dar334

Our church just celebrated 50 years in a new building and the uniting of three local churches into one.  Trinity United Methodist Church opened it’s doors in 1968.  Several attended the special services and/or the gala to celebrate the occasion.

My husband and I are new members at the church, new as opposed to those who have been there all 50 of the years.  We have been attending for the past 10 years, which caused me to google what is used to signify a 10 year anniversary:

“Traditionally, the tenth year of marriage is marked with tin or aluminum. Both materials represent the durability and flexibility needed to sustain a loving union.”

Durability and flexibity.  Remember those two things.

Prior to yesterday’s message from our Bishop we were blessed with a high energy hymn by our children’s choir, one of which was my grandchild.  As I sat there listening to the children sing about Jesus, and love, and victory, I was moved to ponder what they would see in the next 50 years, and my heart hurt.  Those children are our future and I’m terrified by what their may future hold.

In February 2019,  our Council of Bishops will attend a special sesson to receive and act on a report from the Commision of a Way Forward, a 32-member commission to examine paragraphs in The Book of Discipline concerning human sexuality and exploring options to strengthen the unity of the church.  Basically our Book of Discipline may be changed.  This concerns me because, to the best of my knowledge, God has not changed.  It is my understanding that our Instruction Book was written under the careful watch of God himself.  By whose authority should the Book of Discipline be changed?  There are Ten Commandments, it is our responsibility to teach those to our children, what they do with them is their free will, but WE MUST TEACH!

Now back to the two words I asked you to remember, durability and flexability.  As a lover of Mr. Webster I found:  du·ra·bil·i·ty, a noun, the ability to withstand wear, pressure, or damage; flex·i·bil·i·ty, a noun, willingness to change or compromise.

My anniversay with the United Methodist Church marks my 10th year.  I will stand by the significance of tin or aluminum.  The durability of the Instruction Book withstanding pressure, and the flexability of changing my place of worship.  I just don’t feel like compromise is an option when it would be done to accommodate (to fit in with the wishes or needs of) man.

– dar