Plan A ... Flawed But God's

I am sending this blog from the Sanctuary in Christ UMC in Mobile.  I never cease to be amazed at the time and energy it takes to conduct the Annual Conference each year.  This annual meeting to conduct the necessary business of the Alabama West Florida Conference of United Methodists is paradoxical.  On one hand one could ask "why expend this amount of effort on boards, logistics and just getting all the work accomplished?"  On the other hand I am reminded that every bit of work, every meeting, every discussion and every car in the parking lot represents people serving God, people seeking God and people that need God.  We have been constantly reminded here that we are truly God's mission plan to a world that needs to know Jesus.  The Church, with bruises, warts and infirmity, is still in the business of doing what Moses did when God sent him ... going out to lost and broken people who are loved by a great God who will lead them across/through the wilderness to God's promises.  While I truly struggle through the lengthy meetings, the boring reports, the mundane necessities and the less-than-stellar videos, I do not struggle with the mission ... making disciples of Jesus who know, love and serve God.  I am encouraged that your conference hasn't forgotten the mission, the people and the person of God.  I am absolutely certain that God's Plan A ... the Church ... His only plan ... will be preserved and achieve it's mission with people who know that the Holy Spirit seems to be most active in places where people know they need God (they are the blessed) ... places where folks will suffer for God's Word ... places where worship is more important than convenience ... places where following is risky, so we visit those imprisoned and oppressed ... places where Jesus is more important that the negatives we seem to call essential, so the blind begin to see (though Jesus never did) ... places where loving the poor is a priority (i.e., that is how we bring them Good News).  I so desire and pray for Good News to be such a place.