When Norman Blessing retired and moved to Florida about four years ago, he joined First church in Sebastian because it was the closest Presbyterian church around. He had no intention of launching what one observer has characterized, in a letter posted on the Internet, as "the last great battle" of the Presbyterian Church (U.S.A.).
A Statement of Conscience
Respectfully submitted to the Presbytery of Yellowstone
By the Session of 1st Presbyterian Church
Anaconda, Montana
March 4, 2002
We, the Session of 1st Presbyterian Church of Anaconda, Montana, after careful study and prayerful reflection, respectfully inform the Presbytery of Yellowstone that we cannot in good conscience comply with any interpretation of Book of Order provision G-6.0106b that restricts the rights of governing bodies to discern the will of Christ in choosing leaders. Therefore, we declare:
By Thomas G. Long
Alban. 2001. 115 pp. Pb. $16. 
ISBN 1-56699-240-0
— reviewed by Art Ross of Raleigh, N.C.
Because, suddenly, we live in a world at war, the title of the book is unfortunate; but so too is the spirit of the debate over worship in the life of many churches. The opening words of the Presbyterian Church (U.S.A.) Book of Common Worship, "Worship is at the very heart of the church’s life. All that the church is and does is rooted in its worship" are true.
The faith of the church is not something we formulate but which, instead, has been given to us through Godís self-disclosure in Jesus Christ, the Holy Scriptures and the confessions of the church ó ancient and modern ó and the preaching of the church. Faith, most fundamentally, is the childlike trust in the goodness and faithfulness of God, but equally important it is our understanding about who God is, who we are and Godís intention for the redemption of fallen humanity in the good creation.
DALLAS — While some may want answers now — fearing the Presbyterian Church (U.S.A.) is in danger of splitting or drifting the wrong way, away from God — a theological task force is not rushing to conclusion.
At its second meeting, held Feb. 28-March 2 in Dallas, the 20-member Task Force on Peace, Unity and Purity spent a lot of its time considering what are the right questions to be asking
In democratic America every person is supposed to be equal to every other person. However, in spite of this quondam theory, a lot of people regard themselves as superior not equal. They prefer to be leaders rather than followers. This is a perfectly understandable desire because on a sled run, only the lead dog gets to look at the scenery. All the other dogs are looking at something else. In fact, what the other dogs see and what they do can both be described as a "running behind."
ATLANTA — Maybe Jim Logan, a pastor from Charlotte, summed up the complexities and contradictions of the Confessing Church Movement best when he said — just after stepping up to the microphone before about 800 people at the Confessing Church Movement's national celebration — that "I feel a little bit like I'm in a political rally. [But] I've got to preach."
ATLANTA– Preaching about holy living to a crowd of evangelicals, theologian Mark Achtemeier laid the trap carefully. He cautioned against compromise, saying "there is no place for a middle way," warning that he sees a Christian community where abominations litter the landscape and there are open and clear violations, a flaunting of biblical standards.
ATLANTA — The Confessing Church Movement should try to rebuild the Presbyterian Church (U.S.A.) from the ground up — consider it a "Habitat for Presbyterians," as one pastor put it — and should not flinch from confronting a crumbling denomination with God's truth and pushing those who cannot follow that truth to leave.
The church is constituted — i.e., is brought into being — by its participation in the reality of what God has done in Jesus Christ. This reality is embodied and proclaimed in the narrative of God for us, Christ with us and the Spirit among us. It is this reality — this dynamic story of God’s engagement to be our God — to which the Scriptures, as the Word of God written, bear witness.
One of the great images of the Old Testament is the prophet Isaiah’s peaceable kingdom, of the holy mountain where all the beasts that tear at each other and destroy one another in real life find perfect harmony through the will and power of God.
As we enter the Lenten season, it is appropriate that we consider the biblical vision of peace — shalom — which is God’s goal for the good creation.
By Ronald C. White Jr.
Simon and Schuster. 2002. 256 pp. $24. ISBN 0743212983
— reviewed by John M. Mulder of Louisville,Ky.
Just in time for Lincoln’s birthday comes Ronald White’s exposition of and meditation on what he rightly describes as Abraham Lincoln’s greatest speech — the Second Inaugural Address. Brief and lucidly written, White’s exposition includes not only the historical context in which Lincoln delivered the speech (with colorful anecdotes) but also an excellent literary and theological exposition of the text of the address itself.
The National Board of More Light Presbyterians recognizes with regret that Amendment A has been defeated. We are profoundly grateful for the 29 presbyteries and overture advocates, the Ordination Standards committee and the 212th General Assembly that sent Amendment A by a margin of 60 percent to all of our presbyteries for discernment and consideration.
With unofficial results showing that a majority of presbyteries have
rejected proposed Amendment 01-A, the Covenant Network of Presbyterians
released the following statement:
With the Presbyterian Church (U.S.A.) seeking a way forward in these times of theological and political conflict, some have suggested a "third way," and now The Presbyterian Outlook has urged a "third force." Presbyterians for Renewal believes what is really needed is a recommitment to the Third Person of the Trinity.
With the vote of South Louisiana Presbytery on Feb. 19, the Presbyterian Church (U.S.A.) has obtained the simple majority needed for the defeat of Amendment A, maintaining the "fidelity/chastity" provisions regarding ordination standards in the Book of Order. Should the current voting patterns continue in the presbyteries remaining to vote, where the pro-gay proposal is being rejected by a two-to-one margin, the defeat will signal the strongest affirmation to date on the part of the vast majority of Presbyterians in preserving the biblical witness to marriage between a man and a woman, and in upholding those standards for ordained leadership. This is an encouraging sign of renewal.
Formerly a United Methodist minister, I am now Presbyterian. Methodists don't use the line, "He descended into Hell" as part of the Apostles' Creed. It was always hidden in the footnotes, a part of the traditional creed, something no longer used. In the Presbyterian Church (U.S.A.), people affirm their faith as a community, in response to hearing the Word of God.
Over the last 10 years, we have seen an increasing incidence of candidates for the ministry and ministers transferring from one presbytery to another using functional language such as "Creator, Sustainer and Redeemer" to refer to the Trinity. This avoids using the personal language of "Father, Son and Holy Spirit."
If Amendment A goes down to defeat — and it certainly looks as though it will — what's next for the Presbyterian Church (U.S.A.)?
Here's some of the common wisdom:
• The defeat of Amendment A would mean the presbyteries will have voted three times in a row, by ever-increasing margins, to affirm the church's current ordination standards: to limit ordination to those who practice fidelity in marriage or chastity if they are single.
Everything That Rises Must Converge is the name of a book of collected stories by distinguished 20th-century Southern writer Flannery O’Connor. Her vision of the kingdom of God is embedded in her stories. One in particular, "Revelation," ends with a vision of humanity in all of its magnificent diversity marching upwards into the heavens to greet the loving God who awaits with open arms.
As the writer of all but two words of the "Affirmation of the Lordship of Christ" that was adopted by the 213th General Assembly (2001), I want to thank the Office of Theology and Worship for their statement, "Hope in the Lord Jesus Christ." The statement is longer and more fully developed than the short affirmation by the Assembly, but the two declarations are in complete harmony.
All Christians are called upon to confess the Lordship of Jesus Christ. As Presbyterians we make this confession guided by what our church has stood for through the ages. For Presbyterian Church leaders in particular, this guidance is embodied in the literature collected in our Book of Confessions. As ordained leaders we vow to
sincerely receive and adopt the essential tenets of the Reformed faith as expressed in the confessions of our church as authentic and reliable expositions of what Scripture leads us to believe and do.
In proposing a $40 million campaign to raise funds for international mission work and church growth, John Detterick repeatedly has stressed that the Presbyterian Church (U.S.A.) can’t rely on the old ways of financing itself anymore. Detterick, executive director of the church’s General Assembly Council, says the church has been too "passive" when it comes to money — just waiting to see how much comes in and hoping it will be enough.
All of us who are or have been pastors know what it is like to be in the middle of a marital or family counseling session and realize that what the parties are arguing about isn’t really the issue. They may be talking (or yelling) about a child’s grades, but the problem for the family lies elsewhere. The grades are merely what they’ve decided to argue about.
Jesus said, "I am the way, the truth and the life. No one comes to the Father but by me." Some Presbyterians argue that we must take these words to mean that since Jesus is the only way to salvation, Christianity is the only true religion. Therefore any genuinely two-way conversation between Christians and followers of other religious traditions inevitably compromise true Christian faith and leads to religious and ethical relativism.
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