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.