I was having a conversation with SWMBO about life after 10A. Her response is that while the PC(USA) slowly abandons the teaching about not conforming to the world, she's going to continue to preach about Christ, His death and resurrection to redeem us, and His teaching to Go and sin no more.
That said, if our state decided to OK same-sex weddings, she'd give up any right to certify civil weddings. She'd only do Christian marriage, which is defined in the PC(USA)'s Constitution part II (Book of Order) as between a man and a woman. If someone wanted to get married, they'd have to go to a Justice of the Peace, Court Judge or County Clerk for the civil registration and certificate after the Church Wedding.
As a flight of fancy, I extrapolated that further. It appears that a Christian marriage, joining a man and woman in Holy Matrimony is actually a good thing for those seniors who are living together outside of civil marriage because they would lose benefits if they were wedded in the eyes of the state. In this way, they could have all the blessings of a Christian marriage and not live in sin, yet to the state they are still the widow and widower of a previous spouse.
It is this living in sin that some one supporting Amendment 10A referred to when talking about the replacement of the fidelity and chastity language. Using my idea, there's no need to repeal 10A for this elder, just do a Christian Marriage. The elder would then be living in the fidelity of Christian marriage, which is not recognized by the state, but is recognized by the Church.
However, there is a sense that the next target of the LGBT alliance funded by the Arcus Foundation (see the Reformed Pastor's posts here and here) will be the area in the PC(USA) Book of Order governing marriage. Currently it says that Christian marriage is between a man and a woman, which according to some is non-affirming, and old fashioned. It should be interesting at the next GA.
And so it goes .....
Showing posts with label Ordination. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Ordination. Show all posts
Wednesday, April 27, 2011
Thursday, April 14, 2011
What happens now ?
Many evangelicals in the PC(USA) have thrown in the towel over the news that South Louisiana flipped their vote from supporting biblical ordination standards, to against this past weekend.
One blogger notes that since 2008 when the last go round happened and biblical standards were supported in S.L.P, about 7 or so churches left the denomination for a more biblically faithful denomination. He figures that those seven churches probably would had enough Presbytery representation to defeat the measure this time around.
So what happens now? The way I look at it is that those who are faithful to biblical standards of chastity and marriage must make an effort to attend the remaining presbytery meetings on the 10A vote, no matter what inconveniences you need to overcome. You just can't sit back and say that someone else will defeat it, there is no one else!!
You need to attend those votes on nFOG and Belhar. You need to understand that rejecting Belhar will make it harder to justify ordinations that do not conform to Biblical standards. For under the 10A language, Governing bodies shall be guided by Scripture and the confessions in applying standards to individual candidates. If Belhar is not in the BOC, it cannot be used to water down what the existing confessions say about sin.
Then there's nFOG, where language takes away much of the local church Session's discretion on contributions to higher governing bodies. That means that you could be forced (depending on the Presbytery) to pay Per Capita to support the headquarters in Louisville.
The same headquarters that created a 10 or 12 page, full color magazine touting all the good that the mission arm of the PC(USA) is doing. I'm wondering how much producing and mailing 10 or 12 copies to each congregation cost the denomination; probably would have paid for a few missionaries?? They could have done the same with a small pamphlet that contained a link to the online magazine.
Its not over, quit throwing in those towels. Consider this a wake up call to end all wake up calls.
And so it goes ....
One blogger notes that since 2008 when the last go round happened and biblical standards were supported in S.L.P, about 7 or so churches left the denomination for a more biblically faithful denomination. He figures that those seven churches probably would had enough Presbytery representation to defeat the measure this time around.
So what happens now? The way I look at it is that those who are faithful to biblical standards of chastity and marriage must make an effort to attend the remaining presbytery meetings on the 10A vote, no matter what inconveniences you need to overcome. You just can't sit back and say that someone else will defeat it, there is no one else!!
You need to attend those votes on nFOG and Belhar. You need to understand that rejecting Belhar will make it harder to justify ordinations that do not conform to Biblical standards. For under the 10A language, Governing bodies shall be guided by Scripture and the confessions in applying standards to individual candidates. If Belhar is not in the BOC, it cannot be used to water down what the existing confessions say about sin.
Then there's nFOG, where language takes away much of the local church Session's discretion on contributions to higher governing bodies. That means that you could be forced (depending on the Presbytery) to pay Per Capita to support the headquarters in Louisville.
The same headquarters that created a 10 or 12 page, full color magazine touting all the good that the mission arm of the PC(USA) is doing. I'm wondering how much producing and mailing 10 or 12 copies to each congregation cost the denomination; probably would have paid for a few missionaries?? They could have done the same with a small pamphlet that contained a link to the online magazine.
Its not over, quit throwing in those towels. Consider this a wake up call to end all wake up calls.
And so it goes ....
Tuesday, January 12, 2010
Good News .. but somewhat bittersweet
The readers of this screed (and you know who you are, all three of you) know that I have a few friends who attended Plodding Theological Seminary. I mentioned that one of them was in the middle of the call process, and was going to do her candidate sermon before the congregational meeting to vote whether to call her as the Pastor at Cannoli P.C.
The meeting and vote happened this past Sunday, and she accepted the call. This is a time for celebration, but the vote was bittersweet. During the discussion prior to the vote, someone brought up what Paul said in 1 Timothy. While I understand that the moderator handled the question well, it obviously did not impress a few people sitting in the pews.
The vote was not unanimous. She had accepted the possibility that there may be a few people who are opposed to women as Pastors, she didn't expect that about 12 to 14% would vote no. It was a minority that couldn't be overlooked. It didn't help that some of the people had to leave before the moderator could arrive, those 10 or so people would have made the minority look smaller. That said, she looked at how the Spirit has guided her to Cannoli, and came to the conclusion that God wanted her here at this time.
Next stop, presbytery meeting for her examination. She fully expects that there may be questions about the vote, but she knows that the Spirit would not have led her this far for her to be examined and rejected at the last minute.
So she'll be ordained at 'Nother Completely-different Presbytery, then installed at Cannoli in February.
God be praised !!
The meeting and vote happened this past Sunday, and she accepted the call. This is a time for celebration, but the vote was bittersweet. During the discussion prior to the vote, someone brought up what Paul said in 1 Timothy. While I understand that the moderator handled the question well, it obviously did not impress a few people sitting in the pews.
The vote was not unanimous. She had accepted the possibility that there may be a few people who are opposed to women as Pastors, she didn't expect that about 12 to 14% would vote no. It was a minority that couldn't be overlooked. It didn't help that some of the people had to leave before the moderator could arrive, those 10 or so people would have made the minority look smaller. That said, she looked at how the Spirit has guided her to Cannoli, and came to the conclusion that God wanted her here at this time.
Next stop, presbytery meeting for her examination. She fully expects that there may be questions about the vote, but she knows that the Spirit would not have led her this far for her to be examined and rejected at the last minute.
So she'll be ordained at 'Nother Completely-different Presbytery, then installed at Cannoli in February.
God be praised !!
Friday, December 18, 2009
Good News for the New Year
As the longtime readers of this blog know (all 2 or 3 of you), I'm friends with a few people at Plodding Theological Seminary, or as I like to rib Rev. Kim, the better PTS.
Anyway, I heard from one of those friends who graduated this past June. It seems that she is going to preach her candidating sermon next month just before the Congregational Meeting to see if the Presbyterian Church in Cannoli* PA will call her to the pulpit there. As those of you who have been in the process know, this is a time of negotiation over terms of call, as well as one of uncertainty since she would be the first female pastor (other than the interim) called to this church.
However, if the way be clear, she is looking at ordination and installation sometime early next year. So she's busy putting together the service of ordination, as well as installation. Not to mention having to find pastors and elders to fill two commissions as she will be ordained in one presbytery (Nother Completely-different Presbytery), and installed in another (Crimson-rock Presbytery). Trying to do all this just before Christmas is frustrating, as everyone is concentrating on the holy day. However, you really don't want to put this off until later, as some people may have vacation plans right after Christmas to get some time off before Lent !!
Needless to say, she is being very calm and patient about this, although she says her hubby is a nervous wreck.
... and so it goes.
* all church and location names are changed to protect the innocent ;)
Anyway, I heard from one of those friends who graduated this past June. It seems that she is going to preach her candidating sermon next month just before the Congregational Meeting to see if the Presbyterian Church in Cannoli* PA will call her to the pulpit there. As those of you who have been in the process know, this is a time of negotiation over terms of call, as well as one of uncertainty since she would be the first female pastor (other than the interim) called to this church.
However, if the way be clear, she is looking at ordination and installation sometime early next year. So she's busy putting together the service of ordination, as well as installation. Not to mention having to find pastors and elders to fill two commissions as she will be ordained in one presbytery (Nother Completely-different Presbytery), and installed in another (Crimson-rock Presbytery). Trying to do all this just before Christmas is frustrating, as everyone is concentrating on the holy day. However, you really don't want to put this off until later, as some people may have vacation plans right after Christmas to get some time off before Lent !!
Needless to say, she is being very calm and patient about this, although she says her hubby is a nervous wreck.
... and so it goes.
* all church and location names are changed to protect the innocent ;)
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)