Let the Redeemed of the Lord Say So

As we celebrated in this season of homecoming with our sisters and brothers in Christ through anointed worship and praise led by Buchanon Unity ministering in music with us last Sunday, I am continuing to be filled, basking in the afterglow of the Holy Spirit’s blessing upon our offering as the Lord leads us anew in the journey of faith. One of the sayings we shared in song together was the saying, “Let the redeemed of the Lord say so…” Having sung and said that, let me say a thing or two here about “sayings” so….

 
 

Have you ever stopped and wondered how often certain witty sayings may come to mind given various situations one may encounter on a given day?

 
 

In my own experience, the thought was brought on recently upon noting John Wooden’s 99th birthday as reported by the L.A. Times in which one article listed 99 things about this former UCLA basketball coach. A significant portion of the Twitter-verse (as the universe of Twitter is sometimes referred to) was, on that day last week, all a-Twitter with many a wise quote shared by fans and admirers of this legendary man. Even now, a week or so later, a search on Twitter reveals many social media network users sharing their favorite quotes of his with one another and a whole world of other followers.

 
 

It is worth noting here that our own C.L.A.S.S. (Christian Living At Sunday School) offering on Sunday mornings at First Presbyterian Church includes a group led by John Lansinger in gleaning from John Wooden’s life as they read through his book, “A Lifetime of Observations and Reflections On and Off the Court” together. His lifetime of observations and reflections are not only to be applicable in the game of basketball, but they hold treasures of wisdom and insight to be savored beyond the world of sports, with lessons to be learned and applied for his whole life to be lived well. And not just for himself, but for others’ lives as well.

 
 

All this got me thinking further this week as we approach the sometimes so-called “Stewardship season” and how that kind of language reflecting a particular sort of narrowed mindset is in need of reformation. How we refer to certain notions of living faithfully in the world can reveal a lack of understanding on our part of the bigger picture, showing an aspect of our lived theology that is in need of correction.

 
 

The following two corrective sayings come to mind: “Stewardship is not a Sunday. It’s a lifestyle.” “Reformation is not only for a time. It’s an ongoing process.” That is, stewardship is a transformative way of living from day to day. It is, in effect, responding with love and care for others, in gratitude of heart, for and by the grace we have abundantly and extravagantly been given in Christ. And reformation is, really, a continual changing of heart and mind to become more and more like Jesus. As the Latin saying goes from the time of the great reformation, “reformata et semper reformanda“. We are, as Christians in the Reformed tradition, reformed and always reforming according to the Word of God.

 
 

The last Sunday of October is marked on our church calendar as a time when we celebrate, recognize and observe the Reformation. As I shared with our confirmation class a few weeks ago, this year is especially significant in that we are remembering the 500th birthday of the one regarded as the father of Presbyterianism, the venerable reformer, John Calvin. Let us celebrate well by continually, ever more so, living into the lives God has called us to live with one another. Not just for ourselves, but for the world around us in desperate need of the sure hope we have in the good news of the Gospel of Jesus Christ.

 
 

Let the redeemed of the Lord say so in new ways with sayings that reflect God’s glory and which effect His redeeming grace in Christ for the world. Amen. –Pastor Rex

The Courier Times – New Castle, IN | Day of Prayer for New Castle Schools

Friday, September 04, 2009     Day of Prayer for New Castle Schools     Friday, September 04, 2009         Women of Hope and D.I.V.E. ministries are planning a Day of Prayer for New Castle Schools at 2 p.m. Sunday, Sept. 13. Organizers believe that it is incredibly important for children, teachers and staff to have a prayer covering for this year.     God’s Word says in 2 Chronicles 7:14 “If my people, who are called by my name, will humble themselves and pray and seek my face and turn from their wicked ways, then will I hear from heaven and will forgive their sin and will heal their land.”     Organizers maintain that children face a multitude of struggles in today’s society and teachers are vital in helping to shape the future. Both of them need wisdom and grace from God.     Organizers encourage the public to adopt a school and pray for it. There will be a prayer leader outside the entrance of every school in the city at 2 p.m. that day.     Furthermore, organizers ask local people to consider taking one day during the week of Sept. 7-13, to fast for the schools. For more information contact Tisha Sledd at 593-9767 or e-mail her at tishasledd@yahoo.com.     Eastwood, Kaye Williams, 524-1664; Sunnyside, Kim Dickerson, 686-0457; Westwood, Tisha Sledd, 593-9767; Wilbur Wright, Keith Kincaid, 529-2403; Riley, Becky Malone, 686-5100; Greenstreet, Elizabeth Wesley, 836-4425; Parker, Tom McGilliard, 529-0105; junior high, Beth Crouch, 1-317-364 2338 or Rex Espiritu, 529-3703; high school, Will Ragle 593-0433; alternative school, Tisha Sledd, 593-9767.     Information provided by Tisha Sledd.
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PC(USA) – Presbyterian News Service – More than 200 tune into moderator’s Webcast

Home > News Service > More than 200 tune into moderator’s Webcast
08927 December 12, 2008 More than 200 tune into moderator’s Webcast Conversation about ‘rebuilding the Presbyterian establishment’ can still be viewed by Jerry L. Van Marter Presbyterian News Service LOUISVILLE ― The second Webcast featuring Presbyterian Church (U.S.A.) General Assembly Moderator Bruce Reyes-Chow drew more than 200 viewers to a lively discussion of a paper entitled “Rebuilding the Presbyterian Establishment.” The one-hour Dec. 9 conversation between Reyes-Chow and the author of the paper ― Centre College professor Beau Weston ― can be viewed in its entirety at the Ustream site. The Office of Theology and Worship of the General Assembly Council ― which commissioned Weston’s paper for its “Occasional Papers” series ― issued a statement following the Webcast commending the two. “The conversation on the Webcast modeled dialogue even in the midst of clear disagreement, and we commend it as an example of the sort of engaged conversation which will help us think clearly together as we seek faithfully to follow Jesus Christ today,” the statement said.  “More broadly, we are pleased by the varied critiques and commendations of the paper, and we look forward to further conversation about the ideas in the paper.” In his paper, Weston questions “whether the institutional arrangements of the PC(USA) help us flourish … or is it time for some of them to be reworked, reshaped or even replaced?” Reyes-Chow remarked during the webcast that Weston’s paper has generated considerable discussion around the PC(USA) ― which was also reflected in the number of people tuning into the Webcast ― “because it is asking the right question and  inviting conversation about what are the best answers to that question.”  Theology and Worship said “we look forward not only to continuing conversation about the paper itself, but also to other new proposals about where the shape of our life together is weak and where it is strong, why that is so, and what concrete steps can be taken to address weaknesses and enhance strengths.” Other “Occasional Papers” in the series include “Ordinary and Extraordinary Discipline” by Charles Wiley; “Bearing the Marks of the Church,” with essays by Darrell Guder and others; and  “Identity – Polity – Praxis: Ecclesiology and the Presbytery,” by Paul Hooker.	Home             About the News Service             Open Meeting Policies             Subscriptions             Story Archives             PC News in RSS
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Prayer Walking and Growing the Church toward Community Transformation

A fellow colleague in ministry and a dear friend and brother in Christ, Chris Walker led a workshop this past week at the Transformation Pastors Gathering presented by the PCUSA Office of Congregational Transformation. In his recent blog post on EvangelismCoach.org
Chris writes about a missional activity involving intercessory prayers
in motion that has been referred to as “prayer walking”: praying on
site with insight. My wife Melissa and I have participated together
with others in this endeavor in the neighborhoods and communities of
our past two congregations and have seen God move mightily in our
midst. We sensed the Lord’s call earlier this past year to begin doing
this at our current church congregation and are excited to watch what
Jesus does (WWJD) and is already doing among us as we walk anew and
seek His face together in faith. May God be pleased to pour out the
Holy Spirit’s powerful anointing and reveal the Lord’s favor and
presence with, in, and over us in these days. That times of refreshing
and transformation may come upon our fellowship for God’s glory and the
common good in our community.

http://www.evangelismcoach.org/2008/10/prayer-walking-and-growing-the-church

On Violence [between Conservatives and Liberals] in the Church

[And] The Church’s Response (or the Lack Thereof) — excerpts listed below from The Uprooted Church by The Rev. Dr. Jin S. Kim, Founding Pastor, The Church of All Nations in the Presbyterian Church (USA) and Chair, Advisory Board for the Cross Cultural Alliance of Ministries (CCAM) www.CCAMpcusa.org

I (Rex) attended this year’s PCUSA Multicultural Ministry and inaugural Church Unbound conferences in San Antonio, Texas and Montreat, North Carolina, respectively, where Jin Kim spoke and led workshops toward congregational transformation, particularly with regard to multicultural issues in missional ministry. Jin and I had met several years ago while I was at Princeton Theological Seminary where I took a course on missional theology with Professor Darrell Guder. At the time Jin was serving as President of Presbyterians for Renewal (PFR), I was on the pastoral staff at a church in southern New Jersey whose senior pastor has served on PFR’s Board of Directors. My sense of call in discerning the Lord’s leading upon my life in pastoral, multicultural, and missional ministry has been admittedly influenced by Jin’s sharing of his journey in faith. I recently read this piece written by him, entitled The Uprooted Church, from which the following excerpts challenged my own notions concerning the current state of the PCUSA. Much of what he writes here resonates with my wrestlings on this subject matter. Jin relates:

As a lifelong Presbyterian, I ask this question to my church: What is the Reformed tradition’s answer to the massive alienation experienced by modern peoples? In this globalized and postmodern world, is our intimate weddedness to rationalism also not our undoing? There’s nothing wrong with rationalism in and of itself – the church has always been rational from the beginning. But the early church was also deeply sacramental and mystical, maintaining the balance between mystery, spirituality and rationality. Unless the Reformed movement recovers in a significant way the sacramentality of the Roman Catholic/Eastern Orthodox Church, and the pentecostality of the African American and the global church, there is little hope for the future of mainline Protestantism. I see the healthy, sustainable church as one with the three legs of sacramentality, pentecostality and rationality…

What answer do the so called “Conservative/Evangelicals” and the “Liberal/Progressives” have to this dilemma of the Reformed church sitting on a one-legged stool? Are they even asking the right questions? The evidence is all around us that mainline Protestantism is collapsing in North America. And what is our response? To hurl vitriolic accusations that the other is unfaithful to the gospel. The ship has struck a massive iceberg and is about to go down, and we are arguing about who broke the china. The debate continues to get more and more caustic as both sides become more and more desperate for victory. Even if one side prevailed, is it not obvious that it will be a Pyrrhic victory at best?

http://www.ccampcusa.org/resources/The+Uprooted+Church+-Jin+S.+Kim+11-07-06.pdf

PCUSA GAPJC Rulings Uphold Fidelity-Chastity Standard for Ordination

Presbyterian High Court Upholds Fidelity-Chastity Standard for Clergy

The Presbyterian Church (U.S.A.)’s high court rulings this week upholding the chastity requirement for gay ministers is expected to douse years of fiery debate over a controversial decision on ordination standards.

Fri, Feb. 15, 2008 Posted: 11:00:28 AM EST

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The Presbyterian Church (U.S.A.)’s high court rulings this week upholding the chastity requirement for gay ministers is expected to douse years of fiery debate over a controversial decision on ordination standards.

Since the 2006 General Assembly adoption of an “authoritative interpretation” of the ordination standard, the national body has been wracked with confusion with many seeking clarity over what the decision means, notably for gay ordination. Some felt the decision gave leeway to local and regional governing bodies to ordain practicing gay ministers, pushing several churches to leave the PC(USA) over its seemingly liberal direction on homosexuality.

But in three separate decisions on Monday, the General Assembly Permanent Judicial Commission (GAPJC) ruled that candidates for ordination must follow the sexual behavior standards of fidelity and chastity and no ordaining body has the right to ordain a candidate in violation of those constitutional standards.

Unless there is a constitutional amendment to the standard, ordaining bodies must adhere to it.

Essentially, the rulings clarify that the 2006 decision did not change the denomination’s standards requiring “fidelity in marriage between a man and a woman” or “chastity in singleness.”

The decisions are a “huge deal,” says Michael Walker, a Theologian-in-Residence at the prominent conservative Highland Park Presbyterian Church in Dallas.

Although the rulings were made in local cases – Presbyteries of Pittsburgh, Olympia and Washington – the landmark decisions are believed to apply to the entire national church.

“What was at stake was how to interpret the constitution and the constitution is binding on the entire church,” Walker told The Christian Post. “So the ruling applies to all of the governing bodies of the PC(USA).”

Walker believes recent decisions by other local presbyteries in favor of ordaining openly gay ministers who have rejected the constitutional requirement will not stand.

Last month, Lisa Larges, a lesbian who refused to comply with the ordination standard, received support from the San Francisco Presbytery when she made a third bid to join the clergy. The presbytery approved Larges’ application for ministry despite warnings that the action violated the church’s constitution. The approval was seen as the first national test of the “authoritative interpretation” adopted by the 2006 General Assembly.

Also in recent weeks, Presbyterians in Minnesota voted to restore the ordination of an openly gay man who has refused to pledge celibacy – a decision also testing the 2006 policy.

The GAPJC clarified in this week’s rulings that church officials are allowed to express disagreement with the wording or meaning of provisions of the constitution. But they are not permitted to disobey those behavioral standards.

In other words, church officials do not have to conform to all the standards and beliefs of the national church, but they do have to live by them, Walker of Highland Park explained.

Following the high court’s rulings, Walker said he believes the PC(USA) is still a good place for orthodox believers despite some areas of discontentment.

“Like any church, some things about the denomination we’re praying for some improvement,” he said. “But at the same time, there are a lot of signs of God’s continuing presence and activity in the life of this denomination.”

Several churches, however, have already withdrawn from the PC(USA). Many conservative churches have said the issue goes beyond homosexuality and are leaving over the denomination’s liberal direction on Scripture. But some specifically cited the 2006 “authoritative interpretation” adoption as their cause for leaving, Walker noted.

Walker believes this week’s rulings gives conservative churches that are still considering withdrawal a “cause for pause.”

“What we have found in these high court rulings is the Presbyterian constitution still works and it has turned out that the GA (2006 General Assembly) decision did not have the negative consequences that many people feared it would have,” he highlighted.

The latest court decisions are expected to help shape the debate over homosexuality at the upcoming PC(USA) General Assembly in June 2008. Supporters of gay rights are already pushing for an amendment to the ordination standard of fidelity and chastity.

Lillian Kwon
Christian Post Reporter

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http://www.christianpost.com/pages/print.htm?aid=31198

http://www.christianpost.com/article/20080215/31198_Practicing_Gays_Cannot_Be_Ordained%2C_Church_High_Court_Rules.htm

the challenge of compassion

This reflective meditation strikes me as particularly pertinent in providing encouragement for servant leaders in the church such as Deacons and care givers in Stephen Ministries as well as others in leadership….   

January 7 — “[There exists a certain] folklore that if a horse breaks a leg, it must be put down.  I’ve discovered that this isn’t true.  Oh it’s true that it happens.  Breeders shoot horses with broken legs, as if there’s nothing to be done.  But now I know that they do this for themselves, not wanting to care for a horse that cannot run.  In just this way, fearful and selfish people cut the cord to those who are broken, not wanting to sit with a friend who can’t find tomorrow, not wanting to be saddled with someone who will slow them down, not wanting to face what is broken in themselves.  In this lies the challenge of compassion.  For when we dare to hold those forced to the ground, dare to hold them close, the truth of holding and listening sings and we are carried into the wisdom of broken bones and how things heal.” — Mark Nepo (The Exquisite Risk)

http://www.PCUSA.org/pastorselders/dailyquote.htm#january7

PERSONAL APPLICATION:  Face the truth.  With compassionate caring and sharing in one another’s brokenness comes the transforming wisdom of healing toward wholeness, wellness, and peace.  (SHALOM) 

Serving the Spirit of the Lord God with energy, intelligence, imagination, and love 

In Christ,

Pastor Rex

 

A Sense of Urgency

In an article from Christianity Today’s Leadership publication online, Bruce Boria quotes: 

John Kotter, an expert on leadership at the Harvard Business School, [who] has studied how the best organizations [effect] significant change.  He suggests that useful change tends to be associated with a multi-step process, which creates power and motivation sufficient to overcome the inertia, obstacles, and inevitable resistance.  In his book Leading Change, he outlines this eight-step process…  [The first of which is:] 

1. Establish a sense of urgency.   

[Bruce Boria continues on to share....]   

Establishing a sense of urgency means that people in the church recognize that there’s a real problem.  Until they sense [that] “Something’s got to be done,” too often a congregation will live in denial. 

This can be due to the comfort afforded by past successes, a lack of a visible crisis, low standards of performance, or fuzzy thinking about the church’s purpose.  Others are paralyzed by the complexity of change.  The response is to become passive.  Whatever the cause, such complacency must be torn down.  Honesty is required, honest talk that is well-informed. 

I had recently become senior pastor of a prominent church with a glorious history in Portland, Oregon. The church enjoyed a storied past that included a number of church plants and the establishment of Western Seminary.

More recently, however, the church had experienced significant pastoral turnover, four senior pastors in eight years, and the congregation was seriously graying.

At my first annual business meeting, I was asked, “What changes do you expect to introduce to the congregation?” The question was asked by one of our older members, one of more than 600 seniors who attended the church. While they enjoyed the church programs and adult Christian education classes, almost no one between 20-40 years old attended. I knew if any plans for the future were to succeed, it would require the support of this senior population. But I also knew they did not sense a crisis.

“I’d like everyone to stand who has children,” I said. Nearly the entire congregation stood.

“Now I’d like those who have children that are not attending church on a regular basis to please sit down,” I said. Hesitantly, nearly three-quarters of the group sat down. You could hear an audible murmur of surprise.

Then I asked those still standing, “Please sit down if your children who DO attend church are NOT attending here at Hinson Memorial.” Nearly two-thirds of those still standing then sat down. Only about a dozen remained on their feet. By this time, there was a buzz in the auditorium.

“Let’s think about the future,” I said. “For this church to succeed in the future, we need to address this situation. What will it take for us to create an environment where your children and grandchildren would view Hinson as an option for their spiritual growth? For any future plans to succeed, it will require that you, the senior population, support the changes.”

I promised not to marginalize the seniors in our planning, and they pledged their support to address the crisis they were just now beginning to recognize.

Within a year we had formulated plans for a new worship service and an additional worship leader for this new service. When we started a contemporary service with the next generation in mind, the seniors even agreed that it could be held at the 10:30 hour to accommodate the younger families with children. And the traditional service met at 9 a.m. The financial needs of this new initiative were undergirded in large part by our senior population.

Within a year and a half, attendance at the contemporary service had nearly doubled the attendance at the earlier service. The response from the seniors was very positive. I don’t think that would have been the case without them first sensing the urgency. But when that happened, it was amazing that much of the potential resistance never developed. 

What might happen in our own congregation if we asked questions similar to these at an all church [annual] meeting?  Would we find ourselves witnessing an experience not unlike what the church membership in the above real world scenario went through? 

As we press on further upon this new year of life together in Christ, your leadership continues sensing the Lord’s leading for us to cooperate anew with the Holy Spirit in advancing God’s kingdom among us.  We are being called to help discern and effect changes on the horizon for new vistas of missional ministry in our community.  As the Pauline letter to the (1^st) Thessalonians (5:12, 17-18) tells us in The Message, “Friends… honor those leaders who work so hard for you, …given the responsibility of urging and guiding you along in your obedience.  Pray all the time.  Thank God no matter what happens.  This is the way God wants you who belong to Christ Jesus to live.”  There is an already emerging urgency of needs that the Lord wants us to address for the better future God has in mind for us in our community.  May we approach well together that which the Lord has impressed upon our leadership for the ongoing journey ahead.  To God be the glory. 

In Christ,

Pastor Rex