Rejoice in the Lord always; again I will say, Rejoice. Let your gentleness be known to everyone. The Lord is near. Do not be anxious about anything, but in everything by prayer and supplication with thanksgiving let your requests be made known to God.  And the peace of God, which surpasses all understanding, will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus. Philippians 4:4-7, NRSVUE

Bishop Lanette Plambeck, resident bishop, delivers a message of surrendering to God's call and the rhythm of faith in 4/4/ time. Photos by jlynn studios.

“This scripture is like cadence in a song. It is to be lived in 4/4 time. The text has a particular rhythm and cadence. I am a veteran of the United States Army. I know a thing or two about cadence. Join me in the Duckworth chant from 1944. ‘Sound Off 1,2; Sound Off 3,4; Sound Off 1,2,3,4; 1,2,3,4.' We are living out God’s call in this cadence of the church and the world,” Bishop Lanette Plambeck told those retiring from ministry, being recognized as an associate member and a full member, being commissioned, and being ordained at the Celebration of Life in Ministry Service.

Preaching on Philippians 4:4-7 at the worship service held on Sunday, June 7, 2026, at McCabe United Methodist Church in Bismarck, North Dakota, she encouraged those present to practice the rhythm and cadence and surrender to God’s call.

She shared how her experience in the U.S. Army taught her about surrendering. In the military, a person surrenders individualism to the rules—when to wake up, following orders, commands from leaders, and military rituals. Bishop Plambeck compared military surrender to surrender in ministry. In ministry, we are called to surrender to God’s call. We live out God’s call in the rituals and seasons of ministry.

“We are individually and collectively called. It is a call that is so powerful that it predates the church. God says, ‘I see you. I call you by name. You are mine.’ From the beginning of time, there has been this 4/4 movement of grace: (1) rejoice, (2) be gentle, (3) do not be anxious, (4) think on these things. The surrender Paul speaks of is that of a life formed in Christ. A surrender to God. God calls each of us to surrender who we are as individuals for God’s kingdom,” Bishop Plambeck told those at worship.

Justin Van DeVenter, teacher, artist and musician, is an example Bishop Lanette shared of surrendering to God’s call. For four years, he heard the call of God. Finally, he yielded to God’s call. He wrote the hymn, “I Surrender All.”

“We enter the cadence of this hymn when we sing this song. We each bring our call into this song when we sing it. We surrender to God,” stated Bishop Lannette.

Playing “Hot Cross Buns, Hot Cross Buns, One Penny, two a penny, Hot Cross Buns” on the recorder as a fifth grader was another example of cadence and surrender that Bishop Lannette shared with those present at the Celebration of Life in Ministry Service. As a fifth-grader, she felt confident playing the song. At a children’s message during Holy Week at church, she learned there was a surrender and cadence much greater than playing “Hot Cross Buns” on the recorder.

“There is a story in Hot Cross Buns,” she shared. “The cross marked on top of the bun recalls Christ’s crucifixion. The spices woven into the dough evoke those things used to prepare Jesus’s body for burial. The sweet fruit hints represent the surprising goodness of God’s grace, even amid sorrow. The bread reminds us that Jesus is the bread of life because it rises. A story that has cadence and surrender.”

Plambeck outlined four ways of understanding lives of grace in 4/4 time. (1) All people need to be saved. We need the right relationship with God. We need healing and wholeness. We long for right relationships with our neighbors, family, and creation. (2) All can be saved. A word of hope, no person is beyond is the reach of God. No person is beyond redemption, reconciliation, or grace. (3) All know they can be saved. The Spirit bears witness that what happened on Good Friday through Easter Sunday claims us. We have moments in our lives when we see God at work. We have that assurance that we are saved. (4) All can be saved to the utmost. That means transformation. God meets us where we are and takes us to where we can be, for everyone and everything in the world. There is a maturing that happens in saving to the utmost.

A second set living in a cadence in 4/4 time in the Wesleyan way are four Greats. Bishop Lanette shared: The Great Commandment: To love our Lord and God with our whole heart and to love our neighbor as God loves us; The Great Commission: To go and make disciples, teach, and love. Assure them that, best of all, Christ is always with us; The Great Requirement: To do justice, love kindness, and walk humbly with our God; The Great Proclamation: Good news to the poor, freedom to the captive, justice for the world.

Jason Christensen is commissioned as an elder at the Celebration of Life in Ministry Service at McCabe UMC.

“This is our call of 4/4 time. Wesleyans know the call of grace—prevenient grace, justifying grace, sanctifying grace, glorifying grace,” said Bishop Lanette. “We are living in this cadence of the church and the world. Paul’s words give us cadence—rejoice, be gentle, do not be anxious, think on these things. These are not just random comments. It is for Paul, writing from prison, a testimony about a rhythm of grace that points to his own survival. We can sing cadence together in this 4/4 time. We can sing courage into each other. We can sing hope into each other. We can sing truth into each other. As Wesleyans, we can, and we will, sing our faith. We sing through grief. We sing through division. We sing in fear. We sing through all seasons. Singing in the spirit and moving in the cadence of Christ, there is a surrendering that happens. It allows us to remember who we are and whose we are.”

At the Celebration of Life in Ministry, several ministry milestones were commemorated, including the remembrance of clergy and clergy spouses who had passed away. The clergy members memorialized were Rev. Bruce Adams and Rev. Russell Pierce. The clergy spouses remembered were Cheryl McKnight, Darold Borman, DeLette Winkelman, and Barbara Kroger.

These retiring clergy were celebrated for their faithful service: Reverends Lori Broschat, Dr. Shelly Matthews, Peter Kip Roozen, Judy Sayler, and Marty Toepke-Floyd.

Two pastors were recognized for achieving an important milestone: completing the educational requirements for a licensed local pastor, Randy Hardwood and Travis Voelz.

Jason Christensen was commissioned for the work of an elder. John Britt was recognized as an associate member.

Andrea Johnson was received into full membership as an elder in the Dakotas Conference of The United Methodist Church. Teresa Whetsel was ordained for the work of an elder.

Watch the service here.
View the Celebration of Life in Ministry Booklet