“He has told you, O mortal, what is good;
And what does the Lord require of you
But to do justice, and to love kindness,
And to walk humbly with your God?”

– Micah 6:8

We are in a time of uncertainty as the United Methodist Church. As we await the Special Called Session of General Conference in St. Louis at the end of the month of February there are fears, anxieties and frustrations abounding. Will the UMC find a way forward that avoids a split between traditionalists and progressives? If such a way forward is not achieved will this result in the church dividing? What will be the fate of the whole denomination… and of my own local church?

No one knows the answers to these questions and even after the Special Called Session there will be uncertainties and questions left unanswered. Our UMC like life itself is uncertain. All of us must live life by the wisdom of the saying: “There by the Grace of God go I.” We cannot control life; we cannot control matters of life and death; the more we try to control life the more it slips away from us.

So what do we do? We do what our ancestors in faith have done throughout the centuries: We turn to Scripture and faith. In the Micah passage today we have the life-giving formula: “Do justice, Love kindness, and respond in humbleness with God.

In our mundane, everyday life if we practice this formula we have been promised life itself! Instead of worrying about the future of the church, why don’t we just go about living the church through our actions: make things right, show compassion and care for all, and live a life of humble faith in God alone

If we concentrate on living the Micah passage, God will take care of the rest of all things!

God of all love: You show us the way to live our faith. Now give us the will to do so. Amen.

Bishop Grant J. Hagiya
Los Angeles Area Resident Bishop