Book of Resolutions

I am taking a summer term class on UM Polity. Today, over lunch, I was reading the introductory and preface material of the Book of Resolutions. I actually purchased a copy of the book last year at the advice of my professor, Steve Harper, as I prepare my paperwork for ordination. The B.O.R provides “all current and official social policies and other resolutions” for the United Methodist Church (BOR 2008, 25). Whether the issue is collective bargaining, rights of minorities, energy utilization, foreign workers, or nuclear saftey, each resolution contains a paragraph about the topic, biblical and/or theological references, and actions suitable for response. The B.O.R is a resource any UM Christian should have on reference. You would not read through 1084 page volume, but keep it as a handy reference. I especially resonate with a statement below, holding together the Grace of God and our response to that grace through our life and work.

“Grateful for God’s forgiving love, in which we live and by which we are judges, and affirming out belief in the inestimable worth of each individual, we renew our commitment to become faithful witnesses to the gospel, not alone to the ends of the earth, but also to the depths of our common life and work.” (BOR 2008, 44).