Dear friends, the 2012 General Conference of The United Methodist Church is over. We have journeyed spiritually for 50 days. The need for prayer though, continues. Regardless of what actions we took or did not take, God was present, and the task is ever the same, make disciples of Jesus Christ for the transformation of the world. I can think of no better, nor difficult thing, but God is with us, and it can, and must be done. It begins with you and me. Are we complete and committed disciples of Jesus? Have we surrendered ourselves wholly and holy, to the One who brought us fullness of life? Are we so disposed to serve Him that we will go anywhere and do whatever it takes to share Christ's love?
We can do it! Again I say, God is with us.
I thank you for your prayers during the past fifty days. I invite prayers for the July Jurisdictional conferences and their business before them.
Blessings upon blessings for you!
Eradio Valverde
Saturday, May 5, 2012
Friday, May 4, 2012
Goodbye, Farewell, Hasta La Vista
Read Mark 16:19-20: 19 So then the Lord Jesus, after he had spoken to them, was taken up into heaven and sat down at the right hand of God. 20 And they went out and proclaimed the good news everywhere, while the Lord worked with them and confirmed the message by the signs that accompanied it
Today's the last day of General Conference 2012. It is a day of good-byes, farewells, and hasta la vistas. Many are the new friends and acquaintances that we have made in the last ten days. Last night I thought this has been a very long conference bur reminded myself that this was a shorter GC than in years past; last time someone made a motion to reduce the number of days we spend together to save money and try to be more efficient. For the last three days a pie chart has been provided showing how much of the "pie" we have "eaten," the un-eaten parts being the petitions not yet dealt with, and we're sadly very behind. Our adjournment time for today is 5:30 p.m. and we will have lots to do and some petitions may just die because we did not have time to deal with them.
Today's passage is about Jesus saying goodbye to His disciples. Mark does not record those words Jesus spoke to them, but they saw Him ascend to heaven and went to sit at the right hand of God. But they did something about that farewell for verse 20 says, "And they went out and proclaimed the good news everywhere, while the Lord worked with them and confirmed the message by the signs that accompanied it." That is, Jesus' work continued even when the visible Christ could not be seen; yet in their willingness to serve and share the Good News, they could "see" that Jesus was with them in the "signs" that went with that work.
Changed have been made to our structure and the hope is that we are not streamlined enough to "Make disciples to transform the world." I believe we can if we take Jesus with us and proclaim like we have not yet done, the great things Christ has, is, and will do in our midst. We have to evangelize in ways that show the pre-Christians the power of God's love. We begin by being the Church of Prayer that we once were. Our lives should reflect a connectedness to God and our acts of mercy and outreach in our churches show that indeed we are willing and able to be God's hands and feet here in the world.
PRAYER: Loving God, as we say goodbye to sister and brother delegates, may we know we are united in Your love; may our days after this time together bring fruit to Your Reign here on the earth. Bring us new power, new compassion, new love and may we truly reach the world as we make new Disciples to Transform the World. We cannot do it alone, we are too weak, but we depend on You. In Christ Jesus we pray, amen.
Today's the last day of General Conference 2012. It is a day of good-byes, farewells, and hasta la vistas. Many are the new friends and acquaintances that we have made in the last ten days. Last night I thought this has been a very long conference bur reminded myself that this was a shorter GC than in years past; last time someone made a motion to reduce the number of days we spend together to save money and try to be more efficient. For the last three days a pie chart has been provided showing how much of the "pie" we have "eaten," the un-eaten parts being the petitions not yet dealt with, and we're sadly very behind. Our adjournment time for today is 5:30 p.m. and we will have lots to do and some petitions may just die because we did not have time to deal with them.
Today's passage is about Jesus saying goodbye to His disciples. Mark does not record those words Jesus spoke to them, but they saw Him ascend to heaven and went to sit at the right hand of God. But they did something about that farewell for verse 20 says, "And they went out and proclaimed the good news everywhere, while the Lord worked with them and confirmed the message by the signs that accompanied it." That is, Jesus' work continued even when the visible Christ could not be seen; yet in their willingness to serve and share the Good News, they could "see" that Jesus was with them in the "signs" that went with that work.
Changed have been made to our structure and the hope is that we are not streamlined enough to "Make disciples to transform the world." I believe we can if we take Jesus with us and proclaim like we have not yet done, the great things Christ has, is, and will do in our midst. We have to evangelize in ways that show the pre-Christians the power of God's love. We begin by being the Church of Prayer that we once were. Our lives should reflect a connectedness to God and our acts of mercy and outreach in our churches show that indeed we are willing and able to be God's hands and feet here in the world.
PRAYER: Loving God, as we say goodbye to sister and brother delegates, may we know we are united in Your love; may our days after this time together bring fruit to Your Reign here on the earth. Bring us new power, new compassion, new love and may we truly reach the world as we make new Disciples to Transform the World. We cannot do it alone, we are too weak, but we depend on You. In Christ Jesus we pray, amen.
Thursday, May 3, 2012
Loving Enough to Share?
Read John 21:1-10, 12a, 15. Key Verse: When they had finished breakfast, Jesus said to Simon Peter, "Simon son of John, do you love me more than these?" He said to him, "Yes, Lord; you know that I love you." Jesus said to him, "Feed my lambs." (v. 15)
The time flew quickly by. Before we even married, Nellie and I knew we wanted children and God blessed us with four, wonderful daughters. We took them everywhere and enjoyed their company. The day when we would be empty-nesters was soon coming, and they asked how we would manage alone. We appreciated their question and our answer was that we had enjoyed each other's company which led to our marriage and the first two years we spent them with each other and we had had lots of fun and once they joined us, we continued our fun, and now that they would leave we would still have fun.
More seriously, the day will come when we might have to be cared for in the way we cared for them. Not that we're expecting that but it does happen in some families where the care-receiver is called on to be the care-provider. Such was the case in Peter's life as a disciple. Peter had been fed for three years by the ministry of Jesus. He saw the wonders of eating with people who had Jesus not done the miracle, might not have had lunch that day. Peter, the behind-the-scenes man, knew it had been a miracle of unexplainable proportions, all from five loaves and two fish. Now, besides the Sea of Tiberias, Jesus witnessed a miracle catch and eats with the Risen Christ. Then, Peter gets asks the question above, "Do you love me enough to feed my lambs?"
The Church in the same way as she is fed, must become the feeder. As the Church receives, so must she share. The message that works best in reaching the unchurched is the one shared in love and honesty, the "Listen to what God can do as God has done this in my life!"
Do we love Jesus enough to feed His lambs?
PRAYER: Loving Provider of all things, as we, the Church, receive, so let us share. Let us be all about giving and sharing as You has given and shared with us. We pray in the name of Jesus our Lord, amen.
The time flew quickly by. Before we even married, Nellie and I knew we wanted children and God blessed us with four, wonderful daughters. We took them everywhere and enjoyed their company. The day when we would be empty-nesters was soon coming, and they asked how we would manage alone. We appreciated their question and our answer was that we had enjoyed each other's company which led to our marriage and the first two years we spent them with each other and we had had lots of fun and once they joined us, we continued our fun, and now that they would leave we would still have fun.
More seriously, the day will come when we might have to be cared for in the way we cared for them. Not that we're expecting that but it does happen in some families where the care-receiver is called on to be the care-provider. Such was the case in Peter's life as a disciple. Peter had been fed for three years by the ministry of Jesus. He saw the wonders of eating with people who had Jesus not done the miracle, might not have had lunch that day. Peter, the behind-the-scenes man, knew it had been a miracle of unexplainable proportions, all from five loaves and two fish. Now, besides the Sea of Tiberias, Jesus witnessed a miracle catch and eats with the Risen Christ. Then, Peter gets asks the question above, "Do you love me enough to feed my lambs?"
The Church in the same way as she is fed, must become the feeder. As the Church receives, so must she share. The message that works best in reaching the unchurched is the one shared in love and honesty, the "Listen to what God can do as God has done this in my life!"
Do we love Jesus enough to feed His lambs?
PRAYER: Loving Provider of all things, as we, the Church, receive, so let us share. Let us be all about giving and sharing as You has given and shared with us. We pray in the name of Jesus our Lord, amen.
Wednesday, May 2, 2012
FINDING LIFE INSTEAD OF DEATH
Read Mark 14:26-28; When they had sung the hymn, they went out to the Mount of Olives. 27 And Jesus said to them, "You will all become deserters; for it is written, "I will strike the shepherd, and the sheep will be scattered.' 28 But after I am raised up, I will go before you to Galilee." 16:1-7 1 When the sabbath was over, Mary Magdalene, and Mary the mother of James, and Salome bought spices, so that they might go and anoint him. 2 And very early on the first day of the week, when the sun had risen, they went to the tomb. 3 They had been saying to one another, "Who will roll away the stone for us from the entrance to the tomb?" 4 When they looked up, they saw that the stone, which was very large, had already been rolled back. 5 As they entered the tomb, they saw a young man, dressed in a white robe, sitting on the right side; and they were alarmed. 6 But he said to them, "Do not be alarmed; you are looking for Jesus of Nazareth, who was crucified. He has been raised; he is not here. Look, there is the place they laid him. 7 But go, tell his disciples and Peter that he is going ahead of you to Galilee; there you will see him, just as he told you." (NRSV).
God works in this way: You sometimes find life where you expect to find death. In my dad's case, as his grandmother lay dying in a hospital, the nurse who was assigned to her turned out to later become his wife, my mother. And in the case of the three women in this passage, they expected to fulfill a necessary but sad job, but instead found an empty tomb. Life where there should have been death. So it is with our churches and ministries; where people may write off a ministry or a church, God can surprise them with an unexpected gift of life. And I truly believe that is what is going to happen with the churches of The United Methodist Church here in the United States. Early in my ministry I heard a layperson proclaim what I have since repeated many times, "God has the last word." God indeed, does have the last word. Have you invited God to come in your midst and surprise you?
PRAYER: Loving God, may the last word be Yours and may it be a word of life. Our critics and even our followers sometimes think that there is nothing left but death, yet You surprise and astound by showing us life. May it be so in our churches and ministries. In Christ Jesus we pray, amen.
God works in this way: You sometimes find life where you expect to find death. In my dad's case, as his grandmother lay dying in a hospital, the nurse who was assigned to her turned out to later become his wife, my mother. And in the case of the three women in this passage, they expected to fulfill a necessary but sad job, but instead found an empty tomb. Life where there should have been death. So it is with our churches and ministries; where people may write off a ministry or a church, God can surprise them with an unexpected gift of life. And I truly believe that is what is going to happen with the churches of The United Methodist Church here in the United States. Early in my ministry I heard a layperson proclaim what I have since repeated many times, "God has the last word." God indeed, does have the last word. Have you invited God to come in your midst and surprise you?
PRAYER: Loving God, may the last word be Yours and may it be a word of life. Our critics and even our followers sometimes think that there is nothing left but death, yet You surprise and astound by showing us life. May it be so in our churches and ministries. In Christ Jesus we pray, amen.
Tuesday, May 1, 2012
Take Heart, Be Not Afraid
Read Mark 6:48-51.
There is no limit to what God can do through Jesus. Many times we will be astounded. Many times we will not even ask and God will do something beyond our belief and our explanation. And sometimes after that astounding thing, we will fail to recognize it was Jesus in our midst. Sadly, most of the time we will not ask.
In this passage, the disciples did not ask yet they were saved from what they thought would be, at best, a rough night of rowing. At worse, they feared for their lives, but here comes Jesus doing something unexplainable, walking on water. Their best human explanation is that they were seeing a ghost, but it was Jesus, who climbed into the boat with them and the water calmed.
Our General Conference is in full session; for some it is going just as they wanted, for others it is not. Some believe they know where solutions lie, others do not or think answers lie elsewhere. Some think to change our structure will be the answer, others think it is a spiritual problem with a spiritual answer. The question remains, have we asked Jesus into the boat? Have we "take(n) heart" and not feared what is before us?
PRAYER: Loving God, the ship in which we find ourselves is Yours. Help us to recognize that and to move towards You. Above all help us to confide and trust in You and not be afraid. We ask this in Christ Jesus' precious and powerful name, amen.
There is no limit to what God can do through Jesus. Many times we will be astounded. Many times we will not even ask and God will do something beyond our belief and our explanation. And sometimes after that astounding thing, we will fail to recognize it was Jesus in our midst. Sadly, most of the time we will not ask.
In this passage, the disciples did not ask yet they were saved from what they thought would be, at best, a rough night of rowing. At worse, they feared for their lives, but here comes Jesus doing something unexplainable, walking on water. Their best human explanation is that they were seeing a ghost, but it was Jesus, who climbed into the boat with them and the water calmed.
Our General Conference is in full session; for some it is going just as they wanted, for others it is not. Some believe they know where solutions lie, others do not or think answers lie elsewhere. Some think to change our structure will be the answer, others think it is a spiritual problem with a spiritual answer. The question remains, have we asked Jesus into the boat? Have we "take(n) heart" and not feared what is before us?
PRAYER: Loving God, the ship in which we find ourselves is Yours. Help us to recognize that and to move towards You. Above all help us to confide and trust in You and not be afraid. We ask this in Christ Jesus' precious and powerful name, amen.
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