I'm Unpacking for General Conference

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I love my twice-weekly water aerobics class at a local Dallas fitness center. The mid-morning class draws mostly senior folks like me who find they can exercise vigorously more often with the help of a pool's buoyancy.

One of my classmates happens to be a United Methodist friend I've known for many years. This week she asked if I were packed to go to St. Louis for the special called General Conference. "Oh, no," I replied. "I'm just starting to gather things together."

The day after this conversation, as I was gathering some of the last commentaries before the big event, it dawned on me that maybe I wasn't packing for General Conference at all. Instead, I've started UN-packing. Here's what I mean:

As a certified spiritual director, I teach my directees that the purpose of prayer isn't solely intercession, i.e., asking God to bring about the things we want for ourselves and others. Instead, prayer can, and perhaps should, more often provide us with a time to sit quietly with God to enjoy one another's company. I get some incredulous looks I get when I suggest this form of praying.

In order to engage fully with God in prayer, however, it's necessary to let go of thoughts and emotions that block our awareness of God's constant presence. Because the coming General Conference will be so fraught with emotion and politics, and thus so challenging to body, mind and spirit, I've decided to unpack those things that will keep me from sensing God present and at work in St. Louis.

My unpacking list begins thus:

I'm leaving behind any notion that one "Way Forward" plan is inherently better than another for United Methodism's future. All five "unity" proposals are flawed in some way for some segment of the church. All five proposals have benefits that commend them. While I prefer and promote full inclusion, my faith compels me to have compassion for those whose values matrix places a high priority on the "purity" aspects of our tradition. I'm going to let General Conference delegates sort things out; that's their job.

I'm leaving behind my antipathy towards those who have attacked me and others as heretics, devils, demons, or other beings of evil intent because of our theologies, philosophies or blog posts. After all, Jesus had all manner of falsehoods said about him, and he predicted the same would be said of his disciples. I know that I have sinned in this way as well, and it pains me deeply. I need to remember that and act humbly.

I'm leaving behind the idea that my understanding of Jesus's teachings is full and accurate. I may believe my interpretation of the gospel is correct (and I do), but that doesn't mean my idea offers a complete revelation of God's will, nor is it likely to be without gaps or flaws. To quote that great theologian, Charlie Brown's dog Snoopy, it has occurred to me that I could be wrong.

I'm leaving behind the fear that this General Conference could be the death of The United Methodist Church. Whether it stays in its current structure or is refashioned into something new, the church belongs to God and God will see to its well-being, whatever its human form.

So what am I packing for St. Louis?

I'm packing my observational skills. If scriptural wisdom is correct, and I believe it is, then we'll know people by their fruits – how they speak of one another during debate, what proposals they put forth, how much time they spend in prayer before making decisions.

I'm packing my ability to translate esoteric church terms and concepts so that all United Methodists can understand them. I've built my life's work on the idea the people have the right to know everything about their social and political institutions, including the church. As Dr. Robert A. Hunt wrote this week, knowledge that isn't tested in public, that doesn't engage the public, is virtually worthless.

I'm packing my technical knowledge, limited though it may be compared to others'. There's no escaping the digital age in which we live; this publication was founded using social media and its communication principles. I'll do my best to use this technique with care.

I'm packing my digital copies of the Advanced Daily Christian Advocate, the journal of General Conference; the Book of Discipline; and my Bible. Fortunately, I can enlarge the text of all of these on my tablet and laptop so my aged, debilitated eyes can read them!

Most of all, I'm packing my hope that General Conference delegates truly will be open to the movement of God's Holy Spirit in this enterprise.

This will be my ninth General Conference. With the exception of the 1992 General Conference, when a floor motion gave rise to the idea of churches as "shalom zones" in the wake of the Rodney King riots, I can't recall many instances in which spiritual inspiration overcame parliamentary process. Surely it's naive to think such might happen at this special General Conference, yet it's a mark of our Christian faith to believe that all things – including unity with diversity in The United Methodist Church – are possible for God.

One last item: I'm packing my bathing suit. Our hotel has an indoor pool, and I plan to make good stress-busting use of it!

Cynthia B. Astle has been a professional journalist for 46 years, specializing in coverage of The United Methodist Church for the past 31 years. She serves as Editor of United Methodist Insight, which she founded in 2011.