I have been following pretty closely the events of General Conference that began on Saturday and ended yesterday (Tuesday).  If you have had any interest in the outcome of the GC, no doubt you have been hearing or reading news reports, articles, Facebook posts, and the like trying to discern what is next for us.  The basic result of the General Conference is that our current language in the Book of Discipline (our United Methodist law book) regarding the statements about sexuality is unchanged.  That language basically states that while we consider homosexual people to be individuals of sacred worth, they are not to be ordained as pastors or deacons; in addition, pastors are not allowed to preside over same-sex marriages and churches are not allowed to permit same-sex marriages from being performed in their buildings.  There are a few things I wanted to share as I reflect on all of this.

First, let me say this: despite the reaffirmation of our current language, there are no winners here.  In fact, the decisions of General Conference should never be looked at in terms of winners or losers.  It’s a place where United Methodists from all over the globe come together to discuss and debate about the various issues confronting our United Methodist Church.  All of them are faithfully trying to discern where God is leading the United Methodist Church.  The fact that there is sharp disagreement regarding the area of human sexuality does not change this.

Second, there are many people who are hurting as a result of the General Conference’s decision.  Whether you agree or not, many homosexuals and their allies in the United Methodist Church see this decision as one that causes pain and hate.  That was clear from watching Tuesday’s discussions as emotions became really raw along several points of the debate.  As Christians, we are called to model Christ’s selfless love to all people; Jesus calls us to love our neighbor as we love ourselves (Matthew 22:39).  There is no greater a need for that than now.

Third, our focus forward must be on our calling-both as individuals and as the local church.  In my sermon series entitled “Your Calling” which will wrap up Sunday, we have been talking about how we are called to be holy, to rest, to follow, to be peacemakers, to forgive & receive forgiveness, and to be connected to Christ.  Above all else, we are called to make disciples and that needs to start outside the walls of the church.  We exist in a climate where the church does not have the same moral authority in our culture it once enjoyed 20 or more years ago.  We can no longer expect people to show up from outside when we open our doors; we have to go to them and meet them where they are-just as Jesus did.  As we do that, we are called to be a witness to the life-changing love and grace of Christ to everyone we meet. 

Ultimately, whatever happens at a General Conference should never take our focus away from our task at hand: to proclaim Christ as our Lord and Savior and to tell & show others how his presence in our lives has changed us.  This Sunday is Transfiguration Sunday; it reminds us of that pivotal moment in the Gospel story when Jesus is seen in the fulness of his glory by Peter, James & John.  From this point forward in the Gospel story, Jesus is heading toward Jerusalem ready to face suffering and death at the hands of the religious leaders.  For the disciples, this journey is the great unknown; for Jesus, it is his purpose here on earth.  As we head into the unknown future of the United Methodist Church, may we take to heart that God is in control and may we head the words that came out of the cloud on the mountaintop “This is My Son, My Chosen One; listen to Him!” (Luke 9:35b)