M. Garlinda Burton and Sisters "Shine" at Assembly
by Kim Fry and Linda Beher
For immediate release
Anaheim, CA, May 7, 2006 - M. Garlinda Burton challenged the sisters of United Methodist Women to shine -- individually and collectively --in her Saturday morning Bible study at the United Methodist Women's Assembly in Anaheim, Calif.
Ms. Burton, general secretary of the United Methodist General Commission on the Status and Role of Women, drew on the Assembly's theme of "Rise! Shine! Glorify God!" with her study from Matthew 5:14-16 on being the light of the world.
"You are all walking around, shining like the sun!" said Ms. Burton paraphrasing theologian Thomas Merton.
Her study explored ways that the women can celebrate their "unique lightness of being while shining as one when God requires it."
Integrated into the Bible Study were the personal stories of three Shine Women, meant to illustrate how individual women have let their own lights shine in the ways they have been called -- ordinary women doing extraordinary things.
The three -- Kim Hallowell, a college student working to eliminate child labor; Casimira Rodriguez, activist and Bolivian minister of justice; and Christy Tate Smith, disaster response expert - "have taken ordinary actions in extraordinary circumstances."
- Kim Hallowell: "United Methodist Women, through its Reading Program, opened my eyes to the suffering that some of my younger global sisters and brothers endure."
- Casimira Rodriguez: "From the church, I have learned to not be a coward and to continue going forward with the Lord's support."
- Christy Tate Smith: "God wants all survivors of a disaster to walk away whole. If you see me shining, it's because of them.
"They are role models...and they are carrying their torches high to show us and others the way," Ms. Burton said of the Shine Women.
Jesus calls United Methodist Women from wherever they may be in the world, no matter their status, to shine together and share the wideness of God's love, telling the truth even when it is not popular, Ms. Burton said.
"Not only are the poor, the forgotten, the rebuffed and the misused people of our world objects of ministry for good Christian folks, they are to be our partners in ministry, our sisters and brothers on the journey; they are even sometimes the doers of ministry to and for us," she said.
"It is only by being in love and charity and reconciliation and justice-making with our neighbor...and by understanding that our sisters and brothers don't have to be like us to be God's children that we can truly say that we are walking in the light."
Ms. Burton concluded her study by asking each woman to turn to another whom they did not know and share a story of how they have been a light in the world.
"My shining sisters! My sensible-shoes-wearing, fund-raising, bazaar-hosting, prayer-shawl-making, all-people-loving, Light-filled, wonderful United Methodist sisters and Methodist sisters! We've got the love of Christ, the chutzpah of the Holy Spirit and more than 200 years of shining backing us up as Methodists!"
The Women's Division (www.umwmission.org) represents United Methodist Women, an organization of nearly one-million members, whose purpose is to foster spiritual growth, develop leaders and advocate for justice. Members raise close to $25 million a year for programs and projects related to women, children and youth in the United States and in more than 100 countries around the world.
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Kim Fry is the communications coordinator for California-Pacific Conference. Linda Beher is communications director for the United Methodist Committee on Relief.
Contact: Kelly C. Martini
Communications Director/Information Officer
Women's Division, GBGM
United Methodist Church
(212) 870-3729 FAX (212) 870-3736
kmartini@gbgm-umc.org
http://gbgm-umc.org/umw/
