What a circus we've been witnessing here in New York in the past couple of weeks. More specifically, our State Senators have been putting on a show demonstrating what, I am not sure. Who is the leader here? Do we know what party is in the majority? The judiciary has wiped its hands of the situation saying, ‘Senate, work it out.' No one is listening to the Governor. One senator is now claiming he has two votes making the new majority party possible. Similar to the First Samuel scripture reading, it seems like there is no future with one Senate leader; we're in an in-between time with Senate leadership and Senate control. I'm not so sure that it is between the old and the new as I have titled this sermon. Rather it seems for our state Senate more like in between times leading to more of the same tricks.
Our reading from I Samuel does suggest an in between time. I offer just a little background information to help put these events we heard about into perspective, so you know the set up to the situation just read this morning. Samuel, as a boy, ministered to the Lord under Eli. Samuel was called by God and became a respected prophet of the Lord for all of Israel . As Samuel became old and he retired, to continue the order in Israel , he made his sons judges over Israel . This was the time of the judges and their leadership. But it soon became evident that Israel wanted to become like other nations and have a king. God revealed to Samuel that Saul of Benjamin, an unlikely choice since he was from the smallest tribe of Israel , would lead Israel as king; he would maintain the unity of Israel and save the people from outside invaders and marauders. Saul was successful as Israel 's first king but with time and through various experiences, God became dissatisfied with Saul's leadership. Saul wasn't willing to execute actions that God was offering as the way to go. So God has the retired Samuel inform Saul that his, Saul's, kingdom would no longer continue. In other words, God wants Saul to move from the leadership position. Meanwhile, Jesse of Judah, has eight sons. The youngest and least likely to succeed son, David, is actually banished from the family's inner circle. He instead is out, separated from the family given to tending sheep.
That's where we find Samuel as our reading for today opens. Yahweh, God, the Lord is looking for another leader who will carry out his will. Saul is grieving the loss of Saul's leadership. God speaks to Samuel encouraging him to get on with the task! Find the new leader! Mind you, Saul is still the king and Samuel now is looking for another person to be anointed for kingship. By the end of our reading for this morning, Samuel does find the one to replace Saul. Mind you, Saul is still the king of Israel and David now is anointed to be king! And once again, similar to when Saul was chosen as the anointed one, the least likely, is called by God, is anointed to be king. And for right now, with Saul still in power and David anointed to have that power, this is a time between the old and the new! David is ready and waiting as Saul remains in office.
The expectation of new, young leadership, however, renews possibilities for Israel to go into the future.
In one description of this reading, it is called the bridge story: a time when we know something new is needed, the preparations have been made and God is on the brink of starting something new.
I just returned from several days of the Troy Annual Conference meeting last week in Saratoga Springs . This was our last full Annual Conference meeting as Troy Annual Conference. It wasn't until Saturday morning, the last day of the meeting, the reading of New Appointments where pastors are formally assigned by our Bishop to new churches and the gathered were about to go into the Worship Service where new pastors are ordained into that service to God that it began to sink in: this is the last full meeting of Troy Annual Conference.
The Troy Annual Conference is disbanding, will no longer exist, in order to become something new. The Vermont portion of the present Troy Conference is joining with New England Conference; the New York State portion is joining with Western New York, North Central New York, and the New York portion of Wyoming Conferences to form something new. We do not know yet what the name of the Conference will be; you can send in suggestions. We do not know yet most of the details of what form the conference will take. We do know that a shortened final meeting of Troy Annual Conference will take place next May in order to do some final actions and the first meeting of the new conference will be in September of 2010. We do know that the newly created Conference will not impact local churches except to offer renewed ways of being in ministry to our present world.
We are in an in between time; we are living a bridge story. We do know who our Bishop will be: Bishop Marcus Matthews who is presently serving Western New York and North Central New York.
Similar to Samuel in our scripture reading, we are seeking discernment in how God is leading us forward in this. Samuel was reminded that leadership is not always obvious when you look at a person or you consider outward accomplishments. Similarly, the directions and form the new Conference will take is not fully obvious. We are not looking to repeat what is not working. We are looking to be a new creation because we are changed by God's love, from the inside out.
Representatives from our four conferences of Western New York, North Central New York, Wyoming and Troy have been meeting the last several years and calling various groups of ministries within each conference together in order to discern where and how God is calling us forward in time together. Scriptures are a guiding piece to the work at hand. In particular, we are looking to be the Church again – in the fullest sense of the word. We are not looking to go back to the fifties but seeking to see where and how God calls us to be in ministry in this century. The Troy Conference is looking for folks around the Conference to consider various aspects of how the new conference will act and be. Talk to me if you're curious or interested.
The Book of Acts, the story of the beginning and the growth and the spread of the church is our guide. On July, the 24 and 25 th , there will be a retreat on Living Acts. We will gather to see what it is like to live as those described in the Acts - as individuals and a small group; we will pray, sing, read scripture, share in common, and see where God leads us. The retreat will be held on Lake Oswego in the Finger Lakes Region. I am going. If anyone else is interested, talk to me. This is not to commit anyone to anything more than the retreat to live and be fed as those in the early church were. Let's find out together what living Acts is all about. It may inform us; it may change us; it might change the church. We are in an in between time and we're learning about how we can be the church of tomorrow.
In tandem with using scripture, the General United Methodist Church is using Troy Conference as a pilot study for its new initiative on Rethink Church . The whole focus is to live Open Doors, Open Hearts, Open Minds. You know that phrase? But there is a little change that makes a big difference. It's about ‘open' being a verb and not an adjective. We open doors, open minds, open hearts. Do you hear the difference? For us the question is: How do we do that? How do we open doors, open minds, open hearts? It's about this body here – us - being a place where many doors lead into ministries. Church isn't a place but it's ministries. How do we get from where we are thinking and believing faith is a set of ideas of what believe to faith being something we live out through our lives?
Yes, similar to Israel 's change in leadership from Saul to David, this is an in between time for our Troy Conference and for the church.
More immediately, it's an in between time for our church here in Delmar. We are about to have our Annual Church Conference where annual reports will be received. Among those reports will be a looking into the future with the Nominations and Leadership Development Team Report. We will be endorsing and electing new leaders in our midst. One exciting piece is to know that we have a new group of folks who are eager to go forward as our Education Team. That team will be considering and guiding the overall Christian Education opportunities here from youngster to adult. In addition, it is exciting to know that the Administrative Council has approved the recommendation to increase the second Associate Pastor from a ? to ? time position. We are considering this position to be one where ministry development happens. That's where the rubber hits the road. This person, we hope, will be connecting with folks, you, those who are new members, to help you be in meaningful ministry to a hurting world needing the love of God. That is one way we can open doors, open minds and open hearts.
All of what I have been mentioning impacts us sitting here in a tangential or direct way. We are in an in between time, just as Samuel prepared Israel for the newly anointed David while Saul remained king. We are in an in between time considering, discerning with the help of God and scripture, how we go forward into the future while being relevant to the lives of you who sit in these pews and those who are not in our midst. We hunger after a love that is greater than ourselves. We are looking to be changed. May God touch us and anoint us to be in ministry for Christ's sake.
