Staying strong side-by-side

In the last hour, I have been talking with two Angolan friends, both young Methodists, by Instant Message.  We have not talked for awhile--busy schedules and odd hours prevented connection.  (Remember there is a 7-10 hour difference in time zone between Angola and US).

Towards the end of the conversation, one of my friends wrote "I feel very strong when I am by your side- don't let me be alone."  The funny thing is, I feel that, too.

Isn't this why we value the connectional nature of our United Methodist church?  Why we hold an annual meeting?  In our hearts and our spiritual lives, we are stronger together than we are alone, though God is always present.  Jesus knew this about us.

Reflecting upon this weekend's annual session of the Yellowstone United Methodist Conference , I feel stronger and more hopeful than I did.  I believe we are in a place of promise with a promising outlook, though the labor will challenge every fiber of who we are. 

What do you think?  I invite you to share with your feedback--positive and negative.

Here are some other voices heard around the edges of the annual session....and, blog links on the sidebar, too...

"We all have two hands-one hand to give and the other to receive."

"It is the intersection of giving and receiving where mission occurs.  We must relearn our story by finding our own stories, listening to others' stories, and knowing the stories of the Bible. 

What will you do to find this intersection?"

"The local churches #1 missional responsibility is the missional costs.  How are you going to ensure your church pays its missional funds in full?"

"Health is a social responsibility of ours."

"This budget is a compromise."

"We will do great things in the years ahead, and we still will stumble and fall and hurt each other."

"Come. Holy Spirit, come."