Bishop Dicks Wills' Life Journal Entry for November 26, 2007: New Beginnings

New Beginnings

S: Matthew 23:3

So practice and observe whatever they tell you-but not what they do. For they preach, but do not practice.

O: Jesus is talking about the Scribe and Pharisees in this verse. He is saying we have to “walk the talk” if God is to use our calling as Christ servants.

A: I discovered during Thanksgiving that it is so easy to begin gaining weight back. A few days later I had gained 5 lbs! It was like I lost my compass to healthy living. I just went along with the crowd and ate and ate and ate.

Now I am the one who is guilty of teaching but not practicing. It is easy to happen. Just one little mistake not corrected in a wholesome way and before you know it we have wandered far, far from God and living a disciplined life.

The same is true for all the disciplines we practice as Christ followers. We seek to journey on the road to sanctification, but the road we travel has many detours. Thanksgiving was a detour for me. Briefly, I lost my compass and just started living an un-disciplined life again.

I am grateful for new beginnings. It seems I have a lot of those in my life. I begin over with my prayer life. I begin over with my eating habits. I begin over seeking to love God with all my heart.

This Monday after Thanksgiving I am grateful to have a God who understands my failures and is always ready to receive me back again. I am grateful for this new beginning today.

P: Father thank you for loving me and always being ready to take me back when I have wandered far from you. Thank you for the gift of a new day and the gift of a new beginning. Love, Dick

Y: I surrender my life again to be a follower of Jesus.

Joint Music Study Results Now Online

NASHVILLE, Tenn., November 8, 2007/GBOD/ -- The General Board of Discipleship (GBOD) and the United Methodist Publishing House, announced this week that the complete results of a four-year joint music study and the resulting hymnal petitions, are now available online at http://www.gbod.org/worship/musicstudy.

The joint music study is the first of its kind in more than 20 years and has resulted in two petitions to the General Conference, the denomination’s highest administrative body.

“The study revealed a clear need for new resources for ethnic communities, our younger constituency and a growing desire for global music,” said Karen Greenwaldt, top executive for GBOD.

GBOD has prepared the contents of the full report for publication on the GBOD.org Web site. The complete wording of the two new hymnal petitions is also available.

The first petition asks the 2008 General Conference to appoint a hymnal committee to develop a USA hymnal and present it for consideration and approval by the 2012 General Conference. Publication could come as early as 2013.

The second petition asks General Conference to approve a four-year study of the issues around developing an Africana hymnal and to appoint a committee to accomplish the study and report back to the 2012 General Conference with possible recommendations.

The materials available online include—
• The complete 500-page music study report on survey findings
• A 17-page abbreviated summary report included in the Advanced Daily Christian Advocate (the official publication of General Conference)
• Copies of all of the survey documents used
• A summary of the responses of a select group of music and worship specialists from across the denomination
• The two new hymnal petitions; and
• Answers to frequently asked questions.

The GBOD board of directors, at its August 2007 annual meeting, and the UMPH board of directors, at its annual summer 2007 meeting, approved the petition to the 2008 General Conference that could lead to the development of a new official hymnal for the denomination with music, ritual, and worship resources for use by English-speaking United Methodists in the U.S.

In addition, the GBOD board approved a petition to study the need for an Africana hymnal, that is, a hymnal with music, ritual and worship resources for United Methodist congregations and people of African descent.

This would include the long-established African American constituency of the church, but also other Africana persons in and coming to the United Methodist Church from South and Central America, the Caribbean and from countries of Africa.

The 2004-2007 joint music study concluded its work last summer. As charged by General Conference, it focused its efforts on identifying the needs of The United Methodist Church in the areas of worship and music, particularly those related to congregational song.

Dean McIntyre, GBOD director of music resources and chair of the study committee, says, “The full online report of the joint study contains a wealth of data, statistics, and commentary on current United Methodist worship and music practices never before made available to this extent and in this accessible format.”

GBOD’s mission is to support annual conference and local church leaders for their task of equipping world-changing disciples. An agency of The United Methodist Church, GBOD (www.gbod.org) is located at 1908 Grand Ave. in Nashville, Tenn. For more information, call the Media Relations Office toll free at (877) 899-27, Ext. 7017.

Bishop Wills' Life Journal Posting for November 5th -- It Takes Time to Learn to Follow Jesus



S: Galatians 1: 18
Then after three years, I went up to Jerusalem to get acquainted with Cephas and stayed with him fifteen days.

O: Paul has been blinded and heard the voice of Jesus. He is led to a Christian and 3 days later is able to understand what God has done in his life. But he does not go immediately out to begin preaching the gospel of Christ. Instead, he goes into the desert for 3 years. Only then does he go to Jerusalem and even then does not visit with the Apostles (except James) to tell them he is now a follower of Christ.



A: It is strange how God works in our lives. For some people it seems Christ comes to them in an instant. For others it seems like it takes years. This morning as I read about Paul going into the desert for 3 years before going to preach the gospel, I am aware of my own spiritual journey.

In my life as a follower of Christ, I would spend many years in the church following the teachings of my denomination. I think God knew it would take many years for my own soul to be teachable.

Finally, when I went to South Africa in 1991, God could get my attention. But even then after that powerful experience, I had no words for what God had done and was doing in my life. I could only explain what happened more than a year later and I had no one experience in South Africa which would, like Paul, mark the point of dramatic change in my life. But gradually I could then begin following Jesus through my own beloved denomination.

I think I have not arrived and am in many ways still learning what it means to be a follower of Christ. I see this day an another opportunity to learn how to follow Jesus more completely.

P: Father still my soul that I might follow only your Son through the leading of the Holy Spirit only. There are still parts of me not yet surrendered to you. This morning I give all that I can to you.
Love,

Dick

Y: I yield my self focus to being only a servant of Christ.