The Kerusso – May| 2024
Kerusso (Greek): “To publish, proclaim openly: something which has been done.”
Do We Treasure Our Ability to Assemble? Max Edwards
We Evangelical Methodists in the USA Conference are scattered about the country. To the West, we hail from San Diego, Los Angeles, Sacramento, Mount Shasta, the West Coast of Oregon, and the Olympic Peninsula of Washington State. To the East, we worship in New York, the panhandle of Maryland, the Chesapeake Bay and Albemarle Sound regions as well as Central Florida. We have a few churches just hours from the Great Lakes to the North, and several essentially on the coastline of the Gulf of Mexico. We are very scattered! Because of that, many of us feel quite isolated, without much interaction with our brother and sister EMC’ers around the country. It is for that very reason that our Superintendents work so hard to hold assembly meetings in a variety of places so that we can see one another face-to-face at least occasionally. Our “Journey” meetings are not just a time to report, and learn, and worship. No, they are designed to create fellowship opportunities for encouragement and inspiration. Our meeting in North Carolina – our third of four this year – was a marvelous gathering (pictured left). The preaching and teaching were delightful, but I wonder, do we truly treasure just the privilege of gathering? The early Methodists took great delight in assembling, often singing Charles Wesley’s hymn, “And Are We Yet Alive?” John Wesley made it a fixture of their meetings. One of the song’s stanzas calls to mind the hardships often faced in ministry: “What troubles have we seen, what conflicts have we
passed, fightings without, and fears within, since we assembled last?”
I think we would do well to re-assess our golden opportunities. We too easily take for granted our freedoms, and our conveniences. The treasure of fellowship is a priceless joy in Christ’s kingdom. Let’s determine to avail ourselves of every opportunity to receive and give encouragement to our friends and co-laborers in the kingdom! One more “Journey” meeting lays before us in Copperas Cove, Texas, on May 16-17. If you are registered to attend, I look forward to fellowshipping, worshipping, and celebrating together with you. If you have not registered, and have it in your power to attend, please consider making the trip. I know we dwell far from one another … all the more reason to spend time together in a holy place, drinking in some holy love.