Four Reasons why I’m not fazed by General Convention

I have been receiving a lot of e-mails, phone calls, and unexpected drop -ins asking me what I think about General Convention.  It seems that there is a high level of anxiety out there and I thought it might be worth my time to tell you why I’m not concerned nor anxious over the events at General Convention. 

1. I’m not concerned nor anxious about General Convention because I know that Jesus reigns.  One day, says the Apostle Paul, “every knee will bow, in heaven, in earth, and under the earth and every tongue confess that Jesus Christ is Lord” (Phil 2.10-11).  I am totally convinced that our General Convention has neither caught the Lord by surprise nor has it somehow defeated him.  He is in control and can even work through events such as General Convention (Acts 4.27-28).  So knowing that God is working all things to his glory and that nothing can usurp his purposes I’m not overly concerned.
2. I’m not concerned nor anxious about General Convention because I’ve been reading my Bible.  Jesus, quoting Deuteronomy 8.3 said “man does not live by bread alone, but by every word that comes forth from the mouth of God.”  Those of you who have been pouring over StandFirm and KendallHarmon I bet are pretty anxious!  But, I’ve been reading my Bible.  Jesus says that if I read his Bible and feast on his word then I will live.  He has offered no such promise to those of you “feasting” on news from General Convention.  No wonder you feel sick.
3. I’m not concerned nor anxious about General Convention because I’ve been praying.  In Mark 9.2 we read “And after six days Jesus took with him Peter and James and John, and led them up a high mountain by themselves. And he was transfigured before them.”  This is what Jesus does when we pray.  He “leads us up the mountain” and into the presence of the Father, where we behold the glory of the Son and have sweet communion with the Father and Holy Spirit.  How could anything make us anxious or concerned?  It doesn’t mean that bad things don’t happen, it means that the grace of being with the Trinity in prayer is a joy that trumps everything in this life.
4. I’m not concerned nor anxious about General Convention because Scripture has forewarned us that such things would happen.  Paul said to the church in Ephesus “Pay careful attention to yourselves and to all the flock, in which the Holy Spirit has made you overseers, to care for the church of God, which he obtained with his own blood.  I know that after my departure  fierce wolves will come in among you, not sparing the flock; and from among your own selves will arise men speaking twisted things, to draw away the disciples after them” (Acts 20.28-30).  If God told us that people would rise up from among us speaking twisted thing why then do we whine as cry as if we were not told this would come to pass?  Whining and crying and being upset gets us nowhere.  If you want to do something constructive go read your Bible, pray to God and share the Gospel with someone. 

So all in all I’m feeling o.k. about things.  There will come a time when we assess the events of the past ten days and discern how they affect us here at Trinity.  But for the time being I would rather we commit ourselves to God’s word, to spending time in prayer, and to sharing the Gospel.  Everything else is such a distant concern to me at the moment that I hardly find it worth discussing.