Sunday Devotions: Beijing Boycott

The Olympic Games in China are about to begin, but I cannot watch any of them. China is still persecuting and imprisoning Christians, even in the city of Beijing itself.

Podcast version here

1 Corinthians 9:24 Do you not know that in a race all the runners run, but only one gets the prize? Run in such a way as to get the prize.

The time has come for the Olympic Games to begin and it will soon seem as though the whole world is standing still. Athletes from many nations will be traveling to Beijing to compete in the Games. They will proudly carry their nations’ flags at the opening ceremonies and do their utmost to win medals for their countries. All of them will pursue the Olympic motto of “Faster, Higher, and Stronger” to attain their personal bests, so that they can go home, proud of their attempts and achievements.

As much as I have loved to watch the Olympic Games in the past, this year I cannot bring myself to do it. As a teenager, I loved participating in athletic events and was even a member of the High School sprint team. Throughout the years, I have been enthralled by the speed, skills, and success of modern athletes. This year, however, I cannot enjoy any of their performances.

My heart is heavy because the Olympics are being held in a nation that still arrests Christians and puts pastors in jail. As recent as Sunday May 25, Chinese police authorities in Beijing raided the Beijing Gospel church and disrupted worship. The pastor was arrested and interrogated; he was eventually released but is still under surveillance.

This happens every week, all over China. When the Olympic Committee chose Beijing as the site for the 2008 Games, they were assured that China would clean up its Human Rights and stop religious persecution. They never kept that promise, and so I will not be watching the Games. Instead, I will take time to pray for a young woman called Li Ying. She was arrested for producing and distributing a Christian newsletter in 2001, when China was awarded the Games. She is still in prison and will not be released until 2016.

As the world’s athletes run toward the finishing tape to secure their gold, silver, and bronze medals, be aware that just a few miles away from the sporting events, Christians are being harassed, persecuted, and imprisoned. They are running the real race that matters and their prize is a crown in Christ’s Kingdom. The Olympics are a world-wide, short-lived delusion. Winning souls for Christ and running for His Team are the eternal goals that we should be accomplishing. China may imprison Christians for years, but Christ keeps the persecuted free for all of eternity.

Prayer: Lord Jesus, we get so caught up with the world’s dreams that we sometimes forget the vision You have for the entire earth. Afflict our hearts and minds so that we will remember those poor souls that are languishing in prison in Beijing and throughout China just for believing in You. Shame us into remembering the cost of being Christians and help us to pray for those who are imprisoned just for praying, preaching, and practicing their Christianity. In Your Holy Name, we humbly pray. Amen.

Stushie is the writer of the daily devotional blog Heaven's Highway

Chewing on the Word - Terrified

This is a word I've been chewing on for quite some time: terrified. Ever since 'the war on terror,' I've been hyper-sensitive to any vulgar uses of this truly biblical word.

How many times throughout Scripture, do the people of God become terrified, never fully understanding that it is, in fact, God at work in their midst?

In the Gospel of Matthew (14:22-33) the disciples in the boat saw someone walking toward them and they 'were terrified.' Jesus, the incarnation of God's love for the whole world, is walking toward those who left everything to follow him, and they don't recognize him, (and, of course, he is walking ON the water–something no one committed to things decent and in order would expect) and they are terrified. Without belittling the truly traumatic in life, how many times are we terrified simply because God is drawing near in ways we don't expect.

I love Jesus response, "take heart, it is I; do not be afraid." Again and again and again, the heavenly message, whether through Jesus in this passage, or the angel Gabriel to the young woman Mary, is simply "do not be afraid." Yet, when I stop and chew on that, I realize it is never simple. The pre-existing condition is fear. That which keeps me 'in the boat,' unable to recognize or to respond in faith, is fear.

However, Jesus keeps coming, keeps calling out, keeps saving those who risk stepping 'out of the boat' when the wind is blowing against them, and eventually rides with them in peace.

Has the church, for too long, tamed the unexpected terror of Jesus drawing near and saving us? Maybe Annie Dillard had it right; crash helmets and life-preservers anyone?

Photo by 2-Dog-Farm from flickr.com

Whose Mission?

Today, Talitha from Madame Future Moderator has written a thought-provoking post about mission. I hope it sparks some interesting discussion!

Whose Mission?

I can't help my geekiness, I have to start this post in Latin.
Mission, though a common noun nowadays, came from a verb, mittere, to send. We may have missions and do missions and even live in missions, but once upon a time when the western world still spoke Latin, people knew that the word was verbal. That you couldn't have a mission unless someone was sending someone – that there is no mission without a sender and sendee.
(of course, we knew that. God's the sender and we're the sent)

How, then, did we end up with short term mission trips? Wherein we choose an exotic, impoverished destination and go minister there for as long or as short a time as we care to?

We have a good concept of the basic structure of mission. God sends someone and they go – just like Jesus told us.
But I think in many cases we are holding on to a fragile eggshell of what mission could be. What we have is the "going" part, made more accessible by our friends in the airline industry. Where did the "come back a week later with a lot of photos" come from? Why did we go, anyway? What did we do there? Who sent us?

I'll be the first to admit I sent myself on mission trips. Less than a month after I graduated from college, I sent myself to Uganda to serve orphans. I stayed there, with my sister, for five months and then returned and served the American side of the same organization for the remainder of the year. I did it because I was in an open minded, questioning, vocationally unsure point of my life, but also because I knew there would be great benefits for me. I went looking for an escape from the shallowness of American life, and I'll even admit that my sister and I wrote a really melodramatic song about how crucial it was to get away from the empty glitter of America.
I went with personal goals. I knew, somehow, that God would be able to touch me through this work. I was seeking a more raw, direct way of living life, hitting my boundaries, opening up and learning to "really live." I still think that these kinds of benefits are an important goal of mission -- the "conversion of the missionary" as Anthony J. Gittins has written. Isn't this why we send our teenagers out on mission trips? We are hoping that they will be touched and inspired.

However, within the structure of our mission work, the hard question has been asked -- do we do anything more than seek our own spiritual experiences? Are we doing any earthly good at all? If we're doing more harm than good, we must wonder whether God is doing the sending, or if we are taking mission (the noun) into our own hands.
The Washington Post has asked it.
Catapult Magazine has asked it, and asked it well.
In Uganda, I have seen and worked with some groups who rode the fine line between volunteer service and spiritual tourism... or maybe I was just bitter because they had so much more energy than I, a jaded three-monther, could muster up.
In committee 8 at GA218, Hunter Farrell mentioned a slightly embarrassing episode wherein short-term-mission-trippers came from different PC(USA) churches and over the span of the summer, painted and re-painted the same church in Guatemala. Such sloppiness with regards to the task at hand indicates that the participants may have been doing a little more navel-gazing or sightseeing than they were binding up the broken-hearted and proclaiming the year of the Lord's favor.

I wonder if we haven't been working only with the empty eggshell of mission (the noun - the going places - the openhearted adventure)...
Have we lost sight of the one who moves mission, who sends us, and in whose mission we are mere vessels?

i mean, maybe not... maybe the problems are exceptions, and really we just need to use our God-given common sense... but that lets us off the hook. If we look at the church as a wonderful group with just a few ignorant people in it who perpetuate cheap foolishnesses, we ignore the fact that these studies and articles cover trends and not isolated cases. Somehow we may all be complicit in sloppy, self-serving patterns of mission.
I wonder what we need. Confession, perhaps... perhaps the Invitation to Expanding Partnership in God's Mission can show us our goals, and we can confess whenever we fall short.

Call to Confession:
people of God, we serve a great God who calls us to great things. Let us not be ashamed to turn from our mistakes, knowing that God is calling us, pushing us, and sending us forth to serve in ever-better ways. Let us pray!

Written by Talitha from Madame Future Moderator.

Thursday Presbybloggers Book Club

Welcome to the Presbyterian Bloggers Book Club hosted by Quotidian Grace and Justice Seeker! On the first Thursday of each month we plan to discuss a different book of interest to members of the blog ring. In order to give those who are interested in participating time to read the book in advance, we will post a schedule of the books chosen for the club.

Our first selection is The Shack by William P. Young. This self-published book has been a surprise best-seller and drawn both praise and criticism for the author’s depiction of the Trinity. Eugene Peterson compared it favorably to John Bunyan’s classic allegory Pilgrim’s Progress. What is your reaction to it? Join us on September 4 for what we hope will be a lively discussion.

We want your thoughts on the next book club selections. Here is a list of suggestions that we have put together. We’ve tried to include a wide variety of books that have been recommended by Presbybloggers. Please let us know in the comments which you would like to see on the schedule and also give us your suggestions. If you would be willing to host a book club discussion, please leave word in the comments and give us your contact email so we can follow up.

QG and Justice Seeker suggest:

The Alto Wore Tweed by Mark Schweizer. Justice Seeker was intrigued with Presbyblogger Avdat's mention of this book on his blog: “This is the first in a series of light-hearted mysteries that are a very funny look at the life of the church and its people. The protagonist is a police chief who also serves as music director for the local Episcopalian congregation...The licks it gets in on Re-imagining style liturgical innovations are deadly and hysterical.”

Take This Bread by Sara Miles. This is a memoir of conversion told by a woman who was formerly an atheist. Sara Miles came to faith when she wandered into a small Episcopal church in her San Francisco neighborhood and took communion. Afterwards she established a food pantry in that church and then a network of food pantries all over the city. This book is well written and inspiring. Here’s a link to QG’s review.

The Other Six Days: Vocation, Work and Ministry in Biblical Perspective by R. Paul Stevens. About a year and a half ago Kruse Kronicle spent a tremendous amount of time and thought in lengthy posts about this book, chapter by chapter. Justice Seeker doesn't think that his posts got the attention that they deserved, and can't imagine any concept more critical to the Christian faith than how we live out our call to radically different lives while living what are in many respects perfectly normal lives. We’re suggesting that we read this book, taking advantage of the work done at Kruse Kronicle, and spend some time discussing what vocation, work and ministry really mean in the lives we live.

The Testament of Gideon Mack by James Robertson. From QG’s review of this novel: “Gideon Mack, is a Church of Scotland pastor who doesn't believe in God. His "testament" recounts his troubled life and ultimate encounter with the Devil, who rescued him from what should have been a fatal accident... Robertson is a superb writer. He explores the difference between faith and belief, salvation and redemption, and revelation and madness in this compelling tale.”

Contemplative Youth Ministry: Practicing the Presence of Jesus by Mark Yaconelli. According to Church Geek, “ This book was recommended to me by another 'solo pastor' working in a small church, and it does not disappoint. I really like Yaconelli's approach to youth ministry, especially his consideration that much of what we do with youth is designed to manage our anxiety about them. In contrast, the author outlines an approach to youth ministry that values kids for who they are. . . reminding us that they have things to teach us. You don't have to work with youth to get something out of this book. Much of what is written transcends youth ministry and outlines a great approach not only to pastoral ministry but to living the Christian life.”

So, Fellow PresbyBloggers--what say YOU? Would you like to discuss any of these books or would you like to suggest alternatives? Give us your thoughts in the comments.

Bookishly yours,
Quotidian Grace and Justice Seeker

The Youth Video Challenge

It is Wednesday and time for Joyful News On Ministry!

A flood of folks have sent me links about their congregations! Well, a stream. OK. Not exactly. A trickle. Fine then, I haven't received any yet. But I have been checking the web for Presbyterians having fun. I found this site, the Youth Video Challenge. These three groups were the finalists selected by YADs at General Assembly:

• Elmwood Presbyterian Church, East Orange, NJ - I'll Be Good
• Central Presbyterian Church, Lafayette, IN - 29,000 a Day
• Emmanuel Presbyterian Church, Long Beach, CA - Coming Home

The Presbyterian Foundation will establish a $25,000 endowment fund to support youth ministries at these three churches. Great job! You should check all fifteen videos that made it to GA. Here is the news story about it.

Here are some Presbyterians having fun at the 2007 Triennium:

By the way, applications are being taken now for the design team for the 2010 Triennium.

Sure, it is easy for me to post things from the national level. But I bet your congregation (or presbytery) is doing some good stuff. So send me an e-mail with a pic, story, and/or video of what is happening near your mountain, forest, neighborhood, ocean, desert, or fruited plain. Shoot, just send me a link to your church's webpage and I'll find something!




We'll get Jesus dancin' yet:




John Shuck is the pastor of First Presbyterian Church of Elizabethton, Tennessee and he blogs at Shuck and Jive. Contact him with your joyful news at this E-mail.

My Personal Mission

For my post on personal faith experiences today I'll be kicking off a conversation about mission and service. Please reply with your own stories on this topic, or send related topic ideas by clicking the "send your ideas" link the sidebar...

Just as background: I'm the son of two UCC missionaries in Turkey - Dad was a teacher there for 11 years and Mom was a nurse there for 9. We've always been "church" people, and that meant a lot in my small childhood church with an average Sunday attendance of 30 to 50. Needless to say, there's always been an emphasis in my life on giving of one's self.

In college, my wife and I were members of Alpha Phi Omega, an international "service fraternity." We helped with Special Olympics, tutored city-kids, cuddled and read to babies born adicted to drugs, and built houses with Habitat, among other volunteer services. The organization has a basis in Christianity, but doesn't have an official religious association.

Shortly after college, my fiancee and I spent some time looking seriously for a church home. While it is true that we landed at First Pres of Kirkwood because the 11am service was late enough to ensure we had time for in-line hockey and showers before the service, it's also true that we were very attracted to the wide variety of mission and service opportunities at the church. Even before becoming members of the church, we particpated in a spiritual gifts inventory to help us identify where our gifts and talents might lie. This was a great way to help us identify how we could provide a service to the church and contribute to its mission elsewhere. My big mistake was to check the "I'm interested" box next to everything that I was interested in "learning more about"... not necessarily volunteering for!! Although I haven't done as much as said I was interested in "learning more about," over the past 8 years, I've gone on work camps with senior high students and relief after hurricane Katrina, volunteered with a local shelter program, participated in committees, and served as an elder.

At a business meeting a couple of years ago, I sat with a woman who told me about a mission trip she and her husband had planned to Costa Rica. They'd spend most of their time site seeing, but everywhere they went, they planned on handing out bumper-sticker sized flyers that said "JESUS" on one side, and the Lord's Prayer in Spanish on the other side. She was so excited to be able to save so many souls that way. This kind of mission, I struggle with.


In college, we focussed a lot of attention on giving of our time and talents rather than our money -- we didn't have much. As I moved into the professional world, money started to become a part of the giving -- donating supplies, paying for gas, etc. Having "evangelism" called out as one of my spiritual gifts surprised the introvert in me, but I've certainly begun to see the value of sharing your beliefs with others. As an elder in a church with some fairly wealthy members, I've seen how monetary gifts can also be a form of mission. I wonder where else I'm not yet recognizing mission in action?



In lieu of our "Ask the Experienced Pastor" feature this Friday, we'll be continuing our focus on mission with a discussion about the caveats and dangers in the way we currently organize our mission trips. Please join guest blogger Talitha for an interesting discussion!

Changes Are Afoot!

Perhaps you've noticed some differences around here lately . . .

First, the email link under "Send Your Ideas for Topics of Discussion" is functional and already receiving some good suggestions. Keep 'em coming!

Second, we have a larger stable of regular bloggers, and some new weekly and monthly features. The schedule is listed in the sidebar, and nifty little bios of all of our authors should appear there soon. New content is added every day, so check back here often or subscribe to our feed!

Third, we're updating the blogroll! To start out, I've listed all the current members of the PC(USA) web ring. Check the list (Members of Our Community - in Development) near the bottom of this page, on the right. To join the ring, follow the link on the right or at the bottom of the page, and I'll add you to the blog roll as well as the web ring.

Since we started revamping the blog in the middle of July, several bloggers have joined our ring. Going forward, I'll highlight a blog every week. Today, I'd like to introduce our newest members:

• Pastorjayban’s Weblog: the one where jay ban blogs… Jay is the associate pastor of Clemmons Presbyterian Church in Clemmons, North Carolina, and the proud youth director of a group of youth who named themselves GOOTH…which stands for, believe it or not, “group of youth.”
  
• Rev. Dave's Raves. Dave is a dad, husband and pastor of First Presbyterian Church of Petaluma (CA). He is also co-directing Tents of Hope Petaluma, a grass-roots organization that paints refugee-style tents to raise awareness of the needs of those who are displaced from their homes in Darfur, Sudan.
  
• Called To Be: The Pastor's Wife & The Pastor. Rev. Kim is a wife and a pastor in the wilds of Wyoming.
  
• Transforming Seminarian: Reflections on the Christian life and Transformers toys. Mark Baker-Wright is an Assistant to the Faculty and Dean's Office at Fuller Theological Seminary in Pasadena, California.
  
• Junction Barkers: Jim and Laurie Barker are Co-Pastors for two wonderful communities of faith in the Hill Country of Texas.
  
• Madame Future Moderator. Talitha says, "Some day I'm going to grow up to be moderator of the PC(USA), or at least of an immensely important committee. Alternately, I might give up on the establishment and go live with Jesus in a tree." And she has a lot of great things to say about mission. I'm delighted that she's going to share some of her thoughts with us here on Friday!
  
• Time Loves a Hero. Reverend Paul A. Andresen of the First Presbyterian Church in Berryville, Arkansas posts his sermons here.
  
• A Reformed Catholic in the PCUSA: Reformed Catholic grew up Italian R.C., fell away from the church, then married his wife, who brought him back into the church as a Presbyterian. He's now an Elder. And a Computer Geek.
  
• She Rev Writes. She Rev is first a child of God. Then she is a wife, a mother of 2, a daughter, and sister. She is also a Presbyterian pastor.
  
• He Wakens My Ear to Listen as Those Who are Taught. Dorontheos23, M.Div writes hauntingly beautiful devotions.
  
• Reverend Mike’s House of Homiletic Hash. Rev. Mike is an ordained minister and also an engineer. He's not currently pastoring a congregation, but is working full-time and finishing up his Doctorate of Ministry.
  
• More Presbyterians Blogging.

More changes are coming, including links to additional sites of interest, and an ever-growing blog roll of Presbyterian bloggers and our friends.

If you'd like to contribute to the blog, please drop us a line (email link in sidebar). In particular, we're especially looking for a minister who's been around for a while to host our "Ask the Experienced Pastor" monthly Q&A session, and an experienced member of session to host the monthly "Ask the Elder Elder" Q&A session.

Whatever your role in the church, welcome to the blog, and we'd love to hear from you!

Sunday Devotions: Falling

One of today's lectionary psalms is Psalm 145:8-9, 14-21

Psalm 145:14 The LORD upholds all those who fall and lifts up all who are bowed down.

One of the most memorable scenes in the brutal movie, "The Passion of Christ," occurs when Jesus is carrying His Cross through the streets of Jerusalem. His mother Mary is looking at Him and, as He falls under the weight of the timbers, the scene suddenly changes and we go back in time to when Jesus is a child. Mary has just kissed Him and sends Him out to play with his friends. As Jesus runs, He falls and scrapes His knee. Mary rushes to help Him, to do the mother thing of saying, "There, there, there. It's alright." Once again, the scene suddenly shifts back to the streets of Jerusalem and Jesus is forced to stand up and carrying the Cross. Mary's eyes are full of painful tears, for this time, she cannot run to help Him, nor embrace Him.

As we go through life, we each fall from time to time. Circumstances, tragedy, or accidents may prevail against us and we find it difficult to lift up our spirits and begin again. But the promises of God are still with us, so that when we fall, Christ, who fulfilled all of God's promises, stands beside us, upholds us in the midst of our trials, and lifts us up from despair.

Prayer: Lord Jesus, whenever I fail or fall, be there beside me, ready, able and willing to support me. When my spirit is low and a shadow looms over me, be my brightness and strength, my Hope Bringer and True Savior. In Your Holy Name, I pray. Amen.

Stushie is the writer of the daily devotional blog, Heaven's Highway

Introducing Chewing on the Word: Lectionary Ruminations

Within months of being ordained, I toddled off to a monastery for a few days of reflection. While there, my sommelier of all things Benedictine introduced me to lectio divina ~ a way of reading for spiritual insight and soul nourishment rather than information.  My favorite aspect of the classic practice was ruminatio, chewing on the text–allowing the text and Spirit to roll around inside of you until something tickles your imagination or feeds your soul.  Our weekly morsels will come from tomorrow's lectionary Bible texts.

Alone, wrestling all night, being injured, wanting to be blessed, prevailing... the story of Jacob in Genesis 32:23-31 is so familiar.  How many nights have been spent in agonizing prayer - struggling with God–worrying, waiting, wrestling.  It is here, in the midst of the night of anguish that we come face to face with God.  We are changed.  No longer the sure, confident, striding one; we limp.  And yet, the blessing of a new identity and a new purpose irrupts at daybreak.  We, like Jacob, are transformed, renamed 'Israel,' God's people, and our prevailing comes at a cost; we have been humbled.  No longer can we run ahead, chasing our dreams, arrogant and encouraged in our prevailing through the dark night; we (blessedly) limp ahead.

The theme of blessing and brokenness continues in Matthew 14:13-21.  Jesus invites the disciples to bring to him whatever they have in order to feed the crowd.  They have only five loaves and two fish.  The disciples insufficiency is enough. Jesus blesses the disciples insufficiency, breaks it apart, and feeds the crowd.  How many miracles have been denied by people who were sure they didn't have enough_______ to _______: education to teach, money to give, time to share, courage to visit the prison, etc.  Jesus says, 'Bring me whatever you have.  I will bless it.  I will break it apart.  I will feed the people who follow me with what you have. What you have is more than enough!'

Like the woman who goes to the Children's Hospital Cancer Camp every summer once told me, "I know what it's like to lose a son to cancer. Out of my heartache flows joy for these sick kids." 

Feel free to share what stirs you by posting a comment. Peace!

Tomorrow is the 18th Sunday in Ordinary Time, Year A.

Photo by Juergen Kurlvink

Introducing 1st Friday "Ask the Moderator"

Greetings all and welcome to the introductory post for my contribution to this eclectic and complex group of bloggers here at Presbyterian Bloggers. My role in helping to build this community is to answer a question a month from my perspective as Moderator of the 218th General Assembly of the Presbyterian Church (USA). Basically, what I'll be doing is taking questions that are posed on this post and try to answer them as best I can.

WHAT I PROMISE TO DO:
I Bruce Reyes-Chow, member of the Presbyterian Bloggers team of blogging bloggers do solemnly swear . . .

• to be transparent and real;
• to actually answer the question/s asked;
• to be trenchant and concise;
• to honor my office as moderator and be excruciatingly fair;
• to confess mistakes, seek forgiveness and change my ways if need be;
• to live in between the silliness and importance of all of this;

WHAT YOU CAN DO
Please post questions here. If they care time-constrained, I reserve the right to respond on my Moderator Blog, but otherwise, I will only draw from questions that are left here.

This is a pretty exciting time in the life of Presbyterian Bloggers as this seems to be the most complete blogroll of PC(USA) and PC(USA) related bloggers. It is an honor and a privilege to be a part of it!

Game on!

Church of Scotland Moderator is also a Blogger

It seems as though the Church of Scotland is following Bruce Reyes-Chow's blogging capabilities. David Lunan, the Cof S Moderator, has his own weekly blog. Here's a recent story from the Scotsman newspaper...

Kirk's Moderator goes online

THE Moderator of the General Assembly, the Right Rev David Lunan, is set to break new ground for the Kirk by making his own contribution to the information superhighway.
David, and his wife Maggie, are set to start a "Moderator's blog" where they will keep the world updated as to their latest activities, as well as their thoughts on issues large and small. The blog, which will be updated once a week, went live yesterday. The Moderator's blog is available at http://www.churchofscotland.org.uk/.

David's blog is at http://www.churchofscotland.org.uk/news/newsmodblog.htm Maybe we should add it to our blogroll????

Introducing Read and Learn Thursdays!

Welcome to Presbyterian Bloggers' new Thursday feature Read and Learn!

Plans for the feature include the formation of book club for the webring, as well as book, movie, television and magazine article reviews plus suggestions for your church adult study groups. Your hosts for this feature are Quotidian Grace (Jody Harrington) and Justice Seeker (Elaine Dowling).

Here's the monthly schedule of topics we have planned:

First Thursdays-- Book Club
Second Thursdays -- Book, Movie, TV and Article Reviews
Third Thursdays-- Adult Study Group Ideas
Fourth Thursdays-- Book, Movie, TV and Article Reviews

We would love to have our fellow PresbyBloggers send us book, movie, TV and article reviews for the feature as well. If you'd like to submit a review for Thursday's Read and Learn feature leave a comment here and give us a contact email for you or email PCUSABlog@gmail.com. Your suggestions for books for the book club or reviews or for movie/tv show/article reviews are also appreciated.

Joyful News on Ministry

I get to do the happy stuff on Presbyterian Bloggers. The Wednesday feature is about highlighting ministries of Presbyterian Church (U.S.A.) congregations.

Here's the deal. I am going to be scouting out web pages of churches looking for joyful Presbyterians doing ministry. Your church could be next!

You don't have to wait until I find you. Tell me about your congregation. Send me stuff. Make a YouTube video. Send some pics. Presbyterian Bloggers wants to feature your congregation, campus ministry, youth group, Presbyterian Women, you name it, having a good time and maybe even doing some good while having it!





E-mail me at johnashuck (at) embarqmail (dot) com and let's give Jesus something to dance about!





John Shuck is the pastor of First Presbyterian Church of Elizabethton, Tennessee and he blogs at Shuck and Jive. Contact him with your joyful news at this E-mail.

Moderator Reflects Upon Knoxville Church Shooting

Bruce Reyes-Chow has just written some worthy reflections about the tragic Knoxville Church shootings. You can read them here

http://www.reyes-chow.com/2008/07/tn-shooting-ref.html

Conversion

I work for a Catholic (capital C) health care provider organization, and we open all of our significant team meetings with prayer. I'm a Presbyterian, IT person, introvert, and find that particularly uncomfortable, but today was my turn to lead the prayer. I considered leading my management team in a round of Johnny Appleseed. Luckily for everyone involved, this Sunday's church service had provided me with the perfect answer in our prayer of confession:

God of hopes and dreams, we confess that at times our hopes and dreams are too confined. We want to create Us and Them, and so all too often we build ourselves up by putting others down. Help us to remember that all are welcome, that each one of us is a child of God. By the power of your Spirit help us to open up our hearts ato serve you and celebrate the gifts of all your people that together, we might plant and grow your kingdom with love, hope, and peace.

It was a very appropriate prayer for our team, as we have a pretty serious internal Them and Us complex on top of the usual IT versus business contention. My wife thought it very subversive of me to use a Prayer of Confession for my Catholic employer, whose doctrine suggests that we can only confess to God through a priest.

It surprised me, but it turns out that I really value my ability to be able to confess directly to God.


Nearly eight years ago, my then-fiancee and I were planning our wedding ceremony and I was adamant (though ultimately overruled) that we not include a Prayer of Confession. I sometimes skipped it in the service. Even as recently as three years ago, I can very distinctly remember thinking that the Prayer of Confession was only for people who didn't realize that they did things wrong sometimes. I knew that I made mistakes, but there wasn't any reason to admit that out loud to everyone around me! And I knew what I should do to be a better person. Why did we have to talk about it?

In retrospect, I can't believe that I felt I was above that.

Now when we get to the Prayer of Confession, I feel refreshed and energized to continue to do better works and be a better person. I was converted. There are probably several reasons why my perspective has changed, but I'm glad I have... I feel forgiven... I feel blessed. I didn't used to.

Sunday Devotions: Gone Fishin'

Matthew 4:19-20 "Come, follow me," Jesus said, "and I will make you fishers of men." 20 At once they left their nets and followed him. (NIV)

I love to go fishing on the man-made lakes of Tennessee. Sometimes, early in the morning, you’ll find me down at Concord trying to catch a big fish. I’ve seen lots of fishing programs with professional anglers, who make the whole process look easy. They just seem to cast out into the water and effortlessly hook those big fish. I am envious of them and want to emulate that. I want to catch a big bass so badly, so that I can call myself a bass fisherman.

So, I go to the fishing store and buy different lures, crankbait, artificial worms, crickets, spinners, and meps. I read books about tying fancy knots, showing me the right size of hook to put on the line. I gaze at local maps and try to work out where those bass actually are. I come totally prepared and feel as though the fish had better watch out – Stushie, Ace Fisherman is in the area – resistance is futile, bass, when I get you on my hook.

But then reality sets in. I snag the crankbait on a log and lose it. My line fankles around my reel and I have to cut it. I cast my spinners into the trees and they end up looking like Christmas decorations on the branches. The worms are the wrong color and I go home with no fish, half my lures lost, and a painful shoulder. The fish in the lake bubble their laughter at me and I leave disconsolate. Yet, when I’m driving home, all I can think about is getting down on to the water again, in order to catch the big one. I’m hooked on fishing.

I love the fact that Jesus chose fishermen to be His first disciples. They were the perfect guys to build a ministry. They never seem to give up and even in bad times, they put their boat out again and again, looking for that big catch of the season. I guess Jesus thought that if He could encourage them to think that way about God’s Kingdom, they would always go out looking for more converts and disciples, more followers for Christ and servants for God.

He chose the right people because Christ’s ministry, which began with 12 followers, has blossomed all over the earth into 2 billion souls. It’s amazing to see what has been accomplished in 2000 years. Perhaps 2000 years from now, the whole planet will be Christian.

And that’s where we all come in at the PCUSA. We continue this fishing ministry of Christ that Jesus gave to our Presbyterian predecessors 450 years ago. Throughout that time, millions of people have come to Presbyterian churches to know the Lord. We are in the catching business and that kind of work is never over until the Kingdom comes.

So, here’s the challenge. The church year is about to begin in September. Let’s all make an effort of inviting and bringing one other person to worship at our churches this Fall. In doing this, we will all be fulfilling Christ’s ministry and showing Him that we honestly care about the people we love and the community that we live in.

May God bless us as we carry on Christ’s ministry.

Stushie is the writer of the Daily Devotions blog Heaven's Highway

Friday Review . . . Inklings

Ok, in the midst of change, I thought I would pop my head up once more with something I thought too good to pass up. Christopher W. Mitchell from Wheaton College has published a list of his top 5 books written by an Inkling (the literary and social group to which both C.S. Lewis and J.R.R. Tolkien belonged).

Obviously, any such list will include a book by Lewis and one by Tolkien; and most of us are familiar with their complete works at least in passing. What I found interesting were the other three: The Wise Woman by George MacDonald, Orthodoxy; the Romance of Faith, by G.K. Chesterton; and The Descent of the Dove; a Short History of the Holy Spirit in the Church; by Charles Williams.

JusticeSeeker
JusticeSeekerOK@aol.com

Blogger's Reformed and It's About Time for a New Reformating

My Fellow Presby Bloggers,

It is have been over a year since my last post (I think) and I have been putting this off for to long. I need to hand over the responsibility of maintaining our little web site to someone else. I think that our community has a place on the web and in our denomination but I am no longer able to take part in it as I once was. If no one steps forward I will have to seriously consider the future of this site. I would really like for Presby Bloggers to continue without me. So I ask all of you who regularly contribute our community to prayerfully consider stepping up to the keyboard and helping this web site become everything I think that it could be. If you think that you might be willing to take on this responsibility please send me an email and Presby Bloggers can get about reforming the web.

Thank You,
Miranda

Double Standards

People think that the PCUSA is full of hypocrites...



...we are nothing compared to the IOC...

Weekend Screensaver: Psalm 20

Continuing my Book of Psalms art project



This is one of my favorite verses in the Bible: Psalm 20 v 4 - May God give you the desire of your heart and make all of your plans succeed."

Weekend Devotional : Dr. Who

Ever since I started watching Doctor Who as a boy, I have loved the notion of Time Travel. Nowadays, as a Christian, I am confident of placing my future in Christ's hands.

Podcast version here

I love the idea of Time Travel. I’ve watched practically every episode of Doctor Who and I think that the new series is absolutely terrific. In case you don’t know what I’m talking about, Doctor Who is a science fiction television series that began in Britain in 1963. I remember, as a six year old, watching the very first episode on a grainy black and white TV, whilst eating Heinz spaghetti and chips (French fries). I was absolutely captivated by the hero, Doctor Who, a Time Lord, who travels throughout space and time in his amazing vehicle called the Tardis. The series introduced me to my love of science fiction, as well as teaching me about British and World history.

Ecclesiastes 8:7 Since no man knows the future, who can tell him what is to come?

I’ve always wanted to travel into the future and see the wonders of the world hundreds of years from now. I know that the environmentalists are predicting gloom and doom for all of us, but I still believe that human beings have the intellect and innovative capacity to reduce greenhouse gases and invent new ways of creating energy. I’d love to see how the earth will look in five hundred, five thousand, or even five hundred thousand years, and see how humankind fares. I guess I’ll have to build my own Tardis if I ever want to see it happen.

None of us know what each day will bring. We can make plenty of plans and be anxious about the future, but as Jesus once said, “Do not worry about tomorrow, for tomorrow will worry about itself. Each day has enough trouble of its own.” (Matthew 6:34)

We do not know what the future holds for any one of us, and perhaps we’re better off not knowing anyway. As Christians, we have faith in Christ and the assurance that He holds our future in His Hands. No matter what we experience or endure, Jesus will travel through Time with us. And if we trust Him completely, He will lead us beyond the shores of Time and into the realm of Eternity.

Prayer: Lord Jesus, we are glad that You are with us throughout each day of our lives. Your guidance and presence reassure our faith and hopes. As we journey through Life and travel through Time, grant us Your mercy and grace, love and leadership. In Your Holy Name, we follow and pray. Amen.

John Stuart is the pastor of Erin Presbyterian Church in Knoxville, Tennessee. If you would like to comment on today’s message, please send him an email to pastor@erinpresbyterian.org.

Other Presbytbloggers: Carl & His Cancer

Carl Wilton is a pastor in New Jersey. He has cancer and has been blogging his experiences with it for a number of years. Carl’s insight into dealing with cancer gives all of us specialized information that can personally and pastorally help us. If you truly want to know what goes on in the heart, mind, body, and soul of a person with cancer, take time to read Carl’s postings.

Carl’s blog is called A Pastor’s Cancer Diary and can be found at http://cewilton.blogspot.com/

Certainty Lost, Wisdom Gained?



There are many losses associated with cancer, but among the most slippery to deal with is the loss of certainty. Such is the observation of Glenna Halvorson-Boyd and Lisa K. Hunter in Dancing in Limbo: Making Sense of Life After Cancer (Jossey-Bass, 1995). It’s a book I half-finished reading some months ago (see my April 18 blog entry), and have only recently picked up again. Here’s what these two cancer survivors say:

“We assumed that we had a future; now we don’t know. We assumed that we were safe in our own bodies; now we can’t be sure. We assumed that we had more control over our own lives. If we did the right things, we would be all right. In general, we believed in a more certain world.” (p. 88).

Most of us, in our younger years and well into middle age, live our lives based on certain assumptions. They’re irrational assumptions, but still we hold them dear. We know, intellectually, we’re going to die one day, but we really don’t believe it in our heart of hearts. By the same token, we may know that a certain percentage of the population will fall ill with life-threatening diseases, but we really don’t believe we’ll be numbered among them. We believe that if we do the right thing – or try to do the right thing – a beneficent Providence will reward us with life, liberty and a happiness we scarcely have to pursue.

Read the rest of this article here…

Puppy Love

This is the feel good video of the summer...



...and perhaps explains why some people fall asleep in church...

Other Presbybloggers

If you haven't visited Whitney's Glimpses of Grace blog, you should make a cyber call. Whitney's postings are often charming and delightful, meditative and insightful. She takes such beautiful photographs and manages to pair them perfectly with scripture, prayers and her own thoughts.

Each time Whitney posts, she lists three things where she recognizes God’s Grace in her life. Whitney is a Celtic mystic in the real sense of the word. For grumpy, old curmudgeons like me, Whitney's blog is a fresh breath of renewal from the Holy Spirit.

Pre-Ordained Meetings

-The session of my home church approving the decision to call me as a mission worker (technically a "supply pastor") for my work in Northern Ireland. This means that, pending a couple of examinations, I will be able to be ordained before I leave in September! Wow! The way it all happened was also very much a "God thing": I was leading worship at Mo Ranch for their Youth Celebration a couple of weeks ago, and a member of my Presbytery's Committee on Ministry was there and heard me preach. We got to talking about my call situation and my position in Belfast, and he took it upon himself to contact all of the necessary parties at Presbytery to figure out how I might be ordained into this ministry. They even held a special meeting just to discuss my call process, and now it's all happening. I can't believe how it's all seemed to fall into place.

-Hearing my Nana describe seeing her great-granddaughter for the first time: "Her hair is so soft, it's like silk. And she's sooo good. Her eyes are blue, just like your Grandmother's, and your Mother's and Aubrey's. She's starting to get chubby too!"

-Finding a perfect stole for my niece's baptism (and most likely also for my ordination service).

You can visit Whitney's blog at http://glimpses-of-grace.blogspot.com/

Viva! La Reformation!

A current news article from the denomination’s own press service refers to Bruce Reyes-Chow, Gradye Parsons, and Linda Valentine as our top three leaders.

And all the while, I thought that our top three leaders in the Reformed tradition were the Father, Son, and Holy Spirit.

You may think that I’m nit-picking, but the Reformation mainly occurred because of a rejection of hierarchy in the church. As Presbyterians, we need to be constantly vigilant about this.

BR-C,GP & LV are our top three office-bearers, not leaders. That mantel belongs to the Trinity.

Other Presbyterian Bloggers

Jim, aka the Church Geek, has an interesting post today. Check it out at http://www.thechurchgeek.com/

Wednesday Roundup
by Jim ~ July 16th, 2008

1.) I love some of the stuff that new faith communities are doing…they are bold challenges and proclamations to existing congregations. Internet Monk singles out one new congregation that is committed to giving 60% of their budget to mission!!…If they can do it, why can’t we?

2.) As always Jan raises good observations and questions about the nature of staffing in the established church today. I’d love for her to be a colleague in this presbytery, as we need to hear more of her voice…

3.) Tony Campolo presents what seems like a reasonable, faithful response to the problem of abortion in our country.

4.) How many of the 100 NEA Recommended books of fiction have you read? I’ve read book #6, but I’m not really sure why it’s considered a “work of fiction.”

5.) Today I’ve decided to point to a few of my recent favorite photos from my flickr contacts. I particularly love the lighting in this one and the depth of field in this one.

Read the rest of Jim's innovative posts at www.thechurchgeek.com

Get into the Boat

(This is the first response to the invitation to other Presby bloggers to write to me with their articles. Saralynn sent this from her team blogsite Presbyterian Blogging. It was written by Paul Boal)

"Get into the boat. Go across the lake. There will be a storm. You will not die."

--The Rev. Gradye Parsons
Stated Clerk of the General Assembly
June 28, 2008

When I read this letter discussing the recent decisions regarding PC(USA) ordination standards, Rev. Parsons' quote struck me as both inspirational and pragmatic. As Presbyterians, we seek discernment; we consider; we send out to committee for assessment; we pray and ponder. Eventually, we make decisions that formally express to others how we see the Word brought to life in the world around us. When we decide is when I'm most energized, but in the consideration and discernment, I'm most proud.

I hope that Rev. Parsons will forgive me for parsing his quote, but here is my application of that message to the situation we are in:

Get into the boat...
There's a good chance that some individual churches might consider this a crucial time to consider the future of the continuity of the denomination or specifically their own membership in the denomination. No matter how much many of us wish this were the end of the discussion, the exact opposite is true. The point at which decisions are made is a time for renewed dialogue rather than a time to end open relationships. We're all in this boat together.

Go across the lake...
This is a time for us to go on a journey together and arrive at the destination together. We may disagree on the destination, what path to take, who should row and who should steer; but in the end, it is in being together in right relationships with each other (rather than contentious or confrontational ones) that we're able to experience hesed. We must journey together as one.

There will be a storm...
I believe that we can only truly know ourselves after experiencing turmoil and questioning what we think we know? Life is alive because of the storms that we experience: internal strife debating what is right to do, external factors forcing us to make hasty decisions, confrontation with others after intended or unintended offenses, disagreements on which direction is most correct or least wrong. As the narrow margin of the vote indicates (54 / 46), we as a denomination are not of one single mind on the issue. People with many different perspectives will come together, clash, and settle... and change. Come together, clash, and settle... and change.

You will not die...
Change happens only through a journey. And the end of each journey is merely the beginning of another. This action of the GA is about going on a journey together. One that changes the way we discuss ordination and the ways in which God calls us together. If we don't change the way in which we discuss the issues that our current societies must address, then our discussion cannot be effective. The only situation in which we "die" is when when fail to change, when we choose to stop journeying together.


Some churches have begun posting information about their push to intentionally and methodically divide the denomination, creating relationships between our churches that are explicitly more separate. I hope that, instead, we can continue the dialogue together: as a denomination, as individual churches that will be inevitably divided in opinion; as a nation; as communities; and as humans. Times of contention are times for coming together to build relationships that will make us stronger and more able to survive the inherent turmoil in our current situation and the other storms that we are sure to encounter in the future.

As a denomination and through our representatives and leaders, we have discerned and studied and voted and changed. We are at one ending... and another beginning. In spite of our differences on whether the changes are consistent with teachings or not, I would expect us to agree that we are taught to build relationships that bring us closer together rather than further apart (especially in situations that naturally divide us).

Blessings!

(If you want to send articles for this site, write to me at pastor@erinpresbyterian.org. Put Presbybloggers in the subject line of your email.)

Me and My bright Ideas

Okay, Fellow Presbyteers, here’s the skinny.

Somehow we can’t get people signed up to be contributors anymore to the site. However, there is another option. If you will send me your relevant Presbyterian articles, giving links to your blog page, I will post them unedited (except for spelling mistakes) and put a link to your page at the bottom of the posting.

I signed up for this gig about 18 months ago and I’m the only one who has been contributing on a regular basis. That kinda skewers the whole debate process, which I think wasn’t the intention of this website.

So, starting next week, if you send me your articles to pastor@erinpresbyterian.org and mark the subject line: “Presbybloggers” I’ll start posting them. I’ll also add an image to your posting.

I’m also going to go around the Presbybloggers listed and try to highlight a different Presbyterian blogger each day. That means I’ll lift your article straight from your blog and post it with the relevant linkages.

I hope that this will satisfy everyone and enable us to really discuss issues that face the Denom. I’ll still be the bumptious, grumpy, conservative curmudgeon I have always been, though.

Any questions or further suggestions????

Weekend Screensaver: Psalm 18

Weekend Screensaver. From an art project I'm creating on the psalms



You can check out the set on a slideshow...

http://www.flickr.com/photos/traqair57/sets/72157603288751629/

Weekend Devotion: Dogmatic Dinosaur

(I've been getting some interesting email correspondence recently. I think I may have offended a few folks and they are trying to get this blog terminated. I'll be sorry if that happens...I thought free speech was part of who we are. I know that I am a dissenter amongst so many, but weren't Calvin, Knox, and Melville?)

If we accept Christ and His teaching, can we adopt a world view that all religions are equal and bring us to God?

Podcast version here

Titus 1:9 He must hold firmly to the trustworthy message as it has been taught, so that he can encourage others by sound doctrine and refute those who oppose it.

Some people wonder why I get bent out of shape when it comes to teaching and preaching Christianity. Why can’t I just evolve like the rest of the world and accept different ideas from different cultures, giving other religions and faiths the respect they deserve? Why can’t I acknowledge that there are many ways to God and that Jesus is only one of them? Wouldn’t it be much easier on myself if I would just let go of my dinosauric doctrines and outdated teachings?

Like Paul, I am the chief amongst all sinners and cannot claim to be perfect in any way. So why do I ‘self-righteously’ insist upon the uniqueness and exclusivity of Christ? What makes me think that I have it all right and the rest of the religious world is totally wrong?

I struggle with this and wrestle with my doubts. At times, I would like to capitulate and be all things to all people, as Paul once suggested. But if I did that, it would be insincere and hypocritical. It wouldn’t be me, and if I cannot be true to myself, how on earth can I remain true to Christ?

Let me put it this way: if Christ is only one way to salvation, then He is a liar, a charlatan, and a cheat. He Himself states “I am the Way, the Truth, and the Life. No one comes to the Father except through me.” If there are other ways, other doors, and other rooms to be eternally with God, then Jesus has lied across the centuries and Christianity is a false religion. So for me, it all boils down to this: Christ is who He insists that He is, or He is the biggest liar in the Universe.


My own experience of Jesus is this: His promises are true and He is true to His words, therefore I cannot accept that other religions can find salvation through their understanding of what God is. If that makes me a dogmatic dinosaur in the world’s eyes, then so be it. I stand alone in Christ, I can do no other.

If you’re having trouble with accepting this, please take time to read one of the Gospels. Each time you read Christ’s own words, ask yourself these questions: does Jesus mean what He says, and if He does, what does that mean for me?

Prayer: Lord Jesus, our world is so different from New Testament times. We have more information about other people and their religions. We have more access to other religious ideas and thoughts. Please show us the truth about God and help us, in this religiously diverse world, to know what You would have us accept, express, and do. In Your Holy Name, we humbly pray. Amen.

John Stuart is the pastor of Erin Presbyterian Church in Knoxville, Tennessee. If you would like to comment on today’s message, please send him an email to pastor@erinpresbyterian.org. He writes the daily devotional: Heaven's Highway

Independence Day Devotion

Of all the special days on the American calendar, I love Independence Day the most. I guess that as a free born Scotsman, whose leaders like William Wallace and Robert the Bruce fought and died for liberty, I appreciate the Great American Struggle to win independence for themselves. It was not an easy choice to make, nor was it an easy cause to fulfill. Without commitment and dedication, patience and perseverance, unity and determination, liberty would never have been won.

Psalm 18:49 Therefore I will praise you among the nations, O LORD;I will sing praises to your name.

We forget that they took on the strongest army in the world. We don’t appreciate the magnitude of the struggle. It was like David versus Goliath on an international scale and the rocks inside the slingshot, which fortified the Revolution, were called Life, Liberty, and the Pursuit of Happiness.

I sometimes wonder if the revolutionaries really understood what they were accomplishing. Most of them fought for their families and colonies. It was a question of survival against the mightiest power on earth. When the War was over and their new Nation was recognized, I wonder if they really knew what the consequences would be. Their gutsy decisions, haphazard victories, and loyalty to the cause engendered a new beginning for the whole world. They showed every nation on earth that the God given right to be free is the greatest force and noblest quality that humanity can ever experience.

The writer of the Declaration of Independence, Thomas Jefferson, once wrote “The God who gave us life…also gave us liberty.” In my opinion, that is one of the most truthful statements ever written in the annals of human history.

So today, I will celebrate this precious day by thanking God for the United States, its people, and its freedoms. I will remind myself of the costs and causes of the past, as well as the responsibilities that our liberties lay upon us today as free citizens. All of these blessings are God given rights which we need to cherish and continue to spread throughout the world. After all, Life, Liberty and the Pursuit of Happiness should be blessings that every child, woman, and man should know and experience all over this planet.

Prayer: Lord God, we thank You for the courage and wisdom of those who established this nation. We are humbled by their achievements and blessed by their accomplishments. Help us to cherish this day with our families and friends, our neighbors and people. Let freedom ring throughout this nation and across the entire world. In Christ’s Name, we pray. Amen.

John Stuart is the pastor of Erin Presbyterian Church in Knoxville, Tennessee. If you would like to comment on today's message, please send him an email to pastor@erinpresbyterian.org.

Wednesday Chuckle: Keeping the Faith

I couldn't resist drawing this after listening to Obama and reading the CNN National poll....




Please feel free to copy onto your own blogs...


www.stushietoon.blogspot.com

The Hottest New GA Game: Jesus Says!

All week long, I watched the 218th General Assembly. It astounded me how many times people stated that Jesus would do this or say that to bolster their arguments. What a load of baloney! None of us were around with Jesus in New Testament times. We have no earthly idea about what He would do or say with regard to our cultural dilemmas and ecclesiastical issues. We question the authenticity of the Gospels and the authority of the scriptures. We transfer our own cultural preferences and see our own societal prejudices in the texts that were written by the people who truly knew Him.

We are a bunch of narcissistic hypocrites looking to justify our politically correct ways and cultural orientations. We cast aside our allegiance to Christ because we don’t want to submit to Him. We change what the Bible says because we want everybody to like us. And then we get up to the microphones and tell other people what Jesus would do as if He’s our best buddy, turning Him into a theological ventriloquist’s dummy by putting words into His mouth and thoughts into His head.

Bovine manure! We are the biggest bunch of failed followers in the history of Christianity and we have so diluted the Gospel that we have deluded ourselves into shaping Jesus like play dough and making Him a bobblehead character to sit beside our PCs. Our modern Presbyterianism is a theological tacky, mood manufactured, and cheapened grace of a faith. Even the word faith is false when applied to us – we have spiritual trends, and that’s about all.

Perhaps we still have time left. Perhaps we can return to what we once were. Perhaps the Church will go through a revival, instead of cultural capitulation and doctrinal denial. Philippians 2:9-11 can be the starting point.


9 Therefore God exalted him to the highest place and gave him the name that is above every name,
10 that at the name of Jesus every knee should bow, in heaven and on earth and under the earth,
11 and every tongue confess that Jesus Christ is Lord, to the glory of God the Father.

John Stuart, aka Stushie, is the pastor of Erin Presbyterian Church in Knoxville, Tennessee

Very Interesting...and timely, too?

Va. judge: Church Secession law is constitutional
6/27/2008, 5:34 p.m. EDT
sd The Associated Press

RICHMOND, Va. (AP) — Eleven conservative Episcopal churches won a legal victory Friday when a circuit court judge upheld a Virginia law allowing congregations to vote to secede from their parent denominations.

The conservative church members invoked the law to split from the Episcopal Diocese of Virginia after disagreements over the role of homosexuals in the church. Those churches seek to take tens of millions of dollars in property with them. But the diocese says it's entitled to the property and has a right to settle church disputes without state interference.

In a 49-page ruling, Circuit Judge Randy Bellows of Fairfax found that the state law breaks no rules governing the separation of church and state.

Read the rest of the story here

Pledge of Allegiance???

1 Corinthians 15:30 And as for us, why do we endanger ourselves every hour?

The First Christians were incredible people. They came from all walks of life. Some were slaves and others were slave owners. Some were fishermen and others were merchants. Some were Jews and still others were Gentiles. Most were common folk who just wanted to get through life as peacefully and quietly as they could. But when they found Jesus, all of them had this in common – their lives were endangered.

Why did they do that? What made them public enemy number one as far as the authorities were concerned? Why did they put their lives on the line, as well as their families, throughout the Roman Empire? What was so important to them that made them stand up and be counted? What caused them to be harassed, hunted down, arrested, tortured, and executed in town after town, city after city, region after region?

After all, there were hundreds of religions that were tolerated throughout the Roman Empire. People of different faiths could live peaceably under the wings of the Roman eagle. What made these Christians so exclusive that brought down the wrath of the Emperor and his regional rulers across the vast Empire? If other religions could do it, then why couldn’t these followers of Christ? Why couldn’t they just be like everyone else?

They couldn’t do it because they were unlike other people. They endangered their lives because they wouldn’t swear loyalty to Caesar. Their loyalty was to Christ. They were His servants. He was their Lord. Their fealty was not to mighty Rome or its powerful Emperor. The First Christians pledged their allegiance to Christ, and they did this publicly, unashamedly, and uncompromisingly. Nothing stood between them and Jesus. It was all or nothing. It was His Way or none at all.

Fifteen hundred years later, Christianity had become a European institution. The Roman Empire was gone, but in its place a monolithic, monstrous, and corrupt hierarchy had arisen. Christian fealty was replaced with Church Law. People were being led astray from the original tenets of the faith. Salvation could be purchased with gold and positions of power were established through nepotism, cronyism, and bribery.

A few concerned Christians like Martin Luther, John Calvin, and John Knox longed for the Church to shed its sinful ways, in order to return to New Testament Christianity. Their loyalty was to Jesus and so, like their First century counterparts, they and their followers endured criticism, harassment, arrest and imprisonment, injustice and execution. Their allegiance was to Christ alone, and only faith in Him brought them salvation. Their courageous stance and theological endeavors brought forth the Reformation, which set people free from the scourge of medieval Catholicism and its ubiquitous corruption of Christ’s ways.

Four hundred years later, another group of courageous German Christians, spoke out against their Church. The people were guilty of pledging their lives to Nazi ideology and idolizing their insane leader as a militaristic and racist Messiah. The Reformed German Church was in danger of becoming apostate, and so a group of theologians, preachers, pastors, and lay people formed the Confessing Church. Once again, these Christians suffered for their uncompromising beliefs and complete allegiance to Christ. They would not surrender their faith to the predominant culture, nor would they sacrifice their fealty to Christ in order to live peaceably with their neighbors. They were beaten up and arrested, tortured by the Gestapo and sent to die in concentration camps. They were betrayed by the ecclesiastical authorities and ruthlessly silenced by the Fascists. Those who survived still persevered. After the war, their complete allegiance to Christ was vindicated and recognized throughout the entire world.

Just sixty years later, an American Presbyterian denomination, in an effort to be politically correct, to be socially acceptable, and culturally comfortable, rejected the courage of these past Christians, staunch Reformers, and German Confessors. When given the opportunity at the 218th General Assembly to publicly confess their loyalty to Christ in an overture from Sequoyah Hills Church in the Presbytery of East Tennessee, the commissioners twice deleted the word “allegiance” because they were uncomfortable with it. Instead of proclaiming their allegiance to Christ, they were more comfortable in saying that they shared a common faith. With the stroke of a pen and the scoring of a line through the word “allegiance,” the PC(USA) forsook its Christian heritage and capitulated to socially acceptable expressions.

In other words, had the PC(USA) been amongst the First Christians, they would have gladly thrown off their allegiance to Christ and paid their respects to Caesar. If Luther had been amongst these bold commissioners, he would have accepted the institutional shackles and given up any allegiance to Christ alone. And sadly, the same Assembly would have been like-minded with the majority of German Christians, giving way to what was politically correct under the Nazis, instead of confessing with the minority that their true allegiance rested in Christ alone.

Finally, the scriptures give us this warning from Christ Himself: If anyone is ashamed of me and my words, the Son of Man will be ashamed of him when he comes in his glory and in the glory of the Father and of the holy angels. Luke 9:26

Prayer: O Lord, we may have stepped over a dreadful theological, ecclesiastical, and historical line that is offensive to You and detrimental to our Christian heritage. Help us to understand that allegiance is not simply a word that can be cast aside, but it is a condition of truly accepting You as Lord and Savior. Forgive us for cowering under social niceties and politically correct pressures. Grant us the courage to publicly pledge our allegiance to You, instead of embracing our stubborn pride and collective ambivalence. Give us the opportunity to stand with our courageous and noble predecessors, for whom allegiance to You was a costly and sometimes fatally commitment to make. In Your Holy Name alone, we pledge and pray. Amen.

4 Minute Devotions: Holding On

The PC(USA) is holding its General Assembly in San Jose this week and I'm worried about the cultural decisions it may make. Why do we think that 21st century Christianity is any better than 1st century Christianity?

Podcast version here

I worry about the Church. Not my local congregation, but the denomination we are identified with. The PC(USA) is having its bi-ennial General Assembly this week, and I’m worried about the whole process.

Sometimes I think that I’m an old dinosaur for holding on to traditional beliefs. I feel as though I’m on a different journey than most of my peers and denominational colleagues. It can be very lonely, isolating, and draining on my soul. I just want to do the right thing, and I wish that the Church would do the same.

I struggle with many of the cultural issues and theological tangents that the denomination has become obsessed with. Everybody has their own agenda. Everybody wants their own way. Everybody desires to reshape the Church into something new, something emergent, or something progressive.

But what’s wrong with the old ways? Are they broken? What’s wrong with believing that the spiritual truths of the 1st Christian century are worth holding on to in the 21st century? Are we so sure that our cultural ways are right and that the first Christians are outdated, archaic, and wrong?

2 Thessalonians 2: 15 So then, brothers, stand firm and hold to the teachings we passed on to you, whether by word of mouth or by letter.

I like what Paul has to say to the Thessalonian church: ‘Stand firm and hold on to the teachings we passed on to you.’ I understand that. I get that. I’m with him all the way. If we lose our grip of what we initially believed, then we’ve lost our faith, our purpose, and our Lord. If we allow the times to shape the Church, then we’ve set aside the Lord of Time. Christianity is not easy to believe; Christ is not an easy Teacher to follow, nor is He a soft King to serve. Our beliefs are meant to challenge our society, and our faith is meant to keep the message alive. Committees and councils, assemblies and organizations won’t do that for us.

It takes focus and determination, resolve and dedication, as well as commitment and humility to be real Christians. The disciples in the 1st century knew that; do 21st century Christians know it too?

Prayer: Lord Jesus, You are the Head of the Church, its Master and Leader, its Sovereign and King. If ever we needed You before, we sure do need You now. Guide us and goad us; lift us and lead us; push us and pull us until we do what You truly want, and not what we falsely desire. In Your Holy Name, we pray. Amen.

John Stuart is the pastor of Erin Presbyterian Church in Knoxville, Tennessee. If you would like to comment on today’s message, please send him an email to: pastor@erinpresbyterian.org

Out of Africa: The Massai Creed

My daughter Lauren is on a three month mission trip in Tanzania, Africa. Just north of her, are the Massai people, who have their own Christian creed.

Podcast version here

Most of you know that my youngest daughter Lauren is on a three month mission trip in Tanzania, Africa. She is working in a mountain town called Tabora, where she is leading a summer school program for orphaned children, whose parents have died from HIV/AIDS.

1 Corinthians 1:27 But God chose the foolish things of the world to shame the wise; God chose the weak things of the world to shame the strong.

Tanzania is mainly an Islamic country, but north of where Lauren is, the beautiful and noble Masai people live. Some of them are Christians and have a very sincere faith. About fifty years ago, they wrote a wonderful creed that just captivates everything about their Christian beliefs. They are largely poor people, but they are rich when it comes to faith. I’ve written out their creed in this message and I am certain it will touch your heart, just as it did mine.

The Masai Creed

We believe in the one High God, who out of love created the beautiful world and everything good in it. He created Man and wanted Man to be happy in the world. God loves the world and every nation and tribe on the Earth. We have known this High God in darkness, and now we know Him in the light. God promised in the book of His word, the Bible, that He would save the world and all the nations and tribes.

We believe that God made good His promise by sending His Son, Jesus Christ, a man in the flesh, a Jew by tribe, born poor in a little village, who left His home and was always on safari doing good, curing people by the power of God, teaching about God and man, showing the meaning of religion is love. He was rejected by his people, tortured and nailed hands and feet to a cross, and died. He lay buried in the grave, but the hyenas did not touch him, and on the third day, He rose from the grave. He ascended to the skies. He is the Lord.

We believe that all our sins are forgiven through Him. All who have faith in Him must be sorry for their sins, be baptized in the Holy Spirit of God, live the rules of love and share the bread together in love, to announce the Good News to others until Jesus comes again. We are waiting for Him. He is alive. He lives. This we believe. Amen.

Prayer: Lord God, we tend to think that our Western faith is strong and powerful throughout the world. You are teaching us, however, that the least amongst us and the weakest economically have a far greater hold of faith than we do. Help us to learn from the wisdom that You bestow upon Christian peoples of other nations. Open our hearts and minds to their simple, true, and devoted faith. In Christ’s Name, we pray. Amen.

John Stuart (aka Stushie) is the Scottish pastor at Erin Presbyterian Church in Knoxville, Tennessee. If you would like to comment on today’s message, send him an email to pastor@erinpresbyterian.org.

218th General Assembly: Sands of Time

When one of the first pieces of decided business in committees is about paying legal expenses for denominational schism issues, is it time to call it a day?



What do you think?

Sunday Devotions: A Nice Surprise

Just when I thought I was going to have a painfully miserable day, the Spirit surprised me through the kindness of a stranger and fellow pilgrim.

Podcast version here

At this time of year, I find it difficult to type things on my keyboard. The dry heat of summer dehydrates my hands, and I end up with horrendously painful hacks on my fingertips. Ten years ago, it really didn’t bother me, but now that most of my work involves keyboarding, it can make me miserable.

Yesterday I was feeling that way and, because of the pain, I couldn’t put together a devotional. My weakness was hard to overcome and my heart yearned to write. I was feeling quite sorry for myself, when the Spirit blessed me with a beautiful and completely unexpected surprise.

A cardboard box was waiting for me at the church office. I thought it contained a couple of books that I ordered three days ago. When I looked at the label, I quickly realized that this was a different delivery. It was a special overnight package from Canada. I was both intrigued and excited at the same time.

Leslie in the office helped me open the box and we discovered another package tightly wrapped in special foil bubble wrap. I still didn’t know what it was, and it took me a couple of moments to break the seals. Inside I found another package which contained ice, and beneath it was a wonderful surprise. It was a special box of handmade Purdy chocolates from Vancouver. I had never tasted them before. I now know that they are deliciously exquisite.

There was no card with the package. Someone must have read my chocoholic devotional recently and kindly decided to send me the chocolates. They arrived at the best of times because I was feeling sorry for myself, and miserable about not being able to type a devotional. Instead of me writing to inspire someone else, a kind heart cheered me thoroughly with this beautiful gift. I don’t know who that person is, but I want to truly thank them for being so thoughtful.

Romans 8:26 In the same way, the Spirit helps us in our weakness. We do not know what we ought to pray for, but the Spirit himself intercedes for us with groans that words cannot express.

Today, my hands feel better and my fingers are beginning to heal. The Spirit helped me in my weakness through the kindness of another Christian. Isn’t God wonderful?

Prayer: Lord Jesus, everyday You surprise us with the blessings from other Christians. Sometimes they offer us a kind word and a smile, a loving hug, or an act of kindness. This world is made more beautiful through the gifts of Your servants and the thoughtfulness of Your people. Thank You Lord for allowing us to be influenced by You and inspired by Your Spirit. In Your Holy Name, we pray. Amen.

John Stuart is the pastor at Erin Presbyterian Church in Knoxville, Tennessee.

He writes the daily devotional "Heaven's Highway."

Tim Russert: Moving on Up

I liked Tim Russert. I think we all did. He was a good guy and he made TV politics captivating.




We'll all miss him.

21st Century Christ

A modern church window...



I think it speaks for itself....