Grace and Truth: A word from pastors

Mennonite Church USA Convention is an every-other-year event. A year ago I had the joy of serving as co-coordinator for the prayer team of Columbus 2009. It was hard work, precious work, rewarding work. I am grateful to have been given the opportunity to serve in this way and to see the convention from a different viewpoint from my usual delegate spot.

In this year between conventions, I have been given an opportunity to see Mennonite Church USA Convention from still another point of view. I am one of 12 volunteers serving on the adult planning committee. Another group of 12 volunteers serves on the youth planning committee. Both committees also have coordinators, Executive Leadership and convention staff members.

At this writing, we have met twice and will meet twice more. The first meeting was a joint one of the two committees. We spent 2½ days together exploring Scripture, experiencing the Pittsburgh setting where the next convention will be held, reflecting on our church and convention experiences and listening for the Spirit’s leading in the midst of it all. Just 30 minutes before the scheduled end of our first meeting together, suddenly it all came together.

As we recognized that we were in agreement, we knew God’s Spirit had led us to the 2 Corinthians 5:16-20 text and the “Bridges to (the) Cross” theme for Pittsburgh 2011.
I was not a part of the youth planning committee, so I can only describe what happened at the adult planning sessions. At these sessions, we decided upon daily worship themes and thought about possible worship leaders and speakers. Again, we felt God’s Spirit working through us and among us as we discussed and planned.

As we worked at theme-setting and worship planning, we had glimpses into other areas of planning for convention. For instance, did you know that convention staff negotiates with hotels in the area surrounding the convention center for lower room rates, which include rebates that cover the costs of renting the convention center?

They also do a taste test of the meals that will be served to convention-goers who buy the meal plan. Granted, meals prepared for a few cannot taste exactly like the meals prepared for thousands. But they do their best to ensure the meals will be tasty, wholesome and meet the dietary needs of many, many people.

An agreement to purchase the meal plans also serves to lower the cost for using the facility—and therefore registration costs for convention-goers—while giving people a safe and handy option for fueling their bodies throughout the week. At Pittsburgh, meals served at the David Lawrence Convention Center will include produce actually grown on the rooftop of our meeting space. You can’t get more local and fresh than that.
Mennonite Church USA Convention is a wonderful opportunity to view a picture of the denomination—much larger, broader and more diverse than our local congregations and area conferences. It is not the entire picture and cannot be. But it has potential to be a larger picture if those who are able practice some mutual aid.

What if every congregation within driving distance chose to be a partner with a congregation that feels challenged financially to send delegates and/or participants because of distance and limited funds? What if youth groups set aside 10 percent (or more) of their fund-raising efforts to be a partner with a resource-challenged youth group so those youth could have the experience, too?

What if relationships were established even before meeting in Pittsburgh because of the contacts made to talk about mutual aid? Those who offer assistance could well discover how generous the gifts are that they receive back from those congregations in need. What is already a grand picture could be made even grander as we come together to worship, learn and discern.

We have opportunities ahead of us as well as challenges. We will come from different places and experiences, bringing a variety of expectations and desires, to worship the same Lord. Will we be able to see the face of Jesus in those we meet? Will we recognize the heart of Jesus in those with whom we disagree?

I hope and pray that as we celebrate, discern, worship and learn together, God’s Spirit will be made glad in our love for one another and devotion to God.

Donna Mast serves half-time as a pastor at Scottdale (Pa.) Mennonite Church and half-time as interim conference minister for Allegheny Mennonite Conference.