It is not enough to claim our tapestry of differences in Northern Illinois; our challenge is to live into our diversity – to grow from our diversity, to stretch and expand our understanding of God’s beautiful creation.

We are blessed to live in an Annual Conference where diversity surrounds us. We are rural, urban and suburban. We are male and female. We are Latino Hispanic, Indian, Pilipino, African, African American, Vietnamese, Korean, European, Native American and more. We are single, married, heterosexual, gay, lesbian, bi-sexual and transgendered. We are a patchwork of varying theological perspectives.

I love the diversity of the Northern Illinois Conference and am grateful to be assigned to such a rich area. We are one of the most diverse conferences in the connection. I can worship on a Sunday morning with a Vietnamese congregation, in a crossroads country church, in a Latino Hispanic setting or a first generation Korean service. The Northern Illinois Conference is amazing.

In September, the Extended Cabinet – those serving on the Cabinet and in director positions on staff, gathered together for four days at Wesley Woods on Lake Geneva to do our own work of weaving our differences into a tapestry of diversity. This was our opportunity to grow in relationship with one another and with our communities. We focused on gender, sexual orientation and racial/ethnic diversity. We laughed and cried together. We learned about each other’s histories and hurts. We struggled with our own stuck places and rejoiced in the fact that “God is working among us as we stay open to each other’s experience.”

I rejoice in the commitment of these 14 conference staff as they engaged in the difficult work of growing in our own awareness of white privilege, gender bias and reactions to sexual orientation in a world of diversity. Our work was hard, we went deep and we are gowning in our ability to face our own “ism’s” which will strengthen us as leaders for Northern Illinois and the greater United Methodist connection.

Reflecting on the work of our staff leadership team reminds me that while we are a beautiful rainbow of God’s creation, we do not always work at weaving our lives into the rich, vibrant, tapestry that honors and grows our diversity. Living as a people of differences does not automatically create a community of diversity.

We are a conference of differences – praise God! Yet within those differences we still live in our own comfort zones, our own affinity groups, often allowing old fears and prejudices to limit our embrace of the richness around us. We claim our differences proudly, yet we do not always do the hard work of living into our diversity and allowing those differences to expand and enrich our own lives and congregations.

Diana Butler Bass, in her book Christianity for the Rest of Us, lists ten spiritual practices that she sees at work in vital congregations today: Hospitality, Discernment, Healing, Contemplation, Testimony, Diversity, Justice, Worship, Reflection, and Beauty. I am intrigued and heartened that Bass includes diversity as a spiritual practice.

As the Extended Cabinet lives into their awareness and embraces diversity, we look forward to developing ways of sharing our growing witness. It is not enough to claim our tapestry of differences in Northern Illinois; our challenge is to live into our diversity – to grow from our diversity, to stretch and expand our understanding of God’s beautiful creation. Praise God for such an amazing opportunity.