And so it begins

It is the evening of a long day. We've worshipped, driven, worshipped some more in Shreveport as we begin three days of conferencing as John Wesley would have us do. We have spent time together, seen old friends and even made a couple of new ones.

We're on to the next bit of work this day, Monday.  The work of the conference is a bit like your first job. You know you have to do it, you have to start somewhere, sometime, but man, is this all there is?

I will pray that we do our work, and I will pray that we all -- clergy and laity -- grow closer to God in the next few days. From the first time I came to one of these till now, an amazing 16 years ago, I've felt more and more like an outsider instead of an insider. Much of that is my fault, I know. But for the life of me, I can't seem to enter into the fray easily. This year I turn 60, so I've sort of aged myself out of helping very much now, although I am the average age of a Methodist, ironically enough.

Anyway, today I pray we do our best to meet our call from God, each of us, the connected and the disconnected, the young and the old, the insiders and the outsiders, the elder and the local pastors, the top and the bottom. I pray we find the time to find the time and use it wisely. I pray we make good decisions, good choices, and that what we talk about be God's business and not our own.

May we all do what we need to do to make this a better conference, whatever that might be.

This I pray...