A week ago I was in Bismarck, North Dakota attending the 2026 Annual Conference of the Dakotas United Methodist Church. I always look forward to Annual Conference. It’s a time of inspiration (There’s always some good preaching and teaching.) It’s a time of reconnection. (I get to see pastor friends and lay people from other parts of the Conference.) And it’s also a time of taking care of some business so that we can move forward in ministry for the year to come.
There were two phrases, for me, that were shared in the “preaching” portion of the Annual Conference activities that stand out for me that I want to share with you. These two phrases came from our two main preachers, Bishop Lanette Plambeck (our bishop here in the Dakotas) and Bishop Dottie Escobedo-Frank (bishop of the California-Pacific Conference).
In her Episcopal, or opening Address, Bishop Lanette challenged all of us United Methodists in the Dakotas, to be a community or a people who “get in the way.” The challenge is to get in the way of fear, get in the way of hopelessness, get in the way of injustice, hatred and the divisions that so readily plague our nation and world.
As a community of faith or Ecclesia (The word the Apostle Paul uses which is often translated “church”), which literally means “the called-out ones;” we are called-out to make a difference. We are called-out of the comfort of our homes and lives to get in the way of the struggles and the evil that threatens to tear down the fabric of that which is good and just in our world. That is a powerful word and calling for all of us to step into the year to come…to get in the way of that which does harm in our world and community.
The second phrase came from Bishop Dottie in one of her messages to us. Pulling from an example from her own childhood, she challenged all of us to be “seed slingers.” As followers of Jesus, we are called to sling seeds of love, joy, and kindness. Actually, you could insert any of the Fruit of the Spirit found in Galatians 5 and those would great “fruit” to spread the seeds of…because the world needs more Love, Joy, Peace, Patience, Kindness, Goodness, Faithfulness, Gentleness, and Self Control.” Any of those seeds would be worthy of slinging around us as we go through our day.
I don’t know if it was planned or not but truthfully, these two phrases from two different messages, really tie together beautifully. Perhaps the work before us is both simple and profound: get in the way of what diminishes life, and sling seeds that help life flourish within people. This week, where might God be calling us to get in the way of fear, discouragement, or division? And what seeds of kindness, hope, grace, or love might we scatter along the way? Small acts often produce a larger harvest than we can imagine.
So, don’t be surprised if in the days and weeks to come, you hear more about these two phrases. I truly believe that our church is called to get in the way of fear and hopelessness…and that we are to sling seeds of love, hope, grace, etc. That is a big part of what being the hands and feet of Jesus is all about…and it’s how we live out God’s Kingdom together. We’ve got work to do church – called out ones!! And together, we are making a difference one seed at a time.
Pastor Keith