by Jennifer Svetlik
To read more about the worship service, click here.
“Bind us together with cords that cannot be broken, bind us together, Lord, with love,” prayed Hyacinth Stevens, Executive Director of Mennonite Central Committee East Coast, in her sermon during Mosaic Assembly Worship on November 4. In subsequent delegate sessions, more than 300 persons gathered would reflect on the question, “What binds us together as Mosaic?”
This was just the second time that Mosaic Conference gathered in-person for Assembly, bringing together delegates from California, Florida, Vermont, New Jersey, New York, and Pennsylvania to Souderton (PA) Mennonite Church.
After a transformational worship service that centered on Psalm 116 & 117 and the theme of emet, God’s faithful truth, delegates called on the Holy Spirit as they gathered to give feedback during the delegate sessions.
The morning delegate session, led by Angela Moyer Walter, Conference Moderator, began with an introduction of the Mosaic moderators, Board, staff, and committees, greetings from Jon Carlson, MC USA Moderator, and a prayer from Roy Williams, Assistant Conference Moderator. Delegates got acquainted using an identity chart as a tool to help “bring your whole self to the meeting,” explained Gwen Groff, Mosaic Board member and Pastor of Bethany (VT).
After table discussion, a communion service in Spanish, Indonesian, and English invited everyone to “bring to Christ in communion all the beautiful and broken parts of us.”
An extended time for lunch and fellowship preceded the afternoon delegate session, in which the Pathway Steering Team provided context on the feedback gathered over the past year.
Pathway Steering Team member Mark Reiff explained, “The newness of Mosaic Conference means we need to ask, ‘Who are we?’ before we ask, ‘With whom do we affiliate?’” Reiff continued, “There is a lot of breadth in how each of our congregations come to Mosaic’s missional, formational, and intercultural priorities and articulating that helps us as we dream about what God is calling us to.”
In table groups, delegates shared feedback on the Pathway Strategic Planning listening tour summary and named what goals they would have for Mosaic’s three priorities and how to achieve the goals. Themes that emerged from the large group sharing time were the desire for more opportunities for fellowship and deeper relationships, more connection and communication between congregations, and a greater emphasis on antiracism. Some felt impatient with the Pathway process, and others recognized the difficulty of communicating across differences.
After hearing the large group feedback, Marta Castillo, Associate Executive Minister responded, “We ask you to continue to pray, and to trust that we love and care for the Conference as much as you do, to trust that we are taking time to do this with as much integrity as we can. Thank you for your participation in this process.”
A highlight of the afternoon was a session on peacebuilding and reconciliation through drumming, led by George and Mukarabe Makinto, Associate Pastors of LA Faith Chapel. The room was divided into parts, each given a phrase from Ephesians 4:1-6, to offer repeatedly with a rhythmic instrument or beating of hands on the tables. “Each rhythm is different, just like life, and when it comes together, builds a beautiful mosaic of rhythm,” Makinto shared.
Later in the afternoon, delegates reflected on which biblical stories and personal experiences shape their understanding of what it means to be a Spirit-led Mosaic Conference.
To close the day, Assembly participants sang a song written for Mosaic Conference by Makinto and Leadership Minister Emily Ralph Servant, which represented the cries of so many gathered, to remain bound together, sharing across differences: “Let your faithful truth abound… Spirit heal us, Spirit lead us over hills and deepest valleys, prepare ye a way.”
Jennifer Svetlik
Jennifer is a member of the communication team, helping with editing, writing, and content creation. She was born near Houston, TX and spent a decade living in an intentional community in Washington DC, before moving to Lansdale, PA with her spouse, Sheldon Good. She is a graduate of the University of Texas and Washington Theological Seminary. She serves as Children’s Faith Formation Director at Salford Mennonite (Harleysville, PA). Jenn has two elementary-school-aged children and loves biking, camping, gardening, and vermicomposting with her family.
The opinions expressed in articles posted on Mosaic’s website are those of the author and may not reflect the official policy of Mosaic Conference. Mosaic is a large conference, crossing ethnicities, geographies, generations, theologies, and politics. Each person can only speak for themselves; no one can represent “the conference.” May God give us the grace to hear what the Spirit is speaking to us through people with whom we disagree and the humility and courage to love one another even when those disagreements can’t be bridged.
This post is also available in: Español (Spanish)
This post is also available in: Español (Spanish)