Open Poem: “Might-y” Faith

In light of the coming revisions to the Book of Order - I hope the responsible parties will keep in mind our..

Response to Casey Jones ‘Faith is a result of salvation?’

Background links: "Marks of the True Church" (Original article by Merwyn S. Johnson) "Faith is a Result of Salvation?" (Open letter response..

Forgiveness: Breaking the cycle of violence

Any discussion of forgiveness must surely open with the fifth petition of the Lord's Prayer which reads,

Forgive us our debts as we also have forgiven our debtors. (NRSV)

This prayer was crafted within the piety of first century Judaism and its famous eighteen prayers (Amidah) most of which are thought to have been in use at the time of Jesus.

One of those prayers (No. 6) is called "For forgiveness" and reads,

Forgive us, O our Father, for we have sinned; pardon us, O our King, for we have transgressed; for thou dost pardon and forgive. Blessed are thou, O Lord, who art gracious, and dost abundantly forgive.

Where is the “P” for peace? Or the “U” for unity?

I asked a non-Presbyterian friend not long ago to read what has become not so fondly known by some as "The PUP Report," and to give me his views as an outsider on what all the stir is about. He said, after a serious reading of the document, and an additional look at the actions of the 2006 Birmingham General Assembly, he was a bit mystified by why anyone would get upset over what our denomination had done. Nothing much seemed to have really changed. The Book of Order is still the same. The actions of the Assembly did not change the paragraph that seems to concern some so much.

“Whom shall I send … ” to New Orleans?

Recently, I joined 49 other adults in traveling down to New Orleans. For the sake of this trip and our well being throughout our weeklong stay, our group raised more than $28,000. I am certain that we left the dozen homes we worked on in better condition. I am also confident that $28,000 could have been used to reconstruct many more buildings if we had only donated the money to local causes. 

The question then becomes, why did we go?

In most Presbyterian circles, the term "calling" is debated and discussed almost ad nauseam, but I trust that the reader's constitution is strong enough to permit a little discourse on the subject. Though we represented many different churches from across North Carolina, each individual committed to the same Bible verse for the week, Isaiah 6:8: Then I heard the voice of the Lord saying, "Whom shall I send, and who will go for us?" And I said, "Here am I; send me!"

The question still becomes, why were we sent?

Grace and Predestination

Editor's Note: The following essay is the seventh in a series dealing with topics of interest and importance to Presbyterians. Author Johnson explains: "The report from the General Assembly Task Force on Peace, Unity, and Purity of the Church provides us both the occasion and the urgency for theological dialogue within the PC(USA).  This and succeeding essays are offered as a constructive effort in that direction."

Sola gratia--grace alone--may well be the heart of the Gospel for Presbyterians, going back to the Reformation and beyond. Salvation, that is, comes from God alone in Christ alone through faith alone by grace alone. Grace preserves the gift character of each item in the list. Without grace each of the other items could become a mere means or a method we humans can manage or manipulate on our own. When that happens, God is irrelevant. One way to move beyond the deep divisions within the Presbyterian Church (U.S.A.) may be to recover the historic, Reformed vision of grace.

Unveiling forgiveness

When we are hurt or offended, we cover our tender hearts to protect against further "heart attack." Underneath the cover--denial, resentment, or rage--can come pain, memories, and flashbacks. If we are honest with ourselves, we reluctantly admit that in the late show that plays in our mind, we often watch reruns of hatred, resentment, bitterness, hostility, anger and fear. Worse yet, these images and thoughts do not always intrude forcefully. We too often invite and indulge them. Then we feel vandalized, ashamed, and violated because of the ugliness we permitted our minds dwell upon. How can we stop these experiences of un-forgiveness, bidden and unbidden?

An Open Letter : Going Where God Has Ordained Us To Be

There have recently appeared in the electronic version of Presbyterian Outlook a number of  "open letters" responding to the New Wineskins Convocation.  To date, six different open letters have criticized to some degree or another the finding by the New Wineskins Strategy Team that departure from the PC(USA) is a faithful option for those called by God to do so. 

I suppose it should not be surprising that those most invested in the man-made construct known as a denomination, who place so much faith in its polity and bureaucracy,  would be opposed to any diminution in the core membership of the group. Thus, four of the open letters were written by executive/general presbyters (one of whom is also one of the newest members of the denomination's Advisory Committee on the Constitution): Messrs Hooker, Wyatt, Evans, and Ms. McRight.  Only one serving associate pastor, Ms. Jongewaard, and one elder, Mr. Newkirk have commented. With one exception, all of the letters have been polity-based and there has been no real response in any of the open letters to the Biblical and theological concerns that have led us to the point at which we now find ourselves.