In fact, after having attended just the first session, I already feel recharged and inspired, as well as better educated in the role of a lay speaker in the United Methodist church.
The people I met at LACE were some of the most friendly and interesting people I've ever met. One group in particular, from Clair Memorial UMC, were strong encouragements for me because of their enthusiasm. I will never forget the way their pastor said "Praise God!" when I introduced myself and said that I felt called to join the ministry. Everyone I met there was just so happy to see each other and to talk to me. I looked around the room and I saw a room full of Christians and it was the best feeling ever to be in fellowship with them. It was a feeling of being loved, understood, and respected that I can only compare to the way I feel about my church family.
Some of the people there spoke about the different backgrounds they had. Several people said that they had always been Methodists, but they hadn't known it. There were people there who'd been raised Baptist and some who'd just drifted before joining the Methodist church. Many of them had been brought to Methodism or to Christianity by their family members. One couple who attended told me that they were originally from San Diego, California, and another lady had moved to Kentucky from Wisconsin. The preacher from Horsley Chapel was kind enough to share a little of her experience, and I found her story to be especially moving. She had grown up in the Church of Christ, and she got involved with some Methodists while working with a ministry for soldiers in basic training in Louisville. She joined the Methodist Church partially because of the Methodist Church's positive attitude toward women pastors. There were several other female pastors there, and seeing them gave me such hope for my future, because I know that I have not just my home church, but my entire denomination to support me. So many people from so many different backgrounds and walks of life come together to make our church wonderful!
One of the guest speakers was a professor from Asbury Theological Seminary who spoke about the history of the Methodist movement and some of John Wesley's influences. Much of our religious heritage comes from the Anglicans, but we also owe a lot of our theology to other influences, such as the Moravians, who broke away from the Lutheran church and emphasized feeling the Spirit of God in one's heart.
One of the things the professor taught us that really stuck with me was this explanation of Christianity from the Protestant Reformation: Sola Gratia, Sola Scriptura, Sola Fide, and Solus Christus.
The Latin phrases mean Grace Alone, Scripture Alone, Faith Alone, and Christ Alone. We're protected by God's grace, which is a gift given to us even though we could never deserve it. Scripture is the Word of God, and it must be the base of our church tradition and teachings. We are saved through faith alone in Christ. And Christ Alone is our salvation, because no one goes to the Father except through Him.
After hearing about the history of Methodism, we broke up into small groups, and my group discussed more about why lay speakers are important in the United Methodist Church.
Often, the pastor is given great responsibilty in the church. This isn't a bad thing, but since the early days of our denomination, when circuit riders traveled miles from church to church, the laity have been given the authority to run the churches and their ministries. The lay people are the church. The pastor is there to guide the church, to interpret God's Word, and to benefit the church members, but the church is more than just the pastor. My group leader said, "A church should be able to run, easily, for six months without pastor." And while no church should have to go through that today, he has a valid point: Sometimes, as lay people, we expect the pastor to take care of everything and we don't take our future into our own hands. Every single person in the church is a minister, whether "certified" or not, and we have to be the light of the world and spread the message.
We discussed why we have so much trouble taking up responsibilities in the church, and we concluded that a lot of the problems are caused because people are afraid. For example, one of my group members mentioned that Clair Memorial is one of the most enthusiastic churches in the district and that anyone who preached there was sure to feel encouraged. Another of my group members responded by asking why all churches couldn't be that way. I said that I thought people were afraid to be encouraging because they don't want to "stick out." Nobody wants to be thought of as silly or strange, and nobody wants to feel like they're all alone in their opinion. However, everyone in my group---including a member of Clair Memorial---agreed that being encouraging and taking up responsibility is always a worthwhile thing, even if you're all alone. One of my group members runs the youth group at his church, and he was a perfect example of this. One day, he realized that there was a need for a youth group in his church, and he started one, even though he knew he might be all alone at first. He told us that day that starting that project was one of the most rewarding things he's ever done.
I suppose the best way to conclude the recap of my first lay speaker training session and to sum up everything that I learned is to leave you with this Scripture (because Sola Scriptura) that was included in our lay speaker "training manual": "Haven’t I commanded you: be strong and courageous? Do not be afraid or discouraged, for the Lord your God is with you wherever you go.” Joshua 1:9
------Rachel
Great post! : )
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