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Pastoral Reflection for Annual Report 2011-2012

2012-01-03T15:38:00.001-05:00

Certain passages from the Scriptures come to mind as we continue to traverse through the year ending and into the coming new year.

In Numbers 13, the Lord tells the prophet Moses to send leaders to explore the land that the Lord is giving to the people of God. Among those sent in leadership are Caleb and Hoshea (or Joshua). Upon together submitting their report to Moses and Aaron, Caleb speaks out and says, "We should go up and take possession of the land, for we can certainly do it." But others instead express fear and reluctance, saying, "We seemed like grasshoppers in our own eyes, and we looked the same to them."

In Judges 6, the people of Israel again did evil in the eyes of the Lord. Still, in the midst of their disobedience, a messenger of God was sent. The angel of the Lord appeared to Gideon and said, "The LORD is with you, mighty warrior." "But sir," Gideon replied, "if the LORD is with us, why has all this happened to us?" The LORD turned to him and said, "Go in the strength you have and save Israel out of Midian's hand. Am I not sending you?" "But Lord," Gideon asked, "how can I save Israel? My clan is the weakest in Manasseh, and I am the least in my family." The LORD answered, "I will be with you, and you will strike down all the Midianites together."

This year has marked a beginning for our exploration in leadership to discern the Lord's leading, seeking God's will and favor as a church congregation gathered in the unity and fellowship of the Holy Spirit. In view of the new and changing denominational landscape of the old mainline churches, and particularly in our Presbyterian Church (USA), the leadership of First Presbyterian Church of New Castle, Indiana is embarking on exploratory initiatives to determine our course of action for the near and foreseeable future. Varied trajectories are open before us, available for due consideration. The time is at hand for this process to further unfold over the next year. A number of your Elders in leadership will be in attendance as The Fellowship of Presbyterians convenes their covenanting conference in Orlando this January 2012, following their inaugural gathering which I attended in Minneapolis last August 2011.

Prayer of the faithful continues to be critical along this journey. I pray we continue and proceed with the same mindset as Caleb's. Let us go up and take the land the Lord our God is giving us! And also, like Gideon before us, let us go in the strength we have and be witnesses sent by the Lord, Who is our salvation! As we contend with the challenges before us, may we experience God's success and presence with us in the Lord, our mighty warrior. Let the leaders' journeying continue and let the New Year begin!

In the Mighty Presence and Spirit of the Lord our King,

Rex Espiritu

The Most Wonderful Time

2011-12-28T14:52:00.001-05:00

Wednesday, December 14, 2011

It's the most wonderful time of the year. Or so the song lyrics of the same title go. However, though, in the fullness of time, I wonder if that is indeed true of some others' experience of this season. Is it really all the time all that wonderful for all?

I had a conversation recently with a friend whose family has had many experiences of grief and loss over the years. In sharing with each other about some of our common, similarly emotional moments of remembering loved ones who have passed on to eternity, they made mention of sometimes having mixed feelings about holiday, anniversary and/or birthday celebrations.

There seems to be for some a bittersweet sense of joy and manifest pain of loss present at the same time that characterizes such celebrated life events. Questions unanswered, even such unspoken thoughts rise to the surface of our conscious being. Where might we be now, if not for…? What might this Christmastime be or have been like if they were still here with us today?

One person offered that, in their experience, not necessarily the first, but the second or third subsequent holidays, birthdays or anniversaries become particularly difficult over time. And yet, life truly does and has to go on, doesn't it? There is, as the hymn that ascribes of God's steadfast loving-kindness goes, strength for today and bright hope for tomorrow. Because of the Lord's great compassion we are not consumed. We, above it all, experience mercies renewing every morning. Lamentations 3:22-23 tells us of God's great faithfulness unto us amidst the challenges in and through which the Lord identifies with us.

One colleague in ministry says that during times when we may find ourselves at a low point emotionally or otherwise, s/he finds it helpful to give oneself to and for others. Whether it is unto those in need or not, the act of giving in the service of others for their greater blessing actually lifts up our own spirits for our betterment as well.

In and through the wonder of it all, we experience God's grace for us and for our loved ones both living and also on the other side of eternity. In this case, I do resonate with certain themes in the romanticism of the tune.

It is the most wonderful time of year. It is a time of year filled to the full with wonder and awe at the God of wonders who came to be born to us in awfully humble surroundings. That is certainly worth celebrating most wonderfully, even throughout the whole year.

May this holiday season be for you and yours entirely filled with joyfully fulfilling holy days of yuletide reverence to the glory of the Holy One of Bethlehem. Blessings at Christmas for the New Year to come!

In the Spirit of the King,

Rex Espiritu

Pastoral Perspective—On the Charge and Benediction of Joy inPrayer and Thanksgiving

2011-12-28T14:47:00.001-05:00

Tuesday, November 15, 2011

The words continually ring true. The charge and benediction of my pastor at the end of Sunday morning worship services from my childhood and teenage years even now resound throughout my very being, and maybe especially so in the deep recesses of my heart and mind. I had the honor and privilege of reciting the very same words as a pastor and guest preacher six weeks ago in the sanctuary of my old home church in Mount Vernon, New York. I cannot even imagine growing up and going through life without a regular charge and benediction on a regular basis, particularly at the end of each service of worship. There may be varied incantations but the general gist of it goes something like this:

"Go forth into the world in peace! Take hold of that which is good. Do not pay back wrong for wrong. But support the fainthearted, and help those who are in need of help, for you thereby show due honor to every person. Be joyful always, pray continually, give thanks in all circumstances, for this is God's will for you in Christ Jesus our Lord. And may the love of God the Father, the grace of God the Son, and the fellowship of the Holy Spirit be with you and those whom you love this day and always. Amen."

It was a heartfelt moment. It was an emotional event. To have a sudden, immediate, keen awareness of God's hand upon you as your life seemingly flashes by before you. When things appear to come full circle in the unity of all things past and into the present future, one cannot help but stand in reverence and awe at the wonder of the Lord's providential grace in one's life. Still before the Holy One, there is a sense of speechlessness amidst the experience of the eternal presence.

Thomas Merton writes on the Feast of the Dedication of Gethsemane's Church, "Nothing could be more beautiful, nothing could make me happier." Tears of joy, peace everlasting, grace abounding. Such gladness of heart with gratitude to God. "And yet it raises again the unanswerable question: 'What on earth am I doing here?' " Yes, I hear the charge to go. Yes, I heed the exhortation to receive and live the good word. But what exactly am I doing here for God's sake? For what purpose have you and I been called?

Merton goes on to write, "I have answered it a million times. 'I belong here,' and this is no answer. In the end, there is no answer like that. Any vocation is a mystery, and juggling with words does not make it

any clearer. It is a contradiction and must remain a contradiction."

It's like that saying, "The more you know, the more you realize the less you know." Even when questions may be answered, they beget more questions. And so, it is enough to surrender in awe with great thanksgivings unto the One Who is worthy of all our praise.

Therefore, beloved, this Thanksgiving through Advent and always: Go in peace! Do good, not wrong. Support, help, honor, rejoice, pray, give thanks each and every time! We belong here together. This is our lot in life. Let it be so.

To God be the glory,

Pastor Rex

Pastoral Perspective – On the In-Between

2011-10-20T08:40:00.001-04:00

A few years ago, my wife Melissa read an article in a publication focusing on the notion of being sandwiched between two generations. Upon sharing it with me and in the course of our ongoing conversation, I felt led to encourage her (and myself) to reflect further on it. After writing in her journal(s), she began to experience a sense of call to this time and space in which she acknowledged in her prayer life that God had placed her to bridge the gap between one generation and another other than her own.

Last week, a friend mentioned that they had been reading a book, delving into this subject in another way. "The Land Between: Finding God in Difficult Transitions" by Jeff Manion explores the Exodus of the people of Israel as they traversed through the desert land between the bondage of Egypt and the greater freedom of the promised land.

Our own recent forays into this year's lectionary passages from the Pentateuch of the Old Testament give us pause to consider our own plight as a congregation gathered together from one generation to the next. The Books of the Law handed down from Moses through the generations of God's people provide for us an ample compendium of illustrations ripe for our application.

These ruminations serve to engender a renewed sense of call for me to share that the Lord our God indeed beckons us anew to bridge the gap that is before us in imparting the good news of the Gospel from one generation through us onto another. I believe our church is at a critical juncture in the journey of faith together as the Lord leads us further and farther to go into all the world and preach the gospel to every person.

We are in an in-between time through which we have been afforded a window of opportunity to choose to discern well and re-up our commitment to the call. We must stand once again for the way, the truth, and the life that our Lord and our God has given us in Jesus Christ that the world may know that the Father has sent the Son, once and for all.

In a recent seminar that our presbytery hosted in preparation for the end of the liturgical year and the beginning of Advent, the study at one point also led into a discussion on this topic. Like the Israelites before us, we are, beloved, chosen ones upon whom the mantle of leadership has been laid in order to effect the transition of God's people from generation to generation to generation for the glory of God to be manifest in the spread of the Gospel through the very end of the age.

May the Lord find us faithful in proclaiming the Word. And may God's presence go with us as we continue to go forth from this place.

Prayerfully yours, and His,

Pastor Rex

Pastoral Perspective on The Fellowship of Presbyterians

2011-09-30T12:43:00.001-04:00

www.fellowship-pres.org

On August 25 and 26 in the Twin Cities area at the conference hotel in Bloomington, Minnesota, what was initially anticipated in early spring to be attended by three hundred people instead showed to be nearly two thousand strong. The inaugural gathering of like-minded evangelicals in The Fellowship of Presbyterians signaled a significant movement of the Holy Spirit already underway among presbyters concerned with recent outcomes of voting by Presbyteries which has effected major changes in polity for the Presbyterian Church (USA).

Throughout the two days filled with several seminars, workshops, breakout sessions, table group discussions and stimulating conversations, I witnessed what I regard to be the incipient beginnings of monumental transformation yet to come and in some ways already in progress. We will likely be experiencing rapid, accelerated changes in structure and organization across the denomination in what I might now more emphatically refer to as the post-denominational landscape of the new millennium.

Nearly twenty-five years ago, I saw and had to participate in the radical re-ordering and massive restructuring of a major corporation. The company I worked for was part of a global conglomerate that at the time was much hindered in its businesses by outdated bureaucratic procedures and multiple levels of organizational hierarchies which impeded their ability to act nimbly and quickly in response to the demands of their various constituencies. The varied units across the multi-national corporation were streamlined from having in some cases thirteen different levels of management down to just five layers of supervision.

I believe that this is not unlike what is currently happening or about to happen in the PCUSA today. It is not just about theology per se, as important as that is, but also the reforms necessary to more practically effect the renewal of missional ministry in the church for the rapidly changing world around us.

On Sunday , October 23, I am envisioning a shortened morning service followed by an informational gathering of the congregation to provide a setting in which we may explore further in conversation these things which are currently happening among Presbyterians in and surrounding the PCUSA. Please keep the efforts of The Fellowship of Presbyterians in your prayers as we all seek the Lord's face together in pursuing the better future God has in mind for us to discover and realize anew.

As the prophet in Jeremiah (29:11-14a) proclaims, "For I know the plans I have for you," declares the Lord. "Plans to prosper you and not to harm you. Plans to give you hope and a future. Then you will call upon me and come and pray to me. And I will listen to you. You will seek me and find me when you seek me with all your heart. I will be found by you," declares the Lord.

In the grip of God's amazing grace, with you, I remain and continue

Pastor Rex

Pastoral Perspective… On Excellence… From the Start through the End…

2011-08-17T16:14:00.001-04:00

In a quote attributed to William Arthur Ward, pastor Bill Teng from National Capital Presbytery recently shared a thoughtful note of gratitude on the notion that tears "prepare our eyes for a clearer vision of God". I understand and appropriate this to mean that, upon our countenance becoming awash with tears, our eyes are hence provided for a renewed clarity of insight concerning our perceptions and perspective of God. In the aftermath, we gain a keener sense of who God is, what God has in mind and is about doing, and what God has in store for us. Tears "prepare our eyes for a clearer vision of God."

As I read this, again, the passage of Saul on the road toward Damascus when scales fell from his eyes in the process of changing to Paul comes to mind. I am reminded of a personal sense of cleansing that occurs when tears are shed through one's eyes, flowing upon the face, moistening cheeks touched by the very healing power, gracious presence and tendering mercies of God.

This month, as we approach the tenth anniversary of 9/11, I imagine and share in, along with many others in this nation and world, a salutary stream of solvent tears over the years. As we may find ourselves from time to time encountering some sobering times in and through life even over the past decade, the Lord of heaven and earth continually carries and brings us to and through transforming moments by which we experience the very heart of grace whose tears fell down upon the garden's ground at Gethsemane.

We are, dear ones, treasured and beloved children of God in Whose eyes we are forever eternally precious and by Whose hands, arms and shoulders we are always beheld and ever being carried forward with tender care. It is within this context and present, ongoing reality of God's love for us that we are enabled and empowered to exhibit excellence by the grace and for the glory of God.

As the apostle Paul writes to the saints in Philippi, "whatever is true, whatever is noble, whatever is right, whatever is pure, whatever is lovely, whatever is admirable—if anything is excellent or praiseworthy—think about such things." (Philippians 4:8) While many may experience the onslaught of terribly tragic tribulations, ever are we also presented opportunity to rise above situations in the circumstances of humanity to exercise valor and in humility display a depth of determination to persevere together in prayer.

Throughout the highs and lows of life in lives lived by faith, we are called and resolved to relieve one another in Christ toward the redemptive, reconciling purposes of the Lord. Under the sovereign grace of almighty God Whose banner over us is love that shields us, protects us, and covers a multitude of sins, we are set free in the way, the truth, and the life to glorify and enjoy God forever.

Therefore, as ones holy and dearly loved, clothe yourselves with compassion, kindness, humility, gentleness, and above all put on love which binds all together in perfect unity. Let your light shine before others that they may truly witness and experience the glory and grace of God at work in and through you for the blessing of many in the Lord. From the very start, on to and through the end, may you exude excellence in the Lord alone Who gives you strength for the journey ahead.

Do not give up meeting together and being wholly present to, with and for one another as some are in the habit of doing. Instead, be transformed by the renewing of your mind, praying and sharing in the Word with each other. Raise the standard, lifting high the cross of Christ, fixing our gaze upon the Holy and Anointed One Who is the very healing of our lives—the author, pioneer and perfecter, finisher of our faith. Let tears "prepare our eyes for a clearer vision of God." The One Who began a good work in us is faithful to complete it.

In Christ Jesus our Lord,

Pastor Rex

Pastoral Perspective: On Times of Transition

2011-07-20T16:30:00.001-04:00

Rick Warren, pastor, author of "The Purpose Driven Life", recently remarked on the subject of grief in the following comment posted via Twitter.
(This may be timely even for our community in light of yesterday's accident.)

RickWarren

@RickWarren Rick Warren

You never get OVER grief; You get THRU it. Grief is God's tool for transitioning thru life's losses. Grief is healthy.

19 Jul via Twitter from <http://twitter.com/#!/RickWarren/status/93337220592836609>

Pastor Rick's statements on this topic speak to transitional events which bear some striking similarities of resemblance in my own recent, personal experience—of grieving and otherwise. I have also heard others in grief groups from other settings for whom these same remarks sound resonant with their situations.

The occurrence of grief at the loss of a loved one is an ongoing process that one goes through. Rather than attempting to "get over it", it can be more helpful and beneficial to actually allow oneself to experience it.

Now that may mean different things and/or different ways to do so for different people. But I can tell you that whenever I have tried to either ignore, suppress, or dismiss a wave of grief that may suddenly begin to wash over me, sooner or later it eventually backfires on me and an ensuing backlash seems to imminently happen upon me with sometimes even greater intensity. These bursts of grief can at times be, if you will, a beast of a burden.

As emotional creatures, our humanity appears to bear witness all the more from Scripture with regard to our being "fearfully and wonderfully made" in the image of and by our Creator. The words "human" and "humility" can be derived from the Latin "humus" which pertains to the ground of our being from the soil and dust of the earth. We had best remember this while navigating through the transitions of our lives.

Whenever we are tempted to deny that reality and the truth of where and how God has placed us in the grander scheme of things in space and time, the opportunity presents itself for us to either embrace the experience or be braced by it. We are after all, as the saying goes, only human. Who do we really think we are… to act as if we could control such an involuntary event of the soul? That belies the essence of our substance. What pride and arrogance for us to posit that we can ultimately hold the reins of our destiny!

No, dear beloved ones. The Lord of life is either the one and only Lord over all, or He is not Lord at all. If there is one constant, continually echoing strain of thought from the theology and tradition of our reformed faith, it is that Jesus Christ is Lord. Indeed, a high view of God's sovereignty is the very hallmark of our belief as God's people and children of the Lord. And this bears witness in and through all things, including the experience of grief and loss itself as they might be used as the Lord's instrument to help us in and through times of transition to the glory of God.

So whatever happens, come what may, let the power, presence, comfort and healing grace of God's Holy Spirit carry each and everyone in and through the challenges of the days before us. The times ahead hold the promises of God to find their yes anew in Christ Jesus our Lord!

To Him be the glory,

Pastor Rex

Do you know any self-identifying "ex-"church attenders?

2011-06-16T10:10:00.001-04:00

"I'm an ex-Catholic." That's what some folks from the Roman Catholic tradition are apparently referring to themselves these days. On NBC's Today show, host Matt Lauer and company recently visited the Vatican. In an interview with the archbishop from New York, Timothy Dolan, they remarked in conversation together that for the first time, there's a sizeable group of Catholics who are saying, "I'm no longer Catholic." Father Dolan acknowledged that we've always had a group of Catholics who say, "I'm kind of lax [in attending church]", but "these are people leaving [the church]".

"42% say they don't attend services on a weekly basis. That can't be good news for the church. Have you been able to get your arms around the main reason... the main reason why it's happening?" the archbishop was asked. He responded:

"Those are chilling, sobering statistics and we bishops have to look at it square in the eye. No pastor is going to be content with statistics like that, to get our people back, to excite them about the faith. That remains a high pastoral problem.

Why are people leaving? I think some of them are leaving because of scandal. I think some of them are leaving because of materialism and temptations in life. I think some are leaving because they're on one side or the other that maybe the Catholic church has modernized too much and others because it hasn't modernized [enough]."

It may suffice to say at the very least that this is a multi-faceted challenge for members of the church in leadership to grapple and wrestle with in attempting to address. One aspect that comes to mind has to do with our sense of self. What does it really mean for us to find our true identity in Christ? How do we view and regard "the church"? Do we have right thinking and well informed understanding of God's intended purpose for the body of Christ that is "the church"?

These are questions of ecclesiology and missiology that challenge the ongoing formation of our theology of the church of Jesus Christ. How we view ourselves in the greater missional context of the whole community of believers in Christ worldwide will in a fundamental way impact our actions and/or inactions in matters of religion, faith and spirituality.

One thing I have come to in thinking further upon these things… It's going to take more than just any one person. But it can and does begin with one encouraging another. Do you know any self-identifying "ex-"church attenders? Encourage them to attend again! Find a way to winsomely invite them once more to experience God's ever welcoming, loving, open arms of embrace with kindness and grace.

With our New Castle community's inordinate amount of snow days used this past winter into spring having extended the school year into the middle of June, you and I may be tempted to take as big and as long a break as we can from the regularity of scheduled activities throughout the short summer months we have left. And yet, I want to encourage you and me/myself, all of us to consider and/or reconsider.

The writer in Hebrews (10:24-25) exhorts the hearer of the Word in this way: Let us consider how we may spur one another on toward love and good deeds. Let us not give up meeting together, as some are in the habit of doing, but let us encourage one another--and all the more as you see the Day approaching.

As king David proclaimed in the Psalms, may each and every one of us in Christ also say: I was glad when they said unto me, "Let us go into the house of the Lord!"

Pastor Rex

PFR Responds to the Passage of 10-A

2011-05-13T12:34:00.001-04:00

Subject	PFR Responds to the Passage of 10-A
From	PFR
Sent	Tuesday, May 10, 2011 10:27 PM

BREAKING NEWS FROM

presbyterians for
renewal

May 2011

Dear Sisters and Brothers in Christ,

Amendment 10-A has now been approved by a majority of the presbyteries within the PC(USA). While the ongoing voting in remaining presbyteries is important, both as a means of faithful witness and for the sake of understanding the state of our divisions, the biblical standard of fidelity in marriage between a man and a woman and chastity in singleness will soon be removed as an explicit denominational standard for ordination and/or installation of church officers. We deeply grieve this unfaithful action, for it brings great harm to the life and witness of the PC(USA). We have prayed that our denomination would uphold this biblical standard, and we have worked to maintain it. But now a line has been crossed.

This revision of our Book of Order signals a massive change in our covenantal life and a departure from the beliefs and practice of the historic and global church. We who are committed to holding fast the clear teaching of scripture must pray and work all the more to discern how to move forward with biblical faithfulness in and for a denomination that has lost its way.

First, we must affirm what has not changed:

Jesus Christ is Lord-this has not changed and never will! Remember Jesus' words, "I will build my church and the gates of Hades will not prevail against it" (Matthew 16:18).
The ultimate victory of Jesus Christ over sin and death has not been compromised! No action taken by the PC(USA) can threaten our Lord's redemptive purpose.
Scripture still clearly teaches that God intends the gift of sexual intimacy to be expressed within a lifelong covenant of marriage between a man and a woman. No vote by the PC(USA) can change God's truth.

Within the Presbyterian Church (U.S.A.), other important realities have not changed:

Congregations and presbyteries have the right and the responsibility to examine and elect Deacons, Elders, and Ministers of the Word and Sacrament.
The new constitutional language, though lacking the clear expression of "fidelity/chastity," does not require us to violate our understanding of biblical standards.
Our Book of Order can be amended again. We who oppose this decay in ordination standards are still free to work to restore the clarity that has been lost and even to raise the level of accountability.

This is not a time for panic or for ill-considered actions that could potentially damage our mission and witness even more than the passage of Amendment 10-A. Neither is it a time for pretending that we can continue to "do church" as we have before. Instead, this is the time for:

focused prayer on repentance for our own unfaithfulness and wisdom for the future;
new covenanted fellowships within and perhaps beyond the PC(USA) based on closer theological agreement, which will support continued biblical faithfulness, and;
sober assessments of the options we have for ministry with integrity.

PFR pledges to continue our ministry of networking, resourcing, educating, and equipping biblically faithful, missional leaders within the PC(USA). We have been here for you throughout the many struggles that have led to this point, we are here with you now-and wherever God may lead us.

So let us together lift up our hearts-it is not an accident or a disaster that brings us here. God is at work!

A downloadable (PDF) version of this response is also available.

The Board of Directors of PFR

President: James Kim, Lakewood, WA

Vice President: Mateen Elass, Edmond, OK

Treasurer: Nancy Caudel, Greenville, SC

Executive Director: Paul Detterman, Louisville, KY

Nelson Bell, Dallas, TX

Herb Codington, Clinton, SC

Laura Crihfield, Baltimore, MD

Henry Greene, Merced, CA

Anne Hilborn, Charlotte, NC

Keith Hill, Richmond, VA

Ray Hylton, Evanston, IL

Megan Handley Katurjian, Arcadia, CA

Kelly Kenion, Oak Ridge, NC

Julia Leeth, Lompoc, CA

Tammy Letts, Anchorage, AK

Nicole Lock, Snellville, GA

Mike Loudon, Lakeland, FL

Hector Reynoso, Mercedes, TX

Sam Stare, Cincinnati, OH

Andrew Stepp, Houston, TX

Bill Teng, Alexandria, VA

Gale Watkins, Phoenix, AZ

Mobilizing leaders of congregations within the PC(USA)

to be biblically faithful and missionally minded

in their service to Jesus Christ

For information on the ministry that is PFR visit

www.pfrenewal.org

This email was sent to by pfroffice@pfrenewal.org
|

Presbyterians For Renewal | 8134 New LaGrange Rd Suite 227 | Louisville | KY | 40222

A Theology of Lament in Worship on Good Friday

2011-04-20T16:16:00.001-04:00

As I have found myself repeating upon reflection through this Holy Week, the saying continually comes to mind that "you can't have Easter without Good Friday." In his piece for Reformed Worship "On Good Friday", Dr. John D. Witvliet writes of our liturgical need for lament in the spiritual life of those seeking to live out their faith in Christ.

Professor Witvliet, director of the Calvin Institute of Christian Worship, states that, ideally, worship on Good Friday ought to "include [a number of] elements. We should narrate Jesus' death. We should sense the profundity of his passion. We should acknowledge the world-changing ramifications of the cross for the salvation of the world." He goes on to say that "lament is a key ingredient in worship that arises from honest, soul-searching faith." <http://www.reformedworship.org/magazine/article.cfm?article_id=620>

As some may imagine, I myself have recently experienced blessed occasions for receiving comfort and peace over the last year as the Lord has led me to find solace in the psalms of lament throughout the scriptures. There is a sense in my own journey of faith, especially of late, and indeed, a deepening experiential knowledge, of that which makes for a more holistic encounter of the holy.

Among all the reasons we might have for coming to worship, we come, I believe, in order to meet with God. I certainly do not come to be entertained, wined or dined. Nor do I attend or intend to be amused. When I come to church, I come with a sense of adventure, awe and expectation that the Awesome Lord God Almighty is coming, too, waiting to welcome and warmly embrace every one of us with such love, mercy, grace and generosity.

Our experience of the divine, while we attempt to live the Christian life as Jesus' disciples, is meant to encompass the whole of what it all means for us to follow the Holy One Who was and is both fully human and fully divine. Can you try along with me to grasp and get this in any way at all, beloved? It seems way too big, writ large, overwhelmingly huge for us in our humanity to wholly comprehend. It's a mystery. It is the mystery of life in faith. Christ has died, Christ is risen, Christ will come again. The sinless, holy God in Jesus Christ went through it all in order to identify with you and me. Huh?!? What was that? Come again? You're telling me… (as the Word tells us) that He Who was and is without sin, suffered, died and became sin for us, so that we might become the righteousness of God! Woe, hold on there, wait a second…. How much love can there be? So much for the whole world to see…

John Witvliet continues to write…

Fairly early in the medieval period, the Roman church was in a process of paring down the typical Sunday service. One of the places for trimming was the lengthy intercessory prayer (even then, the "long prayer" was perhaps too much for people's short attention spans). Yet several liturgists, probably quite conservative ones, stepped in to preserve that lengthy prayer for use on one day of the year—Good Friday. For centuries thereafter, Good Friday was the occasion for the longest and most intense prayer of the entire year.

The instincts of these liturgists have much to teach us. For part of what we celebrate on Good Friday (and the word "celebrate" is crucial) is that Christ has completely identified with us in suffering, even to death (Isa. 53:12; Heb. 4:14-16). On Good Friday we hear again Christ pray the lament of Psalm 22:1, "My God, my God, why have you forsaken me"? On Good Friday, we remember how wondrous it is to have a savior-intercessor who is able to sympathize with our weakness (Heb. 4:14-16; 5:7-9).

What better time than this to practice a spiritual discipline of lament? What better time than this to express solidarity with those who suffer, including Jesus himself? On Good Friday, we lament not to Jesus, but with Jesus.

Dearly beloved ones in the Lord, if Jesus did all this so that He could be identified to be with us, shouldn't we in return take Him up on His invitation and come join with Jesus in solemn intercessions before the throne of grace?

Lord, though we may like the disciples before us fall asleep in the garden of yours and our prayers, may you find us faithful in, to and for the end of your glory in praying for us all.

In solidarity with you, together in Christ, we pray

Amen.

Pastor Rex

on our understanding of God's election

2011-03-15T10:20:00.001-04:00

According to Hope in the Lord Jesus Christ, written by the Presbyterian Church (U.S.A.)'s Office of Theology and Worship, "No one is saved apart from God's redemption in Jesus Christ. Yet we do not presume to limit the sovereign freedom of God . . . Thus, we can neither restrict the grace of Jesus Christ to those who profess explicit faith in Christ nor assume that all people are saved regardless of faith.
Grace, love and communion belong to God, and are not ours to determine." W. A. Visser't Hooft wrote, "I don't know whether a Hindu is saved: I only know that salvation comes in Jesus Christ."

This may be unsatisfying for those who wish to leave no question unanswered. Hans Küng and other Catholic theologians have criticized it as being irresponsibly neutral. It is, however, in harmony with the attitude of humility that Jesus commanded in discussions about the reach of salvation. Repeatedly, he cautioned against judging, that is, thinking that we know God's judgments. Jesus' parables and other statements about the last day are full of surprises and reversals. "Reformed theology has always taught that salvation is ultimately in God's hands, beyond the pale of human understanding." According to John Calvin, "We must leave to God alone the knowledge of his church, whose foundation is his secret election."

The admission that we do not know the limits to God's wondrous grace does not lessen the joyous responsibility of Christians to share the good news of Christ with others. To be a Christian is to be claimed by Christ, to know that we are loved by God, and to be called by God to a life of purposeful service. To withhold this knowledge is to be indifferent to the needs of others. As Christians we are entrusted with the biblical story of God's way in the world, and especially with the good news of Jesus. We must tell that good news to others — not because we do not respect them, but because we love them. Many non-Christians may be better, godlier persons than we are; but we are the ones who have been called to share the story. We are to share it humbly, without coercion, trusting the Holy Spirit to use it to touch the hearts of those [with] whom we speak.

Pasted from <http://gamc.pcusa.org/ministries/theologyandworship/issues-grace/>

What's next? - the next nexus in the navigational narrative

2011-02-16T16:30:00.001-05:00

As we have traversed through wintry snows and icy storms, the intensely frigid cold of this winter's weather appears to have taken its toll upon our region. Even today it took some doing to drive over some still frozen patches of recently iced country roads and driveways in our area. By the time you read this, some warmer temperatures may very well have melted the ice on our streets, signaling the seasons' incipient passing from winter into spring. In the wake of Epiphany, the order of the day through ordinary time with the days' continued lengthening is for us to approach the Lenten season in faith.

What's next up for each of us in our journey together? As a people of faith in the One Who continues leading us onward and upward in Christ, what does the next season of mission and ministry hold for this gathering of believers in Jesus? To what and where might we find ourselves following our Lord anew for God's glory?

One exciting answer could be that God is yearning to expand our horizons and stretch our fellowship to welcome in more meaningful ways and with deepening relationships some among us who have been worshipping with us for some time now. It has been awhile since I/we have had the blessing, honor, pleasure and privilege to receive and recognize folks expressing interest as inquirers to explore joining with us in the ministry and mission we are called to undertake together in community.

As we find the early disciples in Scripture when first following Jesus, they took care to invite and come alongside others who would also then follow their Lord together with them. In the gospel of John (1:41-42), we see afterward that the first thing Andrew did was to tell Simon of the Messiah and then bring him to Jesus. Might our Lord be calling us to re-up with renewed intentionality our forth-telling and bringing of one another to Jesus Christ? What equipping and action will we experience and take toward the evangelization of each other in this fellowship?

I am sensing in these days a warming up to God's embrace of us as we face the future with hope and faith, love and joy in the Lord. The thawing out of the very sinews of our faith is taking place in order for us to exercise our religious muscles once again for the sake of God's kingdom. Something else needs to be put aside so that we may make room for the new thing our Lord is doing in our midst. As the saying goes during this time of year, "What will we give up for Lent?" What would Jesus have us do anew?

The blessing of renewing one's spiritual disciplines in preparation for the greater works God has prepared in advance for us to walk in is waiting for us to discover just around the corner. As a conference seminar and intensive workshops in emotional intelligence have emphasized for me recently, a growing and deepening self-awareness of where one is in the journey and in conversation with others can be key to discerning well with effective wisdom and insight to bear upon our success in navigating through life's challenges.

From a personal as well as corporate wilderness experience of exile, through times of unease and distress as individuals and a community of faith, into exuberant life as God's vibrant people, we are called anew to be the Lord's witnesses of God's grace in this place. And as is stated elsewhere by some leaders in a letter to Presbyterians:

"…it is in our places of brokenness that the work of Jesus Christ has always been most miraculous. …in the certain faith that this is Christ's Church, …we engage in the re-formation of this church into the church we are being called to be."

To God be the glory!

Pastor Rex

A Letter to the Presbyterian Church (U.S.A.)

2011-02-15T11:29:00.001-05:00

Subject	A Letter to the Presbyterian Church (U.S.A.)
From	A Fellowship of Presbyterian Pastors
Sent	Wednesday, February 02, 2011

A Letter to the Presbyterian Church (U.S.A.)

February 2, 2011

Brothers and Sisters in Christ,

To say the Presbyterian Church (U.S.A.) is deathly ill is not editorializing but acknowledging reality. Over the past year, a group of PC(USA) pastors has become convinced that to remain locked in unending controversy will only continue a slow demise, dishonor our calling, and offer a poor legacy to those we hope will follow us. We recently met in Phoenix, and have grown in number and commitment. We humbly share responsibility for the failure of our common life, and are no better as pastors nor more righteous than anyone on other sides of tough issues.

Our denomination has been in steady decline for 45 years, now literally half the size of a generation ago. Most congregations see far more funerals than infant baptisms because we are an aging denomination. Only 1,500 of our 5,439 smallest churches have an installed pastor, putting their future viability as congregations in doubt. Even many larger congregations, which grew well for decades, have hit a season of plateau or decline. Our governing bodies reflect these trends, losing financial strength, staffing, and viability as presbyteries, synods, and national offices.

How we got to this place is less important than how to move forward. We are determined to get past rancorous, draining internal disputes that paralyze our common life and ministry. We believe the PC(USA) will not survive without drastic intervention, and stand ready to DO something different, to thrive as the Body of Christ. We call others of like mind to envision a new future for congregations that share our Presbyterian, Reformed, Evangelical heritage. If the denomination has the ability and will to move in this new direction, we will rejoice. Regardless, a group of us will change course, forming a new way for our congregations to relate. We hate the appearance of schism - but the PC(USA) is divided already. Our proposal only acknowledges the fractured denomination we have become.

Homosexual ordination has been the flashpoint of controversy for the last 35 years. Yet, that issue - with endless, contentious "yes" and "no" votes - masks deeper, more important divisions within the PC(USA). Our divisions revolve around differing understandings of Scripture, authority, Christology, the extent of salvation amidst creeping universalism, and a broader set of moral issues. Outside of presbytery meetings, we mostly exist in separate worlds, with opposing sides reading different books and journals, attending different conferences, and supporting different causes. There is no longer common understanding of what is meant by being "Reformed." Indeed, many sense that the only unity we have left is contained in the property clause and the pension plan; some feel like withholding per capita is a club used against them, while others feel locked into institutional captivity by property. While everyone wearies of battles over ordination, these battles divert us from a host of issues that affect the way our congregations fail to attract either young believers or those outside the faith. Thus, we age, shrink, and become increasingly irrelevant. Is it time to acknowledge that traditional denominations like the PC(USA) have served in their day but now must be radically transformed?

We need something new, characterized by:

A clear, concise theological core to which we subscribe, within classic biblical, Reformed/Evangelical traditions, and a pledge to live according to those beliefs, regardless of cultural pressures to conform;
A commitment to nurture leadership in local congregations, which we believe is a primary expression of the Kingdom of God. We will identify, develop, and train a new generation of leaders - clergy and laity;
A passion to share in the larger mission of the people of God around the world, especially among the least, the lost, and the left behind;
A dream of multiplying healthy, missional communities throughout North America;
A pattern of fellowship reflecting the realities of our scattered life and joint mission, with regular gatherings locally, regionally, and nationally to excite our ability to dream together.

Our values include:

A minimalist structure, replacing bureaucracy and most rules with relational networks of common purpose;
Property and assets under stewardship of the local Session. Dues/Gifts for common administration should only allow and enable continued affiliation among these congregations;
Rather than large institutions, joint ventures with specialized ministries as congregations deem helpful [PC(USA) World Mission may be a source of joint support, aspects of the Board of Pensions, Presbyterian Foundation, Presbyterian Global Fellowship, Presbyterians for Renewal conferences, Outreach Foundation, etc.];
An atmosphere of support for congregations both within and outside of the PC(USA).

We invite like-minded pastors and elders to a gathering on August 25-27 in Minneapolis to explore joining this movement and help shape its character. Our purpose is to LIVE INTO new patterns as they are created, modeling a way of faith: the worship, supportive fellowship, sharing of best practices, and accessible theology that brings unity and the Spirit's vitality.

OUR PROPOSAL:

A Fellowship: The most immediate change we intend is creating a new way of relating in common faith, a Fellowship (name to be determined). The primary purpose of this Fellowship will be the encouragement of local congregations to live out the Good News proclaimed by our Savior, increasing the impact of the Kingdom of Heaven. This Fellowship will exist within current presbyteries for the time being, but energies and resources will flow in new directions. It is an intermediate tool to bring together like-minded congregations and pastors, to enable us to build a future different than our fractured present.
New Synod/Presbyteries: In the near future we will need "middle bodies" that offer freedom to express historical, biblical values amid ordination changes in the PC(USA). More importantly, we long for presbytery-like bodies with theological and missional consensus rather than fundamental disagreement over so many core issues. We need new processes that identify and support the next generation of leadership differently than the current model, which unintentionally weeds out the entrepreneurial persons we so desperately need in our congregations. Many current functions should be removed; some, like curriculum and mission relationships, have become less centralized already. We will work with the Middle Governing Bodies Commission since changes to The Book of Order will be needed to step fully into this reality.
Possible New Reformed Body: Congregations and presbyteries that remain in a denomination that fundamentally changes will become an insurmountable problem for many. Some members of the Fellowship will need an entity apart from the current PC(USA). It is likely that a new body will need to be created, beyond the boundary of the current PC(USA), while remaining in correspondence with its congregations. The wall between these partner Reformed bodies will be permeable, allowing congregations and pastors to be members in the Fellowship regardless of denominational affiliation. All kinds of possibilities exist, and much will depend on how supportive the PC(USA) can be in allowing something new to flourish.
Possible Reconfiguration of the PC(USA): We intend to continue conversations within the PC(USA), and have met with both Louisville's leadership and that of the Covenant Network in the past few months. We believe the denomination no longer provides a viable future and perceive that the Covenant Network also sees a broken system. We hope to work together to see if some new alignment might serve the whole Church.

Any model that includes an entity outside the PC(USA) does mean fewer remaining congregations, pastors, and elders to fight the challenges of the current PC(USA). Votes will swing in directions that had not been desirable before. For many this outcome simply acknowledges that fighting is not the way we choose to proceed; our goal is not institutional survival but effective faithfulness as full participants in the worldwide Church. We hope to discover and model what a new "Reformed body" looks like in the coming years, and we invite you to join us, stepping faithfully, boldly, and joyfully into the work for which God has called us.

We invite you to:

download and share a PDF of this letter,

download and share a PDF of the white paper "Time for Something New",

visit our temporary webpage for more information,

and email us at fellowshippcusa@gmail.com if you have questions and/or would like to be a signatory on this letter.

Steering Committee:

Vic Pentz, Peachtree Presbyterian, Atlanta, GA

John Crosby, Christ Presbyterian, Edina, MN

David Peterson, Memorial Drive Presbyterian, Houston, TX

Jim Singleton, First Presbyterian, Colorado Springs, CO

David Swanson, First Presbyterian, Orlando, FL

Rich Kannwischer, St. Andrews, Newport Beach, CA

Mark Toone, Chapel Hill Presbyterian, Gig Harbor, WA

Concurring Pastors:*

G. Christopher Scruggs, Advent Presbyterian, Cordova, TN

Mark Brewer, Bel Air Presbyterian, Los Angeles, CA

Allan Poole, Blacknall Memorial Presbyterian, Durham, NC

Rick Murray, Covenant Presbyterian, Austin, TX

Tim Harrison, Crossroads Presbyterian, Mequon, WI

Bob Burkins, Elmwood United Presbyterian, East Orange, NJ

Doug Pratt, First Presbyterian, Bonita Springs, FL

Mateen Elass, First Presbyterian, Edmond, OK

Rich McDermott, First Presbyterian, Fort Collins, CO

Richard Gibbons, First Presbyterian, Greenville, SC

Dan Baumgartner, First Presbyterian, Hollywood, CA

Jim Birchfield, First Presbyterian, Houston, TX

Jim Davis, First Presbyterian, Kingwood, TX

Jerry Andrews, First Presbyterian, San Diego, CA

John Sowers, First Presbyterian, Spokane, WA

Jim Miller, First Presbyterian, Tulsa, OK

Jack Peebles, First Presbyterian, Yakima, WA

Don Baird, Fremont Presbyterian, Sacramento, CA

Doug Ferguson, Grace Presbyterian, Houston, TX

Bill Teng, Heritage Presbyterian, Alexandria, VA

Ronald W. Scates, Highland Park Presbyterian, Dallas, TX

David Lenz, Hope Presbyterian, Richfield, MN

Paul A. Cunningham, La Jolla Presbyterian, La Jolla, CA

Bob Sanders, Lake Grove Presbyterian, Lake Oswego, OR

Kevin Pound, Mandarin Presbyterian Church, Jacksonville, FL

John Ortberg, Menlo Park Presbyterian, Menlo Park, CA

Jeff Ebert, Presbyterian Church at New Providence, New Providence, NJ

Douglas Garrard, Palm Desert Community Presbyterian, Palm Desert, CA

Paul Detterman, Presbyterians for Renewal, Louisville, KY

Mike McClenahan, Solana Beach Presbyterian, Solana Beach, CA

Steve Hartman, Third Presbyterian, Richmond, VA

David Joynt, Presbyterian Church of Toms River, Toms River, NJ

Douglas J. Rumford, Trinity United Presbyterian, Santa Ana, CA

Patrick H. Wrisley, University Place Presbyterian, University Place, WA

George Hinman (Senior Pastor) and Tim Snow (Executive Pastor), University Presbyterian, Seattle, WA

Peter Barnes, Westlake Hills Presbyterian, Austin, TX

Baron Eliason, Westminster Presbyterian, Lubbock, TX

*Signatories represent themselves, not necessarily the Session or congregation of their respective churches.

This email was sent by fellowshippcusa@gmail.com
|

Time for Something New | 6901 Normandale Road | Edina | MN | 55435

Freeing Truth

2011-01-19T14:39:00.001-05:00

you shall know the truth, and the truth shall set you free (John 8:32)

These are words that ring true. They are Jesus' words. True words. Freeing words. Words of truth. Truth that sets you free. Free to live the truth.

In an address given at the 2010 conference of the Center for Catholic and Evangelical Theology, Joseph D. Small, Director for the Presbyterian Church (U.S.A.)'s Office of Theology and Worship, shares from a piece entitled "Internal Injuries: Moral Division within the Churches". In the course of his discussion, he asks the following question.

"What would it mean, within our churches, to serve truth consistently, purposefully and articulately, and equally important, to organize this service?"

In answering the question, he posits that living the truth "requires more than the effort of individual pastors and congregations; it requires organizing this service." The question then begs the query of: How might this service become effectively organized? Here, Joe Small refers to the work of Václav Havel whom he describes as "playwright, essayist, dissident, resister, prisoner, and then, improbably, last president of Czechoslovakia and first president of the Czech Republic." Drawing from Havel's "The Power of the Powerless," in Václav Havel: Living in Truth, he suggests that:

Organizing this service entails the creation of a different culture within the church. "When those who have decided to live within the truth," says Havel, "begin to create what I have called the independent life of society, this independent life begins, of itself, to become structured in a certain way." What is this structuring like? Havel begins with a term borrowed from nonconformist music and art – "second culture." For him, second culture refers to a broad ranging expression of independent and suppressed culture in the humanities, social sciences, and philosophical thought, as well as the arts. The second culture is a way of being that does not accede to "the way things are." It resists prevailing patterns and expressions by creating new arrangements and articulations. A second culture resists the predominant culture by way of innovation rather than negation.

Two things resonate with my own thinking upon pondering this further in my own recent reflection.

One refers to the parables of Jesus from Scripture about the kingdom of God, particularly that of the leaven. In the gospel of Luke (13:20-21), the Word tells us:

He also asked, "What else is the Kingdom of God like? It is like the yeast a woman used in making bread. Even though she put only a little yeast in three measures of flour, it permeated every part of the dough."

To borrow from Havel's usage, the very "second" culture introduced however tiny or slightly into the batch would eventually transform the entirety of the culture in which it resides, rising to newness of life unlike its previously known existence. I believe this is what we as the church in this community is and are called to do and be—living witnesses of the truth that would set us and the world around us free.

The second resonance of thought through personal currency of lamentation emerges as increasing understanding of a growing emphasis on fostering creativity and encouraging generativity. I have observed increasingly a growing sense of call among our leadership to expect great things of God and, in cooperative partnership with one another in the Lord, attempt great things for God. As we may appropriate from the psychology of Erik Erikson, there has been an expressed need to nurture and guide younger people and contribute to the next generation.

One of the things impressed upon me through my own theological experience of seminary education at Princeton is an audacious boldness in taking on the challenges of learning to live the truth in the context of varied ambiguity. That even and especially in the midst of uncertainty and doubt, we are called in leadership to forge ahead into uncharted waters. Despite any naysayers, expressed pessimism, rampant criticism, and no matter come what may, whatever the circumstances, regardless of any situation encountered, leaders are tasked to move forward together in faith, placing their trust in a Sovereign Lord Who engenders hope for the better future yet to be more fully realized and revealed by God. God Who is with us and is for us. And if God is for us, the apostle proclaims, who can be against us!

Next month, your leaders, officers of the church have set a date to meet in a kind of leadership forum by which we might begin to discern together the leading of our Lord for the next season of mission and ministry at First Presbyterian Church in New Castle, Indiana. I exhort all in the gathered community of faith with us to entreat the Lord in prayers for wisdom and insight to bear upon our proceedings that God's kingdom might be advanced further to the glory of God. Pray without ceasing as the apostle Paul says. Keep P.U.S.H.ing up to the heavenly realms in the Spirit! Pray Until Something Happens.

Responding to Tragedy

2011-01-10T10:22:00.001-05:00

The Faith & Politics Institute's Weekly Reflection For the week of January 10th, 2011
Towards a theology of hospitality...
"In this difficult day, in this difficult time for the United States, it's perhaps well to ask what kind of nation we are and what direction we want to move in... My favorite poet was Aeschylus. He once wrote, 'Even in our sleep, pain which cannot forget falls drop by drop upon the heart, until, in our own despair, against our will, comes wisdom through the awful grace of God.'" - Robert F. Kennedy, bearing news of the assassination of Martin Luther King, Jr., in Indianapolis, Indiana, April 4, 1968 Holding Congresswoman Gabrielle Giffords, her family, and her staff members especially close to our hearts in prayer, we pray also for everyone else wounded or worse in Saturday's shootings in Tucson. May our nation gain wisdom through the awful grace of God.		Website Past Reflections The Faith & Politics Institute 110 Maryland Ave, NE Suite 504 Washington, DC 20002 (202) 546-1299 Office (202) 546-4025 info@faithandpolitics.org
Our Vision Leadership that brings people together Our Mission The Faith & Politics Institute advances reflective leadership among members of Congress and congressional staff to bridge the divides that arise in a thriving democracy.

What's new?

2010-12-16T10:44:00.001-05:00

"What's new?" "Anything new with you?" "What new thing is going on in your life these days?" These are among the greetings I sometimes hear people say upon seeing someone they know that they might not have seen in awhile. Shopping around Christmastime, browsing at post-holiday bargains, going to the theater, visiting a museum, or maybe stopping by the gas station and/or convenience store, we may inevitably encounter friendly acquaintances with whom we've not caught up recently and utter a query along these lines.

Indeed, what is new with you? I'm interested to know. But why? I wonder... Is it natural curiosity? Am I being nosy for some reason? Is it interrogatory hubris, hidden arrogance under a façade of compassion on my part? Do I really care? I suppose some, if one were to probe inwardly, honestly, may not, really. It's just something to say for the moment in order to eventually pass the time on to the next thing that you're actually on the way to do. Each wants to only briefly acknowledge the momentary interruption, yielding instead, to the presiding purpose of our predetermined progression for the time at hand. And so we might humor one another with surface conversations for the sake of exchanging niceties and exercising customary manners.

Then again, what if there truly is something in us yearning to discover something fresh and new that would enliven things a bit? What if there was even a remote possibility that something radical, however small it may seem at first, was happening in another person's life that could come to mean the world to us? Could it be that some of us, if not all of us, deep down inside are looking to find a new event—a new experience—that brings fresh joy and fills our hearts anew to overflowing? Not merely a distraction, but a welcome intrusion is instead wanting, waiting to be embraced by us in our very presence. Is it just coincidence, or might there be an underlying theme—an ongoing current throughout humanity's existence which resonates with a deeper truth about who we are and who we are becoming along life's journey? Perhaps in the process, we are being given the opportunity to receive the very precious gift of having a companion along the way to share, if but for a moment, that we are not alone on the road of life and that we are blessed to be able to experience mutual encouragement on the way.

As we enter into and embark upon a new year of proclaiming hope, peace, joy, love and life in the light of Advent shining through the ages, our sensibilities and notions of living out our lives in faith are challenged once again to break forth from the drudgingly dreary doldrums, yet also beautifully cheery snows of winter, toward the ensuing, burgeoning brightness of spring. The experience of Revelation as relayed by John through his writing down of the last book in the Bible has one verse that echoes, in my mind, throughout time and space: "Behold, I AM making everything, all things new!" (Revelation 21:5)

Upon all of creation's history, these words from The Word reverberate with resounding resonance through the millennia, impacting our continuance and condition in the here and now of the new millennium. Our state of being, whether we are aware of it or not, is greatly affected by the truth of this continually occurring event in the perpetual providence of divinity. The apostle alludes to this in somewhat similar vein when the Pauline writer addresses the saints in Colossae regarding Christ's supremacy that in Him all things are being held together up to this very moment and beyond. (Colossians 1:17) Nothing happens apart from the goodness and steadfast faithfulness of the One Who is holding all of this and every one of us together. As Paul also wrote to the saints in Rome, we know that in all things God works for the good of those who love him, who have been called according to his purpose. (Romans 8:28) Likewise, the prophet in Isaiah (43:19a) tells us, "See, I AM doing a new thing! Now it springs up! Do you not perceive it?" Be alert, be present. I'm about to do something brand-new. It's bursting out! Don't you see it? There it is!

Ancient words, eternal words from the everlasting Word give us glimpse of eternity. Whether we are reading the daily news or encountering neighborly conversation, the normal, regular routines of our lives can afford us the opportunity to gaze upon the glory of God in Christ through our current circumstance or present situation. Cultivating an awareness of the very holy presence of God, even and maybe especially in seemingly ordinary, mundane activities can help us, like a little child, enter into the wonder of the heavenly realms. Thy will be done, Thy kingdom come, here on earth, as it is, in heaven.

The next time you come upon a friendly encounter in which you find yourself saying, "What's new?" you might consider, as you may be prompted in spirit, that you are in the midst of a holy occurrence—a precious moment in sacred space as you willingly engage in the gift of conversation with mutual encouragement for the journey ahead. Indeed, beloved ones, may you and yours experience such blessings upon Christmastide through Epiphany and beyond for the New Year at hand.

With the Wind of the Spirit,

Pastor Rex Espiritu

P.S. And, oh, say, by the way, what's new with you? :)

The Rev. Rex Espiritu serves as pastor at First Presbyterian Church, New Castle, Indiana

A Feast for Souls on Occasions of Community Celebration in Spirit

2010-11-17T14:44:00.001-05:00

Dear friends, it was wonderful to be part of celebrating a Thanksgiving meal in our family of faith as many in our congregation sat at tables together this past Sunday at First Presbyterian Church, New Castle, Indiana. We have such beloved folks with big hearts for serving one another in the Lord that I have to say, I am filled to overflowing…. My tendered heart is full from such magnanimous generosity poured out among and upon us that I feel remiss in not having more said about it.

Some may be familiar with The 5 Love Languages from the New York Times bestselling book by Dr. Gary Chapman that speaks to how we may have love shown, one to another. Among five key categories found from his research, Dr. Chapman espouses the following to be universal and comprehensive. We all may primarily identify with one of these: Words of Affirmation, Quality Time, Receiving Gifts, Acts of Service, and Physical Touch.

I have found that for me personally, at times, I seem to have differing love languages for showing as compared to receiving love. For example, I may tend to give gifts as a way of showing love to a loved one, but not necessarily experience it as much in receiving gifts for myself. What speaks love to one, may not be primarily taken as love by another. My late beloved wife, Melissa's primary love language was, without a doubt, Acts of Service. And if I didn't know any better, I would suggest another sub-category for our congregation to have as a primary love language to be that of Serving Meals.

Our recent efforts over the past year of providing meals as gifts to serve and enjoy being together with people in our larger community is telling and worth sharing. While ministers may converse regarding what they sometimes refer to as the discerning and development of one's pastoral identity, I might identify and relate this conversation piece as speaking to a particular church group's congregational identity. In this vein, I would name Serving Meals as evidenced fruit borne of an apparent, distinctive attribute of our identity in the body of Christ in Henry County. This, I believe, is part of our love language with, in, to, for and through community. It is certainly worthy of further exploration and possibly increased validation with words of affirmation as well as in quality time spent together in dialogue and conversation over meals served unto one another in love.

In such settings over meals together at table with others, with respect to and of one another's stories… There is power in the telling. There is comfort in the sharing. There is relief in the giving. There is healing in the receiving. These are among what I consider to be fundamental outflows of God's love made manifest in, through and among us in this fellowship of faith. Even as it's said that the family that prays together stays together, we could say the same of the church that serves and fellowships over meals together staying together.

Here I am reminded of a verse from the Psalms (68:6a) in which the Psalmist proclaims, "God sets the lonely in families..."

One tradition that Melissa encouraged us to adopt early on in our family life, which I must confess has not been observed as much in some recent times, was to seek intentionally to invite someone outside of our family into our home for a holiday meal. As I recall, we started this practice some time prior to one New Year's Eve early on in our marriage. We would pray to God for the Holy Spirit to lay upon our heart and place in our mind a person or persons whom the Lord would be pleased to have us celebrate and share a meal together with that might not necessarily, ordinarily have other plans at the time. We would always find our Lord faithful to answer that prayer with such affirmation and confirmation in the process that it became a hope-filled, mutually fulfilling endeavor for all present in the set apart occasion.

As we reflected upon the ministry, proclamation and celebration of Word and Sacrament with Holy Communion on Sunday prior, I am encouraged to exhort us, beloved, to renew our devotion in the Lord together concerning these things as we contemplate further the Lord's leading into the near and better future God has in mind for us. Might the Lord our God have you and me, our families in this season together celebrate along with others over a shared meal in our homes sometime during the holidays? Someone, or some ones, possibly outside our conventional circle of friends, whom the Lord may be pleased for us to share in the blessing of God's grace….

May the Lord add to our number those who are being drawn by His Spirit to fellowship with us and help us rediscover and grow in the knowledge of who we are and Whose we are, becoming ever more so

In Christ,

Pastor Rex

A Debt of Gratitude in the Light of God’s Grace

2010-09-16T09:02:00.001-04:00

When something or someone dear and precious is taken from us, especially with regard to a significant and abiding relationship, a deep and profound sense of loss can be experienced that influences and affects the lens through which we see, perceive or comprehend our current circumstances. We cannot help but to not have any situation we might encounter from that point on become somehow understood in the wake of such an event as seminal as that in our life's journey.

Even, and maybe especially, events leading up to and prior to our experience of loss can be seen in a new light. It is as if blinders that we had not been aware of previously had been suddenly removed and the scales from one's eyes taken away. Not unlike Saul's experience on the road to Damascus in Acts 9, a "Come to Jesus" moment ensues upon us and we hear the Lord speaking to our heart and soul with renewed clarity and strength of conviction.

An opportunity for reflection and introspection occurs to us and, if welcomingly received, submitted and surrendered to, and taken advantage of by being given ample time to process through, can allow us to listen well to the voice of the spirit within us. Our interactions, focus and perspectives are then exposed to new light shed upon us in the Lord under the severe mercy and greater grace of a sovereign God.

Such has been my own experience over the past year. There has been at once a deeply profound remorse and regret at my own failings before the Lord and others such that at times in the recent past, I could not bear the weight of guilt, grief, shame, brokenness and sadness apart from sensing, knowing and experiencing the love, prayers, encouragement and support of many upholding us in the Spirit.

It is a terrible thing to face the Lord Who truly sees us and meets us in the presence of one another, speaking the truth in love, presenting an opportunity to fess up, be real, and come clean over and over again, and as the apostle Paul reminds us, to "work out our salvation with fear and trembling." It can be, as one of my late, well-loved and much appreciated seminary professors might say, "a deeply humbling, transforming moment."

All this is to share a perspective with you that from this moment on, I am pursuing the Lord and seeking to serve God's people in this time and place with a passion and purpose that I am not sure I have ever experienced before. If the enemy of our souls had thought that by taking away my most precious beloved we would be deterred from rising above our situation and beholding the Lord sustaining and lifting us up further for God's glory, he's got another thing coming. Out of these ashes, beauty will indeed most assuredly arise! Watch out as the Lion of Judah moves us with a fresh fire in the fervor of the Spirit of the Lord. As it says in the Scriptures, the zeal of the Lord of Hosts shall accomplish this!

Thank you to all of you who are embarking on the journey together with one another anew as evidenced by many who attended this past Rally Day Sunday's activities. It is with a deep sense of gratitude and awe that I pledge to serve alongside with you as the Lord equips us to serve one another in love. May the joy of the Lord be our strength as we seek in partnership to rebuild our community through Christ, renew our fellowship in the Spirit, and transform people by God's grace. To this end, I remain and continue

Prayerfully yours, and His

Pastor Rex

Make way for connections

2010-03-10T05:28:00.001-05:00

Subject	Make way for connections
From	Presbyterian News Service
Sent	Thursday, February 11, 2010 5:35 PM

Make way for connections

Young adults value relationships, dialogue in their church lives, APCE workshop teaches

by Janet Tuck

Special to Presbyterian News Service

NASHVILLE — The wave of the future is here. They are a generation called the Millennials, and the church better make room because business as usual isn't going to work. If the rest of us want them included, we'd better adapt.

This is according to a workshop at the Association of Presbyterian Church Educators' annual event here Jan. 27-30. "Young Adult Voices," led by Michael Harper, sought to help those attending better understand this generation, often called the Millennials. Harper is an associate for youth and young adult curriculum development in the Presbyterian Church (U.S.A.)'s Congregational Ministries Publishing.

Millennials were born somewhere between 1980 and 1995. They grew up on Nirvana and Pearl Jam, knowing how to use the Internet. Defined by 9/11, they don't know what it is to greet someone at the airport gate. They are multi-taskers who use technology to communicate and are used to constant stimulation.

As this generation enters the workforce, there is tension between them and their bosses. Former generations threw themselves into work. Not this one. They have little patience for investing themselves over the long term and want the promotion next week, even though they just started last week.

This generation has a different perspective on work. As one young person said, "My job doesn't define who I am. The boomers, their jobs defined them." These young people want a job that gives them meaning and purpose, but they aren't about to spend extra time at the office.

Impatience spills over into their attitude toward the church as well. As Harper put it, "Faith is a process — it gives meaning and purpose, yes, but it is a journey over the long haul." This isn't particularly to this generation's liking — they want the answers now.

So what does all this mean for how they fit into the church? They are interested in the Bible and faith traditions but it might be more in terms of a pub chat than Sunday school. They will be more about their relationships within the faith community (that search for meaning, again) than they will be about the church building.

These young people are looking for genuine community. They want to serve and are very interested in mission, but they want to serve after they have established a feeling of connection in the faith community. They aren't necessarily going to jump into the work of being the church until this sense of community is established.

As one young woman in the workshop said, "We have this idea that the church doesn't dictate what we believe. We want to be in dialogue and figure out these things for ourselves."

To skeptics who doubt the work ethic of this generation, Harper says "it's just a difference in values. The greatest generation won the war and built the 20th century economy through hard work. This generation values relationships and connections and family over work. It's not a 'this is good, that is bad' judgment call. It is simply a difference in what they value."

So how can the church connect and welcome? First, get to know them. These young people enjoy dialogue across generations. Ask an older member to invite a young person for coffee.

"They want to be listened to, and they want to listen. It really is all about making connections for them," Harper said.

Beyond programs or contemporary music in worship, this generation is about building relationships. And that is how the church can welcome them in: by getting to know them.

http://www.pcusa.org/pcnews/2010/10132.htm

Presbyterian Church (U.S.A.) | 100 Witherspoon Street | Louisville, Kentucky | 40202-1396

(888) 728-7228 | (502) 569-5000 | Web site | Email

Presbyterian Publishing Corporation announces new retreat planning guides, distribution options, and discounts

2010-03-10T04:46:00.001-05:00

Subject		Presbyterian Publishing Corporation announces new retreat planning guides, distribution options, and discounts
From		Presbyterian News Service
Sent		Tuesday, February 16, 2010 6:43 PM

Presbyterian Publishing Corporation announces new retreat planning guides, distribution options, and discounts

Contact:

Jennifer Cox, (502) 569-5116

LOUISVILLE, KY — The Presbyterian Publishing Corporation rolled out some exciting new resources at the 2010 Association of Presbyterian Church Educators Annual Event. PPC's popular Web site The Thoughtful Christian has now been expanded to offer comprehensive resources for retreat designs as well as direct sales of all Westminster John Knox Press and Geneva Press books at discounts of up to 35%.

This new collection of retreat guides was developed in consultation with Joel Winchip, Executive Director of the Presbyterian Church Camp and Conference Association, and Brian Frick, Associate for Camp and Conference Ministries, General Assembly Mission Council. New retreat designs will be added on a regular basis.

Winchip praised the new offerings, stating, "These resources are exactly what are needed by the planners of church retreats. [TTC] puts retreat designs and free planning resources at their fingertips. Retreats are important to the life of the church and we are deeply grateful to The Thoughtful Christian for their commitment to this valuable ministry tool."

Added Brian Frick, "The new retreat planning guides are just what leaders have been asking for. Well designed and easy to implement, they are a welcome guide for first time retreat planners and idea generators for experienced planners."

Nancy Ferguson, a skilled and highly respected retreat designer, contributed a number of informative essays to the site addressing how to plan and lead effective retreats. These essays are free to all visitors of the Web site.

PPC also announced another new feature of the Web site. Beginning in spring 2010, visitors to the site will be able to order Westminster John Knox and Geneva Press books and resources directly from PPC through the new online marketplace at The Thoughtful Christian Web site. TTC subscribers will receive a generous 35% discount on orders while non-subscribers will receive a 20% discount. Quantity discounts on group study materials are also available. All WJK and Geneva books and resources can currently be ordered at these discounts by calling (800) 554-4694.

Jennifer Cox, Executive Director of Marketing for the Presbyterian Publishing Corporation, felt that APCE was the perfect forum for premiering these new offerings, stating, "The members of APCE have been so supportive of The Thoughtful Christian — from day one. Being able to offer a wide selection of 'thoughtful' books at a 35% discount is just one way we can say thank you to subscribers. Their loyalty has kept the content rolling."

http://www.pcusa.org/pcnews/pressreleases/ppc10002.htm

Presbyterian Church (U.S.A.) | 100 Witherspoon Street | Louisville, Kentucky | 40202-1396

(888) 728-7228 | (502) 569-5000 | Web site | Email

The Courier Times - New Castle, IN | Religious Perspectives: Embrace the spiritual aspect of Thanksgiving

2009-11-22T12:19:00.001-05:00



Friday, November 20, 2009 Religious Perspectives: Embrace the spiritual aspect of Thanksgiving By REX ESPIRITU First Presbyterian Church Friday, November 20, 2009 During this season of Thanksgiving, there are many things one may recount as noteworthy items to be grateful for. Some usual, more typical notions of life, health, family and friends among others may come to mind. However, as I further contemplate what elicits gratitude in my heart this morning, a most singular thought occurred. If you had to name one thing, just one thing you would give thanks for, what might that one thing be? I wondered as I wandered on the way today, asking myself in the Lord's presence at this very moment, "What am I most grateful for?" Now, the way the mind works sometimes, it could either go through a number of tangential paths, following some rabbit trails, perusing through a few strawberry patches and smelling the flowers along the way. Or it could suddenly turn quite focused, set in a single direction, determined to press forward on a particular trajectory. In a few moments, the latter alternative became my own experience. It wasn't long before I found myself wanting to draw upon foundational tenets of personal conviction from past spiritual growth and development, and theological formation in my own journey of faith. In the liturgical calendar of the Revised Common Lectionary, this Sunday in November, just before Thanksgiving is designated for the celebration of the reign of Christ the King. It marks the end of the liturgical year, culminating in the observance of Christ's kingdom and rule over all, with an eye toward Jesus' coming in Advent. From a Christian, reformed perspective, standing in the stream of a tradition with a high view of the sovereignty of God, this is cause for great celebration! The fact that God rules, the truth that Jesus is Lord, and the certainty of the Spirit's reigning presence among us, along with the sure hope and promise of Christ the King's return in glory: That's all too awesome for even the slightest exuberance in this expressed personality to be contained. In this vein, one might begin to surmise that this is the one thing I am most thankful for. To be sure, the idea that God is in control can indeed be a strong source of comfort for us no matter what situation we may encounter. A deeper probing of the heart reveals a more personal, profound sense of gratitude. When I read God's love letter to me in Scripture, I find myself giving thanks mostly for the words I hear the Spirit of Jesus saying to me through the Gospel of John (15:16). "You did not choose me, but I chose you ..." The Lord God Almighty, Maker of heaven and earth, Creator of all including my own very being, chose me! To know and be known as the Lord's, to love and be loved by the Lord, to choose and most of all to be chosen by my Lord and Savior - That continually abiding experience of God is what I am most profoundly thankful for today. As the lyrics of the song "Knowing You" written by worship leader Graham Kendrick goes, "Knowing You, Jesus, knowing You ... There is no greater thing. You're my all, You're the best! And I love you, Lord." I give thanks most of all for You! Beloved, what are you most grateful for today? In words similar to the apostle, Paul's letter to the saints in Ephesus, I pray that you and your loved ones know this love that surpasses knowledge, that you may be filled to the measure of all the fullness of God. May you know the Lord's blessings anew in Thanksgiving!
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Inserted from <http://thecouriertimes.com/print.asp?ArticleID=243053&SectionID=25&SubSectionID=42>

Thanksgiving through Advent: Rekindling the Gift of God With Us

2009-11-18T23:53:00.001-05:00

In this season of Thanksgiving through Advent, I am renewed with a fresh sense of hope, reinvigorated by prayer with zeal and fervor in the Lord, Immanuel—God with us! The light of the holy days at this time of year burn brightly with broader perspective upon my reentry from traveling in the mountains of Chiapas, Mexico where I and eighteen other pastors from Indiana witnessed indigenous peoples there experiencing the Gospel of Jesus Christ engaging such diverse cultures in a way not unlike that by the church throughout the first century.

The Good News rings true for all times and places as we walk together along sacred spaces as a people set apart by God's Word and Spirit among us. The season of Advent affords us an opportunity by which we can once again give thanks to Almighty God for the Sovereign Lord's grace here and now, during this our time and place, at First

Presbyterian Church, New Castle, Indiana.

There is good cause for and there are encouraging signs of hope in our fellowship amidst a burgeoning transformation that the Lord has only begun with, in, and upon us. It is a/n [re-]iterative process which entails lighting and relighting, igniting and reigniting, fanning and rekindling the flame of God's gift of hope, peace, joy, love and life in our lives to be lived, and in a sense, relived well together for the glory of God.

The prophetic writer in the book of Habakkuk reminds us in prayer:

Lord, we have heard of Your fame;

we stand in awe of Your wonderful deeds.

O Lord,

Renew them in our day.

In our time, revive, and make them known;

in judgment, in justice, may You remember mercy.

May this be our prayer for and in our own day and time with the Lord's gracious reign among us in our own, larger community of faith in Christ. And may God find us faithfully lighting anew in Advent the candles of Christ's hope, peace, joy, love and life in our homes in the household of God's blessings at Thanksgiving. In Him,

Pastor Rex

Rekindling the Gift of God With/in Us

Rekindling the Gift

Rekindling the Gift of Hope
Rekindling the Gift of Peace
Rekindling the Gift of Joy
Rekindling the Gift of Love
Rekindling the Gift of Life
fan aflame, kindle afresh, light anew
[Reign of] Christ the King
Sunday, November 22

2 Samuel 23:1-7; Psalm 132:1-12 (13-18); Revelation 1:4b-8; John 18:33-37

The First Sunday of Advent
November 29
Jeremiah 33:14-16; Psalm 25:1-10;               1 Thessalonians 3:9-13; Luke 21:25-36
The Second Sunday of Advent
December 6
Malachi 3:1-4; Luke 1:68-79;                  Philippians 1:3-11; Luke 3:1-6

The Third Sunday of Advent
December 13
Zephaniah 3:14-20; Isaiah 12:2-6;          Philippians 4:4-7; Luke 3:7-18
The Fourth Sunday of Advent
December 20
Micah 5:2-5a; Luke 1:46b-55; Psalm 80:1-7; Hebrews 10:5-10; Luke 1:39-45 (46-55)

Christmas Eve
December 24
Isaiah 9:2-7; Psalm 96:1-13;                        Titus 2:11-14; Luke 2:1-14 (15-20)

Lighting the candles of Advent again… with thanksgiving!
Fan into flame the gift of God in you

The Lord Reigns (Christ the King)	Nov 22
The Promise of Preparation	Nov 29
The Promise of Mercy	Dec 6
The Promise of Salvation	Dec 13
The Promise of Blessing	Dec 20
The Promise of Treasure	Dec 24
(Sunday after Christmas)	Dec 27

With Gratitude for the Tree of Life

2009 November—December

Thanksgiving In the Season of Advent

A Lifestyle of Thanks-Living through the Advent of Christ's Kingdom

PC(USA) - Presbyterian News Service - The Discernment journey

2009-11-10T13:10:00.001-05:00

Home > News Service > The Discernment journey

09967

November 9, 2009

The Discernment journey

A monthly column for the PC(USA) by the General Assembly Stated Clerk

by the Rev. Gradye Parsons

PC(USA) General Assembly stated clerk

LOUISVILLE — Folks often wonder how an overture makes its way to a General Assembly. It is not a speedy process, but it's an effective one that involves discernment through prayer, the study of Scripture, and careful listening to others.

An overture generally starts with an individual idea or inspiration. From there, one of the foundational understandings of our polity is lived out: Decisions are made not by one person, but by people discerning together the mind of Christ.

Often, an overture's first step involves members of the session of a congregation discerning together whether the issue on their hearts should be addressed by the whole PC(USA). In my experience, this is rarely done at one meeting, but over time.

The session sends the overture to the presbytery, where it is considered by a committee. The committee members prayerfully discern together the mind of Christ about the issue, listening to the voice of the session and to one another, as well as their own understanding of Scripture. The committee then sends the overture to the full presbytery, where elders and ministers discuss its merits and answer the critical question: Is this an issue for the whole church?

If approved by the presbytery, the overture goes to the General Assembly, where it will carry the presbytery's name and require the presbytery's support.

General Assembly commissioners and advisory delegates consider the overture in committee, discerning together by listening to voices with wider experiences, to different understandings of Scripture, and to the Spirit speaking through prayer. The item then goes to the whole assembly where, again, listening and seeking are the primary discernment actions.

If the overture passes, its journey continues as congregations, presbyteries, synods, and General Assembly agencies discern what it means for their ministry and witness.

The journey of an overture involves the entire Presbyterian Church (U.S.A.). It travels the long distance through our discernment as the whole church, listening for what God is calling the church to be and to do.

Let us all be ready to listen.

Inserted from <http://www.pcusa.org/pcnews/2009/09967.htm>

PC(USA) - Presbyterian News Service - ‘We cannot agree,’ says marriage/unions panel

2009-09-25T16:40:00.001-04:00

Home > News Service > 'We cannot agree,' says marriage/unions panel

09807

September 21, 2009

'We cannot agree,' says marriage/unions panel

GA special committee's preliminary report includes no recommendations

by Jerry L. Van Marter

Presbyterian News Service

LOUISVILLE — The Special Committee to Study Issues of Civil Unions and Christian Marriage has acknowledged what has been clearly demonstrated in debates, governing body votes and judicial decisions throughout the Presbyterian Church (U.S.A.): Presbyterians are not of one mind on the role of same-gender relationships in the church.

The special committee, authorized by the 2008 General Assembly, unanimously approved its preliminary report to the 2010 Assembly here Sept. 17, answering the central question before it — What is the place of covenanted same-gender partnerships in the Christian community? — with a three word response: "We cannot agree."

Though it reached unanimous agreement on the preliminary version of its report — the group will receive feedback from the church until Nov. 15 and prepare a final report at its Jan 22-25, 2010 meeting — it tabled action on any recommendations it might make.

In convoluted parliamentary maneuvers, the committee decided to discuss possible recommendations that had already been included in publicly distributed papers prior to the meeting after it had voted not to take any votes on them until January. At the request of the chair, the Rev. James Szeyller of Charlotte Presbytery, the Presbyterian News Service relinquished its copy of the draft recommendations.

Those recommendations would reaffirm the PC(USA)'s current constitutional definition of marriage as between a man and a woman; would advise ministers and commissioned lay pastors not to officiate at same-gender marriages even in states where they are legal but would continue to permit appropriate religious services to same-gender couples; and would continue the church's longstanding support for full civil rights for same-gender couples that married couples enjoy; and ask the General Assembly Mission Council's Theology and Worship office to examine the PC(USA)'s constitutional provisions regarding marriage in light of the legalization of same-gender marriage in several states.

"We see no agreement in the laws around this issue, on any level of government, and these very laws have changed even as we have embarked on this study," the preliminary report states. "We have reached no consensus on a faithful response to the changing nature of civil marriage."

The complexity of the relationship between church and civil law is particularly troublesome, said special committee member the Rev. William Teng of National Capital Presbytery.

"I believe we have to address two issues," he said, "Practical help on how to deal with ministers and sessions in states where same-sex marriage is legal and the whole relationship between church and state. Personally, I think we should encourage ministers not to serve as agents of the state [in formalizing civil marriage contracts] as a practical solution."

The report states, "We acknowledge that current law, in which clergy act as agents of the state, is a source of confusion. On behalf of the state, ministers are granted the authority to officiate at marriages, and yet no authority is granted them to dissolve such unions. Some argue the church should relinquish its state-sanctioned power to marry. Others feel that, even in confusion, it should be retained to further the cause of the gospel."

The report poses three prevalent perspectives it says are held in the church, with "proponents of each view believing that their position is rooted in Scripture":

That "laws that fail to give benefits equal to marriage to same-gender couples and their families violate the standards of social justice/equal protection," noting "the different cultural settings between modern society and biblical times ..."
That differences in benefits don't violate social justice/equal protection norms because "traditional marriage is foundational" and that it's not true that "all family formations are equally stable and nurturing for children ..."
That the church should not be complicit in "further separating appropriate sexual activity from marriage between a man and a woman" because such sexual activity is "explicitly proscribed by Scripture."

As with other PC(USA) bodies that have debated human sexuality over the years, the special committee's report includes a plea that the church stay together in the face of stark disagreements. It urged the whole church to adhere to a covenant it labels "Those Whom Christ Has Joined Together, Let No One Separate."

The covenant calls on Presbyterians "to listen to one another with openness and respect"; "to honor the truth that Christ has called and God works through each member"; "to support and pray for each other ..."; "to earnestly seek and carefully listen to each person's discernment of God's will found in the Scriptures"; "to struggle together with perseverance to find God's will ..."; "to love one another even when we disagree and to commit ourselves to the reconciliation of any broken relationships ..."; and "to honor who we are as Presbyterians by respecting the provisional discernment of the body, bearing in mind that individual consciences cannot be bound."

But special committee members acknowledged that won't be easy, given the strong feelings in the church.

"I do have a conscience problem with encouraging same-gender couples," said the Rev. Tracie Mayes Stewart of Salem Presbytery in North Carolina.

The Rev. Margaret Aymer Oget of Greater Atlanta Presbytery urged greater reliance on individual conscience and less on church disciplinary procedures. "We've gone from discipline to discipline as a way to bind the conscience," she said. "This report is theologically and biblically grounded and Christ-centered. I'm not arguing against discipline, but I perceive this denomination as trying to bind the consciences of those who are trying to stay in the church and at the table, on both sides of issues."

"What is forbearance?" asked the Rev. Clay Allard of Grace Presbytery. "What is the limit of forbearance? How far can I bend before I break?"

And Elder Tony de la Rosa, an attorney in Pacific Presbytery, predicted that the 2010 General Assembly will receive overtures proposing a change in the PC(USA) constitutional definition of marriage as between a man and a woman.

"I harbor no illusions that [the report] will be a turning point," acknowledged the Rev. Earl Arnold of Cayuga-Syracuse Presbytery, "but maybe it can be a tool for greater understanding."

Inserted from <http://www.pcusa.org/pcnews/2009/09807.htm>

The Place of Covenanted Same-Gender Partnerships in the Christian Community | Presbyterians For Renewal - Missional Leadership for Presbyterian Congregations

2009-08-20T13:36:00.001-04:00

The Place of Covenanted Same-Gender Partnerships in the Christian Community

Written by Presbyterians For Renewal

Thursday, 13 August 2009 00:00

TO: The Special Committee to Study Issues of Civil Union and Christian Marriage

RE: The Place of Covenanted Same-Gender Partnerships in the Christian Community

DATE: August 13, 2009

Download this article in a PDF file.

One of the treasures of Presbyterian worship is the "Statement on the Gift of Marriage" found in the Service for Christian Marriage, Book of Common Worship.1 Its great theme is that the marriage of a man and a woman is not a human invention, but the good gift of our loving God. The Statement, intended to be read aloud at the beginning of the marriage rite, includes variations of the phrase, "God gave us marriage…," no less than six times, ultimately declaring that marriage, "…is a new way of life, created, ordered, and blessed by God."

This Statement is not some liturgical invention. The vision of creation found in Genesis 2 makes explicit that God's gift of marriage is inextricably linked to our creation as male and female beings in God's image. After the creation of humanity as male and female comes a sentence: "For this reason a man leaves his father and his mother and clings to his wife, and they become one flesh."2 When some Pharisees challenged Jesus with a question on divorce, he answered, "Have you not read that the one who made them at the beginning 'made them male and female' and said, 'For this reason a man shall leave his father and mother and be joined to his wife, and the two shall become one flesh'? So they are no longer two, but one flesh. Therefore what God has joined together, let no one separate."3 The Apostle Paul also referenced Genesis 2 in urging the Corinthian believers to avoid any kind of sexual immorality.4 The author of Genesis, Jesus, and Paul are clear: the creation of the sexes is the creation of marriage. Marriage is given to us as a gift. It is to be received with humility and gratitude. The shape of marriage as the union of one man and one woman is not ours to alter.

The biblical understanding of marriage is that of a union bridging the differences between male and female. Men and women are literally "made for each other," not only in their similarities, but especially in their profound differences — differences also ordained by a loving Creator. When a man and woman are united in marriage they become a whole being in a way that same-gender individuals cannot. A same-gender relationship brings together like with like, and thus can never be considered the equivalent of marriage.

It is on the foundation of its teaching on marriage that the Bible in various contexts forbids and condemns all homosexual relations. (See Leviticus 18:22 and 20:13, Romans 1:24-27, 1 Corinthians 6:9-11, 1 Timothy 1:8-11.) These are not isolated "clobber texts" as has sometimes been alleged. Rather, the biblical prohibition of same-gender relations is in full unity with the Bible's teaching on God's gift of marriage and the life-giving pattern of Christian discipleship. As followers of Jesus, we are committed to live in faithfulness to Scripture, regardless of the license that may be given by secular law or the current caprice of an ever-changing culture.

The Presbyterian Church (U.S.A.) recently affirmed, for the fourth time, that officers of the church are "to live either in fidelity within the covenant of marriage between a man and a woman (W-4.9001), or chastity in singleness."5 This standard is explicit for ordained officers, but as Reformed Christians we reject any two-tiered system of righteousness that would hold those called to ordained ministry to a higher standard than any other Christian. There is but one calling, and it is the same for all members of the Christian community. Our Savior commands, "If any want to become my followers, let them deny themselves and take up their cross daily and follow me."6 In calling officers to live in fidelity in marriage or chastity (abstaining from sexual relations) in singleness, we express the church's expectation that officers will model the way of life that is God's calling for all people.

Presbyterians For Renewal believes that for the PC(USA) to bless or tolerate any kind of same-gender partnerships within the Christian community, or sexual relationships outside the covenant of marriage, would be to violate the expressed will of Christ set forth in Scripture. In an age of sexual chaos and confusion, it is imperative that the Christian community reaffirm in word and in practice that marriage between a man and a woman is God's good provision for human well-being, for the ordering of society and family life, and the only relationship within which sexual union is appropriate and blessed by God.

At the same time and with equal urgency, the Christian community must learn to extend the love and grace of Jesus Christ to people who experience same-gender attractions. The Body of Christ has too often excluded gay and lesbian persons, or hypocritically held them to one standard, while having another standard for heterosexuals outside the covenant of marriage. In sexual behavior, as in all other areas of Christian discipleship, we must hold together truth and compassion, godliness and grace and apply the same standard to all.

In a post-Christian culture, it is time for the followers of Jesus to return to our counter-cultural roots, drawing our identity and norms not from a lost and confused world, but from Christ alone. The Corinthian believers of the first century also lived in a context of sexual license and confusion, yet the Apostle Paul called them to a better way: "Do not be deceived! Fornicators, idolaters, adulterers, male prostitutes, sodomites, thieves, the greedy, drunkards, revilers, robbers – none of these will inherit the kingdom of God. And this is what some of you used to be. But you were washed, you were sanctified, you were justified in the name of the Lord Jesus Christ and in the Spirit of our God."7

^{1 Book of Common Worship, Westminster/John Knox Press, '993, p. 842}

^{2 Genesis 2:24 (NRSV)}

^{3 Matthew '9:4-6}

^{4 1 Corinthians 6:15-20}

^{5 Book of Order G-6_0106b}

^{6 Luke 9: 23}

^{7 I Corinthians 6:9-11 (emphasis added)}

Inserted from <http://pfrenewal.org/issues/343-covenanted-same-gender-partnerships-in-christian-community>

Presbyterian Elders in Prayer :: Prayer

2009-08-20T13:21:00.001-04:00

August 2-8: Psalm 51:1-11 "Wash away all my iniquity and cleanse me from my sin." As we enjoy the relaxation of summer, remind us, Lord Jesus, that we are always in need of repentance. There is never a "season" of life when we do not need Your saving grace. Hear our prayers of very personal repentance...and create within us a clean heart...

August 9-15: Psalm 130 "Out of the depths I cry to you, O Lord; O Lord, hear my voice." As we cry out to You, our God, our minds know that You hear us. Help our hearts to receive that truth, and continue forever in prayer. Hear us as we cry out for the lost, the broken-hearted, the discouraged. Hear us as we cry out for our churches...weak, divided, disillusioned, unfaithful. Help us to remember that with You there is forgiveness...and our hope is in Your word.

August 16-22: Psalm 111 "Great are the works of the Lord; they are pondered by all who delight in them." (v. 2) Lord God, You are worthy of our praise now and forever. Receive our prayers of praise as we lift them in private, and in public worship. May your Holy Spirit fill us with delight as we ponder what You have done in the past, and what You are doing even now in Your church and in our lives. The works of Your hands have been and continue to be faithful and just. We praise Your Name!

August 23-29: Ephesians 6:10-20 "Finally, be strong in the Lord and in His mighty power." Jesus, our Teacher, we lift up to Your care, guidance, and protection our own children and the children of our churches who are preparing to return to school in the coming days. In particular, we lift up those who will be going away to colleges and universities, often far from family and local congregation. We pray the full armor of God over each one, and we pray they will be strong in the Lord and in His mighty power.

August 30-31: Mark 7:1-8 "You have let go of the commands of God and are holding on to human tradition." (V. 8) Merciful Christ, forgive us for making decisions in our churches and in our personal lives that are guided more by "human tradition" – what is easy and comfortable in the world around us – than by what is obedient to Your commands. Forgive our hypocrisy on every level of church and personal life...and may we receive the grace to honor You with our lips and with our hearts.

Inserted from <http://presbypray.org/index.php?page=prayer>

Statement by The Presbyterian Coalition

2009-04-25T16:32:00.003-04:00

Subject	Statement by The Presbyterian Coalition
From	The Presbyterian Coalition
To	The Presbyterian Renewal Network
Sent	Saturday, April 25, 2009 4:15 PM

Deciding vote is cast to defeat Amendment B

April 25, 2009

[Fellow Presbyterians, Others Praying for Renewal in the PCUSA:]

The Presbyterian Church (USA) has decided for the fourth time in twelve years to uphold the ordination standard in its constitution (G-6.0106b). On April 25--today--the Presbytery of Northern Plains cast the deciding vote.

Attempts to repeal the standard of Scripture and Confessions regarding the acceptability of sexual behavior outside the marriage of a man and a woman have failed again. In spite of cultural pressures to normalize non-marital relations, the PC(USA) stands with the Body of Christ around the world and across the ages in affirming God's plan for marriage as the proper place for human sexual intimacy.

The effort to substitute a meaningless paragraph for the current language of "fidelity and chastity" in the PC(USA)'s constitution has failed in the recent round of voting by presbyteries. The decision means that examinations of and judgments about candidates for office, based on the G.A.'s response to the Peace, Unity, and Purity (PUP) report of 2006, must comply with this explicit standard, which has just been reaffirmed by the presbyteries.

Thank you!

I want to thank each of you who helped clarify the issues of this vote by what you said in the debate, who helped your presbytery plan for the vote, and who actually cast your vote. Your work has served the Church well.

It is time to accept the Church's decision

Since the 1970s the PC(USA) has heard, considered, and responded to appeals to change her standard of sexual morality. Those who wish to change the biblically-rooted standard have continually pressed the matter and required repeated votes that have had the same outcome each time. It is well past time to acknowledge that the Church today, as throughout her history, knows her mind on this matter, and that it is the mind of Christ. It is time to call for forbearance from those who constantly disturb the peace and unity of the church.

It is time to live into our decision about sexual morality

Now it is time to live out the decision pastorally, leading people out of our society's sexual confusion into repentance and newness of life. The decision gives witness to the Church's strong conviction that the Savior came to offer redemption to those held captive by any sin, including the prevailing sexual sins of our time. We have the Savior's promise that he will care for us, forgive us, and tenderly lead us to repentance. This is the standard. Our repentance and newness of life is the qualification for office in the Presbyterian Church (USA), as it is in the Church Universal. In that we rejoice. We rejoice in the grace and mercy of our Lord Jesus Christ, who died that we might have life abundant.

A faithful witness and ministry in the areas of sexual morality is a distinct part of the Church's calling in our day. We urge the churches of the PC(USA), in looking to the future, to recall these words of Reformer Martin Luther:

If I profess with loudest voice and clearest exposition every portion of the truth of God except precisely that little point which the world and the devil are at that moment attacking, I am not confessing Christ, however boldly I may be professing Christ. Where the battle rages, there the loyalty of the soldier is proved, and to be steady on all the battlefield is mere flight and disgrace if he flinches at that one point.

The PC(USA) has just taken its stand with the message of Scripture where it is most fiercely contested today: in its call to repentance and newness of life in the areas of sexuality and marriage.

Terry Schlossberg

Coordinator, Campaign to Defeat Amendment B

This email was sent by office@presbycoalition.org.

The Presbyterian Coalition 4604 Grove Avenue Richmond VA 23226

PC(USA) - Presbyterian News Service - Youth Ministries Task Force membership is announced

2009-04-08T12:46:00.003-04:00

Home > News Service >
Youth Ministries Task Force membership is announced

09284

April 6, 2009

Youth Ministries Task Force membership is announced

15-member panel is the last of six groups named by GA Moderator

by Sharon Youngs

Office of the General Assembly communications coordinator

and Jerry L. Van Marter

Presbyterian News Service

LOUISVILLE — Fifteen members of the General Assembly's Youth Ministries Task Force have been named by the Rev. Bruce Reyes-Chow, Moderator of the 218th General Assembly (2008) of the Presbyterian Church (U.S.A.).

The task force is the sixth and final special committee to be named by Reyes-Chow upon direction by the 2008 Assembly last June in San Jose, CA.

The Assembly, upon recommendation of its Assembly Committee on Youth, directed the moderator "to appoint a task force to seek input from youth, young adults, and adults … find and present model programs, and focus on the needs and development of youth ministries and report back to the 219th General Assembly (2010) specific recommendations for designing and conducting various youth ministries under a 'new vision' for youth."

In its rationale for proposing the task force, the committee wrote, "It is undeniable that investing valuable General Assembly time and energy to consider youth, a crucial generation in our faith communities, was an essential exercise and is one that merits more time, attention and resources than could be offered in the short time available at the General Assembly."

The rationale continued, "Though the committee sought to discern God's vision for youth and the PC(USA), this is a task that will require more time and more intensive youth involvement for its adequate completion. The Assembly Committee on Youth has begun an important dialogue that should be continued in a task force with a two-to-one youth-to-adult ratio. We became convinced that youth are best equipped to articulate the needs and possibilities for effective youth ministry and for a more comprehensive inclusion of youth in the life and mission of the church, but also that intergenerational collaboration contributes to fruitful discernment."

Young people ages 15-21 named to the task force are: Jordan Akin (Arkansas Presbytery), Hakeem Jerome Jefferson (New Harmony Presbytery), Austin Lane (Grace Presbytery), Kristy Lauron (Stockton Presbytery), Jessie Light (Heartland Presbytery), Alex McDonald (Greater Atlanta Presbytery), Madison Munoz (St. Augustine Presbytery), Elder Clara Pauw (Mid-Kentucky Presbytery), Brittney Shook (Western Reserve Presbytery), and Elder Rachel Van Marter (Mid-Kentucky Presbytery).

Adult mentors are G. Jacob Bolton (New York City Presbytery), Elder Karen Ceaser (Pacific Presbytery), and the Reverends Rex Espiritu (Whitewater Valley Presbytery), Michelle Thomas-Bush (St. Augustine Presbytery), and Kelly Wiant-Thralls (Carlisle Presbytery).

Wiant-Thralls will serve as chairperson of the group.

Staffing the task force will be Adrian McMullen and Gina Yeager-Buckley, General Assembly Council staff associates for youth ministry in the Office of Theology Worship and Education.

The 219th General Assembly will meet in Minneapolis, July 3-10, 2010.

Inserted from <http://www.pcusa.org/pcnews/2009/09284 >

Presbyterian Elders in Prayer :: Prayer

2009-03-02T05:23:00.001-05:00

March 1: I Peter 3:18-22 "For Christ died for sins once for all, the righteous for the unrighteous, to bring you to God." Thank you, our God, for this gospel truth. Help us to hold onto it, to preach and teach it, share it in our churches and around the nation and the world. Forgive us for taking it lightly...or being embarrassed by it. Give us courage to turn away from cheap grace that is no grace at all. Give us faith to let the gospel bring us to You every day.

March 8: Romans 4:13-25 "The words 'it was credited to him' were written not for him [Abraham] alone, but also for us, to whom God will credit righteousness–for us who believe in Him who raised Jesus our Lord from the dead." Too often, Lord, when we hear the world "credit" we think only of our financial troubles. Help us to hear this word and think about what we believe, and meditate upon another word, "righteousness". We pray for faith and righteousness to grow within our congregations, presbyteries, and denomination.

March 15: I Cor. 1:18-25 "For the message of the cross is foolishness to those who are perishing, but to us who are being saved it is the power of God." Lord God, in this holy season of Lent, help each one of us to focus on the cross of Christ. Help us to see its pain, its power, and its wisdom. Give us courage to resist the temptation to follow the wisdom of the world, which is not wisdom at all. May true wisdom grow within Your churches everywhere...even our own.

March 22: Ephesians 2:1-10 "For we are God's workmanship, created in Christ Jesus to do good works, which God prepared in advance for us to do." Creator God, thank you for preparing good works for us to do. Help us to seek Your will, Your guidance. Even as we meet in presbyteries and vote on difficult issues, help us to remember that we are Yours...and You have given us good works to do. Give us strength to trust You, and to obey You.

March 29: Hebrews 5:5-10 "Although He was a Son, He learned obedience from what He suffered and once, made perfect, He became the source of eternal salvation for all who obey Him..." Jesus, we don't like to suffer. We would rather learn what we need to learn another way. Show us places where we are suffering because of our disobedience, then quickly lead us to repentance. You are the source of our eternal salvation...we believe You are also the source of our immediate help and strength.

Inserted from <http://presbypray.org/index.php?page=prayer>

Is "Fidelity-Chastity" Still in Effect?

2008-12-06T13:07:00.000-05:00

Is "Fidelity-Chastity" Still in Effect? Yes!

November 20, 2008

Dear Presbyterian Renewal Network Leaders,

Some confusion exists about the position of the PC(USA) on sexual standards for ordination.

Actions by the General Assembly in 2006 and 2008, and a decision by the General Assembly Permanent Judicial Commission in 2008, have been interpreted differently in different quarters of the denomination.

Coalition board member Jim Berkley attended a recent meeting of the Covenant Network and reported in The Layman the public statements he heard at that meeting. James Tony, also a Coalition board member, responded. I think you will benefit from reading why Pastor Tony asserts that the behavior of candidates for ordination and installation must comply with the express standard of G-6.0106b.

The article below -- now slightly expanded -- appeared on Presbyweb on November 17 and is posted on the Coalition website as well. I'm reproducing it in this email. For a more complete analysis of the current status of ordination standards, I suggest you read the three articles on AO #22 by James Tony and Gordon Fish.

Is it now possible to ordain those who do not comply with the "fidelity-chastity" standard?

Not according to the General Assembly Permanent Judicial Commission (GA PJC).

Jim Berkley reports that at the Covenant Network's recent meeting, Doug Nave ("ubiquitous as counsel arguing for gay ordination in judicial cases") said, "who knows if B [Amendment B, which proposes to substitute ambiguous language for the fidelity-chastity standard] will pass or not. We haven't taken a vote in a long time. But it almost doesn't matter. Whether it happens or not, we have the ability right now to ordain whoever we want to ordain."

Is Nave right?

No, says the GA PJC in Bush, which is exceedingly clear and definitive: Governing bodies are not free to permit exceptions to the explicit requirements of the Constitution. The decision cites the explicit requirements of G-6.0106b. Just read what the GA PJC has actually said.

Some, apparently, want to believe that the John Knox Overture to the last GA overturned Bush. Not so.

Here is that Authoritative Interpretation (AI) as adopted by the 218th GA:

"[The 218th General Assembly (2008) affirms the authoritative interpretation of G-6.0108 approved by the 217th General Assembly (2006). Further, the 218th General Assembly (2008), pursuant to G-13.0112, interprets] the requirements of G-6.0108 [to] apply equally to all ordination standards of the Presbyterian Church (U.S.A.). Section G-6.0108 requires examining bodies to give prayerful and careful consideration, on an individual, case-by-case basis, to any departure from an ordination standard in matters of belief or practice that a candidate may declare during examination. However, the examining body is not required to accept a departure from standards, and cannot excuse a candidate's inability to perform the constitutional functions unique to his or her office (such as administration of the sacraments)." [Underlined is the amendment to the overture that was adopted.]

Note: no mention is made of Bush in what the GA adopted. Bush was not made "of no further force or effect."

In addition, no governing body has been given the right to provide for itself an exemption from the requirements of the constitution. Because governing bodies ordain (not individuals) and because governing bodies must comply with all the requirements of the Book of Order, they are not free to ordain someone who refuses to comply with explicit standards of the Book of Order.

Even if governing bodies might be permitted to allow candidates a pass on ordination standards (and Bush does not even countenance that possibility), governing bodies themselves do not have the power to grant themselves an exemption from complying with the plainly stated requirements of the Book of Order. G-6.0106b does not address individuals. It addresses governing bodies as those responsible for ordination. This is firmly established church law as in the Maxwell, Suwanee and Londonderry decisions.

Read Bush carefully

What follows are clear and forceful sections that show that the behavior standard required by G-6.0106b has not been changed, nor does any governing body have the right, even under the recent AIs related to G-6.0108, to permit any person to fail to comply with the requirements of G-6.0106b. Bush says:

No Departures from "Fidelity and Chastity" Requirement: Candidates and examining bodies must follow G-6.0108 in reaching determinations as to whether the candidates for ordination and/or installation have departed from essentials of Reformed faith and polity. Such determinations do not rest on distinguishing"belief" and "behavior," and do not permit departure from the "fidelity and chastity" requirement found in G-6.0106b.

As finally adopted by the General Assembly, the Authoritative Interpretation [of the 216th GA] does not equate "polity" with "behavior." Nevertheless, the church has required those who aspire to ordained office to conform their actions, though not necessarily their beliefs or opinions, to certain standards, in those contexts in which the church has deemed conformity to be necessary or essential. Section G-6.0106b contains a provision where conformity is required by church officers "to live either in fidelity within the covenant of marriage between a man and a woman (W-4.9001), or in chastity in singleness." The church has decided to single out this particular manner of life standard and require churchwide conformity to it for all ordained church officers. Therefore, the specific "fidelity and chastity" standard in G-6.0106b stands in contrast to the provisions of G-6.0106a, including those concerning faith, discipleship, belief and manner of life in the church and the world, and also the remainder of G-6.0106b. The candidate and examining body must follow G-6.0108 in reaching a determination as to whether the candidate for office has departed from essentials of Reformed faith and polity, but that determination does not rest on distinguishing "belief" and "behavior," and does not permit departure from the "fidelity and chastity" requirement found in G-6.0106b. Accordingly that portion of SPJC [the synod court] decision that stated: "no presbytery may grant an exception to any mandatory church wide behavioral ordination standard," was correct. We agree with the SPJC that, "Under our polity, violations of behavioral standards are to be addressed through repentance and reconciliation, not by exception or exemption. The freedom of conscience granted in G-6.0108 allows candidates to express disagreement with the wording or meaning of provisions of the constitution, but does not permit disobedience to those behavioral standards."

The fidelity and chastity provision may only be changed by a constitutional amendment. Until that occurs, individual candidates, officers, examining and governing bodies must adhere to it.

The constitutional process for amending ordination standards (or any other provision of the Constitution) is defined in Chapter 18 of the Form of Government. While the General Assembly and the GAPJC may interpret these standards, the Authoritative Interpretation did not (and constitutionally could not) change any ordination standard, including the requirements set forth in G-6.0106b. Similarly, no lower governing body can constitutionally define, diminish, augment or modify standards for ordination and installation of church officers.

It would be an obstruction of constitutional governance to permit examining bodies to ignore or waive a specific standard that has been adopted by the whole church, such as the "fidelity and chastity" portion of G-6.0106b, or any other similarly specific provision. (Emphasis above is mine.)

No interpretation has supplanted Bush. The Bush decision could hardly be clearer or more emphatic: our Constitution does not permit governing bodies to provide exceptions to its express requirements. Of course, those who stand for the removal of biblical sexual standards will test the court. Cases are in the pipeline. But G-6.0106b must be obeyed because it's in the Constitution -- the GA PJC makes this crystal clear.

James R. Tony is Senior Pastor of Palos Park Presbyterian Community Church in Chicago Presbytery.

I hope this work by members of the Coalition's Discipline Team is both encouraging and helpful to you. We hope it gives you confidence as you conduct examinations in your presbytery, and as you vote "No" on the new Amendment B and preserve our current ordination standards.

Yours in Christ,

Terry Schlossberg

Advent 2008

2008-11-24T16:51:00.001-05:00

Occasion/Date

Title/Theme and Lectionary for Lighting of Candle

Scriptures for Further Reflection

1^st Sunday of Advent

November 30, 2008

Light of the Heart, Our Hope

Isaiah 64:1-9; 1 Corinthians 1:3-9; Mark 13:24-37

2 Corinthians 4:6

Isaiah 9:2

Romans 12:12a; Titus 2:13

2^nd Sunday of Advent

December 7, 2008

Light of Life, Our
Peace

Isaiah 40:1-11; 2 Peter 3:8-15a; Mark 1:1-8

John 8:12b

Isaiah 9:6

Zechariah 9:10b

3^rd Sunday of Advent

December 14, 2008

Light of Truth, Our Joy

Isaiah 61:1-4, 8-11; 1 Thessalonians 5:16-24; John 1:6-8, 19-28

John 3:21

Luke 2:10(-11)

Isaiah 49:13a

4^th Sunday of Advent

December 21, 2008

Light of Salvation, We Love

2 Samuel 7:1-11, 16; Romans 16:25-27; Luke 1:26-38

Psalm 27:1

1 John 4:9, 10a, 19

Christmas Eve (Wednesday)

December 24, 2008

Light of the World, We Rejoice

Isaiah 9:2-7; Titus 2:11-14; Luke 2:1-14, (15-20)

John 8:12a; John 9:5

Luke 1:14

Prayer Walking and Growing the Church toward Community Transformation

2008-10-03T09:53:00.001-04:00

A fellow colleague in ministry and a dear friend and brother in Christ, Chris Walker led a workshop this past week at the Transformation Pastors Gathering presented by the PCUSA Office of Congregational Transformation. In his recent blog post on EvangelismCoach.org
Chris writes about a missional activity involving intercessory prayers
in motion that has been referred to as "prayer walking": praying on
site with insight. My wife Melissa and I have participated together
with others in this endeavor in the neighborhoods and communities of
our past two congregations and have seen God move mightily in our
midst. We sensed the Lord's call earlier this past year to begin doing
this at our current church congregation and are excited to watch what
Jesus does (WWJD) and is already doing among us as we walk anew and
seek His face together in faith. May God be pleased to pour out the
Holy Spirit's powerful anointing and reveal the Lord's favor and
presence with, in, and over us in these days. That times of refreshing
and transformation may come upon our fellowship for God's glory and the
common good in our community.

How the new Authoritative Interpretation of G-6.0108 does not allow ordination of non-celibate gays and lesbians

2008-09-01T23:41:00.003-04:00

How it is that the new Authoritative Interpretation of G-6.0108 does not allow ordination of non-celibate gays and lesbians

Written by Edward Koster
Tuesday, 08 July 2008 13:31

The initial reactions to the Authoritative Interpretation of G-6.0108 approved by the General Assembly in San Jose were dramatic. Some were rejoicing, others despairing, because they believed that the General Assembly, in approving the overture submitted by the John Knox Presbytery, had removed the impediment to the ordination of non-celibate gays and lesbians that had been declared by the General Assembly Permanent Judicial Commission in the case Bush v. Presbytery of Pittsburgh.

This new AI would overturn the Bush decision and bring immediate relief from the prohibition from ordaining non-celibate gays and lesbians by allowing governing bodies to declare the fidelity and chastity provision of G-6.0106b not essential to the Reformed faith and practice.
I include myself among those who initially interpreted it in that way. I concluded that because I was recalling the wording of the John Knox overture, which called for an Authoritative Interpretation that cancelled the GAPJC holding on Bush. Under our ordinary rules of authoritative interpretations, the most recent AI prevails, and the San Jose AI would effectively cancel the Birmingham AI. The General Assembly, however, did not cancel out the Birmingham AI: It affirmed it.

The Bush case was an appeal of the decision of Pittsburgh Presbytery to declare a set of standards that could not be waived. The Synod of the Trinity PJC held that a governing body could not do that, for each case must be considered individually. Then it went one step further: It declared that the fidelity and chastity provision of G-6.0106b could not be waived, and the General Assembly PJC affirmed.

The effect of Bush was to shut down any hope that the Birmingham AI would allow an ordaining body to ordain a candidate who declared he or she will not comply with the fidelity and chastity provision of G-6.0106b. It did so by declaring that this “standard” of ordination was excluded from the historic principle that governing bodies have sole discretion in determining whether candidates hold to the essentials of reformed faith and practice. This is distinct from the principle that a governing body may not itself violate the Constitution.

The paradox of the Bush case was that on the one hand a presbytery could not declare a set of non-waivable standards, while at the same time it declared a non-waivable standard. This contradiction gave persuasive weight to the John Knox overture.

But when the GA amended the John Knox overture to affirm the Birmingham AI, it kept the requirement that a judicial commission may not allow an ordaining body to violate the Constitution. If a governing body ordains or installs a person who refuses to comply with something the Confessions call sin, it would be in violation of G-6.0106b.

The San Jose AI leaves us in a rather complex position constitutionally, for we now have two authoritative interpretations of the same provision of the Book of Order. The Birmingham AI requires that a presbytery or session comply with the Constitution when it ordains, while the intent of the San Jose AI is to allow ordination and installation of those who declare they will not comply with provisions of G-6.0106b.

We are in a pickle.

Believe it or not, it is common for laws and rules to be in conflict. Every lawyer knows this and regularly applies rules of “statutory interpretation.” There are no such rules in the Book of Order, but there are in Robert’s Rules of Order, which the Book of Order requires us to follow. When there are two rules, one specific and one general, the specific rule takes priority: “A general statement or rule is always of less authority than a specific statement or rule and yields to it.” Robert's Rules of Order Newly Revised [RONR] (1990, 10th ed.), p. 571. The San Jose AI declares a general principle; the Birmingham AI declares a specific rule. Under this principle of interpretation, the Birmingham AI would take priority when it comes to the matter of compliance with G-6.0106b.

Moreover, when there are two interpretations of a rule, one of which renders an absurd outcome, that one must yield: When a provision of the bylaws is susceptible to two meanings, one of which conflicts with or renders absurd another bylaw provision, and the other meaning does not, the latter must be taken as the true meaning. RONR (1990, 10th ed.), p. 570. If the San Jose AI is found to take precedence over the Birmingham AI, then it would appear a presbytery could allow any departure from our confessional standards. For example, there would be no way to prohibit a governing body from ordaining someone refusing to repent of adultery or fornication. This is an absurd outcome that no one accepts as appropriate. Therefore the San Jose AI must yield to the Birmingham AI when G-6.0106b is at issue.

It appears that we are in the same place we were when the General Assembly adjourned in 2006. According to what the GA approved there in Birmingham, whether a governing body has complied with the Constitution and has considered the matter reasonably, responsibly, prayerfully, and deliberately is to be determined by judicial process. That culminated in the decision in Bush v. Presbytery of Pittsburgh, which the San Jose AI overturned. Because the Birmingham AI has been affirmed and retained, a PJC this time will need to decide whether the General Assembly has the power to authorize a violation of the Constitution.

ED KOSTER is the stated clerk of Detroit Presbytery (Mich.)

PC(USA) - Presbyterian News Service - Good evangelism means heavy lifting and faith sharing

2008-04-21T16:59:00.000-04:00

PC(USA) - Presbyterian News Service - Good evangelism means heavy lifting and faith sharing

"Fidelity and Chastity" Ordination Standards Upheld in Recent Rulings by Highest PCUSA Court Applying Authoritative Interpretation Approved by GA 2006

2008-02-14T12:52:00.010-05:00

FYI – The PCUSA ordination standards have been reaffirmed by recent rulings as decided upon by the highest court of the denomination (akin to the U.S. Supreme Court). The General Assembly Permanent Judicial Commission (GAPJC) of the Presbyterian Church (USA) has ruled that “Fidelity and Chastity” remains binding with respect to what is now regarded as the established proper application of the Authoritative Interpretation that was amended and approved by the 2006 General Assembly.

From: PFR [mailto:pfroffice@pfrenewal.org]
Sent: Thursday, February 14, 2008 1:27 AM
Subject: Breaking News from Presbyterians For Renewal

BREAKING NEWS FROM
presbyterians for renewal

February 14, 2008
PC(USA) High Court Rules "Fidelity and Chastity" Standard Remains Binding

Tuesday February 12 the PC(USA)'s highest court issued a landmark decision that has direct bearing on the intense debate over ordination standards in the PC(USA).

For the last twenty months, a confusing debate has raged on the meaning of a new "authoritative interpretation" (AI) of the constitution passed by the 2006 General Assembly. Indeed congregations have left the PC(USA) in recent months, citing this new AI as a primary cause. The new AI appeared as though it would allow sessions and presbyteries to ordain candidates who were in open violation of our denomination's constitutional standards for ordination, including the biblical "Fidelity and Chastity" standard. In addition, just last month two presbyteries cited this new AI as justification for their decisions to allow open departures from the "Fidelity and Chastity" standard.

However, in three decisions issued yesterday, the General Assembly Permanent Judicial Commission (GAPJC) has ruled that no ordaining body (session or presbytery) has the right to ordain a candidate who is in violation of constitutional standards, including the "Fidelity and Chastity" standard expressed in the Book of Order (G-6.0106b). With these new GAPJC rulings, we can now rest assured that our standards for ordination in the PC(USA) continue to reflect the clear teaching of Scripture and the plain meaning of our constitution.
Click here to read the rest ot this article on GA2008.com where you can also offer your comments on this issue.

presbyterians for renewal
Mobilizing leaders of congregations within the Presbyterian Church (U.S.A.)
to be biblically faithful and missionally minded
in their service to Jesus Christ

For information on the ministry that is PFR
visit http://rs6.net/tn.jsp?e=001SbrvdaYU6osXXf7D1sMgNScUKmLh6DTcYVZZHF08WumSSOe8hB7MH79H5P6l6S7zaH82EeZfFZCoDCVHGBBK6su_CmLq7DJdxd1Zfuoraq-prwNWi7Eo7w==

For news and commentary on issues coming to the 218th General Assembly,
visit http://rs6.net/tn.jsp?e=001SbrvdaYU6ov_HOJzJ9E7KiU7fQNga3ovPuyZ7wH1zjmHJopKeyP925D0UEEUUVHTliHDHzQykKFD4EThjcvjan0mHGeoY-FhENBjlD9aV9BXLffoQ8dcgA==

Paul Detterman, Executive Director
James Harper, President
Phil Moran, Chairman of the Issues Ministry Team

Presbyterians For Renewal
8134 New LaGrange Rd
Suite 227
Louisville KY 40222

Fan the Flame

2008-01-23T16:04:00.001-05:00

Pastoral Perspective -- In the Cold Winter Snow & Ice
17 January 2008

Burnin’ Love, Warmin’ Up Again
SPECIAL POINTS OF INTEREST:
· Love on the line
· Runnin’ out of time
· Longer, stronger
· Care about, don’t doubt
· Know today, hug and pray
· Celebrate each other
in love
· Comin’ down, still around
INSIDE THIS ISSUE:
In Paradise
Cold as ice
Go out
Find a flame
Warm it up again
Fan into flame
The Gift of
God in you

Find and Fan the Flame

Recently, in the cold mid-winter snow and ice, as I was driving from pastoral visit to hospital visits and going from prayer meeting to pastoral meetings, I took some time to listen to some mp3 files of a few old songs from back in the late 1980’s and early 1990’s. One in particular tugged at my heart as it reminded me of the verse in the apostle Paul’s second letter to Timothy that, translated in the NIV, contains the phrase “fan into flame.”

The refrain from the song sung by one of my favorite recording artists, Al Jarreau in the track entitled “Trouble in Paradise” kept reverberating in my soul:

When it looks like trouble in paradise, and you’re burnin’ love that’s cold as ice… Go out and find the flame so you can warm it up again.

The Lord was impressing upon me in that moment of listening in the Spirit singing through the song with the gifted voice of talent in one such as Al Jarreau

For this reason I remind you to fan into flame the gift of God which is in you…
—2 Timothy 1:6a

something that had already been resonating more and more in my soul of late.

I continue to have a deep desire and need for intimate times of communion with the Lord, hungering and thirsting after God in my personal devotions.

I so long to live increasingly into the love of the Lord among God’s people here in our fellowship of faith at First Presbyterian Church in New Castle, Indiana.

I yearn to experience the greater depths of love and grace in God’s gift of a soul mate to and for me in my spouse.

I anticipate with joy and excitement (and trepidation) the blossoming of our children into the blessings God intends them to be for the blessing of others in the world.

These are a few foundational desires of my heart that resound in song through the depths of my being, soul, and spirit. The Psalmist David’s words come to mind… Delight yourself in the Lord and He will give you the desires of your heart. Beloved, give your heart’s desires over to God Who delights in us as His children. When it looks like “trouble in paradise”, fan into flame the gift of God in you and warm up your love again! P. Rex

Of the Gift of God in you

TROUBLE IN PARADISE
(Al Jarreau)

When it appears
your love is finally on the line
And you can't hold it back much longer
And when it seems as though
you're runnin' out of time
That's the time you should be stronger
Well, if you care about her
Don't you ever doubt her love
Would you turn around and
throw it all away?
Just let her know today

That it looks like trouble in paradise
And you're burnin' love that's cold as ice
Go out and find a flame
So you can warm it up again
When it looks like trouble in paradise
And you're burnin' love that's cold as ice
Go out and find a flame
So you can warm it up again…

May you always have
somebody to depend on
And may your days be celebrations
And may there always be
an angel on your shoulder
To help the awkward situations
And if you love each other
You'll never need another love
When the whole wide world has
finally got you down,
She'll still be around

When it looks like trouble in paradise
When you're burnin' love that's cold as ice
Go out and find a flame
So you can warm it up again
When it looks like trouble in paradise
And you're burnin' love that's cold as ice
Go out and find the flame
So you can warm it up again...

The Advent of Time for Self-Examination: Abiding in God's Renewing Presence through the Now and the Not Yet

2007-12-03T10:29:00.000-05:00

The season of Advent gives us pause for reflection in preparation to wait on the Lord in the presence of the Holy Spirit among us....

December 14 — When early Christianity spoke of the return of the Lord Jesus, they thought of a great day of judgment. Even though this thought may appear to us to be so unlike Christmas, it is original Christianity and to be taken extremely seriously. When we hear Jesus knocking, our conscience first of all pricks us: Are we rightly prepared? Is our heart capable of becoming God’s dwelling place? Thus Advent becomes a time of self-examination. — Dietrich Bonhoeffer

http://www.pcusa.org/pastorselders/dailyquote.htm#december14

For Such A Time As This.... Why Stay in the PC(USA)? -- PFR Article Two: Is There a Witness in the Church? [excerpt(s)/ed]

2007-07-05T13:48:00.000-04:00

[It] is important for us to realize at this moment in our history.... among members [in] the Presbyterian Church (USA) there has never been a better time to be a true evangelical—a bearer of the Great News of the gospel.

The Presbyterian Church (USA) is not a lost cause. It is not a fraternity of faithless people or a hotbed of heresy. It is merely a reflection of our own spiritual neediness and our own Great Commission complacency.

...the Acts of the Apostles, and the dynamic witness of the contemporary Church throughout the developing world should remind us that the power of the Holy Spirit, unleashed in lives obedient to Christ, can redeem cities, and nations, and even denominations without breaking a sweat.

Read more...
"Why Stay?" Article Two: "Is There a Witness in the Church?"

Written by Paul Detterman
Friday, 15 June 2007

Toward accurate interpretation of the PCUSA's positions, central convictions

2007-06-17T12:36:00.000-04:00

FYI - In the interest of providing material(s) toward assisting those seeking to interpret accurately particular positions from central convictions of the Presbyterian Church (U.S.A.) in matters of faith and life, the Office of Theology and Worship has made the following resource available.

The Church’s One Foundation is Jesus Christ Her Lord

Prepared by the Office of Theology and Worship, General Assembly Council

The New Wineskins Association of Churches has raised significant questions about the faith and mission of the church that every Presbyterian should take seriously. NWAC has presented its case in "A Time for Every Purpose Under Heaven: Report of the Strategy Team of the New Wineskins Association of Churches." Unfortunately, in advancing their case New Wineskins has presented the positions of the PC(USA) inaccurately. As they consider the analysis of NWAC, all Presbyterians deserve to know the defined positions of the Presbyterian Church (U.S.A.). Download this report.

http://www.pcusa.org/theologyandworship

http://www.pcusa.org/mgbconnect/pubs/wineskins-letter-brief.pdf

Reasons to Stay in the PC(USA)

2007-04-27T11:45:00.000-04:00

"Why Stay? Twelve Reasons"

Written by PFR Issues Ministry

Monday, 23 April 2007

“All power in heaven and earth is given to Jesus Christ by Almighty God. Christ calls the Church into being, giving it all that is necessary for mission in the world….for the establishment and extension of his Kingdom.”

“In affirming with the earliest Christians that Jesus is Lord, the Church confesses that he is its hope and that the Church, as Christ’s body, is bound to his authority and thus free to live in the lively, joyous reality of the grace of God.”

These words are from the opening page of our Book of Order—unaffected by the will of any dissident or the action of any General Assembly. This is who we are ordained to be as members of the Body of Christ within the PC(USA). Some are questioning staying in the PC(USA).

We do not minimize the problems in the denomination, and therefore we understand why some consider leaving for “greener pastures.” Even so, PFR finds compelling reasons to continue gospel ministry within the PC(USA) based on Scripture, present reality, and our hope in Jesus Christ.

Twelve of these reasons are offered here. No attempt has been made to list them in order of importance. We invite you to weigh these before the Lord.

God has placed an evangelical witness within our denomination. If you are considering leaving, remember there are many like-minded and evangelical people with you still in the PC(USA). If you leave, you are abandoning them and weakening the evangelical witness that remains.
This is a good time to be an evangelical in the PC(USA). The Peace, Unity, and Purity Task Force report invites and provokes an evangelical witness through intentional presbytery participation, careful and thorough examination of candidates, and the exercise of the Bible’s call to speak the truth in love.
We are not here by accident. We need to faithfully labor where we’ve been called and sent. In many different ways, God has called each of us to be part of the PC(USA). Is God now calling you to leave? Do you have God’s permission to leave your present post and go to another? Only you can answer this through fellowship with Christ in prayer.
Theological and moral problems are not new. See the Apostle Paul’s letters and Revelation 2-3. Yet, I Corinthians, as an example, is addressed, “To the church of God that is in Corinth.” Though Paul urges the exercise of discipline, he never suggests that some should leave a flawed church.
Church history instructs us that some of the greatest and most important controversies over theological and moral issues took time to be resolved. We are called to maintain our convictions with patience and with hopeful endurance, trusting God to bring resolution in his time.
Sessions still control all finances of the local congregation (including per capita) and are free under our constitution to exercise faithful stewardship.
The PC(USA) affirms and encourages women in leadership and in all forms of ministry, affirming this as nothing less than God’s intent for the growth and well-being of the church and our witness to the whole gospel.
Networks of support and nurture for smaller congregations are a reality in the PC(USA). Further, there are many opportunities for smaller congregations to work together in mission and witness, and God is using these for renewal.
The PC(USA) is itself a mission field, and the fields are ripe for harvest. When our eyes are on Jesus Christ and our lives are focused on proclaiming him, there is excitement in being on the front line for the Kingdom of God. Why would we leave a mission field, especially one we know quite well?
A fresh missional focus is growing in the PC(USA) as can be seen in the Presbyterian Global Fellowship, in the work of PC(USA) mission organizations, and in thriving congregations which reach out locally and globally. God is at work in our midst and there is excitement in being part of that work!
Fresh winds are blowing in our seminaries, including new models of training offered by evangelical scholars, pastors, and congregations. These hold great promise for the future, both immediate and long-range.
We remain free to preach and teach Jesus Christ, his atoning sacrifice, the reality of the Resurrection, and the truth and authority of the whole Word of God.

On that first Easter morning, some of the disciples, forgetting the teachings of Jesus, left Jerusalem in despair too soon. (Luke 24:13ff.) But all was not lost. Their greatest hope was about to be fulfilled beyond their wildest dreams! We pray that no one will leave the PC(USA) too soon.

If you are considering leaving the PC(USA) now, please consider these questions:

Through prayer and discernment, do you sense God calling you to leave?
Are you being restricted from preaching Jesus Christ and fulfilling the ministry the Lord has given you? Will you experience greater gospel freedom through different affiliation? Why?
Can you envision that God wants to use you in the redemptive and transforming work of Jesus Christ in the PC(USA)?

It is our hope that these reflections will help you as you prayerfully consider the way forward in God’s call and in God’s love. Our website (www.pfrenewal.org) will carry further elaborations of these and related issues throughout the coming weeks and months.

The PFR Issues Ministry

Elder Jim Cahalan (Edmond, OK), Rev. Paul Detterman (Louisville, KY), Rev. Kevin Ford (Cambridge, MA) Rev. Henry Greene (Merced, CA), Rev. Hurmon Hamilton (Roxbury, MA )Rev. James Harper (Houston, TX), Elder Camille Josey (Atlanta, GA), Rev. Mike Loudon (Lakeland, FL), Elder Nancy Maffett (Colorado Springs, CO), Rev. Donna Marsh (Bethesda, MD), Elder Nabeel Saoud (Canoga Park., CA), Rev. Tracie Stewart (Statesville, NC), Rev. Bill Teng (Alexandria, VA), Rev. Chris Yim (Germantown, MD)

Presbyterians for Renewal w 8134 New LaGrange Rd., #227 w Louisville, KY 40222 w 502.425.4630 w www.pfrenewal.org

Ministering with Children and Families in Postmodern Culture

2007-04-18T13:43:00.000-04:00

Pastoral Perspective—On Spiritual Formation for Children and Families: Mission and Ministry within Postmodern Generations

Listen my people,
mark each word.
I begin with a story,
I speak of mysteries
welling up from ancient depths,
heard and known from our elders.
We must not hide
this story from our children
but tell the mighty works
and all the wonders of God.[1]
—Psalm 78:1-4

In the introduction to her book, Postmodern Children’s Ministry, Dr. Ivy Beckwith asks questions such as the following:

In what ways does the children’s ministry of the church need to change in order to meet the needs of the emerging culture of the 21st century? What does it mean for a community of faith to take seriously its responsibility to spiritually nurture… children and families?[2]

Are we relying on programs and curriculum to introduce [our] children to God? Or are we instead called to equip and empower families to introduce children to God? Are we more concerned about attracting folks to go to church, or being the church that goes out to be with and come alongside them in mission and ministry with children and families?
These are questions we must wrestle with if we are to be faithful as a missional people of God in the new millennial context of our culture. Dr. Beckwith continues on with her evolving observations in research and analyses in conversations with others in her field of Christian Education and Children’s Ministry….

The church’s ministry to children is broken. …it’s broken when the church tells parents that its programs can spiritually nurture their children better than they can, [thereby allowing] them to abdicate their responsibility to spiritually form their children. A church program can’t spiritually form a child, but a family living in [the context of] an intergenerational community of faith can.[3]

As the Psalmist goes on to say….

Let future generations learn
and let them grow up
to teach their young
to trust in God.[4]
—Psalm 78:6-7a

May the Lord enable us to abound in good works of grace for such as the littlest of these in God’s family.

Pastor Rex

[1] The Psalter (Chicago: Liturgy Training Publications, 1995).
[2] Ivy Beckwith, Postmodern Children’s Ministry, (Grand Rapids: Zondervan, 2004), p. 12.
[3] Ivy Beckwith, Postmodern Children’s Ministry, (Grand Rapids: Zondervan, 2004), p. 13-14.
[4] The Psalter (Chicago: Liturgy Training Publications, 1995).

Ivy Beckwith: Postmodern Children's Ministry: Ministry to Children in the 21st Century Church

Called to Worship

2007-04-11T09:47:00.000-04:00

Whatever else God calls us to, we are called to worship, to do so together,and to do so in the promised company of Jesus Christ. It is in worship that our lives are expressed before God and informed and converted by God’s Word. It is in worship that through song, prayer, and preaching, our theology is formed, our discipleship encouraged, and our spirits nourished. In worship we reach out to touch the hem of Christ’s garment and find that, instead of touching the hem, we are being offered the grace of God by word of mouth and gift of hand.

From the Book of Common Order of the Church of Scotland, St. Andrew Press, Edinburgh, 1994, p. ix.

Growing in global Christianity

2007-04-07T18:27:00.000-04:00

As the church approaches and observes Holy Week, it is appropriate to join with others in remembering the passion of the Christ and take thought to meditate upon the reason for His suffering and sacrifice as He was crucified on Calvary’s cross. We are given a broadening sense of God’s purpose for us in Christ after the resurrection. Jesus says in Acts (1:8), that when the Holy Spirit comes, “…you will be my witnesses in Jerusalem, and in all Judea and Samaria, and to the ends of the earth.” This same dynamic progression of spreading the good news of the Gospel continues to this day.

Last summer I attended a Global Fellowship conference held in Atlanta at the largest congregation in my denomination. Since then I have been experiencing God transforming my outlook as a follower of Christ. I have begun to see in a whole new way, as if with new eyes and depth of insight, what it means to be and do that which Jesus calls and tells us to in God’s Word in the Bible. Upon getting acquainted again with concepts from my studies at seminary in missional theology, I am sensing in myself a renewed passion for ministry and mission in our community. The following modified excerpts of material from the conference I attended and the added reflection in this article provide for us some challenges from a distinctly global Christian perspective.

When the Board of Foreign Mission of the denomination I currently serve in was established in 1837, 80% of the world’s Christians lived in Europe and North America. Today, a rapidly growing global church and a declining church in the West have turned that sharply around.

As Philip Jenkins explains in his book, The Next Christendom, the largest populations of Christians on the planet are in Africa and Latin America – and they continue to grow at phenomenal rates. Jenkins writes, “In its variety and vitality, in its global reach, in its association with the world's fastest-growing societies . . . it is Christianity that will leave the deepest mark on the twenty-first century."

In 1900, Africa had 10 million Christians, or about 9% of its population. Today that continent is home to 360 million Christians out of 784 million people, or 46%. Latin America has 480 million Christians and Asia another 313 million. Many now rightly refer to the churches outside of Europe and North America as the “majority church.” What does it mean for us in the U.S. to be global Christians in the face of these shifts?

Many congregants in mainline denominations are aware that our global partners regularly express concern about how Western churches are moving away from what most in the majority church view to be biblical understandings of marriage, human sexuality and ordination. If our denominations move away from the clear teaching of the Bible, we will find ourselves out of step with the vast majority of Christians around the world.

But the concerns of the majority church are much broader. Several years ago, the daughter of a church leader in Congo attended a youth gathering of a mainline congregation in the USA. She was confused by what she saw and heard, and she went home expressing her astonishment that the young people were just like those who weren’t in the church. From her observation, they were just as caught up in our nation’s secular values.

David Zac Niringiye, assistant bishop of Kampala in the Church of Uganda, gets at some of the majority church’s concerns in a Christianity Today interview. In it, he addresses the question: “How can followers of Christ be a counterculture for the common good?”
(http://www.christianitytoday.com/ct/2006/007/31.32.html)
In this provocative interview Dr. Niringiye observes, “One of the gravest threats to the North American church is the deception of power—the deception of being at the center.” He goes on to describe how in the gospels and in the early mission of the church it was often at the periphery, away from the centers of control and power, where God was most powerfully at work. Dr. Niringye explores getting lost in the culture, learning to read the Bible differently, the difficulties of cross-cultural honesty, and the blessedness of relinquishing control. It is a powerful interview worth reading for further consideration.

In the new global church whose demographic center and mission vitality is no longer in the West, what forms might our relationships with the global church properly take? Mission is no longer from the West to the rest. In fact, there are many gifts that we need to receive from members of the Body of Christ in other parts of the world. In the new millennium, missionaries are being sent to the increasingly secularized Western cultures of Europe and North America from regions, sometimes referred to as part of the two-thirds world, in Africa, and from countries such as Brazil and Korea where Christianity is expanding. What does it mean for people like us here in the United States to be good partners in mission? Might it encompass the salvation, healing, deliverance, and reconciliation we so very much need in our own community? Would God have us find the answer of Jesus through the mission and ministry of our sisters and brothers in Christ from abroad?

Those initiating the call for a missional fellowship of Christians worldwide believe that Christ is calling us to move beyond confidence in our own capacity to a fresh openness to the witness of the global church. We must learn from their faith and faithfulness together. Christians from other countries and cultures can help us to discern well what it means to gather around God’s mission. As we enter into what many regard as the most holy of weeks, let us consider anew what the apostle Paul referred to in his letter to the Philippians (3:10) concerning the power of Christ’s resurrection and the fellowship of sharing in His sufferings. Having the same Spirit’s power that raised Jesus from the dead, I believe the body of Christ in Henry County, Indiana in the U.S. of A. is being prepared by the Lord for a new day in God’s better future. We are, in a sense, poised to experience the resurrection of our community for the glory of God in Christ. I am, along with others, prayerfully looking forward to the Lord renewing us in our own day and time, as we see ourselves growing in knowing Christ, and making Christ known for this world that God so loves. This week, I invite you to join with others around you in prayer and worship of the Holy One Who loves us with a love and life that goes beyond the grave.

Adapted from the » e-Newsletter August 8, 2006 - A Copernican-like Revolution issue of the Presbyterian Global Fellowship

http://PresbyterianGlobalFellowship.org/eNewsletters.aspx