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.