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The 223rd Recorded Annual Conference of the Church of the Brethren will be held in San Diego, California, on June 26-30, 2009. The theme statement, taken from II Corinthians 5:16-21, is:
The old has gone! The new has come! All this is from God!
"F rom now on, therefore, we regard no one from a human point of view; even though we once knew Christ from a human point of view, we know him no longer in that way. So if anyone is in Christ, there is a new creation: everything old has passed away: see, everything has become new! All this is from God, who reconciled us to himself through Christ, and has given us the ministry of reconciliation; that is, in Christ God was reconciling the world to himself, not counting their trespasses against them, and entrusting the message of reconciliation to us. So we are ambassadors for Christ, since God is making his appeal through us; we entreat you on behalf of Christ, be reconciled to God. For our sake he made him to be sin who knew no sin , so that in him we might become the righteousness of God. " II Corinthians 5:16-21 (NRSV)
We are God's new creation transformed through Christ. Released from the past we find God's presence no longer guilt-provoking, frightening and condemning; but dynamic, creative, and life-giving. We are brought together with God through Christ. The divine relationship with humanity is made whole through the cross. Human separation from God is overcome by divine love. What an awesome wonder! What a humbling experience! Undeserved and unearned, reconciliation comes to us as the gift of God's grace.
Our new relationship with God is a call and empowerment to a ministry of reconciliation. We are ambassadors for Christ. Christian mission is proclaiming and living out reconciliation. God appeals to others through us. Bringing persons together has shaped our individual relationships (I John 4:20-2l), our lives together in the body (Matthew l8:l5-20), and our witness to those involved in conflict at every level of society. We invest our lives in peacemaking as a witness to the presence of God. We represent the reconciling, redeeming Christ to each individual and all of society.
Representing Christ is as much about our family life, our church life and our community life as it is about national and world-wide situations. Too often we have preached reconciliation to the society while being unwilling to live in a humble, forgiving manner with those closest to us. As recipients of the grace found in the cross of Calvary , we are reborn as those who bear the cross with him. As Christ's ambassadors we must invite, involve and include others as a part of God's people. Faithful Christians share Christ faithfully. Our spiritual forbears were not hesitant to preach throughout Germany and Switzerland , nor shy about sending out heralds of the gospel to the German-speaking areas of the American colonies.
Our future prosperity as the people of God is contingent upon our willingness to have balance in our evangelistic efforts. Our witness to others, in words and in deeds, is a part of God's ultimate reconciliation of the world. Peacemaking and evangelism are inextricably linked together. Both are vital to our God-given and Christ-ordained ministry of reconciliation. To experience reconciliation is to share reconciliation. As we move past the celebration of our heritage and toward the culmination of our purpose, let us hear these words! The old has gone! The new has come! All this is from God! |
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Annual Conference
