Good afternoon. Bishop, members of the Annual Conference, guests and friends, I greet you in the name of Jesus Christ our risen savior. What a joy for us to be gathered once again and what a theme we have for the 169th session of this Annual Conference – Planting Passion for God.

Before building some thoughts on our theme I would call your attention to Laity Sunday, 2008. The third Sunday in October, October 19th this year, is designated as Laity Sunday. The theme this year: All in Ministry, One in Spirit, in the Spirit of Fellowship. It will be a time to consider how fellowship plays a role in the making of disciples of Jesus Christ for the transformation of the world.

Scripture talks about our being in fellowship with Christ. We have fellowship halls in churches everywhere. So there is a lot of territory to cover when considering the role of fellowship in our discipleship experience. There are materials already available on the United Methodist website through the Laity Section of the General Board of Discipleship. Please mark your church calendars now and Lay Leaders and Lay Members, begin planning now for a wonderful Laity Sunday recognition.

Planting Passion for God. The theme for this Annual Conference is wide open with possibilities. In this Annual Conference we clearly understand planting. We don’t need to go very far before we can clearly see the planting of crops and understand that planting is something that, while seasonal, is also continual. We continually plant the fields and farms and there is a continual harvest – some years better than others but continual. So we understand planting.

But in the context here we are talking about how we, individually and institutionally, can go about planting a real passion for God.

Planting in our existing fields and in new fields, some of which will be here and some in other parts of the world. Planting a passion for God that will be borne in the harvest of new generations of disciples of Jesus Christ. Planting a passion for God that will engage people in works for justice. Planting a passion for God that will create faith communities and congregations that are fully and radically hospitable in welcoming all who seek to know God thorugh Jesus Christ. That is what we want to plant but planting requires some planning and some direction.

In 16th century England a monetary crisis occurred. It seemed that coins could not be minted because there was a shortage of silver. Silver was absolutely necessary to keep the monetary system moving. A silver shortage was creating a crisis. Oliver Cromwell, the Chancellor of England appointed a commission to go out into the countryside and find more sources for silver. The commission fanned out all over the country and came back several weeks later to report.

Indeed they had found a source of pure silver – some of the purest silver they had ever seen. Now the source of all this silver could be found in statues of the various saints in the churches and cathedrals. No purer silver than in the statues of the saints. It is reported that Cromwell pondered for a moment and then said something to the effect, “well let’s get the saints out of the church, let’s melt them down and then we can circulate them all over the world.”

Get the saints out of the church – melt them down – circulate them all over the world. Now there’s a message. We are the saints --- lord, melt us down and circulate us once again all over the world.

My friends, isn’t that one of the first things we must do in planting passion for God. We are the saints and we need God to melt us down – remake us, reshape us and then re-circulate us into places where God needs us to go. We are the saints, the body of Christ today and we need to get out of our churches and with God’s help become the living, breathing spirit wherever we find ourselves.

You will hear much more about the General Conference later this afternoon. But I want to lift up two significant resolutions which are extremely important when we consider our Annual Conference theme.

First, I am sure that everyone here can recite the vows made whenever anyone becomes a professing member of the United Methodist church. We all know prayers, presence, gifts and service. However, thanks to the work of Annual Conference lay leaders from around the world that vow is now changed to support the church with prayers, presence, gifts, service and witness.

A need was recognized because prayers, presence, gifts and service could be fully met by only looking inward in the congregation. For too many congregations the focus has been primarily inward with little or no witness beyond a building in their community. For too many good United Methodists the witness of their discipleship has been confined to being involved in the congregation – active and passionate but only inside the doors.

The challenge now becomes defining what “witness” means. How do we become more sharing about our faith and our church outside the congregation? How does our witness extend to being radically hospitable to our community, our neighborhood? How do we as individuals become more willing to invite others to participate in finding their call to discipleship? So our commitment to being a United Methodist disciple is now changed and all of us as individuals and our congregations need to begin talking about what that means. Perhaps, we have to get out, let God melt us down and then re-circulate.

In a similar petition entitled Lay Responsibility for the Growth of the Church a bold statement on witness was made. Let me read the entire petition:

Whereas: the United Methodist church has steadily lost membership for many years in its country of origin and

Whereas, in most recent year’s totals, the United Methodist church has lost 70,000, thus exceeding the previous year’s losses of 60,000 members and

Whereas, the historic strength of the United Methodist church lay in well-equipped laity who were passionate in their beliefs and,

Whereas, the clergy of the United Methodist church continue to equip the laity for the task of winning commitment for Christ through witness, service and transforming ministry and

Whereas, too many of our laity no longer claim that core responsibility of every Christian to find those who are lost and lead them into a church home,

Therefore be it now resolved that we, the laity, working with the clergy, accept primary responsibility for the growth and vitality of the United Methodist church.

What the General Conference said here was that it is well past time for the United Methodist laity to move outside our own spot in the pew and to actively witness our faith and invite others into our faith communities.

It means that we as laity must look at our congregations and working with other laity determine what it is that we are going to do to be more effective in ministering to others.

It means that our clergy, will be here in our midst to help equip us but that the primary responsibility for moving our church, your church, forward and out into your community and the world belongs to us. It calls each of us to determine just how we are going to claim responsibility. What are you doing to engage and support efforts in new directions of ministry?

In the discussion of this petition it was noted that too many of our laity have felt for too long that as long as their building location or their reputation was their witness in their community, that was sufficient. But clearly it is not. The witness to the vitality to a congregation is the witness of the laity and we have declared that it is our primary responsibility. This will be something for every congregation around the world to consider but most particularly here in the United States. It is here where we need to plant a new passion for God and it is a time of urgency.

Well, laying out issues is one thing but just how we do all that passion planting and witness is something else. Too many of us struggle or think we struggle on how we do that. I would like to suggest something that may sound too simple, too vague. It may make some uncomfortable. I would suggest that we simply, remember who we are and --- follow Jesus.

Isn’t that what we all have said we would be willing to do, that we feel called to do – follow Jesus. When we were baptized, when we were confirmed and when we chose the United Methodist church as the vehicle for our ministry, didn’t we say – I’m going to follow Jesus?

Every time we remember our baptism, every time we gather around the communion table, don’t we say that we are here to – follow Jesus? We are people who have said we will follow Jesus in our churches, our communities, around the world. We just need to follow Jesus.

Now let’s be clear – following Jesus is not all that easy. Consider with me the disciples. Jesus asked each of them, face to face, one on one, to follow him. But we all know that through out his ministry Jesus had to keep defining over and over again for them what it really meant to be a disciple.

Towards the end of that ministry Jesus stood, overlooking Jerusalem, ready to enter it, knowing what was going to happen. But I wonder if the disciples did not have some other advice. Lord, let’s not go there. You know the people in Jerusalem can be angry, particularly the religious leaders. Let’s go back to Galilee. We can settle down because they like us there and they understand us. We can preach a little, teach a little, heal a little. We can have families and go back to our work. We could do a lot of good there! But Jesus said, follow me.

Then when the disciples went with Jesus to the temple to pray and worship and they saw all that was going on they probably became concerned. It was a mess and the disciples might have seen the anger welling up in Jesus. Can you hear them? Now, Jesus, just relax and calm down. This is the way they have always done it here. Let’s not get the people all upset. Let’s work on how we can change things - but we need to be respectful of their traditions. We need to work with them.

But Jesus, taking a strap in hand said, follow me.

Then when things got really bad with Jesus standing trial a few of the disciples were standing nearby by but most were in hiding. They knew what kind of abuse Jesus was withstanding but i wonder if some may have been certain it wasn’t going to continue. Surely Jesus would call on God to put an end to the pain and suffering. Surely angels would be here shortly and then everything would be different. Everyone would know, people would listen, there would be freedom and peace. The kingdom of God they all longed for would get here and that would be that.

But Jesus went on to the cross simply saying, follow me.

What the disciples learned and what we know is that following Jesus – really following Jesus is not all that easy. Following Jesus means letting go and moving on. And more…

Following Jesus may lead us to new and different forms of ministry. Not just in how we worship but perhaps where we worship. We may need to redefine where our ministries really are. Are we in ministry in our neighborhoods? What are the pressing issues in our community and where are we as individuals and churches in our involvement – in our witness. What kinds of new ministries are needed and how can we engage ourselves and our congregations in them? Does our congregation see any ministry beyond the front doors? What has happened to the world is my parish.

Following Jesus also means that we must confront injustice in all forms.

Let’s agree on the basics. We are not in full connection with God nor are we fully able to respond to the call to fully follow Jesus unless all – all are able to share fully in the ministries of the church. The rules we make – the attitudes we carry – our fears and all our isms must be shed.

The church of Jesus Christ, the kingdom of God is not exclusive nor is it restricted. It is open to all and all does mean all! Once and for all – all must mean all! It is difficult for us to take on the great injustices done to our brothers and sisters in this society and around the world while we continue to do injustice to one another.

And there is more than enough injustice to go around in our communities and our world. But as followers of Jesus we must confront the injustices - name them and bring healing where they exist.

We must be the examples of hospitality – radical hospitality - and work to turn our churches, our communities and our nation into a place where all God’s people are welcome. Where all are able work together without regard to any label or status other than you are my sister or you are my brother. Everyone of us has the capacity to help remake our church and our community. In fact everyone who enters the body of Christ has the potential for creating new ideas, hopes and visions. So why would we not want to extend ourselves, our ministries to reach and include as many as possible.

We need not look far to find injustice and when we accept our call to follow Jesus we must accept an intolerance whenever and wherever injustice is visited upon any of God’s children.

Following Jesus also means we are always moving forward. Jesus has gone on ahead and is calling us individually and collectively to keep moving.

I am not sure if you recognize what is on the screen. It is the great seal for Australia.

Note there are two animals on the crest – one is the kangaroo – not unexpected, after all it is Australia. But the other is the emu. Now when the United Kingdom set about doing their seal they added the powerful lions. The United States added the magnificant bald eagle. But Australia, over 100 years ago chose the emu and the kangaroo. Why?

Well as it turns out the kangaroo, because of its enormous tail cannot back up. Likewise the emu with a unique three toed foot cannot walk backwards. Two animals, neither of which can go backwards to symbolize for the people of Australia that they should always and will always move ahead – go forward as it were. Now i am not suggesting that we add an emu and a kangaroo to the cross and flame but we could take a message here that – going backwards or trying to go backwards is inconsistent with being a follower of Jesus. We are not called to retreat but to move forward.

Here in Northern Illinois we are in the midst of a great movement – Harvest 2020. This movement has put some organization to our forward moving direction. Oh we know there will be those with some nervousness because it is asking to do things differently. It is opening up some new opportunities and it is a vehicle by which we can intentionally plant our passion for God in new places.

There will be some who want us to hold back – to want answers to more questions – who want to make sure we are good stewards of what God has given us. Those who want us to be cautious because we can only do so many things at one time. Those who will suggest that we be as certain as we can before we take any risks. To be careful.

I am not one to just jump of the nearest cliff without preparation and planning. But let us not confuse planning and preparation with a longing to go backwards. Let us be careful about holding on to what we have today “for a rainy day” while the waters of poverty, abuse, loneliness, despair, hurt and harm are pouring down all around us. Our communities, our world needs us so that all can have the opportunity to experience the feeling that comes with the passion of being a disciple of Jesus Christ.

Now I have been with many of you who have begun to see that passion in your congregation and with some who want to see that new passion in your own congregation. We have talked together about what works and what may need to be done. Looking at new directions is always a mixture of excitement and nervousness. But God has already given us everything we need to do the work that God wants us to do.

So whether in a new site or in a place where we have been in ministry for over a century in northern Illinois, this planting is going to have to be done by us, for God has called upon us and this is our time.

So what are we going to do over the next few days and then take back to our congregations? What’s the message? That we need to be careful…cling tightly to what we have…or are we going to have discussions around new partnerships within our congregations, our clusters and our Annual Conference. New places, new ministries, new disciples, new excitement, new spirit.

You can’t plant going backward or holding onto one spot. Planting is moving forward and for us moving forward means – following Jesus. So what do you think we need to take out of this Annual Conference? Perhaps we need to think about our lives and how we are going to let God use each and every one of us, every day – moving forward. Praying, planting and changing our world. What a joy.

In closing let’s stand together and sing… I’m Going to Live, so God Can Use Me…