Journeys
1-22-12
This past week Cindy and I spent three days in Topeka at a gathering of the United Methodist clergy from Nebraska and Kansas. In September of this year, Nebraska and the two conferences in Kansas will begin to share one bishop. Depending on the future voting of the Annual Conferences, Nebraska and Kansas could become one "Great Plains Conference" in the near future.
There has been a "Transition Team" made up of folks from all three conferences that has met for over a year working on this. They presented their work as a part of the meeting. Our speaker was Dr. Brian McClaren. He talked to us about how much our world is changing around us and how we as a church can respond to this change. He has written several books on this subject.
As with all such gatherings, there were the meetings before and after the meeting. So we were basically in Topeka from Monday night to Thursday night. I got to play my djembe in the clergy band that led the worship services. I also got to lead a drumming circle at the beginning. We also cranked up the drumming circle after coffee breaks as a way to call people back in to the meeting hall. I played the djembe so much my hands hurt! It was great to see clergy friends from all over Nebraska and meet new folks from Kansas.
One afternoon, our small groups of clergy from all three conferences did a service project, putting together tricycles. Then pre-schoolers from the local Headstart (and their parents) came in and we got to give them their new trikes. It was an amazing experience. At our table, the child (age four) was not able to come, but his mom said he'd wanted a trike for Christmas and couldn't get one. Now, she could just tell him that Santa was a little late this year.
It was a week of meeting lots of Kansans who really do have a lot in common with us Nebraskans. We had great fellowship, great learning and great worship. We just need another three or four days now to catch up on our sleep.
Grace & Peace,
Rev. Kelly
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