It was my joy to attend the SEJ Cabinet Consultation at St. Simons Island in Georgia. The event was filled with good teaching and fellowship, along with a great deal of hope. We recognized that the UMC, in general, and the SEJ specifically, were emerging from a tough season due to COVID and disaffiliation. Despite the contraction within churches and conferences and still feeling pangs of sadness at what had transpired, there was a deep sense that God was leading the UMC forward in mission and ministry.
There were many lessons that were shared at the conference, but one that stood out was from a sermon shared by Rodrigo Cruz during a morning worship service. His message emphasized how we are in a uniquely significant time in our ministry and in the mission of the church. I will do my best to summarize his primary point, recognizing that some of the nuance, the energy, and definitely the humor with which he spoke will be “lost in translation.”
Rodrigo began his reflections with a story about his family going to Disney World. They were scheduled to go prior to the pandemic but were not able to. Disney gave them a raincheck, so they went two years later. For those two years, they dreamed about being at the park and especially about the new ride, Tron. The demand for Tron is so great that you must register to stand in line to have a chance to get on. They did the necessary registration and were given a specific time to stand in line. When they arrived at the ride, they discovered the line was all the way back to the “120-minute wait” sign. For two hours, they waited. Rodrigo’s three boys talked about the ride and imagined how great it was going to be. Finally, as they neared the ride, still a number of minutes before their turn, they could see some of what the attraction had to offer. Two of his sons became even more excited. However, the third began to waver in his resolve. The closer they got to the front of the line, the more worried the third son became. Finally, it was their time to board the ride. At that moment, the third son had a meltdown. As he was crying and screaming not to get on, even after looking forward to this moment for two years, Rodrigo had a choice to make. Should he force his son to go on the ride or allow him to step aside and wait for the rest of the family to finish their long-awaited thrill. He chose the latter. After the ride, for the rest of the night, the other two sons spoke glowingly about their experience. One even called it the “most life-changing 55 seconds.” As the family prepared for bedtime, the third son called to his dad and asked him to come tuck him in. When Rodrigo got to his bed, the son asked if they could stay an extra day so that he could get on Tron and enjoy the ride. Rodrigo sadly had to tell his son that their vacation time was at an end and that the opportunity was gone.
Rodrigo then turned to the church. He explained that many pastors have spoken about bringing real change to the church. Because of COVID and because of disaffiliation, there is this unique time when congregations are more open to significant change. However, this moment of opportunity will not last forever. As church leaders, we have a choice. We can dare to go on a largely unknown ride that promises thrills, chills, and a lot of unknowns. Who knows, it may be life-changing for both us and our churches. Of course, we also could choose to play it safe. We can turn to all that is familiar and simply try to recover the past.
I pray that you will dare to take the opportunity to join God’s amazing ride of grace into the future. 