Final Thoughts from Josh

My experience at the 221st Presbyterian General Assembly was one that I will not soon forget.  

This was my first true traveling experience and that was fantastic. I saw many different cultures converge on the airports and people helping each other to find their ways.  

Then once I arrived I realized that I was already distanced from many of the other YAADs simply because of my opinions.  This made my encounters with many of them difficult to handle.  The one it did not impact was with my roommate. I was very fortunate to get paired with someone I could get along with.  

Once we got to the actual business of the week I came to terms that I would always find myself in the minority.  When dealing with people many were very relaxed in their views and made me feel better but then many were very upfront and aggressive with their views and that was a big disappointment.  

This particular General Assembly made some historic decisions, the first of which was to allow gay marriages to occur in the church, and secondly to divest from HP, Caterpillar and Motorola Solutions which they claim will help to support Israel's "in-humane" behaviors toward their Palestine neighbors.  These decisions promise to have a negative impact on our church as a whole but we have to remember that we may not all share the same opinions after this week but we do share one God.

Even though many parts of last week were difficult for me, I would not trade my experience for anything.  I was blessed by Beaver-Butler Presbytery to have been given the opportunity to be their YAAD representative.  

And the final place that I found Jesus was my partners from the Beaver-Butler Presbytery.  This was an incredible group of people that I had the opportunity to work with and they made all the difficult moments just a little bit easier and for that they are saints.  

Final Reflections on GA 221

Written by Eva

            Today, just 3 days after the close of GA 221, it almost doesn’t seem real. The decisions made there were decisions based upon what many believed, right or wrong, was God’s guidance. There was joy, anger, disappointment, discouragement, and even fear, knowing how all that was done would affect the body of believers that is PCUSA.

            Romans 8:28 states, “and we know that in all things God works for the good of those who love him, who have been called according to his purpose.” Both individuals (myself included) and churches will have to devote themselves to prayer and study of the Word in the weeks to come to determine what type of action aligns with God’s “purpose”.

            I DID expect to see Jesus at GA in the actions and words of those who were present. In that I was not disappointed. A final glimpse of him, for me, was near the end of the assembly. That glimpse came in the form of a young girl who thanked me in my first language, German, for making a very difficult statement at the microphone on the floor of the General Assembly. 

            Where will we go from here? I don’t know. I do know, however,  that God is in charge, and that our Lord and Savior is with us in these days following GA 221. May the decisions we make as individuals and churches not be made hastily, and may we take the time to prayerfully search his Word for guidance and direction.

Brief Summary of #ga221 according to a "gajunkie" (aka Stephen Salvards)

Summary prepared by Stephen Salyards ( steve @ gajunkie .com) Permission granted for redistribution in Presbyterian entities. (Originally published: here.) 

Election of the Moderator

Ruling Elder Heath Rada from North Carolina was elected the Moderator of the General Assembly on the first ballot with 52% of the votes from a field of three candidates. He has served as President of the Presbyterian School of Christian Education in Richmond and the CEO of the Greater Richmond chapter of the American Red Cross. As his Vice-Moderator he selected the Rev.Larissa Kwong Abazia, pastor of Church of Forest Hills, a multicultural, multiethnic congregation in Queens, New York. 

Historically, election of a Moderator on the first ballot is not common; the last Moderator elected on the first ballot was the Rev. Jack Rogers who served as the Moderator of the 213th General Assembly (2001).

Mid Councils Commission 2

Synod and Presbytery action: The 219th General Assembly established a Special Commission to study the structure of the denomination and make recommendations. The Commission's report to the last Assembly was sent back for further work by a somewhat restructured Commission. This year the Commission brought a recommendation to reorganize the current 16 synods into eight in a collaborative process based on “an emerging sense of purpose, partnership, context, and call.” The Assembly increased the number to 10-12 new synods and the Sinodo Presbiteriano Boriquen en Puerto Rico (Synod of Puerto Rico) successfully overtured to remain as is based on its cultural and geographic setting. 

In related business the Assembly granted the request of the Synod of Southern California and Hawai'i that Hanmi Presbytery be dissolved and the churches transferred to the corresponding geographic presbyteries. Hanmi did present an overture asking for a delay in the dissolution. 

A Letter from the PC(IUSA)

June 21, 2014

To the Presbyterian Church (U.S.A.):

Grace and peace to you in the name of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ.

The 221st General Assembly (2014) of the Presbyterian Church (U.S.A.) adjourned today after a full week of discussion, debate, prayer and discernment. The week also was enveloped in worship, celebrations, fellowship and glory to God. The Assembly, anchored on the theme “Abound in Hope” (Romans 15:13), was a resounding confirmation that the PC(USA) is alive, well, and fully engaged in being faithful to God.

Tough issues were tackled and challenging decisions were made. These actions were not done lightly, and

each commissioner and advisory delegate carefully and prayerfully worked in committee and as a full

body in plenary. Now, over the next two years, members of the 221st Assembly and other leaders in the

church will be about the business of interpreting and guiding people through the decisions made. We hope

you, too, will be ambassadors for the Assembly’s work, and we offer ourselves and our colleagues as

resources.

Now, some highlights:

Relating to the world

• The Assembly approved the “Educate a Child, Transform the World" campaign, recommended

by the Presbyterian Mission Agency. This is a call on the whole church to join in a movement to

provide quality education to 1 million children in the U.S. and around the world in the next four

years – as a way to alleviate poverty.

• The Assembly approved a measure to divest from three corporations – Caterpillar, Hewlett-

Packard and Motorola Solutions – it believes are not in compliance with the church’s policy on

socially responsible investing. The decision is a significant step in the denomination’s policy that

says it should not profit from “non-peaceful pursuits.” This does not constitute divestment from

Israel – the church maintains significant investments in companies that do business in Israel.

Relating to our communities

• The Assembly approved “The Interreligious Stance of the Presbyterian Church (U.S.A.).” This

statement is the result of work by Presbyterians, Christians of other denominations, and

representatives of many faith traditions to study how Presbyterians should best engage with

people of different faiths.

• Recommendations that the PC(USA) advocate measures to prevent gun violence won resounding

approval. The GA’s decision calls for such actions as the formation of support, healing and

advocacy groups for those who have experienced gun violence in their families; and opposition to

“stand your ground” and other legislation that may entitle gun owners to shoot before taking

alternative measures.

• The Assembly celebrated the nearly 250 new worshipping communities in more than 100

presbyteries that have been counted since the last General Assembly. Clearly this is a movement

of the Holy Spirit, giving the promise of renewal and rebirth throughout the church.

• For nearly 200 years, the Presbyterian church has served as one of the greatest forces for mission

in the world. In that spirit, the Assembly endorsed an initiative to encourage Presbyterians to go

beyond the walls of their congregations and increase their engagement in service to their

communities and the world. By “living missionally,” we are intentionally joining in God’s

transformations of societal injustices by following Christ’s example of service through faith,

hope, love, and witness.

Relating to each other

• The Assembly approved a recommendation to allow teaching elders pastoral discretion to

perform “any such marriage they believe the Holy Spirit calls them to perform,” where legal by

state law. The body also passed a recommendation to change language in the Book of Order to

indicate that “marriage involves a unique commitment between two people, traditionally a man

and a woman.” Our prayer is that together, through our covenant with one another, the PC(USA)

can move forward on this issue in love and with respect.

• The Assembly overwhelmingly voted to add the Confession of Belhar to the PC(USA)’s Book of

Confessions. The action must now be ratified by a majority of the presbyteries within the next

year.

Specific language on all of the Assembly’s actions is available on PC-biz (www.pc-biz.org). Assembly in Brief, a more detailed compilation of the Assembly’s decisions, will be available for download next week at www.pcusa.org/ga221.

Jesus clearly tells us in John 13: 34, “Just as I have loved you, you also should love one another.” Agape

love for those in our world, in our communities, and for each other is essential in these days ahead. We

don’t all agree, yet we must find paths to peace and reconciliation using the unconditional love of God as

our guide.

Our charge to you now is to go forth with the actions of the 221st Assembly, living missionally as the

church beyond walls, and engaging in the process of working together with churches in the task of

reconciliation. We look forward to working with you.

In the name of Jesus Christ our Lord,

Ruling Elder Heath K. Rada

Moderator, 221st General Assembly (2014)

The Reverend Larissa Kwong Abazia

Vice Moderator, 221st General Assembly (2014)

The Reverend Gradye Parsons

Stated Clerk of the General Assembly

Ruling Elder Linda Bryant Valentine

Executive Director, Presbyterian Mission Agency

Reflection by Mauri

Written by Mauri

General Assembly is now over and I have arrived home. 

My first reflection of my week there is how exhausted I am. I have never been to an event like this where I was as tired as I am now at its completion. We had long, long days, late into the night. It was grueling. 

Apart from that, I must say that I really appreciated the opportunity to represent the Beaver Butler Presbytery at this national gathering of our church. I met a lot of nice people and had some meaningful times of fellowship with my fellow commissioners, our EP Alan Adams, and some of my new friends. 

Apart from that, my overall feeling about my experience there is one of great sorrow, personally and corporately. There were some commendable decisions made, and I applaud them. But the divestment issue and the gay marriage debate have caused great consternation in the body. Some are rejoicing, but many are weeping over the decisions that we made in these two areas. There will be a need now for a period of healing and a serious movement toward reconciliation.

Things I Saw at #ga221

Eva Spoke on the Floor of the General Assembly!

Friday, June 20, 2014

In a debate about issues in the Middle East, Beaver-Butler Presbytery ruling elder Eva-Maria Barr spoke on the floor of the General Assembly this evening.

In a wide-ranging discussion, Eva spoke about growing up in post-World War II Germany, where she was forced to go through checkpoints and searches by armed police and dogs. She resonated with stories of Palestinians whose lives are similarly disrupted.

From Mark's Perspective: Divestment Debate

Written by Mark

(Originally published HERE on 06/20/14)

After an afternoon and evening of deliberation, the GA narrowly voted to divest from Caterpillar, Hewlitt-Packard and Motorola Solutions. The motion passed by 7 votes (310-303).

That said, true divestment of these stocks may never happen, because the Board of Pensions and the Presbyterian Foundation have a fiduciary responsibility to make money on their investments; not sell stocks at a loss because the GA says to sell them.

The damage done by this vote is the loss of goodwill with our Jews worldwide and the misinterpretation of the vote. Even though the action of the GA is to divest of the stock in those three corporations, the media has already reported that this vote is to divest in Israel. That is simply not true. In fact, the GA went out of its way to affirm the peacemaking efforts in Israel and Palestine and to make sure that the media knew that this vote was not anti-Israel.

The View from GA

A Pastoral Letter from PFR and the Fellowship of Presbyterians

A Pastoral Letter from PFR and the Fellowship of Presbyterians

(Originally published HERE, June 20, 2014) 

Dear Sisters and Brothers in Christ,

Meeting in Detroit, our 221st General Assembly has taken two significant actions on the teaching and practice of marriage according to the PC(USA)’s Book of Order. First, the GA approved an Authoritative Interpretation (AI) that now permits PC(USA) pastors to conduct same-sex weddings, and allows sessions to approve the use of church property for such ceremonies. Secondly, the GA approved a proposed amendment to the Book of Order that would replace current language with a description of marriage as a relationship between “two people, traditionally a man and a woman.”

While the AI goes into effect immediately, the proposed amendment requires ratification by a majority of the presbyteries before any change could be made, a process that takes about one year. Both measures are designed to allow pastors and congregations to participate in same-sex weddings, in states where gay marriage is legal.

We grieve these actions by the General Assembly. We believe we will look back on this day and see the error of these decisions. But an Assembly of our denomination has spoken, and now we must move ahead without compromising compassion or conviction.

It is extremely important to understand that while the AI and the constitutional amendment broaden the denomination’s interpretation of marriage, they do not require any pastor to officiate or any session to authorize the use of church property for a marriage service with which they disagree. It remains up to each pastor and each session to determine what is and is not appropriate for their congregation.

Proponents of these two actions have made great effort to invite and welcome those who hold unwaveringly to a traditional interpretation of marriage to remain engaged in the mission and ministry of the PC(USA) with full integrity. Some will resolve to do this—others may not. Those of us who do remain in the PC(USA) will, no doubt, encounter other decisions and actions with which we will disagree. We are not here to fight and divide, but to continue to proclaim the good news of Jesus Christ and to testify to the transforming power of his love that is available to everyone. We urge you in the strongest possible way to refrain from actions, attitudes, and language that would mar the image of Christ in your response to the Assembly’s actions.

Let us commit to one another, and to Almighty God, that we will seek to embody the grace and love of our Savior across our theological differences, and in personal and congregational deliberations about our future in the PC(USA).

Pictures from the Prayer Wall

1000 Pageviews!!

Five Things to Celebrate the Day the Marriage Amendment Passed

Written by Allison 

I have written elsewhere that I am an "obnoxious optimist".

So, it should come as no surprise that the day after the motion on the Marriage Amendment was approved and a portion of our church is mourning (and while I mourn with those who mourn), I choose to celebrate as well.

First ... 

The gal on the left is Eva, one of Beaver-Butler Presbytery's commissioners, a ruling elder.

The fellow on the right is our Young Adult Advisory Delegate (YAAD), whose name is Josh.

At the end of the evening, Josh carried Eva's heavy laptop bag back to the hotel for her. And it's not the first time he's done it.

I celebrate that the Presbyterian Church is raising and nurturing a young man like Josh.

Second ... 

These are mandalas--an interactive way of praying through coloring.

(Yes, their history is not originally Christian but we in the Church are pretty good at adopting, baptizing, and re-purposing the traditions of others. You know, like Christmas and Easter.)

Coloring a mandala is one of my favorite ways to pray. And I know that I was not the only one who was praying yesterday. I have no doubt that the Assembly has been filled with prayer, soaked in prayer, blanketed in prayer.

I celebrate that the Presbyterian Church is serious about prayer ... even when what I prayed for doesn't happen. (It's about what God wants, not what I want anyway, right?)

Third ...

At the end of the day, this song overflowed from the speakers and 248 red beach balls were batted around from commissioner to commissioner, celebrating the birth of 248 new worshiping communities since the previous General Assembly (2012) when the 10 year goal of 1001 was originally set.

For those who are most concerned about the gospel being shared to the ends of the earth, here is good news for you! I celebrate that the Presbyterian Church is committed to creating new communities of faith where the gospel of Jesus Christ is being shared.

Fourth ...

I celebrate that THIS is still the first chapter of our Book of Order in the Presbyterian Church. 

"The good news of the Gospel is that the triune God--Father, Son, and Holy Spirit--creates, reforms, sustains, rules, and transforms all things and all people." 

"God has put all things under the Lordship of Jesus Christ and has made Christ Head of the Church, which is his body. The Church's life and mission are a joyful participation in Christ's ongoing life and mission are a joyful participation in Christ's ongoing life and work." 

Fifth ... 

When peace, like a river, attendeth my way,
When sorrows like sea billows roll;
Whatever my lot, Thou hast taught me to say,
It is well, it is well with my soul.

It is well with my soul,
It is well, it is well with my soul.

Though Satan should buffet, though trials should come,
Let this blest assurance control,
That Christ hath regarded my helpless estate,
And hath shed His own blood for my soul.

I celebrate that even though the Presbyterian Church doesn't always do what I want it to do, Christ has still regarded my helpless estate and shed his own blood for my soul. No vote of the General Assembly can change this, for which I am deeply grateful.  

Still "abounding in hope,"
Allison

A Letter to Congregations of the Presbyterian Church (U.S.A.)

PC(USA) leaders issue pastoral letter to the church onAssembly’s marriage actions

JUNE 19, 2014

To congregations of the Presbyterian Church (U.S.A.):

Grace and peace to you in the name of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ.

Earlier today the 221st General Assembly of the Presbyterian Church (U.S.A.) approved a recommendation from its Civil Union and Marriage Issues Committee allowing for pastoral discretion to perform “any such marriage they believe the Holy Spirit calls then to perform,” where legal by state law.

They also approved a recommendation to change language in the Book of Order to indicate that “marriage involves a unique commitment between two people, traditionally a man and a woman.”

Both decisions came with much thought, discussion and prayer, and clearly the entire body that is the PC(USA) will be interpreting these actions for some time.

Please know that the same triune God in whom we place our hope, faith and trust in is still in control, and that the Assembly’s action today is the result of deep discernment to hear God’s voice and discern God’s will.

We concur with the feelings expressed by Teaching Elder Commissioner Jeffrey Bridgeman, moderator of the Civil Union and Marriage Issues Committee, during his presentation to the Assembly.

“The apostle Paul tells us that ours is, in fact, ‘the ministry of reconciliation’ as ‘ambassadors of Christ,’ and he died for us so that we might be reconciled, that we might become reconcilers,” Bridgeman said.

In this season of both happiness and sadness over the Assembly’s decisions, we call on you to remember the overflowing grace and love God gifts us with, and to take seriously our charge to bestow the same grace and love on one another.

In the name of Jesus Christ our Lord,

Ruling Elder Heath K. Rada
Moderator, 221st General Assembly

The Reverend Gradye Parsons
Stated Clerk of the General Assembly

Ruling Elder Linda Bryant Valentine
Executive Director, Presbyterian Mission Agency

A Note from Mauri

Written by Mauri

The moment everyone was waiting for is now behind us.

What I expected occurred. The GA endorsed gay marriage today. 

Even though I expected this, I am surprised at how heavy my heart is. I believe the GA has created a constitutional crisis for the denomination. Only time will tell what the implications will be in the months ahead. But I am not very optimistic. I will truly be seeking after God in the weeks ahead, seeking discernment about where to go from here.

Thoughts from Eva

Written by Eva  

I confess that today it has been difficult to see Jesus in the people of General Assembly, but I know that Jesus is here still ... one just has to look harder. 

Glimpses can be seen in a short phrase added to a resolution reminding us of our traditional definition of marriage. 

Jesus was there when members of our Beaver-Butler contingent signed papers of dissent for an action taken which did not show Jesus and his fulfillment of "all" Scripture. 

Our Lord was present when the speaker during our time of worship encourages us to "feed the monster of hope." 

We would all do well to hold onto a saying of the Amish: "Yesterday is history, tomorrow is a mystery, today is the PRESENT--it is a gift from God."

Regardless of the tears we might shed, today--in the "present"--Jesus is here to dry those tears, and give us the ability to continue to see him here at #ga221. 

A Commissioner's Perspective on Today's Events

Written by Mark

(Originally published HERE earlier today, June 19, 2014.)

The debate on the marriage issue is underway. 

10-07    A motion to appoint a 2 year task force to study the issues of marriage was disapproved.

10-01    Concerning the church’s role in legal marriage services of Christian covenant was disapproved.

10-03    On issuing an authoritative interpretation to affirm pastoral discretion

10-04   On performing Christian marriage ceremonies was approved 61% - 39%.

This was the vote that disappointed and concerns me the most. By passing this authoritative interpretation, less than 600 commissioners took away the voices of the 1.7 million Presbyterians who would like a voice regarding this very controversial and divisive issue. In addition, Roberts Rules of Order were ignored by those who have been entrusted to protect the Constitution of the PCUSA. The Authoritative Commission on the Constitution, the Stated Clerk and the Moderator - even when brought to their attention. We have just created “local option” for pastors. 

10-06    Rescinds the authoritative interpretation of 1991 concerning teaching elders performing marriages for same gender couples and sessions permitting such ceremonies in their facilities. This was passed 76% - 24%.

10-02     Amends the PCUSA Book of Order to change the language regarding marriage to “marriage involves a unique commitment between two people, traditionally between a man and a woman, to love and support each other for the rest of their lives. The sacrificial love that unites the couple sustains them as faithful and responsible members of the church and the wider community.” This will now replace W-4.9000 in the Book of Order and become the entirety of the new section on marriage. Passed 71% - 29%.

10-05    Add this language to W-4.9000 of the Book of Order: “For the purpose of God’s mission, presbyteries and sessions may define marriage as a civil contract between two persons within the boundary of the state law.”        Passed 75% - 25%

10-NB    Directs the Presbyterian Mission Agency Board and the Committee on the Office of the General Assembly to  establish a way to bring reconciliation to the church that would involve visiting each presbytery and serving as a resource for each presbytery’s discussion of these actions in congregations and the presbytery at-large and present voices of reconciliation for the unity of the church.

While 2/3 of the commissioners are rejoicing, 1/3 of us are grieving for our denomination that has departed us and scriptural authority.

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 I will hear from heaven, and I will forgive their sin and will heal their land. 2 Chronicles 7:14 (NIV) 

YOU CAN CONTINUE TO FOLLOW MARK'S POSTS ON HIS BLOG: The Plumb Line. 

Watch It Live!

Watch the plenary sessions LIVE on the General Assembly website!

(Seriously, this is the good stuff.)

An Update from Mauri

(Written by Mauri) 

Well, we completed our committee work yesterday. 

And I must admit, it was a tiring and grueling process. I am surprised at how well I am holding up. This afternoon we head back to plenary to start discussing the committee reports.

To be quite honest, I have been quite discouraged about what I have heard coming out of the other committees. I really needed to see Jesus in a fresh way today. And He answered my prayer. 

I went to the PFR/Fellowship of Presbyterians breakfast this morning and was refreshed as we had a time of awesome worship and heard an encouraging message from Dr. Mark Labberton, president of Fuller Theological Seminary. He used the book of Daniel as his reference point, reminding us that we are living today in an "exilic" setting and that we are constantly fighting against idolatrous temptations in our culture. Our focus needs to be on the reality that we worship the true God alone and are a part of His Kingdom, wherever He has us serving.

I needed this to prepare myself for the final days of GA. Christ alone is my strength and in Him I will rest. Continue to pray for us and the PCUSA.

I Saw Jesus

Written by Eva

I expected to find Jesus in the words, actions, and attitudes of the people at GA, and more and more I am finding that to be the case.

Jesus is especially apparent in our YAADs.

There is our own Josh, who keeps well-informed, doesn't hesitate to speak out, and volunteers to haul my bulky laptop to the meeting hall. There is Raylynn, who articulated her opinions so well in the committee meetings and who broke down in tears when she was unable to complete those meetings because of illness. Then there is Peter, the quiet ones who takes in everything, rarely speaks, but when he does, is right on track.

Future commissioners extraordinaire!

When Polity Becomes a Weapon

I have a confession to make.

I have a love/hate relationship with Robert and his Rules of Order.

(I suppose this is a particularly scandalous confession seeing as how I am the Moderator of Beaver-Butler Presbytery. Perhaps impeachment proceedings will have begun before I begin the drive home on Saturday. ;-)

I LOVE that we have a tool that ensures those in the minority have a voice in any and every discussion.

I HATE that, like any good gift of God, it can be used improperly.

In my committee meeting yesterday, I believe I saw polity used intentionally as a weapon by a very knowledgeable person to prevent the possibility of passing a specific overture.

This was INCREDIBLY frustrating. I admit the overture as written would NEVER have passed (I don't know that I would have voted for it then) but the committee was denied the chance to reshape it through amendments. It is my belief that, had we been given the chance, there was a real possibility that we could have crafted something that people could have gathered around. (Instead, the original overture did its best to shove people into the farthest corners of the room; not a smart way to get something passed, if you ask me.)

This was also incredibly frustrating because, from the moment I stepped foot into the COBO Center, I have heard the refrain that all voices are welcome at the table. (You can read about my hopes because of this kind of welcome HERE.)

"Highlights" from The Plumb Line

Written by Mark Plumb

(originally published HERE)

“Highlights”

Good news:

    An overture to celebrate “Evolution Sunday” was defeated

        47-2 in committee.

    The mid-east committee recommended rejection of making a
        distinction between modern and ancient Israel.

    Committee votes to disassociate from the inflammatory 

        publication “Zionism Unsettled”, which has been         

        criticized as being racist and anti-Israel.

Bad news:

    A committee has opened the door for PCUSA pastors to 

        perform same-sex marriages.

    The same committee also approved an overture that would change the

        description of a Christian marriage in the Constitution from being 

        “between “one man and one woman” to between “two persons”. 

    (The good news for us is that language was included in the overture that 

        states that “nothing herein shall compel a teaching elder to perform nor 

        compel  a session to authorize the use of church property for a 

        marriage service that the teaching elder or session believes is 

        contrary to the teaching elder’s or the session’s discernment of the 

        Holy Spirit and their understanding of the Word of God.”)

    The middle east committee voted to divest of investments in Hewlit-

        Packard, Motorola and Caterpillar.

    The Church Polity and Ordered Ministry committee is also recommending 

        that the assembly reject efforts to clarify what is meant in the 

        denomination’s Book of Order by “Essential tenets of the Reformed 

        faith.”

These issues will now go before the entire General Assembly for a confirmation vote. Please continue to pray that the bad news will turn into good news during the plenary sessions.

I saw Jesus

She sits huddled between two other people, gently whispering.

Frequently she points to her laptop screen, highlighting a few lines of text as she whispers.

She gestures with her hands and pauses frequently to ponder the best way to phrase things.

She is the interpreter for some of the Spanish-speaking commissioners in my committee. I can't tell you her name, though I have thanked her for her ministry to my brother and sister in Christ. She laughed gently and accepted my compliment with a smile.

In her gentle whispers and patient face, I see Jesus, just by looking at my neighbors. What a gift she is to us, the church, providing access to and participation in our discussions for those who do not speak English as a first language.

EP Advisory Vote?

We encountered our first bit of confusing business not too long into our first full day of plenary.

There was a motion (and a second) from the floor of the Assembly to give Executive Presbyters an ADVISORY vote.

What does this mean? In addition to polling the standard advisory votes (Young Adult Advisory Delegates, Missionary Advisory Delegates, and Theological Student Advisory Delegates), prior to every vote, we would now ALSO vote Executive Presbyters/General Presbyters/Transitional Presbyters/Whatever else they may be called right now.

Lickety-split before you know it, the motion passed by a show of hands. And, judging from the buzz I heard from commissioners and advisory delegates, there were those who doubted that the voice vote was clear enough for a definitive answer to the motion.

Someone called for a "division of the house," which would require the number of votes on each side to be counted. Because we were in the midst of #technopalypse (when none of the technology we planned to use was working and it would have required a paper ballot), the Moderator, using his discretion, put off the "division of the house" until Wednesday when the plenary is in session again and all the bugs have been worked out of the system.

Based on the conversations we are having, now that we've had some time to think about it, I strongly suspect that this motion will fail when the votes are counted. Reasons tossed around include: we already have sufficient advisory votes; we don't have enough "clickers" for the EPs to use to vote; they're not always there when business is in session; not every Presbytery has an EP and not every Stated Clerk is in attendance to fill that role.

This was probably the case of a newbie Moderator who did his best to move things along--he seems eager to do right by the Assembly and God. And, in the end, the vote will probably end up coming out "right" (ie the will of the majority of the Assembly) even if it didn't start that way. We'll see for certain on Wednesday.

That's Jesus, I tell ya!

UPDATE: The vote fails, the motion garnering only 48% of the votes. 

A YAAD's Perspective

Written by Josh

This week we have been given the job to discern many hot-topic and sensitive issues.  Many of which may make some Presbyterians so upset that they in-turn decide to dissolve from the church.  But we need to look at the big picture, not that I am voicing my support one view or another.  This is God's church and need to work towards his will.

As a YAAD I may struggle to deal with things some of the more experienced commissioners may have an easier time dealing with, such as, not getting my way.  At first I will be upset about it as a natural reaction; however, I think that is the norm.  But I cannot let it get to me and affect the way I continue to carry on handling business the way God wants me to and to do my best for God's church.

This is a nice segue into another place I have found Jesus.  Well, I really should say places.  My mom is an absolute God-send I talked to her on the phone for probably 45 minutes today and at first we were fighting but by the end she had me calm and ready to get back to the table.  Another place I found Jesus was in the calm quiet hallways of Detroit's COBO Center just catching my breathe and I felt his presence there helping me to calm back down and to know that everything will be alright.

My hope is that everyone involved can resolve their issues together in a peaceful manner that will allow us to continue to worship God as one people united under one church. 

Romans 5:2-7
Through whom we have gained access by faith into this grace in which we now stand. And we rejoice in the hope of the glory of God.  Not only so, but we also rejoice in our sufferings, because we know that suffering produces perseverance;  perseverance, character; and character, hope.  And hope does not disappoint us, because God has poured out his love into our hearts by the Holy Spirit, whom he has given us.  You see, at just the right time, when we were still powerless, Christ died for the ungodly.  Very rarely will anyone die for a righteous man, though for a good man someone might possibly dare to die.

from The Plumb Line

Written by Mark, posted 06/15/14 at The Plumb Line--read more thoughts there.  

Last night’s meeting went very late. We listened as the three candidates for Moderator shared their vision for the PCUSA.

All three of the candidates are very progressive and proudly expressed their support for same-sex marriage - much to the delight of many of the GA commissioners.

After the votes were tallied (on paper ballots!), the General Assembly overwhelmingly elected Heath Rada as the new Moderator and Larissa Kwong Abazia as the Vice-Moderator. May the Holy Spirit direct them in all they do. 

After spending two hours this morning reviewing 2012 and 2013 minutes for two Synods, I had an opportunity to worship at suburban Orchard Lake Community Church, Presbyterian (pictured above). That church is pastored by a dear old friend, Paul Thwaite. It was wonderful to receive the hospitality of that congregation, to catch up with Paul’s wife, Jan, and to experience a wonderful worship service. In fact, the music reminded me of the incredible music that I experienced as a child at Pleasant Hills Community Presbyterian Church. I really needed a positive worship experience, and I wasn’t disappointed. 

When I returned to downtown Detroit, I finally got to go into the display area and visit with another old friend, Steve Ebling. It was so good to get caught up with a “friend-of-the-heart” as another mutual good friend, Stan Ott, calls it.

This afternoon, we had the privilege of sending missionaries into the world. As you know, the missional church has a special place in my heart, and that moment was inspirational to me. We’ve also been listening to many well-rehearsed special committee proposals that will be further discussed in the committee work that will formally begin at 7:30 tonight. 

After dinner, I will be off to the Mid-Council Issues Committee. The main work of that committee will be to consider a proposal that would decrease the number of Synods from sixteen to eight or less. 

Please continue to pray for the work of GA. The really hard, contentious work is about to begin.

#theBBP5

L-R: Josh, Mark, Mauri, Eva, Allison

A Quick Update from Mauri

Written by Mauri

What a beautiful sunny day today! 

We got off to a good start this morning by worshiping in a number of local Presbyterian churches. I attended First Presbyterian in Plymouth. I was warmly welcomed and blessed by the worship service. 

And to top it off, I had one of those "small world" moments--one of the associate pastors is a close friend of my pastoral colleague back in our Beaver-Butler Presbytery--Jordan Rimmer. 

Now we are back together to start our afternoon plenary session. Praying that all goes well and the technological problems we had yesterday will be cleared up. 

Here we go!

A New Moderator

(Written by Allison)

Nothing every goes exactly according to plan, right? It certainly didn't in the plan to elect a Moderator and Vice-Moderator of the 221st General Assembly. (On Twitter, it's been dubbed #technopalypse.

Not Plan A, which was to vote using an on-line program.

And not Plan B, which was to vote using "the clickers" as they are known in Presbyterian circles.

BUT Plan C came through for us: paper ballots!

And by an act of the hand of God, a Moderator and Vice-Moderator were elected on THE. FIRST. BALLOT. (Seriously, this is divine intervention. I saw Jesus right here.)

The hour was late and the commissioners and advisory delegates were beginning to grumble, as the plans failed. But a little bit of #oldschool technology saved the day and the fan-favorite (which was clear from the amount of clapping he received, was elected.

Meet HEATH RADA and LARISSA KWONG ABAZIA. (Check out what The Presbyterian Outlook wrote about the election.)

From a BBP perspective (generally, we are conservative-esque and evangelical-ish), none of the three candidates were particularly exciting to us. In fact, they were all pretty similar in beliefs. (Check out the post I wrote earlier about the candidates.)  (Fellow commissioner Mark Plumb astutely observed "shame on us" for not encouraging a conservative evangelical to stand for Moderator on his blog.)

I believe that God is alive and active and present in the PC(USA) so Mr. Rada must be God's choice for this Assembly. And while I might not agree with him on this year's hot-button issues, I do believe he will serve with humility and a great sense of humor, judging from the gracious and humorous way he handled an awkward moment in last night's meeting. (And by that, I mean he forgot HE was the one who was supposed to close the assembly in prayer! I can only imagine just how shocking and overwhelming it is to take over a GA plenary session as a newly elected Moderator so I fault him not for this. :-)

I look forward to seeing if he truly is as interested in unity as he says he is; if the conservative evangelical commissioners and advisory delegates at this Assembly are given the same place at the table as other sub-groups within the Presbyterian Church.

Only time will tell.

Reflection

Written by Josh McElhaney

To reflect on my time so far at the General Assembly I could use two words and that would be controversial and difficult. The one thing I was excited to experience was the different opinions I would hear but some of them have been so radical views on some issues that will have a huge impact on our church and this could be extremely negative. I believe that everyone is entitled to their opinions and that is the best thing about our country; however, these could be a death sentence for our church.

Last night we selected a moderator. None of the candidates truly stood out to me in the fact that they had many of the same views on the hot-topic issues. And in this vote we experienced the extreme negative impacts of technology and the more frustrating side of it.

Our theme for this blog and this week is where we find Jesus and I think, looking at it early on, the place I most find Jesus is the impact that the YAADs advice and vote has on the commissioners vote and selection. The YAADs choice for moderator was the overwhelming selection by the commissioners.

I am extremely excited to see what the rest of this week will bring and I have been very blessed to be given this opportunity and to work with 4 extraordinary people from the Beaver-Butler Presbytery.

Spot On with Social Media

(Written by Allison)

Friends, I am super impressed by the level of social media engagement that #ga221 has attained in just our first 24 hours of meeting.

1. You HAVE to watch this video, a parody of a song from the musical Les Miserable. (It's funnier when you know the personalities featured but I think it's still pretty entertaining to watch. Listen to the lyrics--soooo Presbyterian!)




2. Secondly, we learned that "everything is awesome" with #ga221legos. Two COLA team (Committee on Local Arrangements) members gave some explanations and talked about the Assembly's theme of "Abounding in Hope" (Romans 15:13 "May the God of hope fill you with all joy and peace as you trust in him, so that you may overflow with hope by the power of the Holy Spirit.") 

They then asked commissioners and advisory delegates to look under the tables. When we did, we found a bag of Legos!! Our task was to build SYMBOLS OF HOPE using the Legos and to share them on Facebook and Twitter using #ga221legos. 

"Lego-gotha"

After a little bit of playing around, #theBBP5 built the three crosses on the hill named Golgotha. We dubbed our creation, "Lego-gotha!" 

3. Finally, the GA also gave away free downloads of the PC(USA) daily prayer app by sending a text message.

I took advantage of this offer, presuming that by doing so I had just signed myself up on some mailing list. BUT this was an app on my "to purchase" list so I thought, why not??

(It's available to download for the device of your choice.)


Combine all this with the live stream of worship and plenary sessions, the Guidebook app (with the VERY hand personal schedule) and the PC-BIZ app (which is a little buggy on my iPhone but pretty good on my iPad), I am proud of the way our denomination is working to engage all kinds of folks sitting around these tables. (AND it makes it more fun for folks at home to play along as well!)

(Read THIS POST to catch up on the apps I just mentioned.)

I Saw Jesus

(Written by Allison)

The theme for this year's Assembly is from Romans 15:13: "May the God of hope fill you with all joy and peace as you trust in him, so that you may overflow with hope by the power of the Holy Spirit."

It's probably obvious why a city like Detroit would choose a verse like this for the theme. But in case you're wondering, check out this awesome video:


Sharing the Spirit of GA: Part 1 from Office of the General Assembly on Vimeo.


While you may hear terrible, terrible things about Detroit (which are all true, by the way) rest assured it is not ALL like that. Some parts ARE working to blossom and strive. And the church--OUR church--is a part of that. Beauty can carry folks through difficult times. Here's where I found beauty and hope and Jesus this morning.

Hear these words again, this time from "The Message:" 

"Oh! May the God of green hope fill you up with joy, 

fill you up with peace, 

so that your believing lives, 

filled with the life-giving energy of the Holy Spirit, 

will brim over with hope!" 

I Saw Jesus

Commissioned Ruling Elder Eva Barr

Before Eva ever left Pennsylvania, she saw Jesus.

She arrived at the airport at 7:30AM, in plenty of time to catch her flight which left at 10:00AM. Not being a frequent flyer, she was relieved to see that her flight was on time.

But then it was delayed.

And delayed.

And delayed again.

And THAT meant she was going to miss her connection. So they put her on another flight, one which left at 5:39PM. She would be late arriving in Detroit but better late than never, right?

Then THAT flight was cancelled. Finally, finally, finally she was booked on another flight, this one leaving at 7:07PM.

It was around this time that the ticket agent at the United counter started to look an awful lot like Jesus as she went out of her way to make sure that Eva was going to make it to Detroit on this flight. (She walked Eva over to the counter she needed to get to as well as double-checked with her once she was done.)

Next thing Eva knew, she was really on the plane, not really much worse for wear but definitely not in the best of humor. All of a sudden, Eva said, "As I was frowning, I faced a smiling flight attending who assured me that I would soon be where I was going--just like she knew what I had gone through the entire day." Jesus started to look a little bit like a flight attendant for Eva.

Then He morphed into yet another person, a wonderful COLA (Committee on Local Arrangements) volunteer in the Detroit airport. He told Eva that he had walked 12,000 steps that day but, as she says, he was still smiling and "walked another I don't know how many steps with me to the bus that would take me to the hotel. I was never to so glad to see a friendly face like his, which looked a lot like Jesus at that moment."

First Full Day

Want to read about Mark's "First Full Day" at #ga221?

Check out his personal blog, The Plumb Line. 

Tell Me About Jesus

Apparently we're not the only ones looking for Jesus at #ga221!! Check out this blog post...

Tell Me About Jesus

By Christopher Brown

Originally published: http://christopherbrown.wordpress.com/2014/06/14/tell-me-about-jesus/

It was a hectic morning. I’d overslept, our sixteen-month-old daughter had awakened early, and our small family was grasping for order amid the chaos of what promised to be another busy day. Trying to occupy her attention, I said,  “Why don’t we read a book?” She pointed at the bookcase, said “Book!” and proceeded to grab a copy of the Jesus Storybook Bible. I opened the pages and started reading aloud. Most of the language was still far above her head, but it went straight to my heart. With a sigh of relief I thought, It’s refreshing to simply be told a story about Jesus.

Then I had a flashback. Ten years ago, I was working in a cafe in Boulder, CO. One weeknight during my closing shift, I was sweeping the floor and preparing to clean the sparsely filled cafe when I overheard a conversation between three customers. They were college-age women having a Bible study. One, who appeared to be the leader, was talking to the others who both listened attentively. As I tried to hear more, I noticed that all she was doing was telling them stories about Jesus. And the women she was speaking to kept asking questions curiously. They wanted to hear more about Him. It was beautiful. I could have continued sweeping for hours while eavesdropping on that conversation.

These two experiences stand in contrast with most of the conversations I overhear in the Churchat large. We talk about a lot about things related to our life together, but it’s been a long time since I heard (or sadly, preached) a sermon that was only about how magnificent Jesus is. We have lots of good theological conversations at the seminary, but we constantly run the risk of reducing Jesus to a distant historical figure or a moral principle, instead of the compassionate divine lover of humankind that He is. This distancing of our conversation from Jesus seems to happen even more in the higher levels of the bureaucracy of denominations.

This weekend I’ll go to Detroit for the 221st General Assembly of the Presbyterian Church (USA). I’m not a delegate; I’ll be there to represent and promote Pittsburgh Seminary’s Church Planting Initiative. There will be a lot of talk at General Assembly, good and bad, about a lot of different issues. I’ll even engage in some of those conversations. But I think we’ll all be better off – our hearts will be more joyful, the Church will be edified, our decisions will be more faithful – if we take moments this week to set aside those debates and instead focus upon Jesus. So here’s my suggestion:

If you’re attending General Assembly, try speaking about Jesus more than yourself and more than your agenda. I want to hear you tell me about Jesus. If you’re using Twitter or Facebook throughout the Assembly, hashtag your posts with #TellMeAboutJesus. For one example of a possible tweet, a member of my congregation whom I recently asked to simply tell me about Jesus responded with, “He’s the sort of person who, when he speaks, you want to hear more.” I’m thinking that if we at GA share such holy thoughts with one another, we’ll find ourselves caught up in surprisingly beautiful conversations. Perhaps we’ll even recognize Jesus’ presence with us more clearly. I pray that the Holy Spirit will inspire our words, and guard us against any blasphemy.

So here we go . . . Tell me about Jesus.