Reflections on Annual Conference

Today was the fourth and final day of the Illinois Great Rivers Conference 2011 Session. It was my first time of commuting to Annual Conference because I wanted to be able to be home with my family. I came home more weary than in previous years, and I'm sure the commuting had something to do with it.

I also think I'm tired for a myriad of other reasons. In no particular order, they are:
1) I enjoy seeing colleagues with whom I've had close friendships, or do now. I also enjoy visiting with former laypersons. Catching up and hanging out takes time and intentionality.
2) I spent a lot of time complaining about things this year, mostly having to do with flow issues and dealing with unimportant matters.
3) Voting for General and Jurisdictional Conference delegates is tedious.
4) We can't see the forest because of the trees, debating wording and amending resolutions that deal less with people and more with political correctness or bricks and mortar.
I'm sure there are other reasons as well, but I can't think of any off the top of my head.

I just took my leave of a Facebook conversation bemoaning the fact that IGRC clergy only elected elders to General and Jurisdictional Conference, but elected no deacons. There was some (what I felt was) respectful disagreement about the issue in the conversation - but as I sit here reflecting on the Annual Conference session and this minutes-ago conversation, I am reminded that the church is full of sinners, and is therefore imperfect. I cannot expect perfection. I can't expect everything to be smooth and flow easily. I can't expect people to stay on task and on target. I can't get upset when people complain or nit-pick about the little things. I can't get upset over wording, or who got elected (either persons, or Orders, or ethnicities, or special needs, or gender, etc.), or did not get elected. I can't get upset when people think more about buildings than they do about mission. I can't get upset - because the church is imperfect. It's a human construct filled with sinners. It can't be perfect; but by the grace of God and the power of the Holy Spirit, it muddles through towards perfection.

And so I'm grateful that I'm a part of this ragamuffin group of folks (laity, clergy (local pastors, elders, deacons, associate members), who want to love Jesus and serve him. Thank God there are many ways to do that!