This World Is Not Ours

By Rev. Jasper Peters, Associate Pastor

Though we often believe otherwise, this world is not ours, but rather it belongs to God. We are invited to be good stewards of it, but even then, only for a moment. We inherit it from those who come before us, and we are required to prepare it for those who will come after us. This is true of the world and every structure within. Our beloved ecclesial body, the United Methodist Church, is in a precarious position. Some characterize it as a conflict between progressives and conservatives, while others view it as the choice between faithfulness to tradition versus faithfulness to Christian inclusivity. I would submit that this conversation is in many ways a conflict between our past and our future. The conversation about "human sexuality," or LGBTQ+ inclusion has dominated the conversation among United Methodists for 44 years. We are now being invited to determine what will be the context of our conversation going forward. 

The young people of our church made a statement at General Conference a few weeks ago. They invite us to remain connected, believing that our church has the ability to be vital, faithful, and inclusive in the days and years to come. I am inspired to hold this church together because I know it is not mine, at least not really. I am only trying to be a good steward for the fleeting moments during which I am invited to be faithful.