Any of you stumbling upon this blog can plainly see that my last posting was some time ago. It isn't because I haven't had any ideas since late June, but after then I entered into a very intense time of plain old survival. After almost a year of not making the income I had in previous years, and spending much of June dealing with local flood issues in Cedar Rapids rather than keeping my finances in shape, my bank account was looking like Old Mother Hubbard's cupboard --- quite bare! With bills and a rather demanding mortgage facing me, my wife and I had to turn all of our attention to finding ways to survive not only financially, but emotionally as well.
So, since late June I have been spending a lot of my time working a temporary job at the local General Mills cereal plant, doing preaching for vacationing pastors, and negotiating pay schedules with various creditors who have this crazy desire to get paid promptly. It has been a real eye opener as I have experienced first-hand what many people deal with on a regular basis as they scrape each month just to get by as best they can. This normal day-to-day survival that is normal living for millions of people has proven for me to be very intense and, in many ways, debilitating. I've discovered that when one struggles financially a gulf is created between those who are doing well and those who are not. It seems that financial struggle is considered by some to be a sign of laziness, incompetency, lack of intelligence, or even in some cases, a sign of spiritual weakness. At the same time, my wife and I have found that there is a special bond of mutual encouragement and support with others who are facing hard and difficult times of whatever kind - financial or otherwise.
While this summer has had a hard edge for me, it has given me a greater depth of understanding when I talk with someone who has lost a job, is overwhelmed by medical bills, or is facing a mortgage crisis, or is just laboring to keep from going under. I know now the fear and stress that for so many has become just a part of ordinary living. However, I also have come to know in deeper and more visceral way the amazing grace of God that is just as real in the most difficult points of life as it is in the more stable times. I've learned how to pray with a real connection for people in all kinds of crises, and to empathize more truly with those who dealing with serious and emotionally-draining issues. As my friend Dick Speight of Come Rest Ministries says and writes about, I've become much better at "resting in God's love."
Yes, it may have been a tough summer of surviving, but it has been a wonderful summer of becoming more trusting of God, of really believing in God's goodness, and of experiencing the realities of God's grace in the midst of sending my zillionth box of Cheerios down the packing line at work. I've also been privileged to see the great respect I enjoy from my ministerial colleagues in Cedar Rapids as they have expressed care and concern through out this last year, with some pastors and churches even extending their generosity to helping out financially. (Sadly, my fellow pastors in the Presbytery of East Iowa have not exhibited such an uplifting Spirit.) I've met some very noble people who do menial work to scratch out a living, and they do it with incredible grace and a sense of purpose that puts me to shame (and repentance) for my condescending attitude and unthankful heart.
If God so chooses to lead me back into a ministry as a pastor in a church (and believe me, it will definitely have to be God's leading), my sense of compassion and empathy as a pastor for what people go through will be a thousand fold what it was before this year began. So, I have to say that for me the major emphasis of the church I presently attend has happened --- that is, I have become more Christ-like. And after all, isn't that the mark of a truly successful life!
In Christ's Peace,
Will
Sunday, September 14, 2008
Saturday, June 28, 2008
Post-Assembly Depression
As this year's General Assembly of the Presbyterian Church USA closes, I am again confronted with a very sobering and depressing reality. I must again face the fact that I am a minister in a denomination that is woefully unfaithful to Christ and the Scriptures, and that is led by false leaders (which is generally what God sends a group of people in consequence of their persistent disobedience to God.)
However, this time I am more depressed than in previous General Assembly years. The patent absurdities and blatant God-rejecting actions of this Assembly are beyond anything I have ever seen before (and I was a commissioner at the Syracuse Assembly (209th) in 1997, and that was pretty weird). For the first time in my 27 years as a PCUSA minister, I believe I must seriously start looking at what it means to live life as a disciple of Jesus who is affiliated with a group other than the PCUSA.
Has the PCUSA become so self-negating in relevancy and theological integrity that it has "broken covenant" with all Christians who are seeking to live faithful lives as disciples of Jesus Christ?
There are lots of things I could refer to and write about from this last week, but I will highlight two key and, perhaps for me, decisive actions that reveal the absurdity of this "no thought" assembly. First of all is the action to "investigate" the alleged practice of the Evangelical Presbyterian Church in "persuading" PCUSA congregations to leave for the EPC. Only the most unthinking and unaware minds could ever miss the obvious reasons why churches are leaving the PCUSA, but apparently there was a large gathering of these minds in the San Jose Assembly. They were apparently willing to drink the "Louisville kool aid" which asserts that churches must be "drawn away" from the PCUSA in order to leave. This means being blind to all the reasons within the PCUSA itself which almost compel churches to leave. Let's not face our own faults, but instead blame them on a handy scapegoat, and what scapegoat is more handy than a member of our own Reformed family!
But the part where this action really becomes absurd is when we considered the background of other actions (see reference 1 below) by this assembly seeking to dialogue and improve relationships with Muslim, Episcopal, and Roman Catholic communities. Apparently, we are more desiring of working with groups such as Muslims who consider us to be lower than dogs and at the best, depraved infidels (though in this case I beginning to think the Muslims may have a point) than we are with a sister Reformed fellowship that just happens to be staying more true to our mission goals than we are. Again, we are apparently more concerned to please and placate our standing with the Anglican churches, who consider our lack of bishops an insurmountable flaw in our ecclesiology, than another Reformed body that has done a wonderful job of practicing the biblical mandate for equality between "clergy" and "laity." And one more time, we are more anxious to seek dialogue with the Roman Catholic Church, who in official declarations have declared us to be "defective separatist" who are outside the main succession of the Apostles' teaching and authority, than we are with another Reformed church that freely recognizes as part of the whole church any Christian group where the Spirit is present and active. But no, we are going to accuse and persecute the Evangelical Presbyterians who are our closest family members while we seek friendship with those who think we are very deficient Christians at best or who loathe and detest us at worst.
(Let me be clear that I am for open dialogue with any group, fellow Christian or otherwise. I just think it is absurd to say we are seeking this with other groups when we are not extending the same courtesy to the EPC. This make us stink like the hypocrisy attacked by Jesus, where we are "white washed tombs" filled with "dead men's bones." Matthew 23:27-28)
Then there is the second key thing that has really got my Calvinistic goat, and that is the incredible absurdity of the actions regarding "retranslating" the Heidelberg Catechism. Of course, this is all to get rid of the word "homosexuality" in a negative wording in the text. This has nothing at all to do with anything to do with historical integrity or a search for the truth. In my learning about the Presbyterian Book of Confessions, it was always emphasized in my congregational experience and in my seminary training that the confessions guide us in part by being snapshots of the church at a certain time and place, and by showing us how different Christian communities have responded to the issues of their day in seeking to be faithful. In this way, some of the less noble aspects of our confessions were still instructive because they served as honest examples of how previous Christians sought to live out their faith. In the confessions we see both successes and failures in doing this, and thus the confessions teach us and guide us in our faithfulness today through their historical integrity.
Now, we find a new expectation being applied, which, if logically followed, would mandate the constant rewriting of all the confessions. Now, we are told, the Heidelberg Catechism must be "retranslated" to reflect where we are at as a church today at this time and place. Apparently, all the confessions should reflect who we are now. If this is so, we need to gut the Scots Confession to get rid of all the negative slams on the Roman Catholic Church. We need to rewrite the Barmen Declaration because it is very tied to the rising threat of National Socialism in Germany. Certainly, we are no longer in the same place politically anymore. And God knows not many of us PCUSA'ers relate well to the Trinitarian language in the Apostles' and Nicene Creeds. Certainly, those demand some extensive revision to reflect "who we are today."
And why is it that a true reflection of who we are as a church just happens to be politically and theologically liberal? I guess I missed the declaration made by some authoritative body somewhere that "we" are all theological "progressives." So much for any evangelical, orthodox, or conservative's (that is to say, my) "freedom of conscience." Apparently, such freedom is the province of the liberal mind alone.
Anyway, this is what I'm thinking today as I work through my post-Assembly depression. Sometimes I think the PCUSA could do very well if we could eliminate General Assemblies altogether. They seldom ever help the rank and file in the churches, and more often than not bring us grief and torment. I've been able to keep most of the work of past assemblies, both positive and negative, in a hopeful and tolerant perspective, but this assembly has me wondering for the first time if the end has finally come to the PCUSA, or at least, maybe the end of the PCUSA has come for me!
Reference 1: Actions of GA relating to EPC and other groups.
[07-01]
On Calling for Tolerance and Peaceful Relations Between the Christian and Muslim Communities
[07-02]
On Response to an Invitation to Interfaith Dialogue. (Baltimore)
[07-07]
On Peaceful Relations Between the Christian and Muslim Communities. (Chicago)
[07-08]
Mutual Recognition of Baptism with the United States Conference of Catholic Bishops (Committee on Ecumenical Relations)
[07-11]
Episcopal Presbyterian Agreement. (Com. on Ecumenical relations)
[07-03]
On Investigating the Actions and Conduct of the Evangelical Presbyterian Church. (Peace River Presbytery)
However, this time I am more depressed than in previous General Assembly years. The patent absurdities and blatant God-rejecting actions of this Assembly are beyond anything I have ever seen before (and I was a commissioner at the Syracuse Assembly (209th) in 1997, and that was pretty weird). For the first time in my 27 years as a PCUSA minister, I believe I must seriously start looking at what it means to live life as a disciple of Jesus who is affiliated with a group other than the PCUSA.
Has the PCUSA become so self-negating in relevancy and theological integrity that it has "broken covenant" with all Christians who are seeking to live faithful lives as disciples of Jesus Christ?
There are lots of things I could refer to and write about from this last week, but I will highlight two key and, perhaps for me, decisive actions that reveal the absurdity of this "no thought" assembly. First of all is the action to "investigate" the alleged practice of the Evangelical Presbyterian Church in "persuading" PCUSA congregations to leave for the EPC. Only the most unthinking and unaware minds could ever miss the obvious reasons why churches are leaving the PCUSA, but apparently there was a large gathering of these minds in the San Jose Assembly. They were apparently willing to drink the "Louisville kool aid" which asserts that churches must be "drawn away" from the PCUSA in order to leave. This means being blind to all the reasons within the PCUSA itself which almost compel churches to leave. Let's not face our own faults, but instead blame them on a handy scapegoat, and what scapegoat is more handy than a member of our own Reformed family!
But the part where this action really becomes absurd is when we considered the background of other actions (see reference 1 below) by this assembly seeking to dialogue and improve relationships with Muslim, Episcopal, and Roman Catholic communities. Apparently, we are more desiring of working with groups such as Muslims who consider us to be lower than dogs and at the best, depraved infidels (though in this case I beginning to think the Muslims may have a point) than we are with a sister Reformed fellowship that just happens to be staying more true to our mission goals than we are. Again, we are apparently more concerned to please and placate our standing with the Anglican churches, who consider our lack of bishops an insurmountable flaw in our ecclesiology, than another Reformed body that has done a wonderful job of practicing the biblical mandate for equality between "clergy" and "laity." And one more time, we are more anxious to seek dialogue with the Roman Catholic Church, who in official declarations have declared us to be "defective separatist" who are outside the main succession of the Apostles' teaching and authority, than we are with another Reformed church that freely recognizes as part of the whole church any Christian group where the Spirit is present and active. But no, we are going to accuse and persecute the Evangelical Presbyterians who are our closest family members while we seek friendship with those who think we are very deficient Christians at best or who loathe and detest us at worst.
(Let me be clear that I am for open dialogue with any group, fellow Christian or otherwise. I just think it is absurd to say we are seeking this with other groups when we are not extending the same courtesy to the EPC. This make us stink like the hypocrisy attacked by Jesus, where we are "white washed tombs" filled with "dead men's bones." Matthew 23:27-28)
Then there is the second key thing that has really got my Calvinistic goat, and that is the incredible absurdity of the actions regarding "retranslating" the Heidelberg Catechism. Of course, this is all to get rid of the word "homosexuality" in a negative wording in the text. This has nothing at all to do with anything to do with historical integrity or a search for the truth. In my learning about the Presbyterian Book of Confessions, it was always emphasized in my congregational experience and in my seminary training that the confessions guide us in part by being snapshots of the church at a certain time and place, and by showing us how different Christian communities have responded to the issues of their day in seeking to be faithful. In this way, some of the less noble aspects of our confessions were still instructive because they served as honest examples of how previous Christians sought to live out their faith. In the confessions we see both successes and failures in doing this, and thus the confessions teach us and guide us in our faithfulness today through their historical integrity.
Now, we find a new expectation being applied, which, if logically followed, would mandate the constant rewriting of all the confessions. Now, we are told, the Heidelberg Catechism must be "retranslated" to reflect where we are at as a church today at this time and place. Apparently, all the confessions should reflect who we are now. If this is so, we need to gut the Scots Confession to get rid of all the negative slams on the Roman Catholic Church. We need to rewrite the Barmen Declaration because it is very tied to the rising threat of National Socialism in Germany. Certainly, we are no longer in the same place politically anymore. And God knows not many of us PCUSA'ers relate well to the Trinitarian language in the Apostles' and Nicene Creeds. Certainly, those demand some extensive revision to reflect "who we are today."
And why is it that a true reflection of who we are as a church just happens to be politically and theologically liberal? I guess I missed the declaration made by some authoritative body somewhere that "we" are all theological "progressives." So much for any evangelical, orthodox, or conservative's (that is to say, my) "freedom of conscience." Apparently, such freedom is the province of the liberal mind alone.
Anyway, this is what I'm thinking today as I work through my post-Assembly depression. Sometimes I think the PCUSA could do very well if we could eliminate General Assemblies altogether. They seldom ever help the rank and file in the churches, and more often than not bring us grief and torment. I've been able to keep most of the work of past assemblies, both positive and negative, in a hopeful and tolerant perspective, but this assembly has me wondering for the first time if the end has finally come to the PCUSA, or at least, maybe the end of the PCUSA has come for me!
Reference 1: Actions of GA relating to EPC and other groups.
[07-01]
On Calling for Tolerance and Peaceful Relations Between the Christian and Muslim Communities
[07-02]
On Response to an Invitation to Interfaith Dialogue. (Baltimore)
[07-07]
On Peaceful Relations Between the Christian and Muslim Communities. (Chicago)
[07-08]
Mutual Recognition of Baptism with the United States Conference of Catholic Bishops (Committee on Ecumenical Relations)
[07-11]
Episcopal Presbyterian Agreement. (Com. on Ecumenical relations)
[07-03]
On Investigating the Actions and Conduct of the Evangelical Presbyterian Church. (Peace River Presbytery)
Thursday, May 15, 2008
Falling Among The Charismatics: Living In A Pentecostal Reality
I haven’t really had any marked changes in my theology during the past few years, but I have had to reconsider my personal feelings and comfort level with Christians who worship and live according to a Pentecostal or charismatic expression of Christianity. Charismatic Christianity is rapidly becoming the most prevalent form of self-understanding in Protestantism today. It is the overwhelming form of Christian expression in South America, Africa, the Middle East, and Asia (including China). According to some Christian prognosticators, charismatic forms of Christian belief and practice will be “normal” Christianity by 2050, and will include Roman Catholic, Orthodox, and whatever is left of the Protestant traditions. So, all of us in one way or another must decide what our personal approach will be to those who call themselves charismatic or Pentecostal, since this is most like the future of most our congregations.
In my time in Cedar Rapids, I have been a leader in building inter-denominational coalitions for serving and reaching this community. In doing this, I have become very close to many of the Pentecostal and charismatic leaders. After finishing my time at Hus Presbyterian Church, my wife and I have become regular worshippers with a local but world renowned charismatic ministry, River of Life Ministries. My close friendship with a local charismatic Methodist pastor has led me to work with him in his "prophetic" retreat ministry which helps people enter into a deeper walk with Jesus through basic spiritual disciplines. While I have never been opposed to the more “Spirit-led” expressions of Christianity, it is only recently that I have been challenged to think through my own beliefs regarding this phenomenon due to my own proximity to those who are part of it.
Therefore, I have learned that the traditional Pentecostal/charismatic groups have matured in their use of Scripture for understanding the work of the Spirit. Most charismatic denominations, such as Assemblies of God, emphasize the biblical maxim that “manifestations of the Spirit” must be for the common good of the church’s ministry of demonstrating the power and presence of Christ. Speaking in tongues is to empower prayer for not only the person praying but for the work of the whole church (which is actually a very ancient emphasis in Christian experience). Being “slain in the Spirit” (again a known occurrence in Christian experience over the ages and in many forms) is to provide for a special work of grace in a person’s life to overcome a problem or perform a special ministry. As Larry Sohn of the Assemblies of God says, “It isn’t what happens when you fall on the floor that matters. It’s what you do when you rise up and face the world.” Francis Frangipane, a major charismatic leader and good friend of mine, points out that the most important manifestation of the Spirit is not speaking in tongues or performing healings, but becoming a Christ-like person whose life bears the “fruits of the Spirit,” such as love, joy, peace, humility, and patience.
I have experienced the manifestation of God’s Spirit primarily in my giftedness as a preacher and teacher who awakens others to the adventure and excitement of following Jesus. To see people respond and discover the call of God in their lives is exhilarating to me. I have never spoken in tongues, but I have had the Spirit speak to me in visions when I particularly needed encouragement and hope. These make for interesting stories, but in each case God was enabling me or preparing me to be faithful in a challenging situation. Recently, in the Grand Canyon, God revealed more clearly than ever before my abject sinfulness and incapability to seek God in my own strength. This wasn’t through voices or visions, but through the use of the geophysical characteristics of the Canyon in the light of the Scriptures I was meditating on (and this includes one beaucoup incredible lightning storm incident).
I am usually around people who have very amazing and affirming experiences of God’s Spirit. This, I believe, is one way God speaks to His people when the Word and the Spirit are allowed to form the church community according to God’s desires. The principle, that Word and Spirit must be together, is critical in understanding the various manifestations of the Spirit; otherwise churches can become so focused on the spectacular that they even begin to “tempt” God, such as when Satan dared Jesus to throw himself down from the Temple to gain people’s allegiance. Dietrich Bonhoeffer’s warning in his book, Life Together, is to be heeded.
In my time in Cedar Rapids, I have been a leader in building inter-denominational coalitions for serving and reaching this community. In doing this, I have become very close to many of the Pentecostal and charismatic leaders. After finishing my time at Hus Presbyterian Church, my wife and I have become regular worshippers with a local but world renowned charismatic ministry, River of Life Ministries. My close friendship with a local charismatic Methodist pastor has led me to work with him in his "prophetic" retreat ministry which helps people enter into a deeper walk with Jesus through basic spiritual disciplines. While I have never been opposed to the more “Spirit-led” expressions of Christianity, it is only recently that I have been challenged to think through my own beliefs regarding this phenomenon due to my own proximity to those who are part of it.
Therefore, I have learned that the traditional Pentecostal/charismatic groups have matured in their use of Scripture for understanding the work of the Spirit. Most charismatic denominations, such as Assemblies of God, emphasize the biblical maxim that “manifestations of the Spirit” must be for the common good of the church’s ministry of demonstrating the power and presence of Christ. Speaking in tongues is to empower prayer for not only the person praying but for the work of the whole church (which is actually a very ancient emphasis in Christian experience). Being “slain in the Spirit” (again a known occurrence in Christian experience over the ages and in many forms) is to provide for a special work of grace in a person’s life to overcome a problem or perform a special ministry. As Larry Sohn of the Assemblies of God says, “It isn’t what happens when you fall on the floor that matters. It’s what you do when you rise up and face the world.” Francis Frangipane, a major charismatic leader and good friend of mine, points out that the most important manifestation of the Spirit is not speaking in tongues or performing healings, but becoming a Christ-like person whose life bears the “fruits of the Spirit,” such as love, joy, peace, humility, and patience.
I have experienced the manifestation of God’s Spirit primarily in my giftedness as a preacher and teacher who awakens others to the adventure and excitement of following Jesus. To see people respond and discover the call of God in their lives is exhilarating to me. I have never spoken in tongues, but I have had the Spirit speak to me in visions when I particularly needed encouragement and hope. These make for interesting stories, but in each case God was enabling me or preparing me to be faithful in a challenging situation. Recently, in the Grand Canyon, God revealed more clearly than ever before my abject sinfulness and incapability to seek God in my own strength. This wasn’t through voices or visions, but through the use of the geophysical characteristics of the Canyon in the light of the Scriptures I was meditating on (and this includes one beaucoup incredible lightning storm incident).
I am usually around people who have very amazing and affirming experiences of God’s Spirit. This, I believe, is one way God speaks to His people when the Word and the Spirit are allowed to form the church community according to God’s desires. The principle, that Word and Spirit must be together, is critical in understanding the various manifestations of the Spirit; otherwise churches can become so focused on the spectacular that they even begin to “tempt” God, such as when Satan dared Jesus to throw himself down from the Temple to gain people’s allegiance. Dietrich Bonhoeffer’s warning in his book, Life Together, is to be heeded.
It is, therefore, not good for us to take too seriously the many
untoward experiences we have with ourselves in meditation. It is here that
our old vanity and our illicit claims upon God may creep in by a pious
detour,
as if it were our right to have nothing but elevating and fruitful
experiences,
and as if the discovery of our own inner poverty were quite
below our dignity.
Every church I have ministered in has had very trustworthy people who humbly say they have had amazing and miraculous things happen in their lives. Yet, this has never been about elevating the importance of dramatic or spectacular events, but affirming the greatest manifestation of all: the presence of the risen Christ with us His people. The most dramatic spiritual experience any of us can have is to realize that we carry “this treasure in earthen vessels,” (II Cor. 4:7) that Christ’s mission continues through us!
Tuesday, March 25, 2008
Tag! You're It
I guess this is something started by Bruce Reyes-Chow, who apparently is "emerging" as the next moderator of PCUSA. I think I've got the rules down, but here goes whatever. You who I tagged now answer these questions and tag five others. At least this little exercise got me to do another blog post after some time.
What is your earliest memory of being distinctly Presbyterian?
For me that would be in high school when I became involved in some street ministries led by several Presbyterian churches in Wichita, Kansas. As I talked with some of the church leaders, it dawned on me that these were theological views and outreach emphases that I shared.
On what issue/question should the PC(USA) spend LESS energy and time?
We waste so much time on so many things that this is hard to choose. I would say almost anything that focuses attention and power on Louisville is something we should spend less energy and time on. In fact, if we could scale down Louisville to be nothing much more than a small support office without any programming interests, that would be great. Even things that Louisville claims only they can do, like administrate national and international missions, could be done much better and more creatively through natural networks formed by Presbyterian churches. Yes, liberal churches would probably form liberal networks and evangelical churches evangelical networks, but then cooperation would be a natural outcome of shared interests rather than every group trying to coerce the other into some kind of awkward and forced partnership. Plus, dialog between networks would be voluntary, genuine, and productive.
On what issue/question should the PC(USA) spend MORE energy and time?
We need to be spending much more time on discipling the people in our churches and then sending them forth to do innovative mission outreach. The institutional membership mindset is what is killing us. I find it incredible the various projects and expenditures made by many presbyteries while neglecting the reality of the spiritual apathy in many of our churches. Presbyteries need to lead churches to develop clear and effective discipling approaches, and then allow people in the churches to be daring and creative in doing outreach ministries in their communities. Right now, many presbyteries still act as gatekeepers and obstacle courses to be overcome (or many times even sidestepped) by mission minded Presbyterians.
If you could have the PC(USA) focus on one passage of scripture for a entire year, what would it be? Matthew 11:28-30
"Come to me, all you who are weary and burdened, and I will give you rest. Take my yoke upon you and learn from me, for I am gentle and humble in heart, and you will find rest for your souls. For my yoke is easy and my burden is light."
I, like many, am tired of all the striving in the PCUSA. There are too many of us pushing and carrying our own agendas rather than just resting in God's love and receiving what God has for us in Jesus.
If the PC(USA) were an animal what would it be and why?
Rather than an animal, I have always thought of the PCUSA being more like an old IROC-Z Camaro I once had (prior to marriage and kids). It was a beautiful piece of machinery that had the capability of working like a marvel, except that it always had something wrong with it. Most of the time, the injection system needed tweeking, or the electrical system had a loose connection somewhere, or the computer was acting up. It took a lot of time and work, but when everything was working together, it could cruise at 90 miles an hour with only the slightest effort. We Presbyterians are sort of like this. We spend a lot time working on ourselves, but every now and then we get in sync. In those times we become a marvel of mission that brings great glory to God.
Extra Credit: Jesus shows up at General Assembly this year, what does he say to the Presbyterian Church (USA)?
Jesus tells us to throw away all the overtures, disband the committees, and spend the whole time in prayer, confession, repentance, and seek each other's forgiveness. Then He tells us to sell our Louisville headquarters, many of our church buildings, cash in many of our investments and give them to the poor, and come follow Him.
What is your earliest memory of being distinctly Presbyterian?
For me that would be in high school when I became involved in some street ministries led by several Presbyterian churches in Wichita, Kansas. As I talked with some of the church leaders, it dawned on me that these were theological views and outreach emphases that I shared.
On what issue/question should the PC(USA) spend LESS energy and time?
We waste so much time on so many things that this is hard to choose. I would say almost anything that focuses attention and power on Louisville is something we should spend less energy and time on. In fact, if we could scale down Louisville to be nothing much more than a small support office without any programming interests, that would be great. Even things that Louisville claims only they can do, like administrate national and international missions, could be done much better and more creatively through natural networks formed by Presbyterian churches. Yes, liberal churches would probably form liberal networks and evangelical churches evangelical networks, but then cooperation would be a natural outcome of shared interests rather than every group trying to coerce the other into some kind of awkward and forced partnership. Plus, dialog between networks would be voluntary, genuine, and productive.
On what issue/question should the PC(USA) spend MORE energy and time?
We need to be spending much more time on discipling the people in our churches and then sending them forth to do innovative mission outreach. The institutional membership mindset is what is killing us. I find it incredible the various projects and expenditures made by many presbyteries while neglecting the reality of the spiritual apathy in many of our churches. Presbyteries need to lead churches to develop clear and effective discipling approaches, and then allow people in the churches to be daring and creative in doing outreach ministries in their communities. Right now, many presbyteries still act as gatekeepers and obstacle courses to be overcome (or many times even sidestepped) by mission minded Presbyterians.
If you could have the PC(USA) focus on one passage of scripture for a entire year, what would it be? Matthew 11:28-30
"Come to me, all you who are weary and burdened, and I will give you rest. Take my yoke upon you and learn from me, for I am gentle and humble in heart, and you will find rest for your souls. For my yoke is easy and my burden is light."
I, like many, am tired of all the striving in the PCUSA. There are too many of us pushing and carrying our own agendas rather than just resting in God's love and receiving what God has for us in Jesus.
If the PC(USA) were an animal what would it be and why?
Rather than an animal, I have always thought of the PCUSA being more like an old IROC-Z Camaro I once had (prior to marriage and kids). It was a beautiful piece of machinery that had the capability of working like a marvel, except that it always had something wrong with it. Most of the time, the injection system needed tweeking, or the electrical system had a loose connection somewhere, or the computer was acting up. It took a lot of time and work, but when everything was working together, it could cruise at 90 miles an hour with only the slightest effort. We Presbyterians are sort of like this. We spend a lot time working on ourselves, but every now and then we get in sync. In those times we become a marvel of mission that brings great glory to God.
Extra Credit: Jesus shows up at General Assembly this year, what does he say to the Presbyterian Church (USA)?
Jesus tells us to throw away all the overtures, disband the committees, and spend the whole time in prayer, confession, repentance, and seek each other's forgiveness. Then He tells us to sell our Louisville headquarters, many of our church buildings, cash in many of our investments and give them to the poor, and come follow Him.
Thursday, October 4, 2007
Step By Step: A Statement Of Faith
Stepping off the tram, 
my three year old son, Seth, and I
place our feet
on the cobblestones of the old city square.
We stand surrounded by the weathered beauty
of the past thousand eastern European years,
and shadowed by the two towers
of a beautiful twelfth century cathedral
dedicated by St. Francis of Assisi,
who had a penchant for hugging diseased people.
Seth and I begin our walk across the square.
As I hear the click of my steps
on the aged rock surface,
I hear the contrast of my son’s shuffling,
forced by the awkwardness
of two rigid leg braces clashing against each other.
Suddenly I notice Indida, the ten year old Roma girl
who, in good Gypsy tradition,
makes a nuisance of herself
begging from people as they get on and off the trams.
She is standing at the base
of the stairs that ascend
to the vegetable market,
and I begin to plot my course so that she won’t see me.
Sure, friends have told me
that unless she gets a certain amount of money for begging,
her father will beat her at the end of the day.
But that’s not my responsibility.
After all, what can I do
about anything that happens
in a dysfunctional Roma family?
As I make my way past Indida,
the slow pace of my son becomes a real liability.
I worry that the shuffling of his brace-laden feet
will broadcast our presence to her.
Finally, the inevitable happens!
Indida looks over in our direction,
and she starts running toward us.
Now I will have to push her away
when she tries to put her hands on me,
for she knows
Americans are particularly upset
by strangers touching them.
I know she will follow us
until we give her the money she wants.
Just before she gets to Seth and me,
she stops abruptly,
stares directly at Seth’s braces,
and then does the most unexpected thing.
Indida reaches into her pockets,
takes out all the money she has,
and with outstretched hands
offers it all to me.
Looking at Indida’s outstretched hands
revealing her sacrificial offering,
I am overwhelmed
by her spontaneous generosity.
I know what this gift will cost her,
and I no longer see a pesky Roma child.
I am looking at a living picture
of God’s grace
being offered to me
in the outstretched hands of Jesus on the cross.
Quickly, I convey to her my deep appreciation
for her thoughtfulness,
and guide her hands
holding her money back to her pockets.
Her eyes brighten
and she wears the first smile
I have ever seen on her face.
After buying her some ice cream,
Seth and I continue on,
making our way slowly up the steps
to the market.
Now, everything is new!
I am not passing a nuisance to be avoided,
but a light that has scattered my darkness.
My son is no longer burdened
with a handicap that slows him down,
or a father without understanding.
Now I see Seth more clearly than ever
a wonder of God,
precious and deserving
of the best and most I can give him.
Using Indida,
God has reminded me of God’s attitude toward me,
and God’s penchant for hugging diseased people.
God has shown me again
that God’s grace is not limited
to my expectations.
Grace surprises us
when we least expect it.
God conveys God’s gifts to us
using the most unlikely people
in the most unlikely places
at the most unlikely times.
my three year old son, Seth, and I
place our feet
on the cobblestones of the old city square.
We stand surrounded by the weathered beauty
of the past thousand eastern European years,
and shadowed by the two towers
of a beautiful twelfth century cathedral
dedicated by St. Francis of Assisi,
who had a penchant for hugging diseased people.
Seth and I begin our walk across the square.
As I hear the click of my steps
on the aged rock surface,
I hear the contrast of my son’s shuffling,
forced by the awkwardness
of two rigid leg braces clashing against each other.
Suddenly I notice Indida, the ten year old Roma girl
who, in good Gypsy tradition,
makes a nuisance of herself
begging from people as they get on and off the trams.
She is standing at the base
of the stairs that ascend
to the vegetable market,
and I begin to plot my course so that she won’t see me.
Sure, friends have told me
that unless she gets a certain amount of money for begging,
her father will beat her at the end of the day.
But that’s not my responsibility.
After all, what can I do
about anything that happens
in a dysfunctional Roma family?
As I make my way past Indida,
the slow pace of my son becomes a real liability.
I worry that the shuffling of his brace-laden feet
will broadcast our presence to her.
Finally, the inevitable happens!
Indida looks over in our direction,
and she starts running toward us.
Now I will have to push her away
when she tries to put her hands on me,
for she knows
Americans are particularly upset
by strangers touching them.
I know she will follow us
until we give her the money she wants.
Just before she gets to Seth and me,
she stops abruptly,
stares directly at Seth’s braces,
and then does the most unexpected thing.
Indida reaches into her pockets,
takes out all the money she has,
and with outstretched hands
offers it all to me.
Looking at Indida’s outstretched hands
revealing her sacrificial offering,
I am overwhelmed
by her spontaneous generosity.
I know what this gift will cost her,
and I no longer see a pesky Roma child.
I am looking at a living picture
of God’s grace
being offered to me
in the outstretched hands of Jesus on the cross.
Quickly, I convey to her my deep appreciation
for her thoughtfulness,
and guide her hands
holding her money back to her pockets.
Her eyes brighten
and she wears the first smile
I have ever seen on her face.
After buying her some ice cream,
Seth and I continue on,
making our way slowly up the steps
to the market.
Now, everything is new!
I am not passing a nuisance to be avoided,
but a light that has scattered my darkness.
My son is no longer burdened
with a handicap that slows him down,
or a father without understanding.
Now I see Seth more clearly than ever
a wonder of God,
precious and deserving
of the best and most I can give him.
Using Indida,
God has reminded me of God’s attitude toward me,
and God’s penchant for hugging diseased people.
God has shown me again
that God’s grace is not limited
to my expectations.
Grace surprises us
when we least expect it.
God conveys God’s gifts to us
using the most unlikely people
in the most unlikely places
at the most unlikely times.
Wednesday, August 22, 2007
Our Real Moral Crisis
Recently I was asked what I consider to be the major moral issues facing Christians today. There are many possible ways to answer this question: justice issues, sexual issues, family issues, and the list goes on. But it seemed to me that all these take their place under one over-arching moral crisis, and that is a dual natured crisis of authenticity and credibility. To say this in more theological language, we Christians must become more truly Christ-like if we really want the world around us to take seriously the Gospel we proclaim, or stated even more obviously, we must “practice what we preach.”
Especially in the United States and Europe, there seems to be a kind of Christianity that emphasizes a nebulous belief in some amorphous divine force that is separated from the nuts and bolts of how we actually live our lives. This produces people who use the name Christian in their understanding of who they are, but then live life essentially the same as anyone else in the world. Diettrich Bonhoeffer used the term “cheap grace” to describe this type of thinking, but he had another term that described it even better --- the “church of the World.” This kind of “church” is opposed to the “church of the Word,” and seeks to make itself righteous by offering grace without repentance, proclaiming reconciliation without the Cross, and celebrating hope without holiness.
Prominent pollster George Barna has found that those who claim to be evangelical Christians show no appreciable difference from non-Christians in how they live. They are just as likely, and in some cases more likely, to engage in sinful or questionable behaviour as any non-Christian. If this is true, how can we ever expect those who are not yet believers to have any reason to take seriously the message of Christ’s transforming love expressed in the Cross and the Resurrection? Where’s the evidence in our own lives? Where’s the passion for following Christ and being His faithful disciples?
If we as Christians are to have any hope of countering and overcoming the power of the radical Islamists, we must demonstrate a greater passion and a greater desire than they do to sacrifice our lives for God’s purposes. In our case, our passion and sacrifice as Christ-like people are expressed in awesome acts of love and service for others, even for the Islamists themselves. The world sees the power of the Islamists’ sacrificial dying and cowers in terror. The power of the Christian’s sacrificial living results not in terror, but in peace, hope, and transformation through Christ.
I believe as Christians we must become truly authentic in our passion for God in our life together. This is more than fellowship, this is the healing baptismal spring of koinonia, where faith is shared honestly, deep relationships are formed, and growth in Christ is experienced together according to the truth of the Word and the power of the Holy Spirit. The Scriptures joyfully teach that all Christians are priests. As such, Christ calls us to set aside our own interests and to serve others. In doing this, God weaves us into a gift-giving, gift-receiving community, displaying the splendors of God’s grace to the world. Our life together as brothers and sisters in Christ, then, is more than a casual association for our social convenience. It is the very means by which God empowers us for living out our baptism into Christ. Only when the world sees this transformed reality will they listen to the Message we proclaim.
KEEP THE CELEBRATION GOING!
Especially in the United States and Europe, there seems to be a kind of Christianity that emphasizes a nebulous belief in some amorphous divine force that is separated from the nuts and bolts of how we actually live our lives. This produces people who use the name Christian in their understanding of who they are, but then live life essentially the same as anyone else in the world. Diettrich Bonhoeffer used the term “cheap grace” to describe this type of thinking, but he had another term that described it even better --- the “church of the World.” This kind of “church” is opposed to the “church of the Word,” and seeks to make itself righteous by offering grace without repentance, proclaiming reconciliation without the Cross, and celebrating hope without holiness.
Prominent pollster George Barna has found that those who claim to be evangelical Christians show no appreciable difference from non-Christians in how they live. They are just as likely, and in some cases more likely, to engage in sinful or questionable behaviour as any non-Christian. If this is true, how can we ever expect those who are not yet believers to have any reason to take seriously the message of Christ’s transforming love expressed in the Cross and the Resurrection? Where’s the evidence in our own lives? Where’s the passion for following Christ and being His faithful disciples?
If we as Christians are to have any hope of countering and overcoming the power of the radical Islamists, we must demonstrate a greater passion and a greater desire than they do to sacrifice our lives for God’s purposes. In our case, our passion and sacrifice as Christ-like people are expressed in awesome acts of love and service for others, even for the Islamists themselves. The world sees the power of the Islamists’ sacrificial dying and cowers in terror. The power of the Christian’s sacrificial living results not in terror, but in peace, hope, and transformation through Christ.
I believe as Christians we must become truly authentic in our passion for God in our life together. This is more than fellowship, this is the healing baptismal spring of koinonia, where faith is shared honestly, deep relationships are formed, and growth in Christ is experienced together according to the truth of the Word and the power of the Holy Spirit. The Scriptures joyfully teach that all Christians are priests. As such, Christ calls us to set aside our own interests and to serve others. In doing this, God weaves us into a gift-giving, gift-receiving community, displaying the splendors of God’s grace to the world. Our life together as brothers and sisters in Christ, then, is more than a casual association for our social convenience. It is the very means by which God empowers us for living out our baptism into Christ. Only when the world sees this transformed reality will they listen to the Message we proclaim.
KEEP THE CELEBRATION GOING!
Monday, August 6, 2007
Gray's Deeply Pernicious Heresy
While I generally respect Joan Gray the current Moderator of the Presbyterian Church USA, the type of thinking she expressed in her editorial "A Deeply Pernicious Heresy" (see http://www.presbyweb.com/, Saturday, August 4th edition) is a frightenly excellent example of the kind of thinking that has made such a mess of the PCUSA. She divides belief in Christ from obedience to Christ, resulting in a view of salvation and church membership as consisting of only certain creedal or mental affirmations. In this way, it is possible to simply believe in Jesus without actually giving one's life to Jesus.
This is the old "heresy" that Dietrich Bonhoeffer called "cheap grace," which allows people to believe they are okay with God just because the have the right belief. Actually following Christ as a disciple is then divorced from belief, allowing one to live life in actual rebellion against God while holding to "right beliefs." How many churches would admit a person to membership who holds only "right belief" in Jesus while practicing pedophilia, or racism, or drug-dealing, or human trafficking? Would anyone say it is being heretical and unfair to insist that a person's life line up enough with their confession of Christ that they seek to eliminate these practices from their lives?
Yes, we should be compassionate and seek to offer such persons the promise of transformation through the grace of Christ, but few if any would say that simple cognitive affirmation of a few certain beliefs is actual Christian discipleship. This is why the same Paul that Joan Gray appeals to in her editorial instructs the Corinthian church to expell from their fellowship anyone who is "sexually immoral or greedy, an idolater or a slanderer, a drunkard or a swindler." (I Corinthians 5:11) Even these few behaviours mentioned here would have a radical effect upon the PCUSA if we took them all seriously as reflections of our profession of faith in Christ.
I am not saying we become a legalistic legion in our judgements toward one another. Joan Gray is rightfully warning against this. However, it is critical that we not divorce our lives from our profession of faith. The scriptures do not divide life practice from faith, which according to Paul is belief in our hearts more than our minds (Romans 10:9-10). Even the great reformers Luther and Calvin insisted both that salvation is by faith alone in Christ and this same faith must be evidenced by the good works that follow. Neither reformer could be accused of adding another condition for salvation besides faith in Christ, but their understanding of faith is much more life encompassing than mere mental assent. As Luther said, faith is a complete trusting of one's whole life to God, or more typical of his terminology, "You cast yourself entirely upon the Word."
I think that if Joan Gray and I were having a discussion with each other at the local Starbucks, we would probably find a lot of friendly agreement as we talked through our differing points. But the message of her editorial as it stands alone right now is itself "a deeply pernicious heresy."
KEEP THE CELEBRATION GOING!
This is the old "heresy" that Dietrich Bonhoeffer called "cheap grace," which allows people to believe they are okay with God just because the have the right belief. Actually following Christ as a disciple is then divorced from belief, allowing one to live life in actual rebellion against God while holding to "right beliefs." How many churches would admit a person to membership who holds only "right belief" in Jesus while practicing pedophilia, or racism, or drug-dealing, or human trafficking? Would anyone say it is being heretical and unfair to insist that a person's life line up enough with their confession of Christ that they seek to eliminate these practices from their lives?
Yes, we should be compassionate and seek to offer such persons the promise of transformation through the grace of Christ, but few if any would say that simple cognitive affirmation of a few certain beliefs is actual Christian discipleship. This is why the same Paul that Joan Gray appeals to in her editorial instructs the Corinthian church to expell from their fellowship anyone who is "sexually immoral or greedy, an idolater or a slanderer, a drunkard or a swindler." (I Corinthians 5:11) Even these few behaviours mentioned here would have a radical effect upon the PCUSA if we took them all seriously as reflections of our profession of faith in Christ.
I am not saying we become a legalistic legion in our judgements toward one another. Joan Gray is rightfully warning against this. However, it is critical that we not divorce our lives from our profession of faith. The scriptures do not divide life practice from faith, which according to Paul is belief in our hearts more than our minds (Romans 10:9-10). Even the great reformers Luther and Calvin insisted both that salvation is by faith alone in Christ and this same faith must be evidenced by the good works that follow. Neither reformer could be accused of adding another condition for salvation besides faith in Christ, but their understanding of faith is much more life encompassing than mere mental assent. As Luther said, faith is a complete trusting of one's whole life to God, or more typical of his terminology, "You cast yourself entirely upon the Word."
I think that if Joan Gray and I were having a discussion with each other at the local Starbucks, we would probably find a lot of friendly agreement as we talked through our differing points. But the message of her editorial as it stands alone right now is itself "a deeply pernicious heresy."
KEEP THE CELEBRATION GOING!
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