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BY MELISSA LAUBER
UMCONNECTION STAFF

Amid prayer, song, story, tears, dance, preaching and a miracle, the members of the 228th session of the Baltimore-Washington Conference lifted their hearts to God at opening worship May 30.

“United Methodists gather. United Methodists gather for holy conferencing. United Methodists gather for revival,” said Bishop Schol.

During a time of emotional prayer and music, Marge Shiflet of Providence UMC in Kemptown, who was going blind in her left eye, said she felt the presence of the Holy Spirit and her vision suddenly cleared.

“I’m not this kind of person. This kind of thing doesn’t happen to me,” Shiflet said. “I’m going to see my doctor, because this feels like a miracle.”

In an impassioned sermon, the Rev. Zan Holmes, pastor of St. Luke’s UMC in Dallas and narrator of the first Disciple Bible study, reminded church leaders to check their egos at the door and to be open to the new things God is doing in their midst.

Self-importance is what separated the disciples from God at the Last Supper, when they argued which among them would be considered the greatest. Self-importance is also what causes today’s church to miss the possibilities of an inclusive church, Holmes said. “How often do we miss that opportunity as we prepare to create a new generation of disciples because we have not checked our egos at the door?”

Gender lines, racial lines, national boundaries, sexual orientations -- all these things seem to divide us, said Holmes. “We say we love Jesus, but do we love the people that Jesus loves? The sin of ‘better-than-ness’ keeps us from understanding that Jesus loves everybody.

Refusing to open our hearts to those we consider less-than will cause us to miss out on the blessings God has in store for us,” he said.

Drawing on the wisdom of theologian Howard Thurman, he said, “Jesus meets each person where they are. But he treats them if they are where they should be. He sets before them a crown of possibility.”

The opening worship was built around the story of Peter and Cornelius in Acts 10. The Scripture was told dramatically by professional storyteller Tracy Radosevic. The altar area was decorated with a large triptych of Christ designed by artist Ben Sloan, an M.Div. student at Wesley Seminary.  The Rev. Jimmy Sherrod of Metropolitan Memorial UMC in D.C. and the Crossroads Band provided the music.

An offering at the service brought in $13,917 for ministries to end malaria and provide 500 units of supportive housing for the homeless.

Building on the conference theme, Holmes began his sermon by telling the people of the Baltimore-Washington Conference to get ready. “God wants to use us to be God’s faithful servants as we reach out to a new generation in the name of Christ, empowered by the Holy Spirit.”