University Blog

Friends,

I am at Laity Lodge with my wife for a few days together before my flight leaves for Spain and the Camino. While here, she ran out of conditioner for her hair and after I suggested she view this as an opportunity to contemplate life's challenges in prayer...I offered to go into Leakey and find her some. 

Laity Lodge sits in a canyon and phones and internet do not work here, but they do work in Leakey. When I got to town my phone erupted with messages regarding the delay in General Conference to 2024 and the announcement by the Global Methodist of their intent to incorporate officially by May 1st as a separate denomination. I couldn't help but laugh and pray. I told God that when I said I missed 2019 in lots of ways I did not mean denominational turmoil.

While I understand the questions, anxieties, and thoughts these developments give rise to–the central commitment of University remains unchanged. We will continue to form people in the gospel, proclaim the good news and bless our neighbors and neighborhoods. University is a place where God's grace is explored and shared. 

We have walked tough terrain together and we are a people who can do hard things by God's grace. Think of all we have been through in the past two years. Remember that as difficult as the journey has been, that God has been, and continues to be so good to us. God is with us and for us and will make a way.

We will not be hurried or rushed in discernment nor will we be distracted from our core mission and purpose. We will be transparent, honest and generous in our communication. We are going to be University.

Pastors Holly, Reed and Parker are available to talk or connect with while I am on this pilgrimage.

I do ask that you join me in trusting that God is good, that University and all its people belong to God, and that God delights to work in, among and around this community to achieve his purposes.

Will you join me in praying for each other, for the church, for people that are strangers to hope and love or believe that the gospel of Jesus is not for them? Will you please invite God's light to shine on us that we might walk together into God's future with boldness, courage and kindness.

The Laity retreat I am at is focused on contemplative prayer. It's a challenging discipline to me, but one of great power and promise. One of the presenters offered a quote by Julian of Norwich which he encountered as a chant while staying at a monastery: “All shall be well, and shall be well and all manner of things shall be well.”

All shall be well...and all manner of things shall be well.

On the journey with you and with God,

 Pastor Ben