Gathering of the Orders

The Rev. DJ del Rosario takes time to share his perspective on Wednesday’s Clergy Gathering at Annual Conference.

This is the third annual conference I’ve been to in the last three weeks and being here at our annual conference with the people I grew up worshipping with, who are now my colleagues in ministry, worshipping with them is the best way to start AC for me. We started singing songs, continued in prayer and then we were steeped over and over again by different call stories displaying how God continues to call God’s people in new and profound ways.

We only get to gather once or twice a year to sit and really tell our colleagues how we are doing and how is it with our soul. There’s something deeply profound about knowing someone for years and years; whether that is thirty years of ministry or three. And it’s powerful to really share where God is working within our lives. To me, that’s the most incredible way to start this (annual conference).

It wasn’t about one person preaching to many, it was about each of us sharing the stories of how God has been faithful to us where we are. I heard words like “Im tired,” “I’m excited,” “I’m passionate,” and “I’m here for renewal” over and over again from different circles and different groups. That’s exactly what we are here for; to be encouraged about where we are in the church.

I wish our theme was “Hope For Tomorrow and Today.” I’m not sure if we can wait until tomorrow for hope. I know there are going to be times where we can sit together and be with one another. But tonight was one of those nights when we got to truly worship together and listen to Scripture. The image I had, over and over again, was of tea being steeped in hot water and how the longer it sits the more powerful that tea can become. When we worshipped together it felt like we were steeping ourselves in Scriptures of encouragement for one another in a way I haven’t experienced in a long time.

I’m looking forward to experiencing the Holy Spirit doing something new. I’m not looking for numbers; I’m not looking for a perfect answer to our problems; or any silver bullets. I’m actually looking for people who are excited serving the church in ways that have never been imagined before.

It’s great to be home.

Follow DJ del Rosario on Twitter: @pastordj