Will Anything Really Change?

        This was the question that resonated in my mind on this Sunday morning as another session of Annual Conference drew to a close. I had been challenged to ignite my passion for sharing Jesus by Bishops Lyght and Palmer. I had wrestled with my need to embrace the work of evangelism. I had experienced impassioned, heart-felt worship led by people from Crossfire United Methodist Church (see www.bikerchurch.com). I was convinced once again that the Holy Spirit of God was moving among the people of the West Virginia Annual Conference, and that I was being drawn into that movement. Yet as I prepared to begin this new day, the day that would bring me home to my regular weekly routine, I had to wonder, will anything really change?

        I love the church deeply. It is my family, my sisters and brothers in Christ. Even with all of our shortcomings and faults, I absolutely love the church. We are people of grace, redeemed by the blood of Christ, seeking to live holy lives that bring glory to God. Left to my own tendencies, I could spend all of my time with the church. As a local church pastor, this becomes very easy to do. However, there is an obvious disparity when a confessing follower of Jesus spends all of his time with other followers of Jesus. Why can I say that? Because it is not the pattern that Jesus set with his own lifestyle. One of the most common criticisms of Jesus was that he spent time with tax collectors and sinners (see Matthew 11:19). In other words, Jesus made a habit of spending time with people who were hungry for but disconnected from God. If that’s what Jesus did, it seems not only reasonable but necessary that I would reflect the same pattern with my own life. So for a person who desirably and easily spends his time with “church folk,” the question became a point of crisis; will anything in my life really change?
        Sitting in the comfort of my own home late in the evening, I cannot offer a confident answer to that question. Time will tell, starting with tomorrow morning as the “normal” work week begins. Will this annual conference session be a turning point that brings me to new levels of evangelical work, or will it be like so many other events, mountaintops that make little difference once they are finished? I know that the change will be awkward. It will come gradually, and will require the support and accountability of friends in the church (who, by the way, are ALSO challenged in this regard). For the sake of the Kingdom and Reign of Almighty God and the Son Jesus Christ, I pray that God will grant to me sufficient grace to change my habits, put me with those who are hungry for God’s touch, and use me to offer the life-transforming grace of Christ to the people of the world. Thanks be to God! Amen.