Moving Toward a More Inclusive and United Methodist Church
Weekly Round-Up
Dear Church,
As we approach the spring, the larger United Methodist Church nears its global gathering of clergy and lay delegates. General Conference will convene April 23-May 3 in Charlotte, North Carolina. Among the many items on the agenda, the United Methodist Church hopefully will amend our current Discipline’s restrictive language about LGBTQ Christians and do so in a way that provides the church in different places, contexts, and cultures the freedom to make missional decisions on their own.
We will discuss this more in the coming weeks so everyone has a chance to learn about the implications and ask questions— though no one at Annandale is a delegate— and keep everyone updated on what they need to know.
One such opportunity is happening tonight:
FLORIS UMC GENERAL CONFERENCE FORUM
Tuesday, February 6, 7 p.m.
Join us in person or watch online.Virginia Conference and other global leaders are gathering at Floris UMC to discuss legislation presented at General Conference 2024. You are invited to hear how these changes might impact the church and our faith communities. These leaders are working to create a new regional structure for the United Methodist Church in the United States and remove harmful language about our LGBTQ+ siblings. Find out more.
Speakers: Bishop Sue Haupert-Johnson, Rev. Dr. Mark Holland, Martha Stokes, Rev. Gina Anderson-Cloud.
Meet Dennis Zulu— Our Ash Wednesday Preacher
Dennis found Annandale UMC last year through our online ministry. Since then, he’s been worshipping with us every Sunday and has been elected to our church council leadership. Here’s a great introduction to his coming to faith in grace:
Online Lenten Study with Rabbi Joseph Edelheit
Mondays at 7:00 during Lent, Rabbi Joseph will join us online to walk through his Old Testament character study, “What Am I Missing?”
Sign up HERE.
Holy Week with Bishop Will Willimon: Last Words and Testament
Will Willimon will be our guest this Holy Week on Thursday and Friday, March 28 and 29, at 7:30. Along with our fine musicians and singers, Will and I will take turns reflecting on Christ’s final words from the Upper Room and the Cross.
Transfiguration
This Sunday, the Epiphany season closes with the Theophany on Mt. Tabor. I recently spoke with my friend Sarah Hinlicky Wilson about her new book, Seven Ways of Looking at the Transfiguration. You can find it here:
Freedom Based on What is True — Rod Rosenbladt
While I only met him once, the theologian Rod Rosenbladt had a large impact on my me, both personally and vocationally, through his work with the White Horse Inn. He died this week. HERE is a very good talk he gave at a Mockingbird Conference.
Enjoy Your Forgiveness,
Reverend Jason