A TIME OF PRAYERFUL TRANSITION
It was around 5:00 this morning, while checking the news on my phone during a fit of insomnia that I found out about the completely unexpected news of Pope Benedict XVI's coming resignation from the papacy.
Although not a Roman Catholic, I have had a tremendous amount of respect for His Holiness, for since the days of his leadership of the College of Cardinals through the Papal Conclave that led to his election, he has struck me as a very sincere man. When I have read some of his writings, or seen how he has done the best he knew how to lead the world's 1,000,000,000+ Catholics, I have always come away with the sense that he is a man of deep faith who relies on the grace of God through Christ to sustain what is probably the most logistically difficult job any human being could have.
In his resignation announcement to the cardinals he was with this morning, this same sense of humility and purpose came through, as he admitted that he no longer sensed he could do the job in a way that would be proper for the church. I could feel his pastoral care and concern in this very carefully crafted words that he knew would push all other news around the world off of page one, and I was immediately led to pray for him, for the clergy who will be gathering next month in Rome to elect his successor, and for our Roman Catholic brothers and sisters around the world who woke up to this most unexpected announcement from their spiritual guide.
What's it matter to a United Methodist in Madisonville, LA, what the leader of the Roman Catholic church does? Well, it gets to the heart of our calling as Christ's presence in the world:
As brothers and sisters in Christ, we should be in an attitude of prayer for Pope Benedict XVI and his successor, whoever they may be, as they lead so much of the world in their walk with Christ;
As ones who live in an area that has such a heavy Roman Catholic influence, we are called to pray for our family, friends, and neighbors as they go through this time of transition, that God may work in whatever way needed to see Divine will fulfilled; and,
These events remind us of the need to be in prayer for the church universal and its leaders. Within our own United Methodist Church, as your pastors, Kathy and I covet your prayers for God's guidance and wisdom as we seek to fulfill God's will in this shared season of life; Rev. Hadley Edwards (our District Superintendent) and the other members of the cabinet likewise covet your prayers as they seek God's wisdom in leading the connectional ministry of our conference; and Bishop Cynthia Fierro Harvey (Louisiana) and all other United Methodist Bishops covet your prayers as they seek to order the life of our shared ministry.
You will be hearing a great deal about the papal transition for quite a while; may we covenant to be in prayer for all involved as part of our shared ministry through Christ.
Enjoy Mardi Gras, and I look forward to being with you Wednesday as we start what will, as you have already heard, a most unexpected journey to Easter Sunday!
Grace and Peace, Lamar