22 May 2008 by Glen Lauber.

Gaylord Hotel and Convention Center, Oxon Hill, MD
May 22, 2008

Andy Lunt, Dottie Byers, Al Hammer, Karol Hess, John Nupp, Lynne Phillips, and I are here at the Gaylord Hotel at the National Harbor in Prince George’s County, participating in the annual session of the Baltimore-Washington Conference of The United Methodist Church. It’s a nice hotel. Ruth Bell is recovering from knee-replacement surgery and is unable to be present this year.

My intent is to write a Blog entry for each day of the conference while I am here. However, I may decide to go back and update a day’s entry (not add a comment, but edit the initial entry) if I get more information, have more to say, or perhaps decide to add a link to a website, so be sure to check entries you may have already read for changes.

An Annual Conference is a region of hundreds of churches led by a bishop (ours is Bishop John Schol of the Washington Episcopal Area). All of the clergy in that region and an equal number of lay people, who are “Members of the Annual Conference,” meet annually to make decisions about ministry in the conference, and approve the budget to support that ministry. Our four clergy are members of the annual conference by ordination. The other four of us are those who are elected and sent by Glen Mar Church to be lay members alongside the clergy.

Preparation for this conference started over a year ago. To read about the issues coming before the conference, read the conference daily newspaper for Thursday.

Clergy and laity met in their separate sessions this morning for worship, fellowship, lunch, and business. Delores Oden is the conference lay leader. The laity heard reports from the United Methodist Women, United Methodist Men, lay speaking leaders, deaconesses and home missioners. Our guest speaker (whose name I have lost) preached on the importance of preparation for the hard work of ministry, especially a Gethsemane experience for spiritual preparation, and a Calvary experience that challenges our mettle.

An excellent afternoon worship experience was organized and led by young adult clergy and laity. The preacher was Bishop Minerva Carcaño of the Desert Southwest Episcopal Area. Bishop Carcaño preached on, “Do We Dare to Have the Mind of Christ,” with specific application to immigration policy.

Business began at 4 p.m. with the convening of the conference and Bishop Schol’s State of the Conference. He described how United Methodists throughout the Baltimore-Washington Conference are living out their discipleship in bold, audacious and extreme ways, serving like Christ as they grow mission, disciples, spiritual leaders and churches. An article on the address and its full text are available on the Conference website. The bishop cited many exciting ministries in the conference, including PATH, in which Glen Mar Church actively participates.

After dinner, Bishop Jane Middleton of the Harrisburg Episcopal Area taught the conference on “Living the Wesleyan Way.” The Wesleyan Way is practicing John Wesley’s three simple rules: Do No Harm, Do Good, Stay in Love with God.

In particular, I want to bring to your attention, The Advance, a mission support tool of the denomination, which uses 100% of your contribution in mission. Its overhead costs are born by the denomination. See their video.

The last piece of legislation was the approval by the body of a committee proposal to reduce the number of districts from nine to eight. Districts are sub-divisions of an annual conference led by clergy appointed by the bishop to help the bishop oversee hundreds of churches and clergy. The bishop has approved the committees proposed realignment of churches between the eight districts. The impact on Glen Mar is that we will move from the Washington-Columbia District to the new Central Maryland District.

Well, that’s enough for the first day. Today will be longer and harder, 8:30 a.m. to 9:00 p.m. I already know that I will be updating this entry…there are details I will be tracking down. 

Posted in Worship, 100 Days of Prayer, General Nourishment | 1 Comment »

8 February 2008 by Mandy Sayers.

The service was Wednesday night and I thought it was awesome in every way.  I loved having Pastor Ruth up there imposing ashes with Andy.  She’s a gift and a treasure.

When I consider the commitment we’ve made to pray and work together leading up to the opening of the new building, I’m so excited about what will come of it.

I wanted to share an email I got from Bonnie Smith this morning.
They Should Have Used Tape

The Ash Wednesday Service certainly did put me in the right frame of mind for the season of Lent.  A story comes to mind at this season that I would like to share.

When my first grandchild, Callie, was about 3 ½ years old I was talking to her, asking her what she learned in Sunday School that day.  She looked up at me (of course she had the sweetest expression on her face) and said:  “Nana, did you know that they put stickers on Jesus’ head and pushed it down real hard so that it would stay on?  It made him bleed!  They should have used TAPE.”  At first I commiserated with her and gave her the biggest hug!  Out of the mouths of babes!  I have never forgotten her statement, “They should have used tape.”  She was too young to understand the whole meaning of the Easter story but saw the way He was hurting and thought her idea of using “tape” would at least stop the bleeding.  I might add that Callie was a tape fanatic! Ha! Ha!

When I think of this story I realize that I/We can “stop the bleeding” by being a faithful servant of our Lord Jesus Christ:  by feeding the hungry, clothing the needy, sharing our faith with someone that is hopeless and in despair, praying for the sick and for those who mourn.  We can use our talents to glorify God in our homes, place of worship, schools, workplace and the community.  Sometimes this seems like a tall order.  But, just think if each of us did our part, there might be more peace and love to go around for everyone!  He shed his blood for us, this is the least we can do for Him!

Blessings,
Bonnie

I like the portrait of a church designed to “stop the bleeding” by sharing the love of Christ and making a difference in the world!  As we journey on in Lent, I am so excited to hear what folks discover in the course of their time of prayer.  Post comments and reflections in the 100 Days of Prayer category if you want to!

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30 January 2008 by Mandy Sayers.

“Ask, and it will be given to you; search, and you will find; knock, and the door will be opened for you. For everyone who asks receives, and everyone who searches finds, and for everyone who knocks, the door will be opened.” Matthew 7:7-8

“Let us pray.” It is a simple statement and one that we often hear in worship. It is a powerful invitation to encounter the living God, the One who made us and who has called us to be at Glen Mar at this particular point in its history. It is an acknowledgment that wherever two or more gather in the name of Jesus, there he is in the midst of them. It’s an encounter with a God who has brought us, as people and as a congregation, to this place and time so that God can use us to make a difference in the lives of people: some we already know, some we haven’t met yet, and some whose names we may never know.

People of Glen Mar Church, we believe your presence here at this time is no accident. As we get ready to make a difference in our world from a new site in the name of Jesus Christ, we invite you to enter into a time of being open, listening and connecting with God. People of Glen Mar Church, “Let us pray.” Starting on February 6 (Ash Wednesday), let us pray together for one hundred days, as an act of hope, preparation and commitment.

To receive daily meditation suggestions via email, sign up at http://100days.glenmarchurch.org/mailman/listinfo/dailyprayer

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