Leaders of the Presbyterian Church, USA, and the United Presbyterian Church produced a joint statement in support of Christians taking a courageous stand pertaining to racial integration of the schools. “The faithfulness of your witness to the Gospel of Reconciliation through the ministry of the church is known even though it has not been widely reported. … The work of Christians and others in civil agencies to bring about orderly compliance with the law is also known. We thank God for your obedience in these days, remembering that suffering may be both a sign and a consequence of obedience, for ‘we should not be surprised at the fiery ordeal which comes upon us’ when we answer the call of Christ.” The statement continues, when you “recently brought Christians of both races together to share their faith and wisdom, when you went to the scene of violence and stood with those who were the object of hatred, when you spoke out clearly and boldly for the right, you were acting out the … [Read more...]

50 years ago — October 23, 1967 In preparation for the fourth meeting of the World Council of Churches held in Uppsala, Sweden, in 1968, a Bible study was produced on the theme “Behold I make all things new.” “Suffering, says the apostle, is both the accompaniment of birth and the incentive to do something about life. Without suffering, at least in time and space, there is no striving no moving forward, no growing. … So groaning is good if it leads to creativity. … The whole creation is groaning in travail, striving to bring forth the new that shall not die, yearning for liberation from death and disintegration. … Christians who already have the foretaste of the new, groan even more, eager to usher in the new from the womb of the old. … The Spirit of God himself is groaning within us, in the disciplined striving of prayer that God’s name be hallowed and his Kingdom come.” From “Renewal in and beyond history: Study VI, Romans 8:18-27” by the World Council of Churches … [Read more...]

40 years ago — September 5, 1977 As a young minister in the slums of London in the ‘30s, I felt it my duty to take to speaking in the open air. I hated it, but I felt it cowardly to stay indoors, “preaching to the converted,” while the Fascists and the Communists were holding forth at the street corner within shouting distance of the church; the Fascists fomenting hatred against the Jews and the Communists exploiting the (legitimate) grievances of the poor. Obviously, I was at a disadvantage, since nothing starts the adrenalin flowing like a good hater playing on the emotions of fear and resentment. But I learned one valuable lesson: Never to be afraid of questions. I have heard them all, and in some cases I have asked them myself! An equally valuable lesson was that it’s a hollow victory to score debating points. A clever answer may tickle the mind, but it does little to satisfy the yearnings of the soul. From the column “From my study window” by W.B.J. Martin … [Read more...]

30 years ago — Sept 7-14, 1987 Marking the bicentennial of the Constitution of the United States, Presbyterians were called to remember the Synod of 1787’s confessional changes reflecting the new political situation and its significance to define relations between religious and political institutions. “The Founders of the nation agreed that … ‘no religious test shall ever be required as a qualification to any office or public trust under the United States.’” Chapter XXIII of the Westminster Confession on the Civil Magistrate had been amended to deny them “the right to assume to themselves the administration of Word and sacraments, the power of the Keys of the Kingdom, or to interfere in matters of faith.” Presbyterians affirmed “it was the duty of the magistrate to protect the Church, without giving preference to any denomination of Christians; to protect ministers in the discharge of duties; to protect the person and good name of all their people ‘in such an effectual manner as … [Read more...]

20 years ago — July 7-14, 1997 The Book of Confessions expressed “in different ways and at various times, the … primary Reformed principles … : grace alone, faith alone, Scripture alone. … It may be abused by us or be used by us as it was intended. We can abuse the Book of Confessions if we forget that it is a ‘subordinate’ standard in the church, always subject to the authority of Jesus Christ, as the Scriptures bear witness to him, and subordinate to Scripture… . We can abuse the Book of Confessions if we forget that confessions report a particular faith statement from a specific moment in history and can be amended from time to time. As Presbyterians we have proclaimed ourselves to be open to the creative work of the Holy Spirit, Reformed and always ready to be reformed by God… . The confessions provide standards of faith and doctrine but they are not the primary or only standards.” The Book of Confessions can be abused if we go to the other extreme and see them as … [Read more...]

10 years ago — June 25, 2007 We “began with prayer, study and reading. We read together a wide range of resources on polity, theology and mission.” This is how the committee commissioned by the General Assembly to create a revised Form of Government began their work. “We have sought to create a missional polity that places the particular congregation at the forefront of the church’s witness, because the congregation is the place where the church engages the world. ... What we propose is a Form of Government that seeks to describe rather than proscribe, that seeks to define function rather than mandate structure. What we propose is a Form of Government that, rather than saying to the church, ‘Don’t do this,’ instead says, ‘Feed my sheep. Proclaim my Word. Go out into the world and make disciples of all.’ … The Form of Government we propose is written for a church in pilgrimage. The church it contemplates is not the church of the past, nor has it arrived at the future God yet holds … [Read more...]