seventh, namely Philadelphia had to keep on keeping on. Unlike the others, she had managed to hold on to God's unchanging hand.
For a number of years, the Michigan Area has toyed with the notion of change with respect to collaboration. During Bishop Craig's tenure in the eighties, an effort to consolidate both conference offices failed. Had the legislation succeeded, a new Annual Conference might have been achieved. Under Bishop Ott's tutelage, legislation to merge the two conferences was not adopted. Change was averted. But question of union wouldn't die. In 2004, the Detroit and West Michigan Annual Conference adopted legislation requesting Bishop Lee to "appoint a task force to explore all ways that the two conferences could cooperate in ministry, both to be more effective in ministry and to be good stewards of financial resources." They did that. And the group concluded that "merging together was the best way for the two conferences to cooperate." An intention to unite came out of their work two years ago. Detroit passed it by 87%; and West Michigan said yes to the tune of 78%. Somewhere in the heart, mind and spirit of the people called Methodists in the state of Michigan, you keep playing that tune like John "something has to change." The question is when, now or later.
THE TIME IS NOW
March 28-30, 2008, I attended the Quadrennial meeting of the United Methodist Women in Bloomington, Minnesota (a suburb of Minneapolis). The primary purpose of the meeting was to elect Directors for Women's Division. Women's Division is a significant mission arm of the General Board of Global Ministries in New York City. Linda Schramm and Julia Deemer finished their terms. Nichea Guy and Jackie Euper were elected from the Michigan Area. Congratulations. According to leadership of the Women's Division, this was the last meeting of its kind. Women's Division decided to change the format for electing Directors to Women's Division. The time has come to do it differently. One source informed me that future Directors for Women's Division will be elected at the Regional Schools of Christian Mission, four years from now. Something had to change with respect to the quadrennial Meeting of United Methodist Women; and Women's Division changed.
Quite frankly, John the Revelator felt the urgency of the Now. Like other Christians who were regarded as criminals by the Roman Emperor Domitian, John was banished to the Isle of Patmos. Forced to do hard time in the mines and quarries of the island, John felt a call that was undeniable. If somebody didn't do something about the inroads Caesar worship had made on the church in Asia, the church faced an uncertain future. But what could John do out on that desolate island of Patmos? How could he tell them to be faithful unto death thereby earning a crown of life without presence? He couldn't wait for his sentence to end. Death might catch up with him in Patmos. He couldn't wait for Domitian to die? Domitian might outlive him. If that were not the case, nothing guaranteed John that a successor to Domitian would be any different. John had one of those moments like Jesus in Luke 4:17-19, i.e. the Spirit got hold of him. John said, "I was in the Spirit on the Lord's Day, and I heard behind me a loud voice like a trumpet saying write in a book and send it to the seven churches" of the Revelation."(Rev. 1:10-11) Because John responded to the urgency of "Now," the church stood firm for Christ against temptations, against trials, against persecutions, and promised rewards to those would be faithful unto death without denying Christ. They read and followed the book though unable to hear him speak.
As a bishop, I've learned that what we write has longevity beyond the printing date. Something printed today, 50 years ago, a card, a note or a book has the capacity to influence us. In essence, words in print can change lives, shift out thinking and speak to our current dilemmas as is the 2000 year old book called Revelation.
The legislation before us, which you have read, poses the question anew for Detroit and West Michigan Conferences. What time is it? Is it tomorrow? Or is now the time? If now, some may wonder why now? Both conferences are doing relatively well. Programming in boards and agencies seems alright. In 2007, both conferences paid 100% of their Ministry Shares or apportionments. No sentiment or sense of accomplishment warms the heart of Michigan Methodists like a quote I read about the West Michigan Conference. ''We are by far the top mission-giving conference in the nation." And yet, the legislation suggests that we can do a better job at our multiple ministries. The time is now for better alignment of our resources, a common vision, reduction of duplication, and a more intentional focus on the local church. And while we must congratulate ourselves for maintaining the highest standard for mission giving in the connection, our membership loss equals the denominational pattern of membership slide during the past 40 years. Now is the time to raise our worship attendance and membership. Now is the time to strengthen our Sunday School Attendance. In 2005, out of eleven conferences in the North Central Jurisdiction, Detroit and West Michigan ranked 8th and 9th respectively in Sunday School Attendance. Now is the time to raise that bar. Surely, now is the time to stop the forty year slide in church membership. Making disciples of Jesus Christ for the transformation of the world ought be another passion of ours. Why; because Christ meant it to be this way? We must open the door to the living bread for which the world hungers. Revelation does.
THE NEW AGE IS HERE
Cell phones and pod casts, you tube and blackberrys, emergent worship and permanent dress down Sundays in church tell us that that a new age is here. And when this antiquated bishop works with the medium called DVD's to broaden communication around the area, I know it's a new age. Folks have jumped on me for not using a teleprompter for the past two years. Instead of my head going down, they want it up. I won't make another DVD unless I have a teleprompter. The new age is here.
Yesterday, I learned that the merger of my seminary with Evanston with ETS in Naperville happened in a new old way thirty years ago. On the G-ETS web-site appeared a speech by the Rev. Tom Babler. In that 2004 speech, Tom Babler called the 1974 merger between Garrett Theological Seminary in Evanston and Evangelical Theological Seminary in Naperville, an arranged marriage. "It was the idea of the parents…and encouraged by the extended families on both sides. When the Evangelical United Brethren and the Methodist denominations merged in 1968, General Conference adopted a recommendation to reduce the number of seminaries," he said. By God's grace, hard work and staying at the table, the merger happened. G-ETS has continued to live into the values of both traditions. Tom Babler raised another important point. Quoting Will Willimon, now Bishop, in an October 1990 Christian Century article, Babler shared the following excerpts: "We are conditioned to think that only what we decide for ourselves is right for us…I think we should be more open about the arranged, unchosen aspects of our marriage because it enables us to think clearly about the peculiar ethical demands placed upon us." Furthermore, "Willimon contends that love is the result of marriage rather than its cause. The title of his article: "The People We're Stuck With."
The seven churches of the Revelation were stuck with the strange language, images, terrors and meanderings of a man of God who knew the sting of persecution on the one hand and keeping the faith on the other. They knew John as an uncompromising, unyielding advocate for Jesus Christ. They knew the faith that John expressed was the kind of faith that would see them through the darkness of persecution to the light of liberation and a new day. And the church was preserved. In one of the most trying circumstances of life, John saw a new heaven and a new earth. For better or for worse, for richer and poorer, we are stuck with one another in the Michigan Area.
Quite frankly, I saw the future of the Michigan Area in 2020 and 2030, as I sat in Northville UMC on Bishop's Day. Over 100 young people filled the sanctuary with the songs of the church. I saw them grown up serving the church with their giftedness, transforming and growing the church long after my episcopacy has been consigned to history. The new age is here. Do you not perceive it? Whether this house is composed of two annual conferences or ultimately one makes its decision about the future of Methodism in Michigan, remember these are the people you're stuck with. Apart or together, we have to collaborate and serve one Lord, one faith, and one baptism.
In all these things, am I telling you how to vote? Not really, that is up to you and God. Ask God what to do. Then do it. This is the advice I give my superintendents when making appointments. Act based on how God leads you not me. That is the faithfulness Michigan needs whatever you decide. However, should the body decide that Detroit and West Michigan Conferences will be no more, then unite. See the dying of both conferences as a precursor to a new heaven and a new earth. In the memory of her husband who died of cancer, Natalie Sleeth saw renewal not extinction in his death. Natalie labeled her vision in lyrics as "The Hymn of Promise". "In a bulb, there is a flower, in a seed an apple tree; in cocoons a hidden promise; butterflies will soon be free! In the cold and snow of winter, there's a spring that waits to be, unrevealed until its season, something God alone can see. In our end is our beginning; in our time infinity; in our doubt there is believing in our life eternity. In our death, a resurrection; at the last a victory, unrevealed until its season, something God alone can see."