A Way Forward Together

By Rev. Jasper Peters, Associate Pastor

I recently had an opportunity to hear Rev. Dr. Karen Oliveto, the new resident Bishop of the Mountain Sky area, present on the state of the church at a conference. I wasn't sure what to expect, as I'd only heard her speak in passing before. I found her to be charismatic, inspiring and challenging. (This is to say nothing of the fact that she is also an amateur magician. Literally. Imagine the possibilities!) I'm excited for our new Bishop, and for the things that will be possible with such a qualified and visionary leader. 

Yet, my excitement is put in check because I realize that not everyone shares my excitement. There are some who grieve the election of Bishop Oliveto, not because she is not intellectually, spiritually or practically unqualified for the position, but because of her sexual orientation. When I was listening to her speak, the gender of her spouse was far from my mind, but I know this is not the case for all of us. So, how do we move forward? Should I flaunt my excitement in the faces of all those who are grieving? Should I pretend that nothing has changed at all, forcing my head into the cool, dark sand where I can peacefully ignore the world around me? Though many may choose to do these things, I feel I would be remiss to do so as a follower of Jesus. Here are a few things, however, I think we can consider as we choose a response to our new Bishop. 

Love

Jesus didn't offer his followers a special secret handshake. There is no salute taught to each of us when we become a part of the church. In fact, there are shockingly few ways to recognize other believers. The one thing scripture emphasizes (John 13:35) as a mark of Christ's presence in our lives is by our love. Do we love each other? Do we love those who aren't one of "us?" Are our lives marked by our ability to love and care for one another? If so, then there is a good change that we know Jesus well. 

Fruit

In fact, there is another way of discerning Christians. In Matthew 7, Jesus talks about judging people (long story short, don't...), trusting God to provide and identifying false prophets. Here is the wisdom scripture gives us when measuring the fitness of a prophet: "By their fruit you will recognize them...a good tree cannot bear bad fruit, and a bad tree cannot bear good fruit." (Matthew 7:15-18)

So what then are we to do with a new bishop? One way of engaging scripture to guide our steps would be to ask whether she exhibits the marks of being a loving person and whether she has produced good fruit. Those who know her best, who have worked with her at Glide Memorial UMC and in other settings have resoundingly said yes!

If this is not enough for you, then let us remember that one of the distinguishing marks of a Methodist historically has been our big-tent style of coming together. In a denomination that contains both Hillary Clinton and George W. Bush, perhaps agreeing on every aspect of our faith and policy is not something we can expect. Rather, is it possible for us to bear with one another in love, whether we are celebrating, mourning or simply confused? Can we find a way of creating space to discern a future and a way forward together? This is my prayer for us all. 

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. 

A Methodist Response

From Lee Anderson:

 

As we look at the recent tragedies in the world, many of us feel unrest, grief, and a heaviness of heart.  Closer to home, there is unrest among Americans as we all wrestle with the various ways that racism impacts each of us.  It is a Christian and Methodist value to respond to the cries of people who are hurting, and not to ignore those cries.  Bishop Warner H. Brown, President of the Council of Bishops of the United Methodist Church, recently released this letter to United Methodists:

"To the people of The United Methodist Church:

Grace and peace to the people called United Methodist and all people of good will. I greet you in the name of Jesus, the Christ who is risen. From May 1-7, the Council of Bishops of The United Methodist Church will hold its 2015 meeting in Berlin, Germany. During this week, we will be praying for the church and taking actions that we hope will help lead the church in a faithful response to the call of discipleship. Please pray with us, for the church and all those the church seeks to serve.

We are a church that practices ministry to the world in Jesus' name. While United Methodist churches are primarily in Africa, Europe, the Philippines and the United States, our ministry partnerships connect us with every continent. So, we grieve when the news of the day reminds us of the many ways the people of our world are hurting and suffering under the weight of tragedy. We seek to respond readily with prayers and aid to the natural disasters such as we have just witnessed in Nepal. And the human inflicted pain also requires a prayerful response that declares that terrorism, human exploitation, bullying and abuses of power will not overcome us.

Please join me and the Council of Bishops in prayer, reflection and action toward overcoming the issues that sometimes divide our societies. Together we can find ways, appropriate to our social context, for healing the brokenness between us.

For those of us in the United States, our attention has been called to the powerful impact of racism on all of us. If we seek healing, we cannot continue to be in denial. Some of us have read the shocking Justice Department report on Ferguson and most have seen the violence that tragically erupted there against police officers. Since then other unarmed Black men have been killed in several cities and now Baltimore has also erupted in violence.

As a Black man who grew up in the very Baltimore neighborhood we have watched explode, this is personal. I grieve over what I see in my old neighborhood. The anger in the community is real because of decades of distrust.

Video documentation has raised expectations that claims of wrongdoing would be seriously considered; so distrust grows because very few police officers have been held accountable.

A just society cannot be built on violence. Violence and misconduct by either a misguided police officer or an angry citizen will not lead us to beloved community. Reconciliation can occur when we tell the truth and take responsibility for our actions.

Rev. Willis Johnson, pastor of Wellspring United Methodist Church which serves Ferguson, Missouri, said this: "Who is going to become a model for dealing with reconciling and truth? That is the role of the Church!"

In this season of resurrection, the Council of Bishops and I believe that we followers of Jesus are called to lead the way. Let us examine and repent of our own sins of racial bias and abuse of privilege. Let us proclaim and live the Gospel of love and justice for all. Let us become proactive in modeling that gospel in our churches and teaching it to young and old alike. Let us be disciples who are engaged with God in transforming our world, beginning in our own communities, working for justice, judicial reform and good police/community relations. Let us break down the walls that divide us and build relationships that vanquish our fears. When we work together for justice and peace, we will no longer be strangers.

Remember, all who would follow Jesus, he calls us again and again to "love your neighbor as yourself."(Matt.22:39) Even out of the injustice and violence he experienced, Jesus leads us to hope and resurrection. Let us believe in and practice the power of prayer for our world, our church, our neighbors and our own lives.

And, the risen Christ said to his followers, "remember, I am with you always."(Matt.28:20)

Your brother in Christ,

Warner H. Brown, Jr."

Used with permission from United Methodist Communications

Staff Pick Book Recommendation: "On This Spirit Walk"

On This Spirit Walk: The Voices of Native American and Indigenous Peoples
By Henrietta Mann and Anita Phillips

Recommendation by Rev. Miriam Slejko, Minister of Discipleship at Trinity

Maybe you are like me and, as a newcomer to Colorado, now 26 years a resident, have a desire to learn more of the history of this area and its indigenous people. So when Dr. Henrietta Mann spoke at our Rocky Mountain Annual Conference last June, I was fascinated by her stories of the history of her people, the Cheyenne.

Henrietta Mann is Professor Emeritus in Native American Studies at Montana State University. In 1991 Rolling Stone Magazine named her one of the top ten professors in the nation. In On This Spirit Walk, which she co-authored with Anita Phillips, a member of the Cherokees from Park Hill, Oklahoma, Mann shares the stories from her culture about traditions of welcoming and naming, stories of creation and genesis, and stories of vision and prophecy.

On This Spirit Walk is not only a selection of stories from the histories of native peoples, it is a vivid portrayal of these storytellers who "do not choose to be storytellers" but "are chosen to be the Keepers of Living Stories. With our breath, we give life to the stories and they take flight." These stories include reflections by native people on recent efforts by the United Methodist Church's General Conference of 2012 to engage in an Act of Repentance including confession, repentance and forgiveness for the manner in which religious ideas were forced upon native peoples.

If you are a storyteller, story writer or a person who is interested in the spiritual walk of peoples of other cultures, you will enjoy this informative and stimulating history. On This Spirit Walk reminds me that we all benefit from sharing stories from our history. "We are not human beings having a spiritual experience; we are spiritual beings having a human experience." (Pierre Teilhard de Chardin)


Order online: http://www.amazon.com/On-This-Spirit-Walk-Indigenous/dp/1426758413