Daily Reflection for April 11

Countdown to General Conference! By Olon Mulford Lindemood Mile High / Pikes Peak District Superintendent Clergy Reserve Delegate General Conference Greetings Sisters and Brothers of the Rocky Mountain Conference Fort Worth, Texas will be ground zero for the conversation for “A Future with Hope.” The United Methodist Church continues the struggle toward A Future with Hope! There are moments when we seriously examine the difference between two expressions: “We can have hope when … “ or “We can have hope if ….” Watching the historical movement of the UMC is a difficult task! The movement is so slow. And yet the pressure of the need for change is so great! The issues that surface in legislative debate do not always help us grasp the authentic voice of the church. During the 2004 General Conference it became clear to me that hope for the UMC can be seen as “when.” Our Church is healing itself of the woes and ways of alienation. Our Church is growing toward the confidence of our marketing slogan, “Open Hearts, Open Minds, Open Doors.” Our Church is becoming what God would hope it to be! So… Did you hear my optimism in the midst of preparation for this coming gathering? Can you hear the caution as I am aware that my heart will break, again, as I listen to debate over the issues? Living the two weeks of day and night deliberations with extreme focus and energy is a sacred trust. Watching and living these two weeks will demand receptivity to the Big Picture of the church that is Moving through a healing History. God will not abandon us in our hours of need. My role at this General Conference will not be as a voting delegate. But, I will be assisting Skip Strickland, our Rocky Mountain Conference Director of Mission and Ministry. I actually have a title for the week. “Assistant to the Conference Director of Mission and Ministry for General Conference Communications.” Being in the Pressroom will provide a different vantage point for this 2008 General Conference. It will be a pleasure to assist the Rocky Mountain Conference (Churches, Lay members, Pastors) in accessing information. Keep watching for the ways that Skip and I will be assisting you in obtaining the information you need from General Conference. Let our prayer today echo: Most gracious, mighty and loving God, bring hope for the new day. Help the United Methodist Church grow, not for the purpose of institutional survival, but for the joy that comes in the dynamic witness to the power of Christ in a hungering world. May all those headed for Fort Worth, Texas find sacred ground. When violence of rhetoric causes harm, offer a pathway of grace. When words become lost in monotony, offer the courage to be silent. When the voiceless are overlooked, offer forgiveness. And when whispers of divine vision are heard, offer the amplification of testimonies! We offer our prayer in the name and in the spirit of the Jesus who is the Christ. Amen. Olon Mulford Lindemood Mile High / Pikes Peak District Superintendent The Rocky Mountain Conference of The United Methodist Church