January 2, 2024
By Rev. Dr. Scott N. Field
Despite the Time magazine recognition as Person of the Year, Taylor Swift was not actually # 1 in 2023. She was # 12, at least according to searches on Wikipedia. Taylor had 19.4 million searches. The Cricket World Cup, at # 3, had 38.2 million searches in English, and the # 1 spot for Wikipedia searches in 2023 went to ChatGPT with nearly 50 million searches. For any and all Swifties, I mean no disrespect; just some perspective for those of us in the Methodist demographic cohort. (I do, however, take exception to those few who wished me a “Merry Swift-mas” in recent weeks.)
Many of us, maybe most of us, know that the month of January is named after the Roman mythological god Janus. The image of Janus looks both forward and backward. He was considered the keeper of beginnings and endings, of transitions, and of doorways. And 2023 has been, certainly among Methodists, a year of endings, beginning, transitions, and doors that swing both ways.
I suspect the #1 item for news and information among Methodism in 2023 was the disaffiliation drama of United Methodism’s denominational break up. And with good reason: it is one of the major religion stories of the year. Here’s a summary from Christianity Today. Though the CT article is fairly comprehensive, I disagree with one particular summary sentence:
The thousands of disaffiliations represent the conclusion of decades of UMC debates, proposals, and gatherings focused on sexuality.
I would venture to say that we are not yet at the conclusion at all; in fact, I suspect we may not be even halfway through with congregational departures.
This is not a disaster alarm in the least. I’m attempting to be descriptive, not evaluative. Expecting the close of denominational fracture as 2023 ends is, I think, either wishful thinking or unfounded fear. The new year, 2024, will be a continuation of the tectonic change in the sub-cultural network of Methodism. The Global Methodist Church will continue to grow, develop, and hold itsConvening Conference in San Jose, Costa Rica in September. The United Methodist Church will make critical decisions about its future, including its future as a global communion, at the UMC General Conference in April/May.The decisions of these two legislative conferences will, without doubt, renew the consideration given by local churches and their members to the status of their own ongoing relationship with Methodism. This will be true in the USA and across the globe.
In light of this certainty of continuing change, I want to encourage our WCA network to keep building bridges, opening doors, informing the questioning, and, especially contending for every United Methodist congregation – in the USA and other countries as well — to end up where its members decide to be for a faithful and fruitful future. The WCA has been on the case for seven years. You might think that, in biblical terms, it is time for a “sabbatical”. Not at all. This is the time for leaning forward in prayerful, active anticipation. Though the end of our mission may be on the horizon, we haven’t actually arrived at the horizon yet.
I always appreciate the pithy biblical imperatives to prepare for action:
“Gird up your loins” means, “Prepare for action. There are challenges ahead.” Of course, this phrase initially referred literally to binding up your tunic with your belt. You will need to be ready to run and fight and avoid getting tangled up in your clothing.
But in 1 Peter 1 we are directed not to be ready for physical conflict, but for “living as foreigners in the land” (1 Peter 1:17). Peter changes the focus of “being ready” to the condition and preparation of our soul, our mind, and our self-understanding.
The King James translation of 1 Peter 1:13 is, “Therefore gird up the loins of your mind, be sober, and rest your hope fully upon the grace that is to be brought to you at the revelation of Jesus Christ…”. Peter points beyond the literal hiking up of your robe as you prepare for action.
The New Living Translation of the paragraph makes it clear:
13 So prepare your minds for action and exercise self-control. Put all your hope in the gracious salvation that will come to you when Jesus Christ is revealed to the world. 14 So you must live as God’s obedient children. Don’t slip back into your old ways of living to satisfy your own desires. You didn’t know any better then. 15 But now you must be holy in everything you do, just as God who chose you is holy. 16 For the Scriptures say, “You must be holy because I am holy.”
(1 Peter 1:13-16)
Prepared for the Continuing Disaffiliation Season in 2024?
This way of “girding up our loins” isn’t focused on our legislative strategy, our networking, or our communication plans. It is focused on each of us individually as part of a larger movement of the Holy Spirit building even nowtoward renewal, revival, and, by God’s mercy, another awakening.
Many of us are familiar with the Wesley Covenant Prayer often prayed corporately in Methodist congregations as part of a New Year’s Eve Watch Night Service, or as one element in the liturgy on the first Sunday of the year. It is a profound prayer of personal consecration, indeed. But the version in the United Methodist Hymnal (#607) is just there. From my opinion, it seems to have been dropped in because there wasn’t anywhere else to put it but, since it is, after all, part of the worship heritage of Methodists, it has to go somewhere. Yes, it is in a section of the UMH under the heading of “The Sacraments and Rites of the Church”, but, frankly, without context it seems relegated to the repository of liturgical leftovers.
As we “gird up the loins of our minds” for action in the ongoing disruptions of disaffiliation ahead, I’d suggest we pay attention to pondering and praying this expression of consecrated commitment. Let me encourage you, however, to set aside the lightweight reference in the UMH(#607). We will need more preparation than a quick read-through during a time of personal devotion or service of corporate worship.
Though there is a more complete version of Wesley’s Covenant Service in the United Methodist Book of Worship (p. 292), that is a reference generally used by pastors and other worship leaders rather than the Methodists generally. So let me recommend the version of the Wesley Covenant Service in the outstanding recently produced hymnal, Our Great Redeemer’s Praise, by Seedbed Publishing. Not only is this an awesome hymnal spanning the breadth of the Methodist family worthy of wide use in this season of new beginnings, but it includes as part of the context for the Wesley Covenant Prayer that most important element which has been overlooked in United Methodist Hymnal: confession.
In so many conversations within our WCA network, and with sisters and brothers in both the UMC and the GMC, the strain, the wounds, the disillusionment, as well as the anger, revenge, and malice within and among us is palpable. You may feel it yourself. I am sure you have been able to see it and feel it in others.
As we prepare ourselves for this continuing season of disruption, with the expectation of renewal and revival ahead, we will need the cleansing of our wounds through confession and forgiveness before we are able to offer our prayer of consecration for the path ahead.
I am purposefully omitting the text of the Wesley Covenant Prayer here. Yes, you can find it online with a search engine of your preference, but I hope you will take the time and consideration to prepare, to “gird up the loins of your mind”. Having a right heart and spirit before the Lord will lead to right words and actions toward and with others.
For Christ-followers, these are days of enormous excitement and anticipation. Before we launch into our own agendas for the future of Methodism, we need to prepare for prepare our minds and hearts. Welcome the searching work of the Holy Spirit. Depend upon the forgiveness and healing offered through the Lord Jesus. Follow the admonition of the Scriptures to bless rather than curse others. And walk in the way that leads to life (Psalm 1).
With that, we will, I think, be well-prepared for the ongoing season of disaffiliation in 2024.