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The General Assembly of the Presbyterian Church (USA) ended its meeting and dismissed the commissioners yesterday. The several hundred men and women from all over the world now go home and try to communicate exactly what they did in Detroit for a week and why they did it. Some will return to hand shakes and “Job well done!” Others will be asked “How could this possibly happen?” with expressions of shock and dismay. Such is the nature of the Presbyterian Church (USA). Some will believe we have finally done the will of God. Others will believe we have ignored it once again.
There are few things we can say for sure. First, as a denomination we will continue to dwindle. Our stance in Detroit will be the basis for 17 international denominations to cut their ties with us. Churches will leave. Membership will decline. Our efforts to “fit in” just don’t seem to be working like we had planned.
Second, we continue to focus on the irrelevant, even when the irrelevant seems to make the front page. You have probably heard that the Presbyterian Foundation has been ordered to sell all stock in Caterpillar, Hewlett-Packard, & Motorola because of those companies’ ties to military efforts in Israel in opposition to the Palestinians. On the surface it makes sense. Is it really appropriate for a religious organization to own stock in companies that produce a product meant to bring violence on other people? This was the lead story on many internet news feeds. When you dig deeper, you find that “our” holdings in Caterpillar amount to 0.05% of the holdings owned by the foundation. When you add all three companies together the amount “skyrockets” to 0.35% of total holdings. Obviously, the sale of these stocks is limited to symbolic value only. It will not hurt our portfolio, nor will it hurt their bottom line. Actually, it is amazing this wasn’t done several years ago simply to avoid this kind of publicity!
Thirdly, our grand idea of 1001 new worshipping congregations within 10 years has been swallowed up in fights over gay ordination, same sex marriage, and divestment from the industrial military complex. Granted, the original counting of wine tasting clubs as worshipping congregations caused many people to question the emphasis. However, it was starting to look more promising until the really important matters came to the fore this summer. Yes, I am being sarcastic.
What does this mean for you as a member of the Presbyterian Church (USA) sitting in your pew the first Sunday after the dismissal of the GA? It means you should pray. You should pray for a denomination that seems to have forgotten what its mission and ministry is about. You may start to pray first and foremost for all of us right here, because it is people like us who make up this branch of the Church. Maybe we have lost our way as well. The Gospel is not that we have sold our Caterpillar stock, nor is it that we have gotten our way on a particular issue. The Gospel is Jesus Christ died for sinners like you and me. His death and resurrection restores our relationship with our Heavenly Father. It restores our relationships with one another. It heals us from our brokenness. And, hopefully, it holds us together through our petty fights and disagreements.
The months ahead will be difficult. Make sure that your prayers are among the many offered for a new sense of vision and purpose, a desire to return to that which has never become old, worn out, or irrelevant. For God so loved the world, that he sent his one and only Son, that anyone who believes in the Son shall not perish but have everlasting life!
Pastor Craig
Second, we continue to focus on the irrelevant, even when the irrelevant seems to make the front page. You have probably heard that the Presbyterian Foundation has been ordered to sell all stock in Caterpillar, Hewlett-Packard, & Motorola because of those companies’ ties to military efforts in Israel in opposition to the Palestinians. On the surface it makes sense. Is it really appropriate for a religious organization to own stock in companies that produce a product meant to bring violence on other people? This was the lead story on many internet news feeds. When you dig deeper, you find that “our” holdings in Caterpillar amount to 0.05% of the holdings owned by the foundation. When you add all three companies together the amount “skyrockets” to 0.35% of total holdings. Obviously, the sale of these stocks is limited to symbolic value only. It will not hurt our portfolio, nor will it hurt their bottom line. Actually, it is amazing this wasn’t done several years ago simply to avoid this kind of publicity!
Thirdly, our grand idea of 1001 new worshipping congregations within 10 years has been swallowed up in fights over gay ordination, same sex marriage, and divestment from the industrial military complex. Granted, the original counting of wine tasting clubs as worshipping congregations caused many people to question the emphasis. However, it was starting to look more promising until the really important matters came to the fore this summer. Yes, I am being sarcastic.
What does this mean for you as a member of the Presbyterian Church (USA) sitting in your pew the first Sunday after the dismissal of the GA? It means you should pray. You should pray for a denomination that seems to have forgotten what its mission and ministry is about. You may start to pray first and foremost for all of us right here, because it is people like us who make up this branch of the Church. Maybe we have lost our way as well. The Gospel is not that we have sold our Caterpillar stock, nor is it that we have gotten our way on a particular issue. The Gospel is Jesus Christ died for sinners like you and me. His death and resurrection restores our relationship with our Heavenly Father. It restores our relationships with one another. It heals us from our brokenness. And, hopefully, it holds us together through our petty fights and disagreements.
The months ahead will be difficult. Make sure that your prayers are among the many offered for a new sense of vision and purpose, a desire to return to that which has never become old, worn out, or irrelevant. For God so loved the world, that he sent his one and only Son, that anyone who believes in the Son shall not perish but have everlasting life!
Pastor Craig
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