IS IT GETTING ANY LIGHTER?

Many of you may remember that around this time last year I wrote to you about my work as part of our conference's Board of Ordained Ministry. In a nutshell, pastoral work in the connection that is known as The United Methodist Church is handled at two distinctively separate levels - the cabinet level, where the bishop, in consultation with their superintendents, determines which pastors will be appointed to which churches for the upcoming conference year. This, usually, is the part of pastoral process with which churches are most familiar.

However, before the bishop and the cabinet can consider someone for appointment within our structure, they must be approved by the Board of Ordained Ministry. In other words, the bishop and cabinet determine the appointments, while the Board of Ordained Ministry determines appointability.

At our last session of annual conference, my colleagues on the board of ordained ministry elected me to chair one of the three divisions of the board, the Division of Local Pastors and Associate Members. As part of our work dealing with licensed but not ordained clergy, we take the time each year to do a face-to-face interview with those candidates who are just starting out the process, or are in school as they continue their process. This week, we are interviewing over 100 candidates throughout the state. Today we were in Shreveport; Tuesday, we will be in Monroe; Wednesday, Woodworth; Thursday, Baton Rouge; and Friday, Mandeville.

I love this week of the year because I am reminded of God's gracious work through men and women who serve the larger church in ways beyond our imagination - men and women who, in many cases, are working full-time jobs and pastoring their churches 'on the side.'

As I was doing an exit interview today for one of my colleagues in ministry who came to visit with us, and hearing about how much they are doing to fulfill God's calling on their lives, I was reminded once again that the work that we do (not clergy, but Christians who have been cleansed by the waters of baptism) simply cannot be done without the grace of God at work in our lives - the grace of God that has gone before us, the grace of God that sustains us in our present, and the grace of God that is even now preparing our way forward.

So, dear friends, let me ask you: On what are you leaning to get through your day - the strength you summon from within, or the grace of God through Christ that will bring us through anything that might be thrown our way?

May it be said of us all that it is no longer we who live, but it is Christ who lives within and through us.

(Hint: The sooner you drop the chains, the better your perspective.)

Grace and Peace, Lamar