"Much Comforted and Strengthened Thereby"

May 30, 2012

Dear St. Paul’s Family,

On March 3, 1785, John Wesley wrote a brief essay titled “Thoughts Upon Some Late Occurrences,” which included reflections on the first time he gathered clergy together for what would become an annual time of conferencing:

"In June 1744, I desired my brother and a few other clergymen to meet me in London, to consider how we should proceed to save our own souls and those who heard us. After some time, I invited the lay preachers that were in the house to meet with us. We conferred together for several days and were much comforted and strengthened thereby."

For many years, Wesley invited only a small group of clergy and lay preachers to this annual meeting, hand selecting a mere ten or twelve to gather with him and his brother Charles.  He did not want the traveling expenses to be too burdensome on the hundreds of preachers that could have attended.  Nor did he want those congregations to be without a preacher during the time that the conference met.  But over time, Wesley realized that the long-term viability of the Methodist movement depended on all of the preachers coming together for a time of holy conferencing, to conduct the important work of maintaining “doctrine, experience, right conduct, and discipline as essential to the permanency of Methodism.”  [1]

286 years later, United Methodist clergy and lay delegates still gather every year for those same purposes, along with celebrating ministries, worshipping together, establishing leadership teams, approving budgets, and deciding missional and strategic goals for the work of the church.  The core purpose of the annual conference gathering, however, is still the same as it was for John Wesley and the first delegates:  to be “much comforted and strengthened thereby.”

Over the next two weeks, I will be reconnecting with old friends and establishing new relationships at both the Iowa and Florida Annual Conferences.  In and among the regular business of the Conference, we will sharing with each other our own reflections on the prior year of ministry.  At times, those stories will be ones of joy and achievement:  fruitful ministry, transformed lives, and personal growth.  Yet there are also stories of private and professional pain:  church conflict, troubled economies, pronounced fatigue, and spiritual weariness.

It is fair to assume that given the events of this past year in my life and ministry, I am looking toward these conferences to be a source of much “comfort and strength” for myself.  So, as I do every year at this time, I want to offer a prayer that you might use as a guide for remembering me and all the clergy of the United Methodist Church over the upcoming year.

 

A PRAYER OF COMFORT AND STRENGTH FOR PASTORS

Gracious God,

We thank you for the many women and men who serve as ministers in your church. You have composed a rich and diverse covenantal communion, whose pastors display a wide range of skills and passions, from all walks and seasons of life.  We remember that theirs is a holy calling, for the work of challenging, nurturing and ordering the life of your people.  We thank you for fostering this calling with moments of joyful fulfillment: of seeing lives transformed and hearts shed abroad with your love; of participating in the building of your kingdom throughout the world; and of serving as agents of forgiveness, reconciliation, and grace.  These are gifts of encouragement for which we are grateful.

Yet, we acknowledge that the journey is often difficult for those who pursue your call. We pray for those who are dealing with physical, emotional, relational, or financial difficulties.  Grant them fortitude to overcome these hardships, and surround them with loved ones who can offer wisdom, guidance, and support during their darkest days.

We pray for those struggling to balance the demands of leadership with their responsibilities to family and self-care.  Renew their commitment to health and wholeness, and grant them a discerning ability to prioritize those areas of life that nourish their souls and tend to their relationships.

We pray for pastors who are lonely.  For those who are separated geographically from close friends and colleagues, or who serve in communities where pastoral boundaries preclude close friendships with those whom they serve, we pray for a resurgence of companionship.

We pray for pastors whose current spiritual state is likened to a dry, parched wilderness. We pray for those whose difficult years in ministry have sapped them of delight, robbed them of joyful vitality, and drained them of divine creativity and imagination.  Strip away the layers of painful memories and disheartening trends that now muffle the clarity of your Spirit’s work in and through them.  Restore their commitments to the spiritual disciplines of prayer, Bible reading, ministry to the needy, fasting, tithing, meditation, and study.  Teach them to flex these long atrophied muscles, that they may expand their capacity to serve over the long haul.  Restore their energies, fill their work with humor and laughter, and help them rediscover what first drew them to the ministry.

Reinvigorate pastors with a passion for the Scriptures. Open their eyes to new interpretive possibilities, and fill them with new zeal for its preaching, its teaching, and its embodiment. Introduce them once more to the sacred task of being wordsmiths of the Word, and may they again be awed and enamored by the beauty and power of language.

We pray for pastors struggling with congregations mired in conflict, who must mediate between people caught in sharp disagreements and taxing arguments. Grant your spirit of peace, and empower a commitment to reason and compromise.

We pray for the Bishop and the Cabinet, and for the weighty demands they bear in making and setting pastoral appointments. We pray for your guiding spirit in every stage of the process, and for all parties involved - - departing and arriving pastors, sending and receiving churches, and all spouses and families impacted - - that your Kingdom will be built by the best people serving in the right places.

We pray for the emergence of new people into the ministry. May each local church claim the responsibility of seeking, cultivating, and calling people into this sacred task, and we even pray for an influx of younger pastors to lead the church for generations to come.

We give you thanks, O Lord, for all you have done through the faithfulness of your people throughout the years.  May we continue to serve as the living expression of your love, put into action for the world to see.  May all of us, clergy and laity alike, be led by the one whom you sent for our sake, Jesus the Christ, who is the head of the church, and in whose name we pray,

Amen.

The Rev. Magrey R. deVega
St. Paul's United Methodist Church
531 W. Main St.
Cherokee, IA  51012
Ph:  712-225-3955
Email:  mdevega@sp-umc.org

[1] from the 1903 biography John Wesley the Methodist, pseudonymously written by “A Methodist Preacher.”



WORSHIP THIS SUNDAY
This Sunday we will be observing Trinity Sunday, the only holy day of the Christian liturgical year named after a doctrine of the church, rather than an event in the gospel.  Join us as we rediscover what it means to live a holy life based on the calling of the prophet Isaiah.  We will also be observing the sacrament of Holy Communion.

MID-WEEK MESSAGES
Over the next two weeks, I will be attending both the Iowa and Florida Annual Conferences, attending a meeting with the United Methodist Publishing House in Nashville, and traveling with the girls to visit family in Florida.  As a result, I will be taking a break from writing the Mid-Week Message until the week of June 18.  Past copies of The Mid-Week Message are available at mdevega.blogspot.com.

FIRE RECOVERY UPDATE
Sanctuary – The painters have now completed their work, including the removal of pew cushions for replacement of the fabric.  Members of the Building Committee are now in the process of selecting upholstery fabric and carpet.

Kitchen and Dining Hall – The architects and engineers will be meeting with the Building Committee on Wednesday, June 6, to discuss the latest plans for renovation.

Basement Level – Grundman Hicks began replacing the inoperable alley exit door, as well as installing the new sink and countertop. Robinson’s Furniture and Flooring dropped off new temporary carpet for Vacation Bible School, and Rod Brown will be finishing painting the walls.