Further reflections

The vision of AUMC, "Changing your world by loving your neighbor", for me has a ring to it that is for real and motivating.

The "for real" part refers to the "loving your neighbor" for this can refer to loving one neighbor in the name of Jesus Christ. That love can be expressed in varied ways of friendship from listening to eating together to being empathetic. Such are things already occurring.

The "motivating" part is in "changing the world". Such includes changing the world one person at a time as well as changing the world through our apportionment ministries. Honestly, AUMC has overall been resistant to this second portion of loving the world but there are signs that this resistance to doing so may be weakening. A couple of months ago our Church Council voted to commit a tithe of our 2010 weekly offerings to pay apportionments. Such will be a beginning of doing so. And such is a part of changing the world.

And, of course, "Changing your world by loving your neighbor" is walking down the road of life with Jesus who 'loved his neighbor as himself'.