since I'm counting...

Yesterday it was a post about babies. I made it clear that it wasn't an announcement from us of any kind. Just an observation. So today I'll talk about another observation I've made recently.

General Conference is currently underway for the United Methodist Church. It is taking place in Tampa, Florida. This is where delegates from all over the world gather and update our Book of Discipline (and something else which has temporarily slipped my mind). The GC occurs every four years. 

There is a lot to be discussed at these conferences, but I'm not going to get into all of that. If you want to read more please check out greg's blog or Laurie's blog (specifically what Laurie wrote on Friday, April 27).


So there are two people who I know personally who are following GC. Laurie is actually there, representing our West Michigan Conference.


I have another friend who's there, Taylor. I have known Taylor since we met at the District Youth events back in, what 1994...? Oh geez, that's almost twenty years. I'm going into denial. I am not that old.


I digress. Taylor is there with her beautiful baby, Evelyn who is around six months old. I don't know if Taylor is a delegate. I do know that she and her father have always been passionately involved in missions around the world, but more specifically Africa. Up until she had Evelyn (a few months before) she was in Africa, preaching and being a missionary. It's probably a lot more technical than that, but I think that's a simple way to explain it. She is an amazing woman and I knew from the moment I met her that she would wind up (in a good way) serving God in this way.


Okay, so that's three people (not counting the baby because I haven't met her and because I don't think she really knows what's going on...) I know who are actively participating and focusing on GC. Add our pastors and that brings us to five. Add in another friend, Adriane, whom I have known for twenty years and that brings us to six.


Those are just the people who I've heard comment directly about GC. This is not including all the other pastors I know who are probably listening and following along. 


If you are at all religious, or a United Methodist, please join our prayers. It is my deepest hope that we can join Christ by learning to love everyone. It's not about who's right or wrong, it's not about changing laws. To me, it is more about opening our hearts, and using our words to be loving, not discriminating. So if not now, I hope and pray that it changes, soon.