As some of you who read this know, I am in Indianapolis for the start of Annual Conference for the Indiana UMC. It got me pondering this morning what it would’ve looked like had Jesus called his disciples together after year one of his ministry, and said, “We need an annual conference. Each of you, submit a budget and prepare a report!”
Well, Jesus never did such a thing, yet by the time we get into Acts, the church is holding meetings, debating policy, listening to reports, arguing over budgets (or at least distributions), appointing leaders, and gathering to discern God’s direction. From almost the very beginning, the early church had church business.
The church organized itself so that ministry could flourish. Structure was created to serve the Spirit and enhance ministry. The danger, of course, is that we sometimes forget the distinction.
The same kind of thinking applies to all of us, though. Too often, faith becomes a checklist. Go to church on Sunday – check. Remember this or that committee meeting – check. Bible study meets this week – check. Pray – check. Serve – check. We lose the passion in the doing.
Maybe it’s occasionally important to remember that before there were committees, there was worship. Before there were statistics, there was praise. Before there were motions and amendments, there were disciples gathered around a table with Jesus.
We love the stories of Jesus withdrawing to pray on a mountain or healing the sick and the blind. We tend to skip the stories of Moses counting tribes, Nehemiah organizing workers, and the almost endless instructions for building the tent of meeting (down to the curtains).
Maybe my challenge today is not to ask, “Would Jesus have held an Annual Conference?” but rather, “Can I recognize Jesus in the middle of one?”
John Wesley would probably say that the answer is yes. He was, after all, a dynamic and seemingly tireless preacher who spent an astonishing amount of time organizing societies, recording statistics, writing reports, and attending conferences. It’s his “fault” I’m here. He was responsible for putting the word “method” in Methodist.
So, if, like me, your week is turning out a little too checklist- oriented, step back for a minute. Open your eyes and heart to the unexpected areas where God’s grace appears. Seek out an old friend. Quietly, or loudly, sing a hymn.
In the meantime, I will be looking forward to experiencing the presence of Christ in singing, in four-part harmony, of course, “And Are We Yet Alive”? Yes, it was written by Charles Wesley. And, yeah, it’s an annual conference Methodist “thing.”
Have a blessed day!
