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wings
Are you a thermometer
or a thermostat?
We have become an increasingly suspicious people over the last 40 to 50 years. At one time we trusted institutions that were vital to the life of our communities and our world - such as the government, schools, and the church. These institutions are now under attack. We have witnessed Watergate, the Iran contra affair, infidelity on the part of our elected officials, greed, and corruption at such an alarming rate, it's difficult to believe anyone who serves in public office. Our children are graduating without the skills needed to compete with students from other nations; low test scores and teachers with moral failings have all caused us to distrust our schools.
And then there is the church - the one institution we thought would never let us down. It, too, must deal with declining membership, pastors who don't perform to our level of expectations, a desire for more local control, and decreasing influence on our government and schools. When the church speaks, fewer people bother to pay any attention. We have lost our influence in the marketplace of ideas, and we are grieving over this loss. More groups are angry, dissatisfied, confused, and longing for control, while all the time, they feel more dependent on companies, groups, or people who are far removed from them.
So what do we do? Some have chosen to attack the institutions and people they perceive as controlling - to somehow bring them back in line with their own thinking. Others have chosen to withdraw and give up. Some have just tried to maintain the status quo. The trouble with this approach is that one group may deteriorate, while another may become destructive. If we choose to withdraw, attack, or maintain, we simply act like thermometers, reacting to the climate around us.
I refuse to believe that our best years are behind us. I refuse to believe that we cannot respond creatively and productively to the changes around us. I believe God has called us to be thermostats that set the agenda, not thermometers that react. We must have more information and knowledge of the times we are living in, the changes in thinking and living that are on the horizon, so that we can create ministry opportunities reflecting the desire of the Holy Spirit.
Local congregations must take a second look at their communities or - in some cases - look at themselves for the first time. They must ask themselves, "What is God calling us to be or do in this community - so that we can assist the Holy Spirit in the continual ministry of reconciling, saving, delivering, and transforming people?" We must plan our work and work our plan. As we approach this year's Annual Conference, let us covenant together that 2006-2007 will be the annual conference year that we reverse our membership and attendance declines.
I promise to do everything I can to make this come true - by being a thermostat. I call on you to do the same in your communities.
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Bishop James Swanson
Resident Bishop
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