Rev. Dr. Robert Martin prompts meeting attendees to help "make our joy complete" by practicing evocative ministry
by Kathryn Witte, communications director
Martin's final presentation focused on reaching out to those not experiencing named ministry. His message challenged clergy to reach out to those in their everyday walks of life. How do those in business who offer and sell goods and services see God in their work? Evocative ministry asks clergy to ask the contemplative questions in the context of individual congregants' daily life.
If individuals can see their work as an extension of their life in Christ, it is another step in engagement and helping people go more, deeper, better, wider in their personal expression of faith.
Penny Ellwood, pastor at the Church of the Resurrection campus in Blue Springs, Mo., said, "Part of our job is to help people recognize the ministry that is already happening in our church and help the congregation and people leading ministries name what they are doing as ministry." Ellwood said we have to help them invite others into the ministry and encourage others to do the same. She said as that happens it extends, grows and other gifts come forward that can also be grown into ministries.
Martin asked clergy to join him on the diving board, to jump up and down, creating motion in each one's personal ministry. The vision is that the diving board propels pastors into the pool of their congregation so that the ministry of asking and talking about the things people never talk about becomes common place. He set a vision that sees individual congregants asking those same probing questions to others in their circle of influence to help people see the ministry they are already in.
Martin said if we are successful in evoking ministry and offering a more contemplative, engaging, personal experience of God through Christ, we can create the ultimate communion where we share all things and all things become sacred, creating great abundance.
He closed by saying that if we can do all this, "This will make our joy complete."
Martin's PowerPoints are available on the Great Plains website, videos will be available soon.
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Photo above features Lance Winkler of the Church of the Resurrection's contemporary praise band singing praise music leading into the morning worship.
Evocative preaching closes meeting
by Stuart Davis, Nebraska's Hope Parish (Orchard-Page-Ewing)
In an entertaining, humorous, thought-provoking and at times provocative sermon, the Rev. Dr. Nanette Roberts (pictured above) made sure the “last thing” at the Great Plains 2014 Orders and Fellowship meeting was worth “staying around for,” as Church of the Resurrection Senior Pastor Adam Hamilton commented before his closing prayers.
Drawing on the story of Zacchaeus from Luke 19:1-10, Roberts drew a parallel with the last thing Jesus did before going to Jerusalem, noting that this interaction with a tax collector, healing an unclean woman, and working on the Sabbath were all, at the time, “incompatible with religious teaching.”
She evoked memories for the clergy gathered of the last things they do prior to leaving for a new appointment, such as last sermons, last pastoral visit, last administrative board (“thank God”), last interaction with that “one” parishioner who is waiting for us to leave. Saying she was proud of Bishop Scott Jones, the cabinet and the organizers of the meeting for not shying away from the “tough issues” of the Church’s stand on abortion and LGBT relations, she alluded to the talk of a split of the United Methodist Church by saying she has hope it will not happen.
Pointing into the congregation, Roberts said she wanted to be part of a church that included, “you, and you, and you, and you ... and you,” saying that is what Jesus did in his ministry: brought diverse people together for healing and wholeness.
Near the close of the service, the Rev. Adam Hamilton called all in attendance to come close to the altar where he invited each to introduce themselves to someone standing next to them; to know them by name so that they could pray for that person. Hamilton asked wouldn't it be nice if we held each other up in prayer in the same way we ask our congregation members to hold each other in prayer. After a time of prayerful silence, Hamilton blessed the group and set the attitude for Bishop Scott Jones to pray the benediction and sending forth to work in ministry together as the new Great Plains United Methodist Conference.
