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1 John 1:6-7
By Delores Oden

How do we know God?

Within the Baltimore-Washington Conference, teachers, lawyers, sales clerks, health care technicians, construction workers, students - everyday, extraordinary people, pursuing thousands of different occupations, are united in their desire to better know God.

On Oct. 19, these nearly 200,000 United Methodists will observe Laity Sunday and the meaningful ministries that arise as they seek to grow in God's love.

The writer G.K. Chesterton once quipped, "Christianity has not so much been tried and found wanting, as it has been found difficult and left untried." These are clever words, but I don't think they're entirely true of the laity of the Baltimore-Washington Conference.

As the conference lay leader, I am confident that in each of our churches, lay people are experiencing Christ in new ways as they celebrate in worship; connect in hospitality, develop and learn, serve in transformational missions and share their faith.

Our people are "trying" their faith in new ways everyday. And, more importantly, they are bearing fruit - becoming leaders as they make disciples and lead others to know God.

This desire to grow and be leaders within their communities became apparent to me during the past year in the planning of the conference's Discipleship Academy. There is a thirst among the people in our pews and pulpits to broaden their understandings and the gifts they bring to their churches.

People sense the richness of their calling and they're anxious to be equipped to live it out faithfully and effectively. They want to be transformed and shaped by the cross. This desire may be our conference's greatest strength.

Initially, I was disappointed that more people didn't sign up for this pilot wave of the Academy, which began Sept. 27 and runs for six weeks. I had imagined our churches might be brimming with people sharing their stories, resources and know?ledge as they were trained to be Christ-centered leaders.

When attendance did not meet these expectations, I had to step back and realize that God may have different plans for the Academy's pilot sessions, that this opportunity will give conference leaders the chance to dig deeper and gain a clearer under?standing of what people in our local churches are seeking; and that those who are currently taking classes are living out a potentially remarkable experience that will transform their ministries.

In this semester of the Academy, 150 people are becoming Certified Lay Ministers, pursuing a new way to do ministry within the denomination. An additional 75 are taking church leadership classes. That is a cause for great celebration.

The planning of this Academy taught me that one way is to trust that we can and must plan - but we must also be open enough to the Spirit to allow God to act, and then trust that all things really do work for good for those who love the Lord.

As churches observe Laity Sunday, they'll be called to consider the words of 1 John 1:6-7.

These words: "if we walk in the light as he himself is in the light" seem like another ideal way to begin to know, and to grow in our understanding of, God.

We are children of the light. What an incredible way to be instructed to live.

May God keep us in the light.

The General Board of Discipleship offers a number of worship resources for churches to celebrate Laity Sunday. They can be found at www.gbod.org/laity.