Bringing the Word to Life

Reclaiming the Ministry of Teaching in the PCUSA

1 Comment / Essential Tenets of the Reformed Faith, PCUSA, Teaching / By /

The generation of Americans growing up in the 1950s and 1960s (and their parents) might remember the weekly television program of Bishop Fulton J. Sheen called Life Is Worth Living. The winsome bishop taught Catholic values and addressed moral issues of his day to an audience of ten million viewers at the peak of his popularity. During this era, the Reverend Billy Graham also had risen to prominence as an international evangelist. For fifty years, his message was conveyed through a weekly radio program called Hour of Decision and reinforced by televised crusades and newspaper columns. These teachers of the […]

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Who Taught These People?

8 Comments / Essential Tenets of the Reformed Faith, Parnell v. San Francisco, PCUSA, Teaching / By /

One of the heartbreaks of the current climate and conversation in the PCUSA is the discovery that decision-makers cannot tell the difference between truth and error in doctrine. There have been many times at GA when observers have looked at each other incredulously and asked, “Who taught these people?” As an educator and equipper of those preparing to teach for Christian formation, I find it particularly alarming that inadequate, inaccurate, or just plan errant statements of theology and Bible are made during important deliberations. And what do we make of the GAPJC’s reticence to rule on the substance of biblical

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What? Me Angry?

3 Comments / Fellowship of Presbyterians, PCUSA, Sermon on the Mount / By /

Last night’s Bible study class (which I lead weekly) continued in the Sermon on the Mount to the topic of “Murder Management.” Jesus raised the bar on the fifth commandment, “Do not murder” to include the avoidance of anger: 21“You have heard that it was said to an older generation, ‘Do not murder,’ [that is, criminal killing] and ‘whoever murders will be subjected to judgment.’ 22But I say to you that anyone who is angry with a brother will be subjected to judgment. And whoever insults a brother* will be brought before the council, and whoever says ‘Fool’ will be

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Five Stages of Presbyterian Grief

Leave a Comment / PCUSA, Poetry / By /

It’s been quite a day, participating in a vigorous interchange over the events in the Presbytery of Coastal Carolina and my blog post about it yesterday. I try to allot about 1½ hours to this blogging activity daily, but yesterday’s tally far exceeded that. Absent any new developments in the Coastal Carolina situation, I would like to step back and appreciate some of the Presbyterian reactions to the news that someone could fail to affirm the statement “Jesus Christ died on the cross to save people from their sin”: • Nah, it couldn’t have happened. It’s unthinkable! • Are you

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Did Jesus Die for the Sins of Humanity, Or Not?

32 Comments / Essential Tenets of the Reformed Faith, Parnell v. San Francisco, PCUSA, Theological Reflection / By /

On Saturday, a teaching elder sought transfer into the Presbytery of Coastal Carolina. During his COM interview, he had declared that he did not believe that Jesus died for our sins. Upon questioning in presbytery, he revealed his belief that God could have (should have?) found some better way to save the world than by arranging the murder of his Son. He refused three times to answer the question, “Do you believe that Jesus died on the Cross for our sins?” Though I am sure this is not the first time a theologically questionable statement or silence has occurred in

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“Mending Wall” for Sunday Afternoon Reflection

Leave a Comment / Poetry / By /

MENDING WALL Robert Frost Something there is that doesn’t love a wall, That sends the frozen-ground-swell under it, And spills the upper boulders in the sun, And makes gaps even two can pass abreast. The work of hunters is another thing: I have come after them and made repair Where they have left not one stone on a stone, But they would have the rabbit out of hiding, To please the yelping dogs. The gaps I mean, No one has seen them made or heard them made, But at spring mending-time we find them there. I let my neighbor know

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Good Fences Make Good Neighbors

10 Comments / Fellowship of Presbyterians, Parnell v. San Francisco, PCUSA / By /

Churches, their sessions and teaching elders especially, are doing a lot of soul-searching these days about what is an appropriate relationship with their presbytery and the PCUSA denomination. Building on yesterday’s concentric circle framework, today let us consider the nature of our connectionalism and ask, when does connectionalism go too far? Is there a point at which the expectation of closeness or unity between a congregation and the PCUSA is unrealistic? If Presbyterian relationships between congregation, presbytery, synod, and GA were healthy, the diagram would look quite similar to yesterday’s. Expectations at each level of relationship are moderated by appropriate

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Connectionalism and Relational Boundaries

3 Comments / PCUSA / By /

This week’s musings have attempted to sort out the nature of the tensions that exists in the PCUSA at this time. Many evangelical pastors I know are caught in the middle of a tug of war between members of their congregation and the denomination (often the presbytery representative of it). They are truly stymied by a lack of good options, and they understand now that any course of action (from status quo to radical departure) will require supreme patience, spiritual strength, wisdom, and “emotional intelligence” to pull off. The focus of this post is one particular challenge pastors face: the

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How Much Diversity Can a Church Handle?

11 Comments / PCUSA, Theological Reflection / By /

A comment was made in the PCUSA Middle Governing Bodies Commission meeting last Saturday that stirred some thought and reaction. Expressing opposition to the creation of non-geographic presbyteries, one commissioner tweeted on #mgbcomm, “Diversity isn’t a problem, it’s an asset.” Just today, another comment from within my presbytery was passed along: Don’t expect support for forming a new “like-minded” presbytery. We need diverse voices around the table, and we can’t abide by conservatives going off into their own little corner where there won’t be any disagreement. Huh? Time to review some basics: 1.  The word diairesis is translated “diversity” only

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The Law of “Doing” and “Being”

1 Comment / PCUSA, Sermon on the Mount, Theological Reflection / By /

My weekly discussions around the Sermon on the Mount continue to stimulate application within the PCUSA context. This week’s topic was “The Fulfillment of the Law” (Matthew 5:17-20). Jesus taught: 17Do not think that I have come to abolish the law or the prophets. I have not come to abolish these things but to fulfill them. 18I tell you the truth, until heaven and earth pass away not the smallest letter or stroke of a letter will pass from the law until everything takes place.19So anyone who breaks one of the least of these commands and teaches others to do

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