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!

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.

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.

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."

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.  

I am Beaver-Butler Presbytery ... Eva Barr

I am a ruling elder at Mill Creek Presbyterian Church in Hookstown, PA. I am also a commissioned ruling elder but I am not currently serving a church. Instead, I work in the Central Valley High School in the Learning Support Program, mainly with seniors in the science program.

I am serving on one of the committees that's receiving A LOT of attention at #ga221--"Middle East Issues."

I am most looking forward to seeing how decisions are made at the national level, and how involved Scripture and prayer are in these decisions.

Where will I look for Jesus? I expect to find Jesus in the hearts, voices, and attitudes of many of the participants.

I am Beaver-Butler Presbytery ... Mark Plumb

I am an EMT, a grandfather, and a commissioned ruling elder pastoring  the Fountain Park Church.

I will be spending a good deal of time and energy working with Committee #5: Mid-Council Issues.

Of all the things about #ga221, I am most looking forward to the times of worship and seeing many old friends.

Where will I be looking for Jesus? I know it sounds naive, but as a gathering of the Body of Christ, I expect to see Jesus reflected in every aspect of GA.

If you'd like to read more about my reflections on #ga221, feel free to check out my personal blog: The Plumb Line.

I am Beaver-Butler Presbytery ... Mauri Smith

I am a Teaching Elder currently serving the North Sewickley Presbyterian Church.

The good folks of Committee #11 (Peacemaking and International Relations) and I will be spending lots of time together at #ga221.

I am looking forward to meeting brothers and sisters in the PC(USA) from across the country and getting firsthand experience in being a part of the work of the national church.

Where will I be looking for Jesus? I expect to find Him in our times of worship and prayer, and in the relationships with fellow believers in our denomination.

I am Beaver-Butler Presbytery ... Josh McElhaney

I am a member of the New Bethlehem Presbyterian Church in Aliquippa, PA.

I am a YAAD (Young Adult Advisory Delegate) currently enrolled at Slippery Rock University.

At #ga221, I'll be serving on the Committee #6: "Church Polity and Ordered Ministry."

This is my first General Assembly, and I am looking forward to hearing the different opinions on these issues and working through them.

Where will I be looking for Jesus? Everywhere--I expect to find him everywhere and in everything.

4

Four days until #ga221 begins!

Last night, the #BBP5 gathered for a time to get to know each other a little better, to ask questions, and to pray. (We also discovered that NO ONE has started packing yet!!)

We are eager for the Assembly to begin and to look for WHERE and WHEN and HOW Jesus is at work in the Presbyterian Church. [There are those who may be skeptical that Jesus is still hanging around in the PC(USA) but it is our belief that He is present and active.] We EXPECT to see Jesus all over the place, and we hope this blog will be a way for us to share those experiences with you, our friends and family back home.

Commissioners and advisory delegates will begin #ga221 with "Riverside Conversations" at 8:30AM on Saturday, June 14 where we will have a chance to hear presentations on the issues garnering the most attention in this Assembly.

Be praying for the #BBP5, friends--we need to be blanketed with your prayers for energy and patience, wisdom and encouragement, and perhaps most of all, eyes to see and ears to hear God's will for His church.