REFLECTIONS ON THE 218TH PC(USA) GA

A whole bunch of bloggers from all across the spectrum have commented on the results of the PC(USA) General Assembly which concluded last weekend. As in any sporting event, there are cheers from some and groans from others. I use the sports analogy rather than a religious one because the mud-wrestling contest held in San Jose bore little resemblance to a Biblically faithful exercise. It was hard-core, full contact politics.

For many of us, the most common adjectives were "worst ever," followed by "vindictive," and just plain "mean-spirited."

Among other things, the 218th GA:

- decided that Islam and Christianity worship exactly the same schizophrenic God (He believes that He sent His Son to atone for our sins on even-numbered days and sees Jesus only as a prophet, but a mere mortal, the rest of the time);

- removed all ordination standards, effectively renouncing both the sovereignty of God and the authority of Scripture;

- abandoned mission in favor of sponsoring coercive terrorism within the PC(USA);

- consolidated power in the bureaucracy in Louisville; and

- watered down the ordination questions (a la the refusal to establish essential tenets) so that they mean anything and thus, nothing.

The two big questions I have are these:

1. Will the most of the grass roots (Pat and Patty in the pews) even hear of the California Calamity? It seems to me that a lot of pastors (for any non-presbyterian readers, pastors are members of the presbytery and not their congregations) work diligently to ensure that their congregations are do not know, or even hear of, the denomination's repeated and ever-increasing departures from orthodoxy. A sort of "mushroom factory" approach to ministry.

2. For those congregations that do learn of the latest debacle, will their elected leaders take any action?

Only time will tell.

Unlike the PC(USA) commissars, I remain convinced that whatever takes place will be part of God's plan. The comrades in Louisville like only the part of the plan that leaves the power in their hands, denying that God may call others to figuratively pick up their belongings (including the land He gave them) and move to another part of His vineyard to carry on the mission He assigns them.

BACK FROM EPC GENERAL ASSEMBLY (Part 2)

This has been a busy week. Jumper (my beloved young horsewoman) has been helping at a riding camp and Camper, my eldest son and faithful camping partner, had back surgery yesterday. Bionicle Boy has spent a lot of time with his Bionicle buddy from church. Number two son, "Moleson" (an F-15 pilot, it's his call sign) just reported to Ft. Leavenworth, Kansas, as an Air Force exchange student in the Army Command and General Staff College. SWMBO is keeping the lid on this tempestuous teapot.

Leaving me some time to reflect on last week's GA..........

Having observed some of the antics of the committees and the GA of the PC(USA), I marvel at the joy we had at the EPC GA. The major difference: In the EPC, it is all about Jesus while in the PC(USA), it is all about polity and power. In the PC(USA), parliamentary procedure is a full contact sport.

The EPC GA could be much shorter because we did not have to argue about the sovereignty of God, the authority of Scripture, whether God's Word is unchanging or merely subject to our approval, ordination standards or lack thereof, or strong-arming congregations into staying in our midst. There was no debate about whether sin is really sin or "just what is marriage, anyway?" 45 new congregations joined the EPC last year. That other bunch lost nearly 60,000 more members.

At one point in the debate on setting a goal that the EPC be a missional church, there was a brief parliamentary foofarah. They settled it amicably in about 5 minutes, leading one former PC(USA) pastor to comment, with tongue planted firmly in cheek, "These people are a bunch of pikers. We could have tied this in knots for hours!!!"

By my count, the business of the GA was concluded in about 9 hours, including approving a number of new denominational missionaries. In that regard, if the PC(USA) ever sent out a proportionate share of missionaries, it would have over 1600 in the field, rather than the current 250 or so. And they go out for real mission--not to hire lawyers to sue brothers and sisters who, faithful to God's call, seek to move from one part of God's pasture to another.

Worship took up another 8 to 9 hours (usually an hour each morning and 2 and 1/2 hours each night), and it was wonderful--Scripturally faithful and edifying.

Compared to that bank and trust corporation that is meeting in California this week, it was a drink of cool water after a long trek in the desert.