Watermarked: Witness of Assurance

Wonderful witness at General Conference

Reconciling Ministries Network
Rev. Troy Plummer
May 6, 2004

Reconciling Friends,

We have had a wonderful witness at General Conference. Our Watermarked: Witness of Assurance continues to wrap the conference in the language of baptism. Baptism affirms radical equality and radical grace naming us Beloved Children of God. Baptism also initiates us into the church and commissions us into ministry. We continue to trust in the faithfulness of God to the action God takes in our baptism. We continue to challenge the church for breaking the promises of baptism for forsaking integrity in relationship to its Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual, and Transgender members.

The church continues to practice the sin of exclusion. The church has also chosen to lie. By refusing to acknowledge "Christians disagree on the compatibility of homosexual practice and Christian teaching" by 55%-45% margin, the church lied. The percentages themselves show the division we experience. Faithful United Methodists do disagree!

In hopes of just a crumb (because a crumb might taste pretty good when we haven't gotten anything in a while), reconciling delegates with heavy heart negotiated to the tiniest portion giving the church the chance to take the smallest step of improvement. The church failed.

The institution of the church failed. And yet, we have experienced Church each day in the witness we have been giving to conference. Some of the miracle moments include:

* The transformation of a dingy gym into a welcoming space! With the Shower of Stoles, balloons, and a rainbow from wall to wall, the space became home for Reconciling Ministries Network, Methodist Federation for Social Action, and Affirmation for a Common Witness.

* The daily water witness of water bottles for delegates in the afternoon labeled H2O (Hearts to Open). Thousands of bottles were distributed—some even included hand written notes from MOSAIC members.

* The daily baptismal remembrance witness when white robed volunteers held water bowls for delegates to remember their baptism as they entered each morning. Many chose to somehow dip their hands in the water and give themselves a fresh Watermark to remind them of God's love and grace.

* The overflowing lunch crowds at the transformed Smithfield gym space to hear speakers such as Bishop Kelly, Bishop Tuell, Bishop Yeagel, Rev. Gil Caldwell, Rev. Dr. James Forbes, and Delegate Mike McCurry.

* A Parent's breakfast that created tears of gratitude when Bishop Melvin Wheatley was honored with the Hilton Award for service on behalf of the LGBT and allies community. Bishop Mutti and his wife share their family story including the loss of two sons to AIDS.

* A lively student march and rally ending in baptismal remembrance that flowed into a family reunion where family members shared ending with an address by Rev. Dr. Karen Oliveto celebrating the commitments of loving couples.

* A Reconciling worship service with celebratory music, the preaching of Janet Wolf and Bishop Sprague doing two baptism (One being his grandchild!) while we sang "Rain down, rain down, rain down your love on your people. Rain down, rain down, rain down your love God of Life."

* Tuesday of the second week started a daily prayer witness with volunteers lining the entrance in prayer (standing, kneeling, sitting, eyes open, eyes closed). Spontaneously we broke into song "What does the Lord Require of You?" that reverberated through the entry area. Many entrants were brought to tears, others sang along. It continues to be a powerful witness.

From these meager descriptions, I hope you can sense how reconciling persons from across our church have come to Pittsburgh and created church together. And not just for themselves, but to feed the conference itself!

Today Soulforce in collaboration with our bishops gave us the gift of space to walk on the conference floor and create a "River of Life" processional. Hundred of Reconciling volunteers surrounded the delegates, singing and giving them small cardboard Baptized in Christ coins "Washed with the water of baptism, Led by the Spirit each day, This shell in my pocket reminds me that Jesus will show me the way."

Surely, Jesus WILL show us the way! Creating church wherever we go, we are beloved Watermarked Children of God permanently and powerfully part of the family!

Rev. Troy Plummer
Executive Director
Reconciling Ministries Network