Pastoring a small church by the Book of Discipline is an exercise in absurdist theater.
The rules are clearly written with churches of a certain size in mind. The offices, the fucntions, the committees, and much of the rules and regulations regarding the local church make no sense when applied to a church of 25-50 members. This makes sense, of course, as a majority of UMC churches are small churches but their pastoral leaders and members are not heavily represented at General Conference where the rules are written.
Of course, the awkwardness of the Discipline is not a problem only for small churches. I’ve been a member in bigger churches and the book is not held in high regard there either. I used to bring it to committee meetings to reference in our conversations and would be openly ridiculed. Most UMC members have never heard of the book. Even most leaders in congregations probably do not read it themselves.
My experience has been that there are whole swaths of the Book of Discipline that are more or less ignored. If you took out all the parts of the book that were ignored explicitly, not enforced, or of no practical consequence to the actual life and function of the church, how big would the book be?
I am a part-time local pastor serving 
The doctrine of original sin is surely more humbling to man than the opposite: And I know not what honour we can pay to God, if we think man came out of His hands in the condition wherein he is now.
I have definitely considered standing up next General Conference, holding up the current Discipline and an older (smaller) one and arguing that much of it is unnecessary and inflated and saying that I will not vote for any piece of legislation representing a net increase in words.
At the same time, the Discipline is part of our covenant. Disregard for the Discipline is a symptom of unhealthiness and disconnection. Those who disdain the Discipline will likely come to it when it works to their advantage. Clergy must remember that upholding the Discipline is part of their covenant and task. I would say that a very large chunk of the local church and annual conference ministry provisions are inflated (and some of the general agency provisions), but many are necessary. They ensure due process and the stewardship of the Church’s money and property. At their best, the keep local churches from becoming too inwardly focused. They remind us of our theological and missional commitments.
I agree with your thinking about the covenant of the Discipline. If we read and follow the counsel of the book, it will turn us outward.
Of course, so will that other book we read regularly on Sunday morning.