Thursday, July 11, 2013

Disappointed, but not surprised.

I haven't blogged in a year, some would say that's a good thing.    But after the 2012 GA I had decided why bother, the PC(USA) is going to hell in a handbasket, and nothing I say or type or gripe about will change the eventual demise.  Evangelical friends are leaving, either by walking from their current congregation, or by moving with the congregation to the EPC or ECO.

As more and move evangelicals leave, the PC(USA) is becoming a mirror of the UCC.   Proclamation of the Gospel takes second (or third) place to proclamation of the gospel of political correctness.      Presbyteries are more interested in rooting out "schismatics", then in rooting out those Teaching Elders who proudly proclaim that Jesus did not rise from the dead, never ascended, and was basically a good person who had good ideas;  kinda like a Jewish Confucius or Buddha.

Then there was the Pittsburgh GA.  It wasn't all bad; there weren't any huge puppets at worship.   However, there was the ruling that the BOO does not need to agree with the BOC, and the push for authorization of same sex marriage (SSM).     

As I watched the live streaming from the Pittsburgh GA last year, I was wondering where most of the YADs (Young Adult Delegates) picked up their version of theology; today I was given a glimpse of one possible source.

A pastor friend received a text from a youth director who had taken a group of kids to one of the PC(USA) camps:

"Interesting day today. Started with some good old fashioned heresy. Worship leader told us it was ok to use the word "she" for Jesus in the song we were going to sing. That was followed with an adult male "coming out" in (our youth's) encounter group." (coming out to 12 and 13 year old's mind you!)
 I'm disappointed, but not surprised about this as I keep informed about what is going on in the PC(USA), but will this be a wake up call for any moderates??   Or for those evangelical institutionalists who believe that their staying in the denomination will act as a moderating force?    That only works when you have access to actually do some moderation, and I don't see that happening real soon.      

 ... and so it goes!