Bishop Hayes' sermon theme was aptly reflected by this event's choral and congregational anthem at Custer Road UMC, Plano, where it was also wonderfully echoed in an acoustically friendly highceilinged sanctuary:
Ye that do your Master's will, meek in heart, be meeker still: Day by day your sins confess, ye that walk in righteousness:
There, brilliant chandeliers and beautiful organ pipes stood in contrast to patterned but subdued stained glass designs, and a simple sacred dance performance at the beginning of this service.
"If you follow the Scripture, you do have the privilege of denying yourself," Bishop Hayes emphasized. "But that is not the opposite of selffulfillment: It's not just giving up a few things. It means your life is no longer focused on you! You now have a chance to forget about yourself and focus on Jesus Christ.
Two examples mentioned by the Bishop:
Leonardo de Vinci removed an ornate chalice from an early version of his famous painting of The Lord's Supper because it appeared to detract from his intended focus on Christ.
Dwight L. Moody, the famous evangelist of the late 1800s, was famous the world over, yet was sohumble in his single-minded devotion to Christ that someone once said: Moody seemed not to have heard about himself!
"When you carry our own cross, it's not a momentary difficulty," explained Bishop Hayes. "Rather, it's a voluntary commitment to suffering for the One you follow, but with the promise that you will one day exchange your cross for a crown.
"The only certainty of your ministry is the uncertainty of it," declared the Bishop. "You don't know what God has in store for you, except that it involves a lot of servanthood and servitude.
"From this night forward, your life is not your own," he explained. "You are in service to God and His Kingdom."
Here, Bishop Hayes was reminded of the account, in John 13, of Jesus washing the feet of His disciples, and a lifesized statue of that ceremony at the Church of the Servant in northwest Oklahoma.
"With Jesus kneeling over the basin of water in that statue, it's impossible to look into the Master's eyes unless you are a child or are down on your knees," recalled Bishop Hayes.
"My prayer is that you keep this attitude as you minister to the least, lost, lonely, marginalized, outcasts and the poor," he added.
Finally, Bishop Hayes addressed the issue of declining membership in the United Methodist Church, and suggested that at least part of the problem might be a failure to let prospective members know what is expected of a disciple. People like to know that something is expected of them!
"When we say that our mission is to make disciples of Jesus Christ, we should be honest about what discipleship really means," he concluded.
Afterwards, NTC Bishop Alfred L. Norris asked the four Ordinands to stand and face the congregation so everyone could greet the 2007 Class of spiritual leaders.
A repeat of Bishop Norris' opening service altar call followed, including an opportunity to those who might have ignored, avoided or denied previous calls to ministry. The Bishop promised empathy, prayer and a willing ear from District Superintendents and the Board of Ordained Ministry present on this evening.
It was reminiscent of the service's earlier congregational response to Bishop Norris' call for reaffirmation of baptism:
"You called me to the water, and holy is Your name. You called me to the water, and holy is Your name. You called me to the water, to become a new creation. And holy, holy is Your name."
Sister Helen Marie Gilsdorf
This year’s Ordinands are:
Deacon
Joseph Phillip Stobaugh
Elders
Alice Gant Coder
Douglas John Fox
Anna Katherine Hosemann-Butler
Bishop Alfred L. Norris blesses 2007 elder ordinands.
