After the 2018 Quadrennial and General Conference, the church was challenged to Get Back to Basics. Many may not have understood the message of the Quadrennial, the theme seemed to resonate within the Church in many different ways, but once we understood the basic principles of Christianity such as prayer, Bible reading, meditation, authentic worship, radical hospitality, and love, just to name a few, embracing the clarion call became relevant. What was the difference? How did we hear the quadrennial theme and embrace it as we moved through the last four years? I would suggest as we reflect on the new theme BE BOLD: Face Now – Embrace Next – See New-we hear the newness of this theme with our ears and our heart.
Now, we find ourselves with fresh marching orders. God has put leaders in place to move with purpose. After such an awe-inspiring General Conference, we are called to hear the events of the General Conference not only with our ears but with our hearts.
Hearing with Your Heart
If we hear with our ears only, we will miss too much. Although God gave us two ears, we must listen with our hearts. Our ears hear a sound that is vibrated from our eardrum and translated through our brain and thoughts. However, the heart works in tandem with our intellect and understanding. It’s natural to hear with our ears, but it may never reach our heart. God listens to our heart and, we respond by faith.
We have heard and experienced a lot over the last month. The question is, did we really hear with our hearts? Our collective boldness must be with our hearts.
It is An Inside Job
Being bold is an inside job, a job not for those who are timid, afraid, pessimistic, or negative. Being bold takes on a certain percentage of risk and courage. We must be clear about what we want and how to achieve what is necessary to obtain the desired outcome. For instance, the local church needs bold pastors and laity to see the church they wish to create. It will take doing things differently, thinking differently, and responding differently. The hymn writer Lucie Eddie Campbell wrote these words,
Something Within
1 Preachers and teachers would make their appeal, Fighting as soldiers on great battlefields. When to their pleadings my poor heart did yield, All I can say, there is something within.
Refrain: Something within me that holdeth the reins, something within me that banishes pain. Something within me I cannot explain, all that I know there is something within.
2 Have you that something, that burning desire? Have you that something, that never doth tire? Oh, if you have it- that Heavenly Fire! Then let the world know there is something within.
3 I met God one morn’, my soul feeling bad, Heart heavy laden with a bowed down head. He lifted my burden, made me so glad, all that I know there is something within.
Have you that something within, that burning desire?
Moving with a Purpose
Moving on purpose and with a purpose to reach your purpose and potential for your local church must be intentional. But how? Often people drift away from our congregations because their church is not bold and leading them to go deeper into a more meaningful relationship with Jesus Christ. Therefore, they are not anchored in God’s word. When people join in and become a part of your worship experience no matter the venue, Zoom, Facebook Live. YouTube, live stream, team meeting, Learning Management system, or face-to-face, be bold and lead the congregation and community into a life-changing experience through worship, testimony, music, technology, and prayer.
Have you that something within, that burning desire?
We are the Christian Methodist Episcopal Church recognizing the importance of Christ in our daily lives.
Rev. Dr. Leon C. Moore, Jr.
General Secretary of Evangelism and Missions
Pleasant Hill CME
Conyers, GA
