Conference Updates

These updates are arranged backward chronilogically and were written during my vacation in West Virginia at the Seventh Day Baptist General Conference. Pictures from Conference will be posted as soon as I can get them up. [Note: There is no time/date stamp on this post, so I'll just guess.]


Sabbath, August 7, 2004

I want to weep with gratitude at all God has done for me this year. He can work in power at any time, of course, but it seems His power is more clearly shown in the valleys.

(time unknown)


Friday, August 6, 2004

More on the situation with Witchita Falls, TX. Basically they were admitted to the Conference 23 years ago, even though they held aberant beliefs that did not agree with our Statement of Belief (such as the Trinity). For some reason, it is just now being dealt with, and I personally think the credit goes to the situation two years ago in Alfred, NY. It seems to have woke the denomination up to problem churches needing correction. At least the Alfred situation ended better, with that church remaining a part of the Conference after the then pastor resigned and his wife was baptised and took over.

(While I don't believe women should be pastors, it was probably the right decision in this case as, IMHO, her husband was not in a place where he should be pastor. Perhaps when he left his old church [he was still a Mormon!] and figured out what he believed, but he was a man in transition who never should have been made pastor to begin with.)

Let's see, back to Witchita Falls. They held some aberant, Unitarian views on the Trinity. The pastor was setting dates for Christ's return, and they published literature on these and other topics using the SDB name. My understanding is that those in the church who did not believe this theology had already left, leaving only the pastor and those who believed the aberant theology behind. So as of yesterday they are now an independant church and no longer part of the General Conference.

One thing that happened yesterday that I forgot - a recommendation was brought to the floor about SDBs as a whole affirming the traditional view of marriage as between one man and one woman. No one stepped forward to make any comments (the woman reading the report with the recommendation seemed genuinely thankful), but when it came to a vote there were one or two "no" votes - far short of enough, and so it easily passed. It's good to know that SDBs, on average, still hold to the traditional views.

This year the communion service will be tonight (Conference Presidents have a choice of holding it Friday night or Saturday morning.) I may get to help set up and/or clean up, but only deacons can serve and I ain't one. (File that under "stupid chuch rules.")

Last night at worship instead of the Lord's Prayer we sang the Doxology. I like any litergy, so I'll take what I can get.

There is a song we have sung a couple times, and I have found it deeply meaningful. It is "Blessed Be Your Name" by Matt and Beth Redman. I won't type the whole thing, just the pertinant parts. I will note that the song switches between scenes of joy and peace and scenes of pain and sadness.

"Blessed be Your name, when I'm found in the desert place
Though I walk through the wilderness
Blessed be Your name.

Blessed be Your name, on the road marked with suffering
Though there's pain in the offering
Blessed be Your name.

Bridge:
You give and take away.
You give and take away.
My heart will choose to say
Blessed be Your name."

I have suffered much this past year, but the praise is beginning to bubble back up. Instead of focussing on the wrong done to me, I am choosing to focus on what God did to rescue me from the brink of going back to HER. Because of God and the gentle way my pastor treated me, I am still a Christian today. This is why I use the names "Charis" and "Eleos" on the C&C list. I can now honestly praise Him and say, "On the road marked with suffering, when there's pain in the offering, blessed be Your name." And it is this song, more than any other this week, that touched me, causing me to praise, my arms upraised to heaven.

Thank You, God, for all You have done to me and for me this year. I am just a child, to stupid to realize in the midst of pain that You always inflict pain for a reason, and never test us beyond what we can bear. Thank You for being faithful, and using this bad situation to show me my former gods' utter powerlessness.

And thank You for this respite, this haven in time and place where I can be with other believers and focus on You.

---

When I lost my pedometer, someone found it and turned it in. I never have to worry about my bookbag being gone when I get up at meals to get seconds. And as I relaxed and read a book last night, winding down for bed, strains of "I Exalt Thee" floated in through the open window from somewhere down near the cafeteria. Yes, these are good people I am with, true believers in the Lord. Thank God that His people still exist, and thank God for this yearly reminder that my tiny church is not the only SDB church in the world, that I am part of a larger whole.

11:00


Thursday, August 5, 2004

Ok, the rest of Tuesday.

Evening worship was good. The speaker used the text on the parable of the talents and how if we do not use our talents for the Kingdom of God, we are like the third servant and not fit for the kingdom.

The nurse told me to stay off my injured ankle and ice it, so I am not excercising.

Wednesday:
After breakfast, Dr. William Brackney, Professor at Baylor University spoke about "Seventh Day Baptists in a Baptist Context."

Then the Council on Ministry gave it's report, followed by the program of the Tract and Communications Council. This is usually funny, but since I volunteered to be part of the skit and was therefore (with a bunch of other people) seated behind the actors, I could not hear anything. I got a copy of the script afterwords so I could at least read what I missed. The TCC almost always presents its report in the form of a humerous skit.

Then lunch and the one Reference and Counsel committee I was able to attend. (Therefore, my name appears on no committee list since you must attend two sessions and this was the last session for them.) Since we let out early, I went back to my room and took a nap.

Then we had dinner followed by evening worship. The Scripture text was Luke 14:25-33, about taking up our cross and following Jesus.

I got to thinking in my room last night, and wanted to share my thoughts:

We have said the Lord's Prayer at every evening service this week. I like this because I like litergy. We say "Forgive us our debts as we forgive our debtors." I always wonder: Can I, have I, forgiven those at EW who have hurt me the most? Dare I believe I have made progress in this sanctuary, this quiet, holy place separated from the world with its cares?

See, I went forward at the Monday evening service. Rod Henry did an altar call, asking if there was any areas in our lives that needed "God's Kingdom to come, His will to be done." And I need His kingdom to come in my forgiveness (or rather lack thereof). Dare I believe something changed in that moment?

I know the true test will come when I go back to the real world. Can I forgive, using Stan Toler's definition, "The true cost of forgiveness lies in being willing to live with the consequences of someone else's sin"?

I know there is much unforgiveness in other areas of my life - my father, and the men who molested and sexually assaulted me are some examples - but God calls me to work on this single issue of EW for now. If I can solve this, I will have laid the groundwork for all the others.

Okay, that brings us up to today.

After breakfast was the SCSC program. We sang some choruses, and they read Scriptures by "team," and presented a skit, with Andre (from my church) in the center. It was about sin and how those who are hurt can turn to Jesus. Andre was the Jesus figure. They did it totally without words, just a recorded song in the background, and I thought they did a good job of getting the point across. They had obviously put some work into it.

After that Pastor George Calhoun did the Bible study, talking about a pastor's role, and also how the congregation should support the pastor. I filled two notebook pages (about half or a little more the size of a regular piece of paper) with notes.

Then we had business, and this is where it could have gotten interesting, as the Reference and Counsel report was given, and the situation with the Witchita Falls, TX church came up. A motion was made which I seconded, but it was lunch so we broke for lunch and came back at 1, whereupon we backed up a bit and dealt with another issue first: that of making Vision Christian Fellowship a member church of the Conference. This was happily passed with much clapping.

Then came the issue of the Witchita Falls Church, which I seconded again, and some discussion ensued - not about the rightness or wrongness of the action, but concerns about what the deacons and church members believed, how reconcilliation had been tried, with a delegation traveling all the way to Texas, and so on. With these issues addressed there was not one single "no" vote. And just like that, they were no longer a member church of Conference. Sad, but necessary.

The worst part is that 23 years ago when this church became a member of Conference, they held these same views. They were made a member holding the same heretical views that today made them not a member anymore. It is clear that they should not have been given membership, but now all we could do is undo that mistake of the past. Again, I credit the situation two years ago in Alfred with waking people up to the problems in Witchita Falls.

After this was the Thursday seminar time, but I skipped it to come to the library and catch up online. :)

So, all in all I learned a lot about the SDB denomination this week, how things work in committees and on the floor and the role of delegates and such. Most I knew before, but this is my third year participating and it helped to really solidify it in my mind.

Fun week, other than my ankle injury. On that front, at least I am not limping anymore.

Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ.

11:11


Tuesday, August 3, 2004

Hey peeps! Just popping in to say hi from West Virginia! Conference is great. Travelled all day Sunday - San Francisco to Altlanta to Pittsbugh, then a three hour drive in a cramped car - imagine 5 people AND their luggage in a midsize car - and we arrived at the Conference site about 3 a.m. Monday morning. Needless to say, I had to take a nap Monday afternoon because by the time I got to sleep, I slept 2-3 hours max. But the nap did make me feel much more awake so I could actually enjoy the evening worship.

So let's see.

After only about 2 hours sleep on Sunday night, I got up and had breakfast. Then we had morning Bible study. Paul Manuel talked about the paprable of the soils, the developing seed, and the mustard seed.

Then there was Conference business in the chapel (that's the meeting place for all business that includes everybody from every church.

After lunch I went to the General Conference orientation, where they talked about what Conference is and how it works. They've never done anything like this before and I only wish they'd had it two years ago - everything I have learned has been teh had way through asking questions and observing sctuff around me. Having a little class that capsulizes it really helped, and I did learn some stuff I didn't know.

After that I tried to go to the Reference and Council committee meeting, but my lack of sleep caught up with me and I couldn't concentrate to save my life. I went back to my dorm room and took a little nap, setting my watch alarm to wake me for dinner.

After dinner was evening worship. Pastor Rod Henry talked about "God's Kingdom Within You." I had always wondered what to make of that verse, and I thought he did a good job of explaining one perspective. He did an altar call, asking us where in our lives we needed to let His kingdom into. "Thy kingdom come in ____ area of my life, so that Thy will be done in my life." I am lacking seriously on the forgiveness front, the big lesson God seems to have for me this year, so I went forward and prayed about that (and missed the closing hymn). When I looked up, there were many other people up front, kneeling all around me.

Rod Henry is cool. His style reminds me of fire and brimstone preachers, but his message is challenging and not condemning.

Afterwards, as I talked with Pastor Ray and walked with him back toward his dorm, I saw lights coming up from the grass. I didn't know what it was, and it was so normal to him that he didn't know why I was asking what they were. They were fireflies I learned. I have NEVER seen fireflies before. I think they are one of God's better creations. So beautiful. :)

Today I was up at 7 for breakfast, then morning Bible study. Pastor Steve James preached about being prepared, using the paparble of the 10 virgins as his text.

Then the Missionary Society presented their report and talked about the various things they are doing. I skipped the business meeting after that in order to get a shower. Then we had lunch, and then I skipped committee meetings and part of a seminar to come to the library on campus and find a computer to do this update. :) I'll continue with updates as time and computer access allows.

Oh, leaving the chapel to head to my dorm for the shower, I missed seeing a step and twisted my ankle a bit. It hurts a little, but it's not seriously injured and I can walk on it okay. I need to be careful though. This is the same ankle I seriously sprained in the spring of 1996, so it is not as strong as my other ankle.

Okay, bye for now. Conference is great and the humidity isn't too bad.

11:11