New Wine, Old Wineskins?
One highlight for me about the life and ministry of Jesus Christ is his unyeilding prophetic challenge to systemic structures of oppression that subject people to laws and practices that are not rooted in love and justice. This cost him ridicule, persecution, and death at the hands of the powerful rulers of both temple and empire.Jesus said "no one pours new wine into old wineskins. Otherwise, the wine will burst the skins, and both the wine and the wineskins will be ruined. No, they pour new wine into new wineskins" (Mark 2:22). The "new wine" - the good news of God's amazing grace that is inclusive of all God's children - cannot be contained by "old wineskins" - oppressive structures that spew discrimination and hate. We need a new paradigm in both church and society that celebrates and lifts up the beauty of all life, interconnected in a web of gracious and affirming relationships.
I am particularly concerned about efforts to privilege institutional unity in The UMC while the church discerns how it would be bearers of Jesus' "new wine." Compromises are easy when you're not on the chopping block. I am ready for new wine in new wineskins - a new way of being church that affirms LGBTQ persons and stands in solidarity with all oppressed communities. I am done with crumbs thrown under the table to God's LGBTQ children. Forty-five years of waiting to savor justice is too long of a wait. It's time!
Blessings,
Rev. Dr. Israel I. Alvaran
Western Jurisdiction Organizer
Phone: 510-717-4894
izzy@rmnetwork.org
Your RMN Staff
We are thrilled to welcome new members of the RMN staff! I would like to share this group photo taken at our staff meeting in Chicago last month. Missing in this photo is Dennis Akpona, our African Central Conferences Coordinator, Mellany McDonald-Williams, our South Central Regional Field Associate, and Rev. M Barclay, our Communications Director who will be leaving us for new endeavors on Oct 13th.
We are proud to be a team committed to LGBTQ justice in The United Methodist Church. For a detailed bio of our staff please click here.
Seated (left to right): Rev. Liam M. Hooper, Kathey Cheney-Egan, Brett Roes.
Standing (left to right): Jan Lawrence, Laura Young, Suzanne Dickerson, Helen Ryde, Rev. Lois McCullen Parr, Rev. Kim Sorrells, Rev. Israel I. Alvaran
Join us for a training
Do you want to help increase the number of Reconciling Churches, Communities and Campus Ministries? Join us for a training designed to help participants coach ministries through the Reconciling process. The training will include skills building around topics common in the Reconciling process including: complex identities, framing, steps of the Reconciling process, graceful engagement, and conflict management. There will also be a time for participants to confirm whether or not they would like to be process coaches for their church or other congregations.
WHAT: This training will empower Reconciling United Methodists to shepherd churches/communities through the Reconciling process.
WHEN: 9AM – 5PM (lunch/snacks will be provided)
WHERE: Walnut Creek UMC, 1543 Sunnyvale Avenue, Walnut Creek, CA 94597
REGISTRATION: Click the button bellow to register (please sign up by October 26, 2017)
Register for the Walnut Creek BIC Workshop
Host a BIC Workshop
Witness at Judicial Council Meeting
The UMC Judicial Council is meeting at the Crowne Plaza LAX Hotel in Los Angeles, CA on October 24-27, 2017. Their docket for this session includes cases related to queer clergy Rev. Anna Blaedel and Rev. T.C. Morrow. They will also decide on separate requests from the Denmark and California-Pacific conferences for a declaratory ruling on the constitutionality of the "incompatible" language in the UMC Book of Discipline.
The United Methodist Queer Clergy Caucus is organizing witness at Judicial Council on October 26th. Details will be released at a later date, but if you are able to participate in this ministry of prophetic presence and witness, please save the date and invite members of your local church to attend.
Connect with your local Reconciling team
Contact your state or conference's Reconciling team leaders below to know how you can participate in local activities and witness.
- Alaska: Art Carpenter and Tia Hollowood
- Desert Southwest: Rev. Kimberly Scott
- California-Nevada: Beth Snyder
- California-Pacific: Jason Takagi
- Pacific Northwest: Rev. Sharon Moe
- Oregon-Idaho: Deborah Maria
- Rocky Mountain: Pastor Jaime Nieves
- Yellowstone: Mary Maheras
- Hawai'i: Darlene Rodrigues
- California-Nevada Conference Committee on Reconciliation
- Pacific Northwest - Reconciling Ministries Network
- California-Pacific Conference Reconciling Ministries Network
- Rocky Mountain Reconciling Ministries Network
- Alaska Reconciling Ministries Network
- Yellowstone Conference Voices of Reconciling Ministries
- Desert Southwest Reconciling Ministries
- Oregon-Idaho Reconciling United Methodists
- Hawai'i Reconciling Ministries
- Filipino Reconciling United Methodists
Copyright © 2017 Reconciling Ministries Network, All rights reserved.
Our mailing address is:
Reconciling Ministries Network
123 West Madison Street, Suite 2150
Chicago, Illinois 60602, United States
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