Sometimes it’s good to get out and fellowship with others, not to compare, but to see what God is up to. A few days ago I attended the United Methodist Women Quadrennial Assembly. The theme for the assembly was “Make It Happen!” and, if I can say, Methodist women are tops at thinking grand. It wasn’t the décor or freebies. It wasn’t the workshops or that their keynote speaker was former Secretary of State Hillary Rodham Clinton.
I couldn’t quite put my finger on what this grandness was and then I heard it—Clinton spoke of herself as part of the organization. And, as I spoke with women in the lines for everything (especially the hotel elevators), they spoke of their personal contribution to the “special mission the UMW was called to 150 years ago.” That’s how they speak about themselves. It was the spirit of the women gathered as one that was grand. There was a sense of purpose and power.
As we waited for the Clinton plenary to begin, an older woman by herself asked if she could sit with us. As we made small talk I commented about the spirit of the women. She said, “It’s what keeps me connected.” Then, she cautioned, “But, it can slip away so easily. What you see here now takes work. It’s all about relationships.”
The more I think about of many generations, the theme for our Ninth Triennial Gathering, it is just the place to recapture our spirit of oneness.
Are you coming?
Valora K Starr is director of discipleship.
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