Imagine

WEDNESDAY, May 18, 2016 Dear Members and Friends of the Desert Southwest Conference, Grace and peace in moments when God's spirit breaks through! You have probably all experienced a moment or two in your life when you felt that God's Holy Spirit was present in real ways. Today, I felt that Spirit in real ways. Let me share a bit. The morning started very early with conversations in the Council of Bishops around a statement we had worked on in response to the request by the General Conference to give leadership around the impasse that was evident in our legislative process. The General Conference was headed toward a trainwreck in the worst sense of that phrase. As has been the case in the past, efforts to "solve" matters around human sexuality were going to be "resolved" by the traditional legislative process, a process which many feel is futile and ultimately very painful to most persons and hurtful to the LGBTQ community in our United Methodist Churches. Creating a "win-lose" situation in matters of human sexuality is not helpful and has certainly not been conducive to unity in our United Methodist Church. The Council of Bishops crafted and approved (not by unanimous vote) a statement which was entitled "An Offering for a Way Forward." The statement, grounded in Galatians 3:25-29 shared that the bishops also feel the pain that is being felt around the denomination. We declared that this was a kairos moment (a God-given, holy moment) to assist the church find a way foward that would bring about a "deep unity that allows for a variety of expressions to co-exist in one church." To this end, we expressed that "our unity is found in Jesus Christ; it is not something we achieve but something we receive as a gift from God." I felt the Holy Spirit as I read the statement. The statement expressed our commitment to help lead the church in such a way that our mission and ministry in the world would not be compromised while we lead the church to new behaviors, a new way of being and new forms and structures. Ultimately, this statement, which included suggestions for a process and next steps, was offered to the General Conference. After significant debate a motion to adopt the document and its process provisions was passed. A significant provision of this document was the recommendation that this General Conference defer all votes on human sexuality and that we seek ways to "continue to explore options to help the church live in grace with one another - including ways to avoid further complaints, trials and harm while we uphold the Discipline." This will require a complex conversation in the Council as we begin to implement these provisions. As you probably already know, the motion to accept the plan was adopted by a close majority vote. That means there was considerable negative reaction to the motion. This was Holy Spirit moment #2 for me. I remain hopeful, but ask for your continued prayers for this General Conference. The day and evening concluded with a continuation of our Acts of Repentance as we welcomed descendants of the Sand Creek massacre. Descendants of Sand Creek were present and shared in the plenary and with a dinner afterwards. I was honored to present a copy of the newly published book about the massacre to one of the descendants. As I presented it to him, I also gave him an origami crane and said, "This paper crane is a symbol of peace. Please receive it with my deep wish for forgiveness and peace between us." Holy Spirit moment #3. I can only hope that peace will come between the Sand Creek descendants and The United Methodist Church and that peace will also come to our United Methodist Church. That would be for me another Holy Spirit moment, indeed! Blessings, Bob

Dear Members and Friends of the Desert Southwest Conference, Grace and peace to you in these days of General Conference! Many of you know of my desire for conversation and prayer with one another especially when we are facing difficult, potentially divisive decisions. Our "Holy Huddles" in small groups around tables at our Annual Conference before we debate and vote are designed to move us to a more relational, Christ-like approach to decision making. In keeping with our Wesleyan heritage to love one another even though we may not think alike, I believe small group conversations that involve active listening, respectful speaking and prayer before voting are key to being the church. For this reason, it should surprise no one to learn of my deep disappointment today when General Conference voted not to adopt the proposed Rule 44 which would have created this relational approach as a tool to use for our consideration of legislation. I believe this decision is shortsighted and that it signals that many are afraid of something that is new and different. I also felt that many were guided by fearful factions who politicized this process by linking it to issues related to creating a more tolerant, accepting United Methodist Church. But that is another topic for another day and another post! Keep praying for God's spirit to intervene at General Conference! Bob

JESUS CHRIST, RISEN Dear Friends of the Desert Southwest Conference, Greetings in the name of Jesus our Hope and Salvation! On Easter Sunday joyful music and liturgy proclaimed the Good News of Jesus Christ, risen. That Good News of Jesus’ resurrection is central to our understanding of who we are as United Methodist Christians, and global citizens. So even after Easter Sunday is over we are called to live our lives freed from the fear of evil and death as Easter people renewed by our faith, living boldly in the shadow of an empty cross. Our world urgently needs to hear and experience the message of resurrection hope now more than ever. Terrorism, racism, violence, war, and discrimination continue to diminish our sisters and brothers in the human family. In faith, we seek reassurance that out of despair can come the hope made known in Jesus Christ, risen. An unbridled proliferation of violence stains our communities. There is no simple solution to this madness. Many things contribute to this epidemic of terrorism, mass shootings, suicides, accidental deaths, drug-related addictions, domestic conflict, unattended mental illness, and unbridled anger. I pray for a rebirth of hope in transformative actions to turn the tide and reduce this growing scourge. In the human family overt acts of blatant racism as well as hatred against members of the lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender and questioning communities continue to plague us. I pray for acceptance for all God’s children regardless of how they look, what they wear, how they worship, and whom they love. I pray for an end to laws that discriminate against those who come in peace seeking safety and refuge. Our world, precious gift of God, fragile and endangered because of human greed and neglect needs our care. Creation groans at the abuse it has endured. I am praying that out of the spirit of deep appreciation for God’s created world there can be repentance for our neglect and abuse of creation, and strong efforts that will bring renewal and resurrection. Much of the hope that can be realized emerges out of our faithful response to the generous and abundant love of God in Jesus Christ, risen. To fully embrace that love is to understand that we have an indispensable role in bringing new life and new hope. We are the very persons whom God calls to do the work of ushering in hope for a better world. That is our job as Christ followers! The words of an old hymn come to mind to remind us of this: “When our hearts are wintry, grieving, or in pain, Jesus’ touch can call us back to life again, Fields of our hearts that dead and bare have been: Love is come again, like wheat that springeth green.” (J.M.C. Crum, 1928, The United Methodist Hymnal, #311) I give thanks for the faithful witness of our laity and pastors who preach and practice what it means to stand boldly in places of injustice, violence, and oppression. I pray for strength and courage for you as you change lives and transform communities because of your good work and ministry. I am grateful that because of you, God’s love is made known in the name of Jesus Christ, risen! In Christ, Bob Please pray with me! God, source of all life and love: We pray as people whom you have already given the gift of salvation in Jesus Christ. Give us courage to be proclaimers of that message of your love and your hope to a world which is reeling from the ills of violence, prejudice, fear, pain and sorrow. Give us a resurrection faith to practice what we preach: that you love us as you love all persons, that you rejoice when we heed your call and you forgive us when we turn away from you. Give strength to your people that we might never languish in our efforts to bring about a resurrection of hope in our world in the name of Jesus Christ, risen! Amen!

Bob

June 26, 2015 Dear Members and Friends of the Desert Southwest Conference, I greet you in the name of Jesus, the One who proclaims the Good News of God’s love for all! My heart sings with a hymn from our United Methodist hymnal: God of change and glory, God of time and space, when we fear the future, give to us your grace. In the midst of changing ways give us still the grace to praise. Many gifts, one Spirit, one love known in many ways. In our difference is blessing, from diversity we praise One Giver, one Lord, one Spirit, one Word known in many ways, hallowing our days. For the Giver, for the gifts, praise, praise, praise! -Al Carmines, 1973, The United Methodist Hymnal #114 Much is changing in the world of today! Now that the Supreme Court has ruled to legalize same-gender marriage across the United States we are experiencing BOTH the most welcomed and the most feared changes in our society and for our United Methodist Church. I write these words acknowledging that we United Methodists are not of one mind in our opinion of this decision. One thing is clear: the decision will encourage change in many ways. I am among the persons who feel that this ruling is an opportunity for us. The changes we are experiencing present opportunities for us to look deeply into our own selves, to find places where we might be patterned by old understandings and prejudices, and to discover anew what it means to appreciate, celebrate, and respect the diversity in God’s wonderfully created world. I am hopeful we will be able to accept, embrace, and incorporate change in our lives and in the ministries that God has called us to. The profoundly moving words of ustice Anthony Kennedy’s opinion form a foundation for our understanding of the importance of this ruling: "No union is more profound than marriage, for it embodies the highest ideals of love, fidelity, devotion, sacrifice, and family. In forming a marital union, two people become something greater than once they were. As some of the petitioners in these cases demonstrate, marriage embodies a love that may endure even past death. It would misunderstand these men and women to say they disrespect the idea of marriage. Their plea is that they do respect it, respect it so deeply that they seek to find its fulfillment for themselves. Their hope is not to be condemned to live in loneliness, excluded from one of civilization's oldest institutions. They ask for equal dignity in the eyes of the law. The Constitution grants them that right." How does this affect us in The United Methodist Church? Unlike those who would say that “nothing has changed,” I prefer to say that this ruling is a signal to us that it is vitally important that we make changes in the way our Church does ministry. It is not only about undergoing a shift in who is able to stand in line at a government office to apply for a marriage license. It is not only about the financial boom that we are already experiencing in wedding industry-related businesses. What is changing and what our United Methodist Churches must accept and embrace is the need for us all to intentionally reach out in love and radical hospitality to all persons to proclaim the love of esus Christ. I am hopeful that we of the Desert Southwest Conference will commit ourselves to engage in respectful conversations in our congregations and in our communities, calling all persons to enlarge their vision of the Reign of God, where all of God’s creation lives in harmony and peace. I trust that we will all work to respond with openness to the changing demographics and the changing dynamics of the present time. This is a magnificent opportunity for all of us to be in ministry to care for one another, even as we search for pastoral guidance in a time of change. Let’s care for one another, listening with respect to the concerns and beliefs of others. Let’s embark as never before to step out into the communities around us to demonstrate our dedication to ministries of social justice and love. Where there is fear of the changes, let’s speak to our church and our neighborhoods a holy word of compassion and understanding, to calm those who are fearful and to encourage those who are doubtful. And to let our people know that in all times of change, God is with us to assure us. This is a moment of opportunity for us to lead those in the pews and those in the homes and businesses in our neighborhoods that we United Methodists are striving diligently to finally bring to reality the words: “Open Hearts, Open Minds, Open Doors.” It is an opportunity for us to embrace change and to remain stalwart in our desire and intention to focus on mission and ministry as Christ-followers who labor in God’s vineyard to proclaim the Good News of esus in our words, our deeds and our prayers. I offer a word of reassurance as your bishop. For some, the Supreme Court ruling is a monumental threat to the institution of marriage. For others, it is a good start to movement toward full acceptance of the LGBTQ community. Let me remind us all that the Church is most true to its calling when we place mission and ministry above our human penchant to judge others, to separate and exclude. There is much that we can and should be doing to serve God through ministry. As always, I keep you, our churches, our members and our communities in my prayers as we step boldly into this new day and age and strive to continue to reflect the light of Christ for all. And I am still singing: God of many colors, God of many signs, You have made us different, blessing many kinds. As the old ways disappear, let your love cast out our fear. Many gifts, one Spirit, one love known in many ways. In our difference is blessing, from diversity we praise One Giver, one Lord, one Spirit, one Word known in many ways, hallowing our days. For the Giver, for the gifts, praise, praise, praise! -Al Carmines, 1973, The United Methodist Hymnal #114 In Christ, Bob A PRAYER FOR THIS MOMENT: Almighty and All-loving God, we turn to you in this time of change and transition. In this time, for some of us, long-held understandings are being challenged. For others, this moment is another step in a longer, more difficult journey. However we are feeling at this juncture, give us the understanding that new opportunities are ours to proclaim your message of love and grace in what we say and in what we do. Let us not shrink from our calling to love all, that our churches may truly be places of “Open Hearts, Open Minds, Open Doors.” We lean upon you for your guidance, your hope, and your reassurance in the name of esus, who taught us to love. Amen.

February 12, 2015 Dear Members and Friends of the Desert Southwest Conference, I greet you in the name of Jesus Christ, our strength and salvation! The civilized world is horrified at the brutality of ISIS, the militant Islamic State of Iraq and Syria. In a series of public news releases and postings, hostages taken by force and held against their will have been brutally executed. Despite efforts to gain release of these hostages, the captors have been singly focused on an agenda that is political and viciously cruel. As Christ followers who are called to love all persons, we recoil at this violence and senseless death. Recently, news became public of the death of yet another hostage held by ISIS. This time the horror strikes too close to home. Rumors have been substantiated that despite efforts to return this hostage to freedom, Kayla Mueller, a young woman from Prescott, Arizona is dead. An alumna of Northern Arizona University, Kayla was captured on August 4, 2013, while following her passion offering humanitarian aid in Syria. I first learned of Kayla’s captivity from the Rev. Kathleen Day, our campus pastor at Northern Arizona University through Billie Fidlin, our Conference Director of Outreach. Since then my fervent prayers have been for Kayla and her family and for those who were then diligently working for her safe return. Now, however, we join many in sadness at the senseless and tragic end to a life being lived in pursuit of justice and in service of others. To help us through a time of heavy heart such as this, when our spirits sink with hopeless despair and anger, we turn to God’s Word and we lift our prayers to God for hope and healing and hope. We are buoyed by the words of the scriptures that tell of God’s compassion and love and of the promise of eternal life. These strong words I share with you: “I lift up my eyes to the hills – from where will my help come? My help comes from the Lord, who made heaven and earth.” (Psalm 121: 1-2) “Out of the depth I cry to you, O Lord. Lord, hear my voice! Let your ears be attentive to the voice of my supplications! . . . I wait for the Lord, my soul waits, and in his word I hope; my soul waits for the Lord more than those who watch for the morning, more than those who watch for the morning.” (Psalm 130: 1-2, 3-6) Jesus said, “Peace I leave with you; my peace I give to you. I do not give to you as the world gives. Do not let your hearts be troubled, and do not let them be afraid.” (John 14:27) Let us join in prayer in the name of our compassionate God, asking for comfort for all who mourn. Please also raise prayers for the end to war and violence with the fervent hope that peace will come to a deeply divided, troubled world. And we pray that those who wield power viciously will have their hearts softened by grace so that there will be an end to lives being callously lost and human worth denigrated in the name of political gain. I am asking you to stand firm against evil and injustice, to turn away from violence and harm, and to serve the cause of goodwill to others. I ask you to commit to living a life of peaceful bridge building and reaching out to others in love. I ask you to combat evil in the world by doing good in your lives wherever you may be. In memory of Kayla Mueller, I am asking you to pray for peace in your private quiet moments with God, in your worship services at church, and in prayer circles and chains. I offer a prayer that follows, but you also have words that are heartfelt that I ask you to lift to God. And let us not forget that in every situation when our spirits might sink with hopeless despair and anger, we are buoyed by our firm foundation of faith in Jesus Christ, the Resurrection and the author of life eternal. In Christ, Bob Loving God, we turn to you in prayer in this time of sadness and shock. We recoil at the cruelty that has resulted in the tragic loss of the life of Kayla Mueller. We pray for Kayla’s family and all who cherish her. Visit them with the Holy Comfort of your Spirit, to lift them from moments of sadness and loss. In your comforting love, permeate any despair that is felt, and give hope whenever hope fades. God of Life, with your powerful, transforming grace, melt the hardness of heart of those that promote violence and evil. Keep us from repaying evil for evil, that we might instead work more diligently for peace in our world. We commit ourselves to the pursuit of the vision of your Reign where the lion and the lamb coexist in peace. Almighty and All-Loving God, give power to these words through your Holy Spirit as we pray in the strong name of the Christ, our Rock, our Redeemer, and our Hope, Amen!

This will be my home for the next 15 hours. I am traveling to Maputo, Mozambique for a meeting of the Connectional Table. We will be carefully and prayerfully considering legislation to offer to General Conference. We have an opportunity to speak the truth: Our beloved United Methodist Church has not yet fully embraced being truly a church that welcomes all persons. "Open hearts, open minds, open doors," is in some corners of United Methodism still just something we say, but don't practice. Please pray for God's spirit to be felt intensely leading us forward in Mozambique to offer to General Conference grace-filled messages so there may be opening of hearts, minds, doors, and our ministries for all God's children!

Won't lie: I'm watching the Superbowl with glee, hoping for a Seahawk historical win.

Dear Members and Friends of the Desert Southwest Conference! Greetings for the new year in the name of God, who makes all things new! As I write this, I have just put away most of the Christmas decorations around our home. It is, after all, past the twelfth day of Christmas, the day of Epiphany, when the magi were said to have arrived at the manger to give gifts of frankincense, gold, and myrrh to the baby Jesus. Once many years ago, all the decorations of Christmas were put away at our house. The ornaments carefully placed in the boxes where they would be kept until next Advent. When I discovered that I had forgotten to put away one of the Christmas ornaments, one of my very favorites, pictured here. It is still my favorite, lovingly handmade by my wife, Greta several decades ago. It has adorned our Christmas tree every year since. Not wanting to have to go back into the carefully packed and stacked boxes to put this one ornament away, I decided to leave it out on a shelf in our family room. When people noticed the lone ornament on display way past Christmas, they asked about it. Not wanting to simply say that I had forgotten to put the ornament away, I said, “It is a reminder that the spirit of Christmas should be celebrated all year long.” Somehow, that explanation stuck. It made a lot of sense and so even today, I purposely leave one ornament out all year long. It is not always easily seen; sometimes it becomes lost amid so many other things on a shelf somewhere. But it is there so that people can see it, and to anyone who discovers it and asks, I will say, “This is so we always remember that the spirit of Christmas is meant to be a part of our lives all year long, and not just at Christmas.” In this new year, we face many challenges. The world is ever needing the joy and the love we experience at Christmas. Humanity cries out for justice and peace that we know comes from the Christ child of Bethlehem. Neighbors and friends long for comfort and reassurance that God is with us. The lost and the lonely cry out for love. The Christmas spirit, precious as it is, should not be “put away” in neat boxes on a shelf until next year. There are too many who need that spirit now; there are too many opportunities to share that spirit today; there are too many moments waiting to be transformed by your love and your faith so that this world might be a better world. There is so much for us to do in the name of Jesus! I pray that we will “repeat the sounding joy,” over and over and day after day in our lives! May Christmas live on through your life, and like that ornament that is left on the shelf, may others see and experience the goodness of your heart and the depth of your faith as you do so. Merry Christmas every day! Blessings, Bob

In Christ’s peace, Bishop Robert T. Hoshibata

In Christ’s peace, Bishop Robert T. Hoshibata

  This Lenten season, let’s offer these prayers as our pledge to God to work for peace in our lives and in our world, and to say, think and do only the best in order to glorify our God through our lives!

 Bob

On a visit to Payson UMC, Arizona, I snapped this photo of a bumper sticker that says what this church believes and practices!