LOUISVILLE -- When the General Assembly Council meets again in April, it will be asked to consider a budget for the Presbyterian Church (U.S.A.) for the next two years.
Here are some hard questions the council must answer.
How many overseas missionaries should the PC(USA) have? And where is the money going to come from to pay for them?
Here are the painful statistics.
Reflecting on this passage in its entirety is beyond the scope of this brief article. Two high points will be our focus. The first is the Christological confession of Martha and the second is the surprising anger of Jesus and its aftermath.
RICHMOND, CALIF. -- San Francisco Presbytery has cleared a candidate to proceed toward ordination as a minister who has declared a scruple -- an objection based on conscience -- to the denomination's ordination standards involving sexual practice.
The presbytery voted 167 to 151 on Jan. 15 to approve as "ready for examination, with departure" Lisa Larges, a lesbian who works as ministry coordinator for the advocacy group, That All May Freely Serve.
This is the first time a presbytery has approved a candidate who declared a scruple involving sexual practice following the General Assembly's adoption in June 2006 of the report of the Theological Task Force on the Peace, Unity, and Purity of the Presbyterian Church (U.S.A.).
In semi-retirement I turned down an opportunity to serve on the candidates committee, as we used to call it, thinking that if I accepted the assignment I'd feel like I hadn't retired from anything. I'm sure those who do serve the committees on preparation for ministry are much appreciated for the work they do on behalf of new "recruits." Here are some "post-game" reflections for the benefit of those who're soon to become "rookies" and are wondering and wavering about whether or not to enter the field.
The discussion between Jesus and Nicodemus focuses on the Trinity.
After an introduction, in the dialogue between the two of them, Nicodemus makes three speeches to which Jesus gives three replies. Furthermore, Jesus introduces each reply with the phrase, "Amen, Amen I say to you." Whenever this phrase appears something of supreme importance is being said. In the Gospel of John, only in this text do three occurrences of this rare affirmation appear. What is their significance?
Churches should be aggressive in using latest technologies, both to maximize return on investment and to communicate effectively.
An e-mail newsletter is central. The days of the printed and mailed newsletter are over. They cost too much and are read too little, especially among young and middle-aged adults. You can offer a mailed newsletter to those who prefer it, but not many will prefer it. (One large church estimates that a regular postal newsletter costs $2,100 to prepare and send, not counting staff time; an e-mail newsletter costs $15.)
No, not the E.T. or the J.P. that first come to mind. That's E.T. as in Thompson, and J.P. as in Price.
'Tis no small thing to try to fill the shoes of E.T. Thompson. Ernest Trice Thompson and his partner, Aubrey Brown, took over the Presbyterians of the South newspaper and turned it into The Presbyterian Outlook in April 1954. In the years that followed Thompson collected articles, edited them, wrote editorials, and wrote Sunday School lessons -- and did all that every week.
DALLAS -- Saying, "God is calling us to new patterns of mission," 60 people instrumental in Presbyterian mission met in Texas January 20 and signed a covenant to work together in what they call a "new collaborative model of Presbyterian mission."
That covenant calls for doing mission together in trust and humility, with the participants pledging to encourage one another and to "celebrate and encourage diverse approaches and structures for mission while maintaining the unity of our participation in God's mission."
LOUISVILLE -- When a presbytery passes a resolution stating that it will enforce all mandatory standards for ordination from the Presbyterian Church (U.S.A.) constitution -- granting no exceptions based on conscience -- is that merely an expression of opinion by the presbytery? Sort of a "here we stand" statement that has no practical effect in the individual examination of candidates?
Or does it have a "chilling" impact that will dissuade candidates who might want to declare a scruple, or an objection based on conscience, from ever making an attempt at winning approval in that presbytery?
Those are among the questions the General Assembly Permanent Judicial Commission (GAPJC) is pondering as it considers three cases in which it heard oral arguments on Feb. 8 and on which it is expected to rule soon.
Each of those cases involves resolutions which presbyteries -- in this case, Washington, Olympia, and Pittsburgh -- adopted in the wake of the 2006 General Assembly.
LOUISVILLE -- When a presbytery passes a resolution stating that it will enforce all mandatory standards for ordination from the Presbyterian Church (U.S.A.) constitution -- granting no exceptions based on conscience -- is that merely an expression of opinion by the presbytery? Sort of a "here we stand" statement that has no practical effect in the individual examination of candidates?
Or does it have a "chilling" impact that will dissuade candidates who might want to declare a scruple, or an objection based on conscience, from ever making an attempt at winning approval in that presbytery?
Those are among the questions the General Assembly Permanent Judicial Commission (GAPJC) is pondering as it considers three cases in which it heard oral arguments on Feb. 8 and on which it is expected to rule soon.
AUSTIN -- Stanley Robertson Hall, 58, Austin Presbyterian Theological Seminary's Jean Brown Associate Professor of Liturgics and Homiletics, died February 3. He was at home when he died, having just begun his morning routines. His wife, the Reverend Gail Snodgrass, was with him.
The Service in Witness to the Resurrection will be held at Genesis Church in Austin, Texas, February 15 at 1:00 p.m. Burial will follow at Austin Memorial Cemetery.
Washington, DC -- Religious leaders are often the first point of contact for domestic violence victims seeking a safe and secure place to disclose their abuse. Recognizing religious communities' integral role in supporting, counseling and advocating for victims of abuse, Jewish Women International (JWI) has launched a national Interfaith Domestic Violence Coalition to amplify the faith community's voice in national policy and legislative initiatives.
LOUISVILLE -- Responding to the recent crisis in Gaza, the
National Middle Eastern Presbyterian Caucus (NMEPC) has
issued a statement calling for an end to Israel's
occupation of Palestine and its "siege" of Gaza residents.
The group's statement urged the Presbyterian Church
(U.S.A.) "to take active measures to address American
implication in and support of Israel's occupation of
Palestine."
The statement comes after tens of thousands of Gazans
overran the border into Egypt last month when Palestinian
militants blasted through concrete and metal walls at the
Rafah border crossing. Egyptian shops were drained of basic
goods that were in short supply on the Gaza Strip under an
Israeli blockade aimed at pressuring Palestinian militants
to halt rocket attacks.
LOUISVILLE -- Lewis Langley Wilkins, a former middle governing body executive, pastor and scholar who was heavily involved in the movement that led to Presbyterian
reunion, died Jan. 31 of pancreatic cancer. He was 71.
Wilkins was born in Kerrville, Texas, where he graduated from
Presbyterian-related Schreiner University. He later earned degrees from Rhodes College in Memphis, Tenn., and Austin Presbyterian Theological Seminary in Austin, Texas.
Wilkins also engaged in doctoral study in Old Testament at the Johannes Gutenberg University of Mainz, Germany. He completed a Doctor of Ministry degree in church administration at McCormick Theological Seminary in Chicago.
Slowing down, this holy season,
may be the way to go.
Letting go, at least an hour here
and there, of that wheel
with which you drive, and which drives you.
Recently the world of spiritual study and practice has been shocked by a previously unknown revelation about the severe doubts of Mother Teresa of Calcutta. For years she could not find Christ and at times doubted her calling to serve the poor. Some people wonder if they should continue to honor her as a spiritual mentor if she had such trouble finding her way.
College Writing ContestATTENTIONSeniors of PC(USA)-related colleges and universities. Or their parents, school administrators. The Outlook's 2009 Church-College Partnership Award competition is underway!Graduating..
A memorial service for Jack Stotts, Presbyterian pastor, seminary president, and denominational leader, has been set for 3 p.m., Sunday, February 10 at the family's home church in Austin, Central Church. It is located at 200 E. Eight Street in Austin.
JEFFERSONVILLE, IND. -- The Presbyterian Foundation announced January 25 its receipt of a $1 million charitable gift from the Mark D. Hostetter and Alexander N. Habib Foundation. The gift establishes a permanent endowment fund to provide funding support for the camp and conference ministries of the Presbyterian Church (U.S.A.).
The Donald A. Hostetter Endowment Fund, established in January as a permanent endowment held by the Presbyterian Foundation, was created through the generous lead gift from the Mark D. Hostetter and Alexander N. Habib Foundation of Boston.
To hear 800 Presbyterian college students singing out songs of praise is encouraging/discouraging.
To see those 800 wear t-shirts that boldly proclaim their faith -- many unabashedly announcing their affiliation with our denomination -- is really encouraging/discouraging.
To listen as those 800 talk about following Jesus intently, serving God sacrificially, and listening to the Spirit attentively gets downright, overwhelmingly encouraging/discouraging.
Think of it as that moment when the toboggan is perched at the top of the hill. One quick shove, and things in the Presbyterian Church (U.S.A.) could quickly pick up speed -- maybe hitting some big bumps along the way. The big tree at the bottom: the General Assembly, due to meet in California for a week in June.
Between now and then, though, there's a lot of snow to navigate. Here's a quick look at the terrain.
For the Presbyterian students at Virginia Tech, hope has found a voice that has quieted the lingering echoes of gunshots. Several of them -- survivors of last April's mass murder on their campus -- testified to their harrowing search for and discovery of hope with 800 fellow students at the College Conference at the Montreat Conference Center on January 3.
The opening session of this year's conference, the largest conference of its kind in memory, was led by the students along with Alex Evans, pastor of the Blacksburg Church, which is near the Tech campus. Evans set the tone for the evening's presentation with the words, "We are called to be a people of hope, and hope often comes from the deepest, hurting places."
MONTREAT, N.C. -- "We're just ordinary radicals," Shane Claiborne told 800 young adults gathered at the College Conference at Montreat Conference Center in western North Carolina on January 4. With unassuming anecdotes and lots of humor, he told the students that the world could use a few more ordinary radicals.
On the next day, Ishmael Beah, author of the best-selling A Long Way Gone: Memoirs of a Boy Soldier, showcased for the students how a wrecked child's life has been turned from killer to humanitarian, thanks to the efforts of a few ordinary radicals.
Here's a little trivia question for you: What is the one sacramental promise that we make as members of the Presbyterian Church (U.S.A.)?
Answer: At each baptism the church is asked to promise to help guide, raise, and nurture the child (or adult) in the ways of the Church of Jesus Christ.
Working for years in business, I have been fascinated by the way we do "business" as a Church. No other organization would continue to lose more than 40,000 "customers" a year and not make major changes after two or three years. And yet the Presbyterian Church (U.S.A.) loses members at that rate and I find that most Presbyterians don't even notice.
In recent months, schism has become a matter of public debate. It was once an inchoate concern, as evidenced by the first recommendation of the Task Force on Peace, Unity, and Purity that called us to avoid division into separate denominations; it is now the topic of competing published articles.
It is not surprising that there is no resolution to the current debate, for the church was born and nurtured by schism. The early church believed itself a part of Judaism, divorcing itself from Judaism only in the face of persistent rejection by the Jewish community. Western Christianity, already divided from the Orthodox 500 years earlier, was riven by schism from attempts to reform the Roman Church. Though we cherish it, what we Protestants call the Reformation is more accurately described as a protestant schism. And no Protestant tradition has escaped schism, most particularly the Reformed Tradition, probably the most schismatic of them all. We Presbyterians have our own special history of division.
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