As we continue through Lent, we are studying the book “Love Is The Way” by Bishop Michael Curry. I am thankful for this time to delve deeply into what love is and how love influences and affects our lives. A connection Bishop Curry makes is between love and our dreams. Love helps us dream.
In the history of the Civil Rights movement, the reality for Black people was continued oppression and discrimination. In spite of these realities, the dream of a society without those biases helped the movement forward. Dr. Martin Luther King Jr,’s “I have a dream” speech continues to resonate through our society providing vision and hope for how our society could be. Though we have a long way to go yet, for many groups of people, love can be expressed through our visioning of a different kind of future. It is important to speak the dream.
So if dreaming is so important, how often do you sit and dream — about your life, about your work, or your church?
Our Minnesota Conference has a vision for who we as the church can be. We are to be people who grow in the love of God and neighbor, reach new people, and heal a broken world. And Asbury has a statement of mission: Asbury United Methodist is a caring, Christian community that welcomes all persons as God’s children. We will strive to grow in spirit and seek God’s vision of hope, love, and peace in the community and world. I would love to see these visions grow to specific dreams for different groups in our congregation.
I invite you, as we begin to gather back together to do a little dreaming. What could our church or your specific group become? How could you live into Asbury’s dream of bringing hope, love, and peace into this community?
I know that I am excited to see Asbury as a light of hope and love as we open our parking lot to be a COVID-19 mobile testing site and our Fellowship Hall as a place for BIPOC and people with disabilities to receive a vaccine. I see these events as continuing to live into the dreams of Asbury. What are other needs for the community that we could sponsor or promote?
We are all people on a journey, connected through the love of God for us and one another. As we dream together, we can remember that Easter is around the corner. Love that does not let us go, that is stronger than even death is the author of our dreams and the One who works through us to bring them into reality. So how about it, will you dream with me?
Blessings and Peace,
Katherine