Well, this morning we showed SlingshotCreations' "Happy Methodists" video from Conference at our morning service, subverting the fine work I have done for years in describing my attendance at Annual Conference as a trial akin to a millennium in purgatory (if we believed in such a thing)... I may not have looked it in the video, but I genuinely was happy at the overall direction of conference this year... certainly more so than for most of my ministry and more so than last year where I felt somewhat out of joint with everything for various reasons.
This year was not perfect by any means, but this is not the forum to discuss what I perceive as it's shortcomings... and I have already discussed them with those who can actually make a difference. But throughout and after conference I have had a number of experiences that have made me genuinely happy... not just the somewhat superficial happiness induced by this video (though there is nothing wrong with that)...
- Happiness is... to see the amazing generosity of people, giving not only out of their prosperity but out of their limited material wealth...
- Happiness is... to see people genuinely acknowledge their faults and failings and turn to God for the forgiveness and healing they need...
- Happiness is... to see people who have served others sacrificially without seeking the limelight being acknowledged in the Queen's birthday honours list.
- Happiness is... to see people with a hunger for God, longing to serve and worship him faithfully, and earnestly seeking his will for their lives;
- Happiness is... to see people responding with grace and forgiveness to those who have treated them with contempt and disregard...
- Happiness is... to see people who genuinely can see nothing wrong in others because they would never contemplate that others would be cynical or pragmatic...
- Happiness is... to see people who are not just peace lovers or profit from the "peace industry" but who are those who genuinely make a positive difference in their local communities...
- Happiness is... Those who do and say what is right whatever the cost, in finance, reputation, or even physical health...
- Such people prompt real happiness in me, and one day they will know a happiness more real than we have ever known...
(I was going to complete this list with a complementary negative one a la Jesus in Luke 6, but this video already portrays me as a party pooper and I don't want to reinforce my curmudgeonly image more than is absolutely necessary...)
Shalom
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