A Future with Hope

A while ago Jayson posted about membership, and his experience of joining a UM congregation. That post has stayed with me for a while. Tonight I had the honor of being the sponsor of my best friend as she took the membership vows of the United Methodist Church. Miriam has joined the church after faithfully witnessing at General Conference 2008 for full inclusion.

I remembered when she first began to think about joining. It was at the Voices of Faith event in Washington DC. Late at night in our hotel room she asked me, “Is it ok to join a church for the community?” She found in UMC and on our college campus a people committed to a faith that was active; a faith that worked for justice in the world. In that community she met a people who held that belief. In the UMC she found her church home.

I was even more honored to know that before she joined the UMC, about a year before, she started working with MOSAIC (Methodist Students, Seminarians, and Young Adults for an All Inclusive Church). She even knowing the hate that is produced by the UMC, she decided to join anyway. She decided that she would be committed to working to change the church. That is because what drew her to Methodism was a commitment to justice in the world, to love and grace, and to following Jesus.

While we worry about people leaving, or not joining until we change our position on LGBT person ability to be fully included in our church.  I fear that all the young people will leave, and that our church will die. I offer up that story, as a reminder.   When we are the only reconciling Methodist, community, or church we offer people something they have never seen before. Something that inspires them, appeals to them, and welcomes them.

As we live out radical inclusion we offer to young people a place to call home. There are those who are committed to fighting for inclusion and staying who are young.  When Miriam joined the church tonight I saw a future with hope.