27 Jun Summer Reading: A Pastoral Note from Rev. Karen Clark Ristine
Over the summer, I am inviting clergy members connected to our Westwood UMC congregation to serve as guest writers of our Pastoral Notes. This week, we are pleased to share words from Rev. Karen Clark Ristine. I am grateful that they are a part of our community! – Pastor Molly Vetter
Dear Westwood Faith Family,
I am grateful to be in your number as the “home church” of my charge conference membership. When clergy retire, we designate a church within Cal-Pac, and I was delighted when Rev. Molly Vetter agreed to receive mine. Rev. Molly has been a mentor of mine since I first voiced my sense of call to ministry, a call out of my 20-year career in newspaper journalism. She has become a cherished friend and trusted ministry colleague. I welcomed her invitation to share a pastoral note this summer.
What has been on my mind lately is The Book of Discipline of the United Methodist Church. Perhaps it has been more on your mind as well.
At the UMC’s recent General Conference, all of the harmful language about human sexuality was removed. As were all of the prohibitions that attempted to keep queer clergy from serving or any clergy from performing weddings for LGBTQ couples.
This language and these prohibitions had been in place since before my earliest years in seminary and throughout my active ministry as queer clergy. I had so many emotions as each restriction was removed over several days of legislative actions at General Conference. When the swirling emotions settled, my very first thought was: I wish I could serve in this UMC.
What kept me serving over the years as I slowly came out to myself, my family, trusted colleagues, district superintendents, bishops, and congregations, was the inclusivity of our sacraments, our theology of grace, and our empowerment of laity. And all of this is affirmed in that same Book of Discipline.
“The Nature of Our Theological Task” begins at ¶105 and reads like poetry. “Our theological explorations seek to give expression to the mysterious reality of God’s presence, peace, and power in the world. By so doing, we attempt to articulate more clearly our understanding of the divine-human encounter and are thereby more fully prepared to participate in God’s work in the world.”
Our UMC theology is an active exploration by each person, and our consideration of the mystery of Divine Presence equips us to live out our faith every day. Our own prayerful reflections guide us in following Jesus and listening for the Spirit’s call to our work in the world.
The eloquent theological statements within The Book of Discipline are paired with equally moving statements about “The Ministry of all Christians” beginning at ¶126, that unequivocally assert that laity are essential leaders. “The heart of Christian ministry is Christ’s ministry of outreaching love…The ministry of the laity, their Christ-like examples of everyday living as well as the sharing of their own faith experiences of the gospel, is the primary evangelistic ministry through which all people will come to know Christ.”
These are small excerpts of two of my favorite passages within the Discipline. Think of them as blurbs on the back of a novel, enticing you to read more.
Now that the harmful language is gone, I highly recommend reading, and perhaps even being inspired by, The Book of Discipline of the United Methodist Church 2020/2024, available for preorder from Cokesbury with a publication date of January 1, 2025.
Among my goals in my first year of retirement was to read more fiction. And I have. So, if reading The Book of Discipline is not your idea of summer fun, I highly recommend James by Percival Everett, Horse by Geraldine Brooks, and The Turtle House by Amanda Churchill.
In prayer and care,
Rev. Karen Clark Ristine
Rev. Karen Clark Ristine worked for more than 20 years as a newspaper reporter in Oakland, Dallas and San Diego before answering a call to ordained ministry in the United Methodist Church. She takes great joy when her love of words combines with her love of The Word. She serves on the Committee on Correlation and Editorial Revision of the General Conference, the group that updates The Book of Discipline after the work of General Conference is complete. She is married to Dr. Marcia McFee and lives in Kansas City, Mo. Her son Ryan, a musician and music educator, begins student teaching this fall in Santa Rosa.