An Idea to Share: Ending the PCUSA Ordination Wars...

This proposal is submitted with a desire to avert “playing politics” and promote the peace, unity and purity of the church. May ___________________ Presbytery set the standard for gracious ecumenism according the biblical examples of familial and missional separation modeled by Abram and Lot (Gen 13:5-9) and Barnabas and Paul (Acts 15:36-41).

In recognition of the following FIVE POINTS, we respectfully ask Pittsburgh Presbytery to approve the concluding “Five Point Guidance for Gracious Association.”  

1. Recognition of WCRC bodies as part of our Presbyterian and Reformed Family

To preserve the Peace, Unity and Purity of the church and avoid further scandal and fighting, we would affirm our present recognition of denominations and other associations within the World Communion of Reformed Churches (WCRC) to be a part of the Reformed “family of faith” to which we also belong.

2. Welcoming fellow ministers to serve in the PCUSA where possible.

We demonstrate this unity in this family of faith by advocating admission of Ministers of those WCRC bodies to serve in positions in PCUSA churches, provided they pass examination according to the current procedures for examination of ministers being received into membership in Presbyteries or being permitted to serve in one of our several congregations, and in keeping with relevant polity, presbytery standing rules and/or procedures, and any existing ecumenical agreements.

 3. Permitting Ministers to freely depart to fellow Presbyterian and Reformed bodies

We permit ministers currently serving in PCUSA churches to be affiliated with, transfer membership to, or accept ordination in, any of these bodies as these ministers determine this to be important to their sense of call and exercise of ministry as confirmed by our sister body's acceptance of their call to do so.

4. Permitting free and gracious dismissal of congregations with property.

While we would encourage our congregations to remain in our communion, PC(USA) polity nevertheless permits Presbyteries to dismiss a congregation to any WCRC corresponding denomination, without any stipulation that would deny the departing congregation possession of its properties and holdings, as that congregation may determine is best for their exercise of mission and ministry. God’s Word bids us to “make every effort to keep the unity of the Spirit thru the bond of peace” (Eph 4:3), and this crosses all boundaries that we may conceive for ourselves.

5. Urging financial integrity and consideration by departing congregations as an act of grace.

It is not inappropriate to ask departing congregations to fulfill financial pledges made to Presbytery or other organizations of the PC(USA), or to make other voluntary offerings as gifts of love. These cannot be required, given their voluntary nature, but shall be asked in the spirit of integrity and good faith participation in the Presbyterian and Reformed family of faith.

In light of these five points of ecumenism and grace, we ask Pittsburgh Presbytery to approve the following resolution:

Five Point Guidance for Gracious Association

__________ Presbytery, in the interest of preserving the Peace, Unity and Purity of the church, and to avoid legalistic and divisive battles over property, and to avoid scandal to the gospel from factions and quarreling within or among denominations and organizations in the Presbyterian family, adopts the following guidance for gracious association. This plan is to both fulfill the requirement for a “dismissal policy” as well as, more broadly, be a truly gracious step in the direction of greater Presbyterian and Reformed unity, and to provide definitive guidance for any and all discussions and processes for dismissal or reception of congregations seeking denominational realignment. 

• 1. ___________ Presbytery will continue to acknowledge and recognize those denominations and other associations within the World Communion of Reformed Churches (WCRC) (hereafter referred to as “bodies”) to be a part of the Presbyterian and Reformed family of faith to which we also belong.
  2. Desiring to demonstrate this unity in the family of faith, we will receive congregations from other WCRC bodies, and continue to admit Ministers of those bodies to serve in positions in the churches of this presbytery, provided they pass examination according to current procedures for examination of ministers being received into membership in Presbytery or being permitted to serve in one of our several congregations, and in keeping with relevant polity, presbytery standing rules and/or procedures, and any existing ecumenical agreements.
  3. We will continue to permit ministers currently serving in churches of this presbytery to be affiliated with any of these bodies, or transfer membership to, or accept ordination in any of these bodies as they determine this to be important to their sense of call and their exercise of ministry as confirmed by our sister body's acceptance of their call to do so.
  4. We will permit any congregation to be dismissed to any of these bodies as they determine best for their exercise of mission and ministry, and do so without claim on their property or holdings.
  5. Desiring to maintain healthy ecumenical friendships within the World Communion of Reformed Churches, we ask departing congregations to examine the nature and amount of loans made by, or trust funds established for, Presbytery or other organizations of the PC(USA), as well as pledges made, and encourage them to satisfy the loans as required by law, fulfill the pledges to the extent of their ability in either a single sum or a series of gifts over time, and to consider a “gift of love” as testimony to our continuing good toward one another in Christ. Both the pledge and the gift are not requirements but are asked in the spirit of integrity and good faith participation in the Presbyterian and Reformed family of faith.

So, let it be resolved this day,

Those that do not learn from History...

I am not sure at what point in school they stopped calling my favorite class "Social Studies" started calling it "History" but those classes were the most fascinating to me if only at the time for their "wars and rumors of wars" qualities. Yet whether you call it History or Social Studies (and I'm sure an academic wonk could set me straight about the nuance here) the point of studying it is best summed up with that almost cliche sentence "Those that do not learn from history are doomed to repeat it." That doesn't just mean taking the class over again. Looking at history is to look at how human beings get along with one another in the world and gives us lessons that I heard the other day are better learned "from parchment instead of pavement." In other words we can learn from books a lot more painlessly sometimes than we can from experience.
Those lessons do not have to be lessons of "doom" by the negative examples of the mistakes of others either. They can also be positive. I am reading Nehemiah right now in preparation for our new Thursday Bible Study (at the ROCK 7:15 PM) and just in the first chapter, I am finding insight into the positive example of this man who found his nation in shambles and determined that he would do more than feel sorry for their mess. He put his distress and compassion into action.
As I prepare too, for this Sunday's annual Meeting and "Celebration of Ministries", I am finding that our church has a place in History, past, present, and future, that we must examine, give thanks for, and step forward in prayer and action to our moments calls to compassion and mission.
Open Nehemiah, or anywhere else in the Bible and look for what the events and actions of people in the past, and their responses to God who is eternal, can teach you about your life, and our life together, today.
In Christ and on the Shepherd's Path,
Mark

Em-Body-Ment

"For in Christ all the fullness of the Deity lives in bodily form" Colossians 2:9

This has been a year for discovering God.  Many in our congregation have been participating in the 2010: A Bible Odyssey, Journey Through the Bible in a Year.  In that Journey we have had the opportunity to encounter the Written Word of God, God's self revelation to His people through the inspired words of the Old and New Testaments.  When we talk about "Revelation" as Presbyterian and reformed Christians we are not talking just about the book at the back of the Bible before "Maps".  We are talking about our faith that God is personal and can be known by us. We believe that God revealed himself in General Revelation, through creation in such a way as asserted in Romans 2:20 "For since the creation of the world God's invisible qualities—his eternal power and divine nature—have been clearly seen, being understood from what has been made, so that people are without excuse. "  We also believe God chose to reveal Himself through "Specific Revelation" to certain people, His covenant people, Israel first then the Church which included the Gentiles, through His Word.  That Word, is the Word written, the Bible;The Word Incarnate, Jesus Christ; and the Word Preached, when it rightly explains the first two.
We have encountered the Word Written in reading the Bible together this year, and heard the Word preached when we gather on Sundays and other occasions for worship.  Now. here at the end of the year, we celebrate the Word incarnate.  The Word "made flesh".
John 1:14 says " The Word became flesh and made his dwelling among us. We have seen his glory, the glory of the one and only Son, who came from the Father, full of grace and truth."  This is what we celebrate at Christmas, this em-body-ment of God who otherwise "is Spirit and does not have a body like we do" as some of us may have learned as kids learning the Westminster Catechisms.  Yet the miracle of Christmas is that this Holy God, took on a body like ours, ordinary and subject to all that we suffer and enjoy about being embodied people.  A friend, Pastor Laura Strauss of Clinton UP Church, shared this quote recently on facebook:

"If we knew what the Incarnation meant, we'd be so preoccupied with awe
that we wouldn't notice all the shopping." -Lauren F. Winner

Certainly, that is Christmas.  That is the sum of what we celebrate when we talk about the Word made flesh.
It is so unfathomable to us, who tend to see a body as something so far beneath God as to be preposterous and amazing at the same time, that He would take on flesh like ours.  But it is exactly what he did.

While we treat bodies like something worthy of contempt yet God gives honor to bodies.  They are a part of His intention for creation.  We are born with bodies and when we die we do not lose our bodies, but have them replaced with a perfected "Resurrection body."  We bury bodies with dignity because they are important.  We also cover our bodies with modesty, or at least ought to because they are important to us and to God.  Recently I was having to correct a youth at the ROCK for making comments about another's body.  I want to thank our own Henry Yoder because as I was I remembered a line from his book "Longing for Eden" as I was explaining our value of modesty and our duty to care for one another and respect our bodies. Explaining Leviticus 18:6-13, Henry writes, "The reason the nakedness is not to be uncovered is because the responsibility for covering is the responsibility of someone else...Never uncover nakedness for which you cannot properly assume the responsibility to cover."  Now, I did not quote this to the kid, but instead explained that we are responsible to keep each other covered just like God covered Adam and Eve's nakedness after they sinned. Whether with words or actions we are to protect the dignity of the bodies we are given.
This too highlights the awe-inspiring reality of the incarnation and of God's self revelation.  From Genesis to Revelation God is protecting what we damage and misuse and is restoring us.  The miracle of the incarnation is that the word of God became flesh, took on a body to do this.
Merry Christmas!
In Christ and on the Shepherd's Path.
Mark


May contain Confidential Information intended for the original recipient only.  Confidential information is shared only when necessary to directly aid in acquiring assistance for an individual or family.  Any misuse of this information is prohibited.

Rev Mark R. Simonds
Pastor, Oakdale UP Church
"Declaring Teaching and Living God's Word of Grace"
President, West Allegheny Ministerial Association
"Worshiping and Serving One Triune God Together"

Awesomeness...

The only thing more overdone than our use of the word "Awesome" is criticisms of our overuse of the word "Awesome."That being said I will attempt very carefully not to add to this pile, another useless argument that "Awesome" is overused.  Instead I want to remind us of the "Awesomeness" (Though that may not be a real word) of God and its implications for our church.

About the time you'll be reading this the Worship team will be singing "Our God is an Awesome God" by the Late Rich Mullins, a staple of 1980's and 90's praise choruses and one of the first of such choruses I learned at a time when I was learning that there were other songs of praise used by Christians other than the Hymns of the 1930's green Presbyterian Hymnal and a few other tunes I had learned in Catholic school Chorus.  "Awesome God" resonated with me (and I'm sure a couple of generations of praise chorus singing Christians) both for its simplicity and it's Truth.  In fact, as you'll hear the Sunday we sing it it often gets stripped of its verses and sung just as a chorus.  Not only are the verses harder for novice guitarists to play, but in their casual imagery they are almost at odds with the majesty of the chorus.  (Sorry Rich, but to be fair you get to live with Christ in person now while I'm stuck here writing opinions about your songs)

If you don't know what I'm talking about, here is the Chorus:

Our God(our God) is an awesome God

He reigns(He reigns) from heaven above

With wisdom(with wisdom) pow'r and love

our God is an awesome God.

Now the first verse:

When He rolls up His sleeves He ain't just puttin' on the ritz (our God is an awesome God)

There is thunder in His footsteps And lightning in His fist (our God is an awesome God)

Well, the Lord wasn't joking When He kicked 'em out of Eden

It wasn't for no reason that He shed his blood

His return is very close and so you better be believing that our God is an awesome God

My point is that the song, a lot like church sometimes, is cute and quaint when Majesty is what we aim for. The fact is that God IS an Awesome God and we naturally, struggle to capture that in our worship.  However striving to really  grasp and reflect praise for the indescribable and mind-boggling holiness of God is what worship is about.

If we are to be revived as a church we must begin to realize the utter Holiness and "Awesomeness" of our God.  In a culture that accepts "good enough" and confuses "reverence" with "boring" and "honor" with "formality" It is hard to know how to "Give your best to the master" as the old hymn goes.

It begins with pausing (the purpose of Sabbath) perhaps the night before worship and reminding yourself (and your family if you are a parent or grandparent) of the importance of what you will be doing Sunday Morning.  Pause and read Scripture, perhaps a Psalm or portion of the Gospels that reminds you of who it is you are going to Worship.  Recall that you are not "going to church"  to perform a routine or religious duty, (or a job if you are the pastor) but you are going to offer real worship to the King of the universe who gave you life and who saved you from the terrible consequence of sins that you chose freely to commit.  You have been invited by that God to get to know Him better through His word and to participate in some way in being reminded of what he has done.

When you go to worship prepare.  For some that might mean wearing your best clothes. Not to impress others or to meet a dress code (hear me on this. No matter how you come I want you here and I will accept you whatever you wear), but for yourself as you would prepare to meet with anyone you loved and who was important to you. 

Confess your sins.  I know you'll do this again when you get here, but do it for your own sake so that you can be assured that you are in fact "good enough to come" because Jesus has taken your sins away.  The roof will not fall in if you show up and you have not failed so badly that you don't belong at church.

Come expecting.  Even if my sermon is not the greatest, God has something for you here whether in what I say or in just one piece of the Scripture that you read and trail off thinking about it to miss the rest of the sermon.  Realize that if God grabs your attention with one thing and makes a difference in you with it then that was the part of the sermon that you needed.  The rest was probably for someone else.

Be present. Not just showing up, but really present and glad to be here with God and His people.  If at all possible hang around a bit after or come early to get to spend time with the rest of the local family of God.  Enjoy God's presence and His people.  You were invited by the King of Kings.

In all this remember that God is an Awesome God and we were greated as the Westminster Shorter Catechism teaches to "Glorify God and Enjoy Him forever."

In Christ and on the Shepherd's Path,

Pastor Mark

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May contain Confidential Information intended for the original recipient only.  Confidential information is shared only when necessary to directly aid in acquiring assistance for an individual or family.  Any misuse of this information is prohibited.

Rev Mark R. Simonds
Pastor, Oakdale UP Church
"Declaring Teaching and Living God's Word of Grace"
President, West Allegheny Ministerial Association
"Worshiping and Serving One Triune God Together"

MyChurch.org

To all of our My Church Members.
Thank you for joining MyChurch.org for the Oakdale UP Church. Unfortunately Mychurch.org is closing all of it's free sites. We are now at http://www.facebook.com/OakdaleUPChurch. Please join us there.
In Christ,
Rev. Mark Simonds
Pastor

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May contain Confidential Information intended for the original recipient only.  Confidential information is shared only when necessary to directly aid in acquiring assistance for an individual or family.  Any misuse of this information is prohibited.

Rev Mark R. Simonds
Pastor, Oakdale UP Church
"Declaring Teaching and Living God's Word of Grace"
President, West Allegheny Ministerial Association
"Worshiping and Serving One Triune God Together"

The Hole in Our Gospel for $5

The book "the Hole in Our Gospel" for the Thursday Night "Shepherd's Path Bible Study" is at Family Christian Store for $5 this week.
See the store location in Robinson here

Our first Study

Here's a link to the website for the subject of our first Study.

Check it out.

http://www.theholeinourgospel.com/

What are your initial thoughts? What do you expect to hear?

In Christ and on the Shepherd's Path,
Mark