The State of You

Please read Numbers 1-2 and Acts 24 if you're interested in reading through the Bible in a year. Tomorrow's readings will be Numbers 3-4 and Acts 25.

Take a census of the whole Israelite community by their clans and families, listing every man by name, one by one. -Numbers 1:2 (NIV)


Yesterday, the Tennessee and Memphis Conference Delegations met to prepare for our denomination's (United Methodist) General Conference to be held in April. For those who may not know, General Conference is held every four years and is charged with setting the direction of the denomination. Delegates are elected to General Conference from their respective annual conferences.

At our meeting yesterday, several denominational leaders shared what I would call their "State of the Church" address. We were told how many United Methodists there are across the world, where the church is growing and where it is not, the financial picture of the denomination, and what studies have determined to be the qualities of vital congregations. This was all helpful information as it's important to know where the denomination finds itself presently before we begin considering where we want to go in the future.

In the assigned scripture readings this morning, Moses and the Israelites find themselves at the base of Mount Sinai. They have received specific instructions from God and are now ready to begin their march into the Promised Land. Before doing so, however, God instructs Moses to take inventory of their current situation. They are to identify the men who are able to serve in the army. They are to determine which families are the biggest and where they are located. It's as if God is saying that the journey to the Promised Land begins with an awareness of where you're beginning the journey.

What is your Promised Land? Where do you want to be or to go in the future? If you ever want to get there, you must first begin with an inventory where you are now. What is the "State of You" in this present moment? May God grant you the grace to honestly examine where you are today in relation to where you want to be.