Sunday 6 July 2008

‘From south and north, from west and east, from every corner of the globe a myriad voices of different tongues’ we gathered for Conference worship this morning as this our call to worship invited us.  We may not literally have had a thousand tongues between us, but you would hardly have noticed the difference given the great gusto with which we sang our opening hymn ‘O for a thousand tongues to sing my great Redeemer’s praise’!  Methodist singing at its very best – unaccompanied in true Conference tradition.  The Spa Theatre was full as Conference representatives and guests were joined by those being received into ‘Full Connexion’, their families and friends.  Once again the Conference blended worship with the formal aspects of Conference business in its own unique way.

Worship included contributions from the group ‘Anonymous Harmony’ (who also sang during the President’s address yesterday) and a drama presentation, as well as much singing, the opportunity to pray together, and Bible readings from Deuteronomy 30:11-15, 19-20, 1 John 4:16-21 (read in Quiche by the representative from the Methodist Church in Guatemala) and Mark 12:28-35. 

In this context of worship the Vice-President of the Conference, David Walton, gave his address.  He began by paying tribute to the countless lay folk who live out their faith week by week in tough and thankless situations before leading us into his theme of ‘Choose Life’.  Drawing on the Scripture readings and his own experiences, we were challenged to think about how we can choose life and enable others to do the same – from providing the basics of water, shelter and healthcare to bringing out creative gifts in each other (especially in the young) and acting ethically in our places of work.  Concluding by encouraging us to be enablers and encouragers in order for ‘perfect love to cast out fear’ as we explore our differences and journey to a new place together.

Methodist worship would not have been complete without an offering – which was taken in aid of the Fund for World Mission specifically to help the Methodist Church in Zimbabwe.  The World Church Office had received a plea from the Methodist Church in Zimbabwe for a lorry in order to distribute aid to those most in need – let’s hope that our gifts go along way to making this happen! 

The worship then concluded with the formal business of the day – the reception into Full Connexion.  This is the formal covenant between candidates for the presbyteral and diaconal ministry and the Conference.  Those not already ordained (43 for presbyteral ministry and 5 for diaconal ministry) would be going on to be ordained by prayer and the laying on of hands later in the afternoon in churches throughout the York and Hull District.  Thirteen were received into Full Connexion by transfer from other churches and two by reinstatement.  The President then said a few words to the ordinands - reminding them that they are a gift to the church, to be generous in the love they share with their people and in receiving the gifts of others, and to be a sign of grace - before we sang ‘Send me out from here Lord, to serve a world in need’. Following the President’s blessing, the ordinands were led out through the body of the hall by the President and Vice-President as we sang ‘Teach me to dance to the beat of your heart’. 

From the back of the hall the President sent us all out ‘to share in the loving and liberating work of God’ and the fire doors were burst open so that we could all follow to do just that and to greet the ordinands and those just received into Full Connexion – collecting on our way, as a gift from the Vice-President, an Eccles Cake (he happens to be from Eccles!)  It was a joyous occasion and a real celebratory act of worship.

As the President and Vice-President travel throughout the Connexion in the coming year, look out for the white pulpit fold, which was presented to them yesterday, and which was used during the worship today.  The symbols on it combine the symbols on the Presidential stole and the Vice-Presidential preaching scarf representing their messages of ‘grace’ and ‘life’.