Jarell Wilson Keynote Address Analysis

Jarell Wilson, a dynamic candidate for ordained ministry in the United Methodist Church, delivered the opening keynote address for the 2017 Reformation Project Conference in Chicago. He began his talk by asking the audience to close their eyes and raise their hands if they had ever contemplated ending their life. After an emotional opening prayer, he commended the audience for showing up in a church after all they had been through. Then, he specifie what the purpose of his keynote address was: “to present the sacraments, specifically the sacraments of baptism and eucharist, also known as communion, as radical ways to center LGBT voices.”
The Scripture Wilson began his address with was Acts 8:26-39, the narrative of Philip and the Ethiopian Eunuch. Wilson points out that the Ethiopian eunuch is not given a name in the passage, similarly to the way that women and children are frequently not given names. In spite of his position of power, he isn’t given particularity. Wilson compares this with people today who serve in some aspect, yet go unnoticed or are viewed as unimportant or undeserving of particularity. According to Wilson, the lack of a …show more content…
They’re an outward sign of a spiritual and invisible grace, that is both powerful and life changing, and comforting in a way.” But it’s not just about comfort, he says, “because the sacraments remind us of who Jesus is, and Jesus was a person who looked at those who were comfortable and said, ‘we have to change that.’”
I agree with his assessment of the sacraments. He presents them a challenging us. The way he wants them to challenge us is through changing culture and still being loving towards those who have hurt us. The way he doesn’t seem to want them to challenge us is by pushing back against our beliefs about sexuality. God want justice, but he wants us to have transformed lives and follow His commands