Confluence Page 11
While the real General Conference ended weeks ago, the Pragmatic Four have a few pages left of story to tell. Annual Conference season is now upon the people called United Methodist, which means people will gather to process what we’ve passed, and to potentially ratify the regionalization of the denomination. Already, some churches have made statements that though the denomination has removed harmful language against LGBTQ inclusion, they will use this liberty to continue to forbid same-sex marriages in their buildings. That is now their prerogative, and, in my estimation, a painful but necessary step towards liberty for all. After all, forcing a belief on someone who is not ready to hold that belief lovingly will only foster resentment and eventually hatred.
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So in today’s comic, we are simply celebrating two accomplishments of General Conference: full communion with the Moravians and Episcopalians, and the allowance for Deacons to officiate over the sacraments.
Some easter eggs for you:
Count Zinzendorf is disguised as your favorite German teleporting X-Man, Nighcrawler. Queen Elizabeth I is just herself, repping those loverly Episcopalians.
The church’s first martyr, Stephen the Deacon, is featured with three stones symbolizing his martyrdom, as he blesses the distribution of sacramental authority to the deacons today.
If you don’t know the history of Holy Communion, the words “hocus pocus” came from parishioners misunderstanding the latin blessing and believing it was a sort of magic incantation turning the bread into the real Jesus….and the “epiclesis” is the blessing previously reserved for only elders and licensed local pastors in our denomination.