Lenten Book Study - Part 1: Multiplying Love A Vision of United Methodist Life Together By Dr. Paul W. Chilcote

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Rev. Dr. Brad Miller: A Lenten study of the book multiplying love a vision of United Methodist life together by Paul W. Sialkot, part number one, as presented by Bishop Julius C Tribble on the to be encouraged Podcast, episode number 96.

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You are welcome to be encouraged with Bishop Julius C tremble. Bishop treble is on a mission to encourage you with the love of Jesus Christ, so you can rise to your highest potential. On to be encouraged. Bishop treble speaks to a discouraged world with a good word on the pandemic, racism, the environment, human sexuality and the state of the church with a focus on center at your life on the love of Jesus Christ. Has there ever been a more needed time for an encouraging word to our world? This is your time to rise to your greatest potential and to be encouraged with Bishop Julius C. Tremble.

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Hello good people and welcome to to be in pure raged with Bishop Julius C. Tremble. This is the podcast where we look to offer an encouraging word to an often discouraged world. I'm your co host, Reverend Dr. Brad Miller. This is episode 96 of to be encouraged, which is a special book study Lenten book study presentation that bishop tremble did of the book multiplying love, a vision of United Methodist life together by United Methodist author and historian Paul who caught

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this is part one of a four part series which was conducted live over a zoom call to a number of people who registered for this class. For this book study. He was held on March the third 2024. And the subsequent lessons, the subsequent lessons of this book study will be on March 10, march 17, and March 24th. At six o'clock pm eastern time,

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we're going to put the book that we will study which is multiplying love by Paul who cocked as we've mentioned, and in this study, Episode 96. Bishop tremble led us through the first couple of chapters of the book, and subsequent chapters will be explored that weeks to come. We'll put links to this book, The Cokesbury links in our show notes here at to be encouraged.com. And in the other links, so you can check that out as well. And if you want to be a part of the class live and in person, we'll put links to that as well.

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Where you will notice that this is a live it as much as this is a live call. There is of some breakup of the sound from time to time. And I hope to just take that into account. Right now let's just get into the podcast presentation here of the live class that bishop Julius Tribble taught on multiplying love, a vision of United Methodist life together.

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Bishop Julius C. Trimble: Great greetings, greetings, beloved, beautiful people. You look so good. Those of you I can see on the screen. And I hope hopefully, if you can hear me just raise your thumb or raise your hand and wave if you can hear me. I'm at home at my home study. And sometimes, I don't know if you've ever had this challenge, but it will come up with a safe internet unstable. I want you to know that your bishop is stable right now. But the internet sometimes is unstable. And if it happens that we've got a plan, Dr. Probat will keep us rolling along. And next time I may have to do it from the office.

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Others are being logged on as I can see it even as I'm talking. I do assume because I just came in less than a half hour ago. And it said it was 70 degrees. I don't know if it's that 70 degrees where you are. So my assumption is some people are outside and decided not to come back in and join the bishop's net and study because they weren't expecting such a beautiful, gorgeous sunny day. Our LinkedIn study For the next four weeks is that if I'm right four weeks, is based on multiplying love, a vision of the United Methodist life together, authored by Paul who Co, a very noted author and writer and theologian who has Indiana roots. And Paul Chilko, wrote this book multiplying love, in response to a book that was written in 2022, entitled multiplying Methodism. But we want to begin our time together as as the people that are still logging on with prayer. I say this on occasion, and we'll continue to say this, that little prayer, a little power, no prayer, no power, much prayer, much power. So we should never begin a study. This is my advice. Without bathing it in a time of prayer. This is the Lenten season. I'm not going to pray of an original prayer, I'm going to pray the prayer. That is that is written on page seven that she'll call for, it's really from the Book of Common Prayer. And he says this is very much a Wesleyan prayer. So if you would join me in an attitude of prayer as we began this conversation together, Lord Jesus Christ, you stretch out your arms of love on the hard work of a cross, that everyone might come within the reach of your saving embrace. So clothe us in your spirit, especially during this event and season that we reaching for our hands in love. They bring those who do not know you, to the knowledge and love of you. For the honor of your name, amen. Amen. So John 1335, from the New Revised Standard Version, very familiar passage. By this, everyone would know that you are my disciples, if you love one another. shellcode says this is what Jesus says to His disciples, when he brings them close both in to him. He reminds them that everyone will know that we are followers of Christ, if we love one enough. Our purpose fans during this conversation and study of the multiply love during this Lenten season, is for those people like us who are United Methodist, we're not confused about United Methodist, we're not debating whether we want to be United Methodist. We are a United Methodist, and we love Jesus. So this conversation is not a rebuttal to any previous book, even though his book was written in rebuttal. And just just by way of relationships, I was elected as a bishop in 2008. And in my class, Bishop Michael Laurie, who was one of the authors of MultiPlan, Methodism was also elected. In fact, we are, we were, and we are friends, and he's a Chicago Cubs fan. And I'm a Chicago Cubs fan. But we disagree on some things. And one of those things might be this particular emphasis. I believe that this is a season for multiplying love, and multiplying the United Methodist Church for those who have to make disciples of Jesus Christ for the transformation of the world, in the United Methodist Church. This conversation is for those interested in vision casting, cultivating joy, and building strong, stronger connection rather than debating golf, or this affiliates. If you're interested, and all of the data related to this affiliation and and debates that went on a year ago, and two years ago, and what the update on that and I would recommend, and I believe Dr. Cooper, I can put it in the chat space. A link to the Lewis Center Report. There January 16. Report on the United Methodist Church's final report related to disaffiliation. There, let me say this by way of data, this is the only data I'm going to share as of December 31 2023. Approximately, this is an unaudited amount 7650 churches disaffiliated from the United Methodist Church, depending upon whose report you read between 25 to 31% of the churches, disability due 2019. In the United States, we had 30,541 United Methodist churches, so that's um in the churches, we are now down six 7000 Plus churches so that still leaves quite a few United Methodist churches obviously, about 24% of the active worshipping members us and about 50% of those that disaffiliated remain independent congregations, they did join the free Wesleyan store for the global Methodist state remain independent. So that's all the data we're going to talk about as it relates to that, we're going to talk a lot about love. Our world needs love. Theory, arts art stop. In fact, in a in a relatively short number of pages are basically 99 pages. But love is mentioned quite a bit. Our world needs love period, art stuff, that's your bishop. I believe you probably affirmed that. You probably heard more of a preach more sermons on love than any other subject that you've heard before. While the author wrote this book, is a rebuttal, a book explaining why people should lead it The United Methodist Church they were rebutting that, but chill coats thesis, and my invitation to all of us is to prayerfully journey, multiplying love, in our myths, no witness in our present connection, I believe this book, and are embracing our prayerful journey during the season of lead, should focus on how much we really love Jesus, and how much we are willing to love one another. In order to advance the gospel, the saving grace of Jesus Christ to a hungry and hurting world, I just prayed with you that the Wesleyan prayer or the book from the common prayer. And that's how we began our time together. Our calling is to lose not our love for Christ Jesus, and to encourage one another, to grow stronger and deeper in that love. So here's the first question. I think I like us to hang our hats on and maybe get some commentary on it in just a minute. Not quite yet. But this is a statement and it's a statement and a question that that Paul geocode makes that I really want to hang my hat on and encourage us to, to really prayerfully consider, what if the United Methodist Church were to establish a reputation as the most loving community in the United States? Let me say that again? Maybe you rant that in the I read that and I underlined it. What if the United Methodist Church were to establish a reputation as the most loving community in the United States? So make a note of that, if you haven't already done that, and a few minutes when we pause, I'm going to ask for people to comment, make comment, comment on that, put it in the chat, raise your hand, weigh in on that, and as well as several other questions that you hear in just a moment. So the first chapter is in title of the book, always renewing. My assumption whenever we have a study like this friends is that everybody might not have already started reading the book. If you haven't started, get it. If you've already got it, share it and read it. And read it read all the way through it if you can. And but we won't be dealing with the whole book each week, we're going to deal with those the first three chapters if we get to that today. Chapter one is entitled, always renewing. And what's the text that that hang that we hang our hats on in chapter one is Isaiah 43? And this is from the comment and English Bible. Isaiah 43, verses 18 and 19. Don't remember the prior things. Don't ponder ancient history. Look, I am doing a new thing. God is speaking to the prophet Isaiah. Look, I'm doing a new thing. Now it's bright Strauss stuff. Don't you recognize it? I am making a way in the desert.

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In the wilderness. Remember the poor prior then don't bother ancient history. Look, I'm doing a new thing. Now it's Friday sprouts up. Don't you recognize it? I'm making a way in the desert paths in the wilderness. Question number two that really comes out of this chapter. But for me is and he raises this question and then gives the answer. Does the church ever change its view? Does the church haven't changed its view. So we look over the trajectory of the history of the United Methodist Church and the Christian church. We know that churches changed his view. Well, Bishop, are you are you suggesting that the church has changed its view? Well, I'm glad you asked that question. Paul geocode asked the question and answers it. The inclusion of non Jews, obviously very early, the first early Christian and reduce the question of slavery. We have changed our views on that, on racial equality on the quality of men and women on divorce In order to stay the same and in order to stay the same that the geology of Gods widening hospitality and love I'm, I'm quoting actually McCrea de Vega, who had a chance to speak through our conference several years ago and one of our life together events in order to stay the same in theology and God's wining and hospitality Allah, we have Shane's United Methodist Chang church has changed its views on a variety of things related to love and inclusion. So does the church ever change his views? That's another question. How should we read Scripture page 16. And 17. To Coates asked that question, you know, how should we read Scripture? How did and why did John Wesley change his views on women in ministry? Scripture is read as we live in, and the real world personal experiences and committed we all of us have personal experiences. And we read our scripture, not separate from the way in which we also are living our lives at the same time. So as I'm doing my upper own disciplines, I'm also experienced team to the joys and the hurts of real life in real time. So how do we read scripture, as we are living life in real time scriptures read as we live in the real world, personal experiences and community always renewing? Keeps before us this question, what is the new thing that God is doing? Even right now? So I've thrown thrown out several questions. I'm gonna start from the last book, and go back to the first one. And then I'm going to pause and invite you to weigh in on the chat. And also to weigh in which material questions for me? The last question is really based on chapter one, always written doing? What is the new thing that God is doing? When the cabinet gets together when the big two big cabinet and meet we when we always begin with prayer and devotion? And one of the things we always ask is, where do you see God? What glory sightings? Do you see? So the last question, what is the new thing God is doing? You can test the fat from your lands from where you are, from your experience. previous courses of ruins not cover all of the let's take that. What is the new thing guys doing? And how should we read Scripture? How should we read Scripture? We already answered the question does the church have? And and the one I really love, I've got to keep coming back to this one. What do you think about if the United Methodist Church were to establish the reputation as the most loving community in the whole of the United States? This is where I pause and it's now my beloved brothers and sisters who are still logging on to respond. As we began multiplying Well, I saw I'm not sure why I can't see the chats versus so Dr. Fulbright.

Unknown: 00:18:08

There are no questions in the chat. And but if you have your questions, again, you can raise your digital hand, you can wave your hand as we're monitoring that. And you can also ask you a question into the chat. There's a comment that says, you know, bringing your family back to active participation in church? Or perhaps that is the new thing God is doing in response. What are the questions or curiosities Do you have based on what bishop has shared from the first part of chapter one? Again, you can raise your hand or wave your digital hand or I see you pass a drink. I see you.

Unknown: 00:18:45

Oh, thank you. I'm not very good with technology. I'm sorry, but your fire I see. But I, I just feel so lucky to be having a study like this. It didn't have a chance to get the book and look at it and it just made my heart sing. Because one of the things that I love regards the Scripture in the sense that our older congregation in Bluffton is discovering that we can read and trust Scripture together, while also opening that, that love to many, many different kinds of people. We don't have a lot of diversity in our neighborhood here. But learning about the idea of it makes the Scripture more real, more deep, and more present. And and, and more worshipful in a way. And so we we've been really blessed by the idea of seeing ourselves at a time of change in terms of multiplying love, you know, into our community but also into our understanding of Scripture. So that's my statement. But thank you.

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Bishop Julius C. Trimble: Other comments, questions, reflections, if you've already begun the journey into multiply love, I really would love to hear, hear your reflection. What is the new thing God is doing?

Unknown: 00:20:18

I see Ruth Ann harp, I see you're waving of hand.

Unknown: 00:20:25

Well, you know, we've started the dinner church, at our church. And there are people that wouldn't come to church, but they come to the dinner church. And we're getting, sir, it's my dog, we get all kinds of people. There is such a love and such a community that's growing. It's amazing to me, in all means all people are included. And it is such a wonderful experience to share that love. And I think it's awesome.

Unknown: 00:21:03

Bishop Julius C. Trimble: To help any. Hey, man, I Amen to that. If I gave you another 60 seconds, could you in 60 seconds, tell us what dinner church is?

Unknown: 00:21:14

Well,

Unknown: 00:21:16

thank you. And our dog, dinner church, I think it came about from fresh expressions, you know, we're trying to reach more people. But since a pandemic, you know, we're losing people instead of instead of reaching them. And this is just a new way of bringing people in who hadn't come before. And sorry,

Unknown: 00:21:38

I'll go over here.

Unknown: 00:21:40

Anyway. We're including everybody. In the church, we've mom. Sorry about that. I'll go parent Polly. We've got we've got people, a friend of mine, who is lesbian. She's coming, she joined the church, she is now telling everybody about it. She's praying for everybody. I gave her a devotional. She's way better at the devotional than I am. She, she reminds me how far behind I am. But she is calling this her church. And to me, that's one of the greatest things that it's ever happened is people are responding to the love that they're saying. Three people. Since we started, three people have joined the church from the dinner from the table. So

Unknown: 00:22:33

Bishop Julius C. Trimble: I thank you so much. You're welcome. No, no, you don't need to apologize. Thank you so much. And your dog will have to get a book if he's going to see or he is going to participate. Well. Any other commentary I saw I just lost that that was that I saw posted about being known for the entity in the United Methodist Church, if we if we known as the most loving community stays with that when it would that would mean so I'm it. Someone made any other comments? All right. Dr. forbath, do you have any other comments or I'm gonna start talking of love is the highest gift and from checker to next. But you're welcome to come back to any other parts of the book that maybe you've outlined or underwritten. This also this next iteration when I fall, if you have some general question, the question I don't know if it was a question, commentary about creating, I want to say it's really diverse. congregations. I may be poked around. I'm not reading it now. But yeah.

Unknown: 00:23:46

Yeah. Jennifer, Jennifer key someone who would like to offer a question and or economy. She's trying to me, Bishop, give him was that perfect.

Unknown: 00:23:56

Are we good? Okay, so are we also addressing the question that you posed? The what is the new thing God is doing? Are we Yes. So, yes. I think as a people, God is reminding us that He is the encouragement, and he's what's driving us forward, and he will always be there no matter what our cries for help. And when I take that, personally, what the new thing God is doing for me personally, is even though I have had so many roller coasters in my life, when I just almost feel like I have to stop and just the only option is to cry. I think Isaiah 43 is reminding me that he is always there. He may challenge me I might not be listening is my problem, and that he is that encouragement. And he's always sharing something new and wonderful as I move forward, and that's how I interpret the Isaiah 43

Unknown: 00:25:02

Bishop Julius C. Trimble: Thank you, thank you. The very present help with the law is always present in the new sometimes we're conscious of it but always, always doing the new. So chapter two focuses on friend Love is the highest gift. The roots are the this is one of the most familiar passages of sometimes it's it's I think over the relegated to weddings, sometimes relegated to a particular version of Scripture, but it's really a theme that is carried out throughout the New Testament, both in the gospels as well as Paul's writings. And that is Love is the highest good if I if I have the gift of prophecy and I know all of this is for Corinthians chapter 13 Verse two and in 1213 If I have the gift of prophecy, I know mysteries and everything else. And if I have complete faith that I can move mouth, but checked his friends, but I don't have I have nothing that's that's very powerful and and cannabis. Scripture. Sometimes we can't read it, and we just keep rolling. But But there's an indictment there saying, you know, if we eat no matter what we do, if you if we extract love it, then it's then it's worthless, it's not value. Now we see a reflection in the mirror, then we will face now I know partially or no completely in the second Wait, one of the first thing

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by Westley. At the first

Unknown: 00:26:48

Bishop Julius C. Trimble: conference, if you will gathering a Methodist was, what do we teach? And how do we teach? And I know for parts here, and scholar will teach us is about Methodist history. And this is still very important, not just for confirmation classes, not just for new membership classes. But for all pastors, lay leaders, persons who've gone to lay servant Academy so forth, what is it that we teach? And how do we teach. But when I will no complete in the same way that I have been completely known. And this passage ends in verse 13. now faith, hope and love remain these three things. And we know that we know the next lab and the greatest of these is love. This doesn't diminish fate that doesn't diminish hope. That doesn't diminish theology doesn't miss that diminish charity, or mercy or mission, or hands on or feeding the hungry. But it says the greatest of these greatest of these allegiances, if you will France is love. The purpose of theology to co writes is transformation, not safeguarding orthodoxy or doctrine. Wesley emphasized what he called John Wesley both John and Charles were exercise what they call practically your theology, plain words for plain people. John Wesley in his preaching and teaching Charles Wesley in his him It has been said and I have yet to find someone who can convince me otherwise there's some of our best theology is found in our him. Love the vibe loves us all excelling. The various hymns really spell out what we believe maybe more accurately than our ability to say, the various Creed's we can recite the the affirmation of faith, the Apostles Creed, but much of what we believe is expressed in our hymn that the sealcoat emphasize the importance of God's love. And the porch I want you to weigh in on this one. What hymns speak to your heart and your soul? What hams they don't have to necessarily be from the United Methodist hymnal but what hymns what? Spiritual sacred songs contemporary other wise, I have a friend who says all worship is can because we're worshiping God in spirit and in truth. So a lot of times we say well wait, go I bought to the contemporary service. I'm going to traditional service, or that which is tradition, traditional, is still contemporary, because we're worshipping a living God. That was extra won't cost you any more for that comment. But the question is before you and I'm going to stop now even I've got some more notes here that I want to share. What is the dam that you'd like? What is the hymn that you'd like to point to as one of your important things AMS for you. With him speak to your heart and soul

Unknown: 00:30:10

ship a few have come through that. I

Unknown: 00:30:11

Bishop Julius C. Trimble: know we got some musicians on here as well. I'm not gonna call you out. I'm looking at some of you. As

Unknown: 00:30:16

a few that's come through the chat can't fly away. David row has said this is my five year old. You see that? Okay, just making sure.

Unknown: 00:30:27

Bishop Julius C. Trimble: Yes, here I am, Lord. Amazing Grace, How Sweet the Sound. You know, somebody ought to just step out on faith and an array raise your hand unmuted for just 15 seconds, sing a lot of your favorite hymn. We all can't do it. We all try to sing together. But one person could actually sing a lot of their favorite No,

Unknown: 00:30:49

I don't see any takers and I'm gonna mute because that's not nice anytime across.

Unknown: 00:30:56

Bishop Julius C. Trimble: Don't take that. Man, he's in gray. House we the sound. Marty is going to put that in the minutes at the Cabinet meeting. I know I see her now write that down to say the bishop to hit the nerve. It's time singing on the Zoom comm I'm just so happy and blessed to be able to share this time with you friends. What's Kim speaks to your heart. And so then him those words. I pray that those hymns are meaningful, How great thou Art. But we read all the verses of How Great Thou Art, our theology, meaning what we think what we believe about God, and how God and forms are living is spelled out in our, in our hands. It says my internet is unstable. That means I should move on. In his 1742 book, John Weston writes, it's entitled The character of a Methodist. I've preached on this method preaches on it, you probably have used this in some of your posts who had the love of God, Shanna bra in their hearts by the Holy Ghost. Methodists are those who have the love of shed abroad. I mean, it's not just an internal experience for our own blessing. But we hit it says the love of God in us that is shipped abroad to the world, his mouth appears. So we share it in on in our homes, first in our neighborhoods, and our communities and across the globe, as well with my soul, what is the essence of our life and God? That's enough mean, to have the essence of a life in God? You know, what does it mean for us to be in God? That's what I think the root word to the Latin for the Latin and Greek from enthusiasm means God in us, and God coming up out of us enthusiasm, God in us and God coming out forth from us enthusiasm. So we are one of the things that Wesley says the character after this is to be enthusiastic. First, John 419. We love because God first loved us. That's the essence of grace friends, you know, that before we did any good thing, and even when we were not doing the right thing, God had already loved us and loves us in advance, which often referred to prevenient grace for God's love for us. And that's rooted in scripture that's not a it's not by an author that's the author is Jesus and the author is fully holy read Holy Scripture, we love because God first loved us. This was a formative difficult texts for both John and Charles Wesley. And it was an it comes forth in the handwriting of Charles Wesley. And it comes forth in the teaching that we teach. And I still remember from going to Methodist camps as it as a, as a junior high and senior hack and, and to confirmation classes, you know, that God first loved us, and therefore we love others. Now how paste the bottom of page 31 If you have your books, fuck hold handy, grab them. If not, don't worry, the bottom of page 31. There's a quote that I want to share and then we'll pause. Again, it's Wesley's perspective, on on truth as his perspectives on truth, and doctrine and love is very clear. Here's what is His word Chilko rights. From Wesley's perspective, beliefs are really, really are important to what we believe is important. So long as they leave the believer in the way of love the way this is written and maybe could help you. Let me repeat the things really are important. So what when people say well, I went on A true or or that you're not important that's a big you can believe anything that's not stated beliefs really are important. But as long as they leave the believer in the way of if I believe something but it leaves me in a way to ignore my hurting neighbor question whether that's really our rooted rooted in Scripture rooted but love and I'm reading from bottom of page 31. But love ended up it's, it's even more valuable than Christian belief. Let's wrestle with that friends of itself is even more valuable than Christian on Christian doctrines and practice must be brought under the scrutiny of God's love for us and God's expectation that we extend that love to everyone. All as all is good. What is the highest give? Rob has the highest good questions comments, says my internet is unstable. I don't know if you heard me. But if you were to weigh in on that

Unknown: 00:36:09

yeah, there any questions I just put in the chat. Yeah, because you were going in and out Bishop so I put the quote. Any questions, any comments, any comments curiosities? You can put your question comment a curiosity in the chat or you can wave your hand or raise your digital hand. And we will acknowledge him

Unknown: 00:36:30

don't see anything because

Unknown: 00:36:34

Bishop Julius C. Trimble: this is a quiet crowd. So you must be sitting out on your back decks and soaking up all of that beautiful weather. I'm in and closed it inside. So I'm not breathing fresh air right now. But we love because God firstly, what is the essence of our life in God? I think during during Lenten season, this is a question we should sit with. What is our essence of our life? And God? These are questions that Chilko brings up in MultiPlan love. Because part of it I think is both personal, as well as communal, you know, our walk with Jesus? Sometimes I raise that question. I wrestled with that friends myself, how am I really deeply in love with Jesus as much as I portend to be your present myself to be? What does it mean for me to fermitas The apostle Paul says My aim is to be pleasing to Christ. You know, is my love is, you know, if you know, if you when you go to the doctor, sometime they ask you in terms of your pain, is it between a one and a 10? Between a one and a 10? Where's where's my love meter for Jesus Christ, and for others. And sometimes I confess friends, I've maybe rate myself higher than I really arrived to. And so I pray during this time leave will continue to be through this study, and continue to work with me that I might I might grow in that love Tracy listing, which you unmute and weigh in, I see your hand up.

Unknown: 00:38:10

Yes. And I was just going to share that in line with what you're saying that the prominence of love. And I know how it slipped out in our beliefs to my morning devotions. This morning, I was reading some Thomas Merton and one of the sentences that he wrote that I really, really took hold of me with him writing that all sin is rooted in the failure to love. So I think that just really goes along with what you're saying in terms of this teaching of Westley that all sin is rooted in a failure to love

Unknown: 00:38:44

is to have your muted. You have to unmute.

Unknown: 00:38:49

Bishop Julius C. Trimble: I was asking Tracy if she could put that in the chat was Thomas Merton. I saw Sherry raising her hand, maybe she was trying to get you to um, you

Unknown: 00:39:01

know, I know.

Unknown: 00:39:02

I had a question though, about this. I mean, it's so beautifully stated. But what? How do we respond lovingly, to people that say, I that's just a wishy washy pie in the sky? You know, you can't base belief on love, because that's too vague or too, you know, undefinable I was just curious how people handle that.

Unknown: 00:39:32

Bishop Julius C. Trimble: Is that that is a great question. I think, I think, you know, I think be it for me. I've learned so much more now, being a grandparent. Just saying friends, I know if you're not a grandparent, I'm biased. But I didn't fully understand that. Cheery until maybe until I until I came a grandparent and I realized our granddaughter Karina is Like, I don't care what you do, I'm going to just show love, and you better like it. And if you don't like it, you got to see what love looks like, because you can't steal my joy. So I think, you know, all the more reason for us to, I don't believe in I don't believe you should fake it until you make it. But I do believe we should pour ourselves in to somebody put in a chat, you know, we testify how much God has done for us whether we've been sick, and we've been healed. whether we've been we've lost a loved one. And God has walked with us during that time and others. Sometimes it's the showing up through other people that we really experience God's love in real time. So, yes, it is not, it's not always easy. And what do you do when people are showing themselves to be unlovable? My grandmother would say that you got to pray even more. Thank you. Thank you very much, please, please weigh in friend. We need to help each other out on that one. All right. Let me let me go the chapter three, why do we need to embrace unity? One of my colleagues, bishop said some time ago, I heard her say this that really, it made sense. As we were going through all of this separation and some of this tension in our church. Not just this is this is when we were in with how to stay that stay on it. She said the church is built for unity, not for division. So that's why we aren't we don't do that very well. When we find ourselves in, in division and debate and discord. We don't do that very well, because the church was not built in that way Jesus Christ said upon when he said, either good or bad. He said, Peter, Upon this rock, I will build my church and the agency. So I don't believe that just the weave really have to fortify ourselves in love with love. In order for us to withstand all of the all of the all of the arrows that come our way that would distract us from being the very best we can be.

Unknown: 00:42:25

How are we?

Unknown: 00:42:28

Bishop Julius C. Trimble: Here's here's the need to embrace unity is useful. It is to break it out from around you that

Unknown: 00:42:37

you are breaking up. And you're getting ahead because chapter three is next week.

Unknown: 00:42:49

You so excited that you're trying to give us a preview of next week. Well, I'm sorry.

Unknown: 00:42:55

Bishop Julius C. Trimble: And enthusiastic about MultiPlan. The other Tom, I don't know how I didn't know how we've got multiplying up and four weeks. You know, that's not, that's not enough. Well, that means that we need to go back to the to one of my really important questions. Yeah. And Dr. Provided you have a couple of questions from the chapter one. And we could post that meal. Yeah, I want to know, what is the United Methodist Church worth establish a reputation as the most loving community in the United States? What would that look like? And what would that mean? I

Unknown: 00:43:37

think that's a great question for us to ponder and fun to today. All right, Diane, excuse me. There's Diane, I can't say you're laughing. I don't want to announce your last name. Diane.

Unknown: 00:43:52

It's quats Orense. Thank

Unknown: 00:43:54

you.

Unknown: 00:43:55

I think one really cool thing and maybe partly to answer Sherry's question is the definition of love. What Christian love is as compared to what the world would see as love. And I'll just throw this up for discussion. But I think love is seeing a person as they truly are in the situation where they truly are, and accepting and embracing them and walking alongside them. And I think that's what makes the difference when we say why love is so important and why Wesleyan holiness is based on that holiness of love for one another and inclusion, you know, and this morning, saying those words to the congregation that we are an Open Table and everyone is welcome here. And you are welcome as you are not pretending to be what you think I think we want you to be. And so maybe just hearing different people's definitions of love. I mean, if we're going to talk about love for the next few weeks, just really thinking about what does love mean?

Unknown: 00:45:18

A great question.

Unknown: 00:45:25

Bishop Julius C. Trimble: And I think part of our wrestling, but it's not so much wrestling but but I think, as you say, as we share together is not just when we think about churches, that love is, you know, and we don't need to go into the Greek Greek words but the era's family of Philadelphia is friendship, and agape, the self centered as well. But what do we see when when Jesus tells parables about the Good Samaritan, or when we see the inclusion of persons who've been left out or or when we see the healing of those who have been sick or when we see the breaking down of barriers so I really liked the way you said there and Diana hope you can repeat that a post that as well, the various ways you said loving someone, I can't repeat it but it was great and loving someone the way they are the way they present themselves and the needs that they at the very point which they need that so I agree we can we should maybe some of our homework is to really reflect on what what we mean by love when we hear that but also what do we see and read that the scripture illustrates for us? phrase for unity for the church I know we're not there yet.

Unknown: 00:46:49

But but but also show that Dale was saying in the song that they will know we are Christians. They will not know we are Christians by our Creed's they will not even know our Christians by our D IDs but elebrate faces that we can elevate this

Unknown: 00:47:12

issue by Steve, Steve and

Unknown: 00:47:15

Bishop Julius C. Trimble: it is somebody to get them where they are. Where they are not where we want them to be. Yes. Steven

Unknown: 00:47:22

Lee Barris has a question

Unknown: 00:47:28

is shoot Bob. It's kind of dovetails into both questions you back my mind is? Can you hear me now?

Unknown: 00:47:38

Bishop Julius C. Trimble: Go ahead.

Unknown: 00:47:39

Yeah, it's good to be heard Thank you interpret it if he doesn't get out of it.

Unknown: 00:47:43

Okay. My wife Leah and I are attending St. Joe United Methodist Church in the YMCA, Jackson Lehmann YMCA. And the uniqueness of that is that we're, we're reaching people that we ordinarily would not reach into a sanctuary. We're actually worshipping in the gym. And also, part of what makes St. Joe unique is that our ministry under the leadership of Pastor Glenn has focused on the saying, for the fort. And we're reminded over and over again, that if we are to be loving and faithful and fearless, that we are not there to just take care of each other. But we are there to be set forth. And in a different way, realizing that the people we serve may never under church, but that doesn't mean we should not reach out and love them. And so it's just been up for a couple of retired folks to be given the opportunity to participate in an experiment at this point, and we're hoping it as much more than that in the future. Thank you.

Unknown: 00:49:05

Bishop Julius C. Trimble: That's fantastic. Thank you. Beautiful, that's that wonderful that the church is the only organization including Yes, yes.

Unknown: 00:49:21

Can you hear me? Yes, we're at a little delay, but go ahead. Yeah, I

Unknown: 00:49:26

Bishop Julius C. Trimble: was gonna say the church is the only institution that was created not for people who are already members, people who are not already part of it. So we've been created to do just what was being expressed at St. Joe's at the Wi Fi for people, where they are in other places where they might be not traditionally, necessarily show up in our sanctuaries, but our church should show up in the world. So thank you for your witness. My screen is kind of freezing up now. Dr. Ford Right, so we can still hear you carry on. Yeah,

Unknown: 00:50:05

I think it's interesting Bishop when we think about the standing of love. So oftentimes we fail to remember that we were one today. So if we think back on our faith journey, be it as recent and or seasoned. We fail to remember that we were once a day, and somebody had to love us into this understanding of who Jesus is, so that we can therefore then share that same love with another. And I think so much so many times we get comfortable and we fail to remember than we were once a day. And if we can move beyond the day in the very rare, the noun that it's got us and all, then I think that we would be able to see the multiplication of love more readily.

Unknown: 00:50:55

Bishop Julius C. Trimble: In amen, amen. Someone should ask us if someone were to ask us, Well, your United Methodist, you know, what is your superpower? Another question, my granddaughter asked me some time ago, what is your superpower, Papa? Our superpower really should be. We are rooted in God's love. God loves us first. Therefore we love the world. And we love those who are need needed most. So what is the superpower of The United Methodist Church is not in our membership. It's not in in our buildings. The superpower is the power of God's love, as Wesley would say the power of the Holy Ghost. That is that is inside of those who would call themselves Methodists and United that. I see some people are watching this or participating in a group. And I really want to say thank you, this is really a privilege for me to share this time with you as your bishop. And if I'm not your bishop, I'm your bishop tonight, if you're if you're weighing in from someplace else. And I want to just say it's been a joy to serve you. And I look forward to the weeks and months that I have left. In my in my season of walking alongside of you.

Unknown: 00:52:13

Any other questions? We had had for about one more question, and they will give some announcements about next week.

Unknown: 00:52:19

Bishop Julius C. Trimble: Brad Miller is if he's on he can weigh in for 30 seconds too.

Unknown: 00:52:25

Rev. Dr. Brad Miller: High I am here. As post, Bishop Tribbles asked me to post the links to the to be encouraged podcast which are in your chat. And so that'll be that'll be up by Wednesday on both audio and video. And so be available to you. And also, there'll be a transcription available there as well on the podcast. So that's what you know, that is a resource that's being made available to you. And then you can just a note, you can download this chat, but the three little dots at the top of your chat panel, if you want to download this chat to your email. And so you've got to try to you know, write down all those links and all that kind of thing. Or if you have any questions about any of what we're talking about here, I put my email in the chat. I'll put my phone number in there as well. We have been we have any questions about it? Let me know and I'll try to be helpful.

Unknown: 00:53:20

antastic Thank you.

Unknown: 00:53:25

Rev. Dr. Aleze Fulbright: Bishop we are grateful that you have called us together to be in study during this Lenten season. And friends. As you see we are building community over the next three weeks. So if you see persons that are if you don't see your friend, you're the Sunday school group or one whom you feel that would have a great experience in this community invite him on in the greatest message that we share is by word of mouth. And so we will be here at the same that time and the same bat station for the next three weeks where Bishop got excited about us moving forward through this book. But we will be doing chapter three and four next week, multiplying love and even if you don't read the book, what we have grown to appreciate that one bishop will have better internet stability, I can promise you that next week, that bishop is excited about it and the way in which he teaches we learn. And so again, share the good news, spread the Good News and invite someone to be along this journey with us as we will be meeting next week at 6pm. Eastern Time and all the other times 5pm Central. I know for many it's in between dinner, and bedtime. So I'm very intentional about ensuring that this sweet hour that we are together is meaningful, purposeful and challenging for us on our walk in discipleship. So Bishop I turn it over to you as the concluding word and sending us forth into

Unknown: 00:54:54

this great week.

Unknown: 00:54:55

Bishop Julius C. Trimble: You bet your friends again. God bless you. So real, real good. And if you are in church today, you probably someone made reference to the Eucharist or Holy Communion. That is really a sign act, if you will, that when we participate in the sacrament of Holy Communion or baptism, but in doing, particularly the sacrament, all the communion, some would call that a sign act of God's love. And now I know someone made reference to how we serve, what we call open communion, Open Table. You don't have to be United Methodist, you don't have to be perfect. You don't even have to be baptized to come to the table, because it is a sign of God's Jesus's love invitation. It is his communion, that being offered to us. And this too, is a sign of God's love for us. Thank you so very much for this time together. May God bless you, but we as blessings upon us, and if we can commit to pray for one another. You don't have to memorize everybody's name, but just say, Hey, I participated in Bible study tonight, Lord, before I go to bed tonight, I've got a pray, pray for everyone who was able to participate in those who couldn't, and those who maybe took advantage and did some compassionate time for themselves and we're enjoying the beautiful weather we had in Indiana today. God bless you real good. Have a good evening. Not yet, you could do about it by

Unknown: 00:56:18

Rev. Dr. Brad Miller: consider yourself in couraged and appreciated for a listing to be encouraged with Bishop Julius see tremble. Now, please share the blessing and encourage others in your life to listen to be encouraged. You can do just that by pointing your people to the website to be encouraged.com That's to be EENCOURAG g d.com. Or connect through Apple podcast where you can follow rate and review to be encouraged that they should do you see triple when you do that, you're doing your part to bring a good word to a discouraged world. Remember to listen next week to be encouraged with Bishop Julia see trouble and never forget. God loves you. And there's nothing you can do about it.