Change Is Never Easy
June 27th, 2008 · Posted in Christianity, Church Polity ·
This is a picture of delegates and youth advisory delegates at the General Assembly of the Presbyterian Church (USA) lined up to speak either for or against proposed change in the denomination’s Book of Order that covers standards of ordination.
The current standards of ordination are part of Chapter 6 of the Book of Order — which includes the statement in G-6.0106b — which requires those ordained to offices in the church (ministers and elders) to live in “fidelity within the covenant of marriage between a man and a woman or chastity in singleness”. The proposal before the General Assembly was to replace that statementwith the following:
“Those who are called to ordained service in the church, by their assent to the constitutional questions for ordination and installation (W-4.4003), pledge themselves to live lives obedient to Jesus Christ the Head of the Church, striving to follow where he leads through the witness of the Scriptures, and to understand the Scriptures through the instruction of the Confessions. In so doing, they declare their fidelity to the standards of the Church. Each governing body charged with examination for ordination and/or installation (G-14.0240 and G-14.0450) establishes the candidate’s sincere efforts to adhere to these standards.”
Many fear that this will open the way for those who want to ordain practicing homosexuals to the offices of minister and elder.
The proposed change passed the General Assembly today — and will now have to be voted on my a majority of the Presbyteries. Every time a change such as this is proposed it is defeated on the Presbytery level, but every time it causes great debate and division. I pray that we will be able to discuss this — and all issues — with cool heads. We can share what God has placed on our hearts without treating those who may feel differently like heretics. I pray that this does not split the denomination — and — while I strongly feel that ordaining practicing homosexuals is wrong — I will strive to work with those who may disagree with me to do the work of God in the world.
June 28th, 2008 at 11:46 pm
All week long, I watched the 218th General Assembly. It astounded me how many times people stated that Jesus would do this or say that to bolster their arguments. What a load of baloney! None of us were around with Jesus in New Testament times. We have no earthly idea about what He would do or say with regard to our cultural dilemmas and ecclesiastical issues. We question the authenticity of the Gospels and the authority of the scriptures. We transfer our own cultural preferences and see our own societal prejudices in the texts that were written by the people who truly knew Him.
We are a bunch of narcissistic hypocrites looking to justify our politically correct ways and cultural orientations. We cast aside our allegiance to Christ because we don’t want to submit to Him. We change what the Bible says because we want everybody to like us. And then we get up to the microphones and tell other people what Jesus would do as if He’s our best buddy, turning Him into a theological ventriloquist’s dummy by putting words into His mouth and thoughts into His head.
Bovine manure! We are the biggest bunch of failed followers in the history of Christianity and we have so diluted the Gospel that we have deluded ourselves into shaping Jesus like play dough and making Him a bobblehead character to sit beside our PCs. Our modern Presbyterianism is a theological tacky, mood manufactured, and cheapened grace of a faith. Even the word faith is false when applied to us – we have spiritual trends, and that’s about all.
Perhaps we still have time left. Perhaps we can return to what we once were. Perhaps the Church will go through a revival, instead of cultural capitulation and doctrinal denial. Philippians 2:9-11 can be the starting point.
9 Therefore God exalted him to the highest place and gave him the name that is above every name,
10 that at the name of Jesus every knee should bow, in heaven and on earth and under the earth,
11 and every tongue confess that Jesus Christ is Lord, to the glory of God the Father.
June 29th, 2008 at 7:18 am
Thanks, Stushie, for reading my blog 00 and sharing your opinions.
July 3rd, 2008 at 2:06 pm
[...] major decisions of the General Assembly — particularly changing the Book of Order standards of Ordination — must be passed by each Presbytery to become official. If those who disagree with such [...]