{"id":6899,"date":"2022-05-17T16:22:46","date_gmt":"2022-05-17T20:22:46","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/nccumc.org\/leadership\/?p=6899"},"modified":"2022-11-28T13:30:06","modified_gmt":"2022-11-28T18:30:06","slug":"an-encouragement-for-may-3","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/nccumc.org\/leadership\/2022\/05\/an-encouragement-for-may-3\/","title":{"rendered":"An Encouragement for May"},"content":{"rendered":"\n

The Center for Leadership Excellence, in partnership with COSROW, is pleased to lift up the voices of women in ministry encouraging fellow women in ministry. Please enjoy this month\u2019s Encouragement from<\/em> Crystal DesVignes the pastor at CityWell church in Durham, NC. Anyone can sign up to receive these monthly emails here<\/a>.<\/em><\/em><\/p>\n\n\n\n

I am a fan of the Book of Revelation. Some folks fear the book because of pop culture and specific theological viewpoints. But \u201cThe Revelation of Jesus Christ\u201d offers specific blessings and continual encouragement to the followers of Jesus Christ to have patient endurance. It is a call for the endurance and faith of the saints. For those of us in ministry, the Revelation reminds us that to follow Jesus is no easy task. We are going to have trials and tribulations, but all things are being made new!<\/p>\n\n\n\n

In the recent lectionary passage, Revelation 7:9-17, we get a picture of the throne room of God.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Read and Reflect:<\/strong><\/strong><\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

After this I looked, and behold, a great multitude that no one could number, from every nation, from all tribes and peoples and languages, standing before the throne and before the Lamb\u2026They have come out of the great ordeal and have washed their robes and made them white in the blood of the Lamb<\/em> (Rev 7:9, 14).<\/em><\/em><\/em><\/p>\n\n\n\n

This group of diverse people who have come out of tribulation sing the praises of the Lamb and attribute their salvation (rescue from danger) to God. They have done so through participation, by washing their robes in the blood of the Lamb. What does it mean to have washed their robes in the blood of the Lamb? How does this action get them through the tribulation\/great ordeal?<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cFor this reason<\/em>\u2026They will hunger no more and thirst no more; the sun will not strike them, nor any scorching heat, for the Lamb at the center of the throne will be their shepherd, and he will guide them to springs of the water of life, and God will wipe away every tear from their eyes\u201d <\/em>(Rev 7:15, 16-17)<\/p>\n\n\n\n

This group kept the faith, and they now reap the benefits of the promise. They experience the type of comfort that we associate with an eternity in the presence of God. But that\u2019s not all\u2026John\u2019s vision was in real time. John saw this vision as if it was happening then. The vision is past; it is our present; it is also for the future.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Take Action:<\/strong> <\/strong>How do we live into this promise now? No matter the circumstance in life or in ministry, God has promised that you will not be hungry. Receive your spiritual food now. That the sun will not strike you, take rest now. That you are guided by a good shepherd who leads you to the spring of the water of life today, enjoy life now. And know that every tear is being wiped away by our loving parent. <\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

In partnership,<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Center for Leadership Excellence and the Commission on the Status and Role of Women<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\"\"<\/a><\/figure>\n\n\n\n

Check out these upcoming events open to women clergy and laity alike.<\/em><\/p>\n\n\n\n

<\/a> Just Energy 4 All Monthly Webinar<\/a>
May 18, 2022<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Faith Talks<\/a>
May 19, 2022<\/p>\n\n\n\n

United Women in Faith Assembly<\/a>
May 20, 2022<\/p>\n\n\n\n

<\/a>Women Mystics in the Christian Tradition<\/a>
May 31, 2022<\/p>\n\n\n\n

United Women in Faith Book Club<\/a>
June 13, 2022<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

My sister and I had the gift of being raised by both our maternal grandmother and our parents.\u00a0Grandma was wise through faith and lived experience as a southern Black woman born in 1911.\u00a0I cannot remember her ever raising her voice or causing alarm with her demeanor. She, however, was a quiet power who did not mince words or shy away from truth-speaking. <\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":10,"featured_media":2595,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_tec_requires_first_save":true,"_EventAllDay":false,"_EventTimezone":"","_EventStartDate":"","_EventEndDate":"","_EventStartDateUTC":"","_EventEndDateUTC":"","_EventShowMap":false,"_EventShowMapLink":false,"_EventURL":"","_EventCost":"","_EventCostDescription":"","_EventCurrencySymbol":"","_EventCurrencyCode":"","_EventCurrencyPosition":"","_EventDateTimeSeparator":"","_EventTimeRangeSeparator":"","_EventOrganizerID":[],"_EventVenueID":[],"_OrganizerEmail":"","_OrganizerPhone":"","_OrganizerWebsite":"","_VenueAddress":"","_VenueCity":"","_VenueCountry":"","_VenueProvince":"","_VenueState":"","_VenueZip":"","_VenuePhone":"","_VenueURL":"","_VenueStateProvince":"","_VenueLat":"","_VenueLng":"","_VenueShowMap":false,"_VenueShowMapLink":false,"_tribe_blocks_recurrence_rules":"","_tribe_blocks_recurrence_description":"","_tribe_blocks_recurrence_exclusions":"","footnotes":""},"categories":[5],"tags":[6,12,7,13,10,14],"class_list":["post-6899","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-stories","tag-center-for-leadership-excellence","tag-commission-on-the-status-and-role-of-women","tag-effective-leaders","tag-encouragements","tag-resources","tag-women"],"yoast_head":"\nAn Encouragement for May | Center for Leadership Excellence | North Carolina Conference of The United Methodist Church<\/title>\n<meta name=\"robots\" content=\"index, follow, max-snippet:-1, max-image-preview:large, max-video-preview:-1\" \/>\n<link rel=\"canonical\" href=\"https:\/\/nccumc.org\/leadership\/2022\/05\/an-encouragement-for-may-3\/\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:locale\" content=\"en_US\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:type\" content=\"article\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:title\" content=\"An Encouragement for May | Center for Leadership Excellence | North Carolina Conference of The United Methodist Church\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:description\" content=\"My sister and I had the gift of being raised by both our maternal grandmother and our parents.\u00a0Grandma was wise through faith and lived experience as a southern Black woman born in 1911.\u00a0I cannot remember her ever raising her voice or causing alarm with her demeanor. 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