Lenten Examination

No this is not some special quiz that is given only during Lent or a special medical test that doctors perform during this season.  Instead, it describes the practice of intentionally setting aside time for the regular examination of our conscience and our consciousness as discussed by Marjorie Thompson in “Learning Forgiveness:  A Lenten Study” from The Thoughtful Christian.

This week we explored the role of these dual examinations as we begin with looking inward and outward as a foundation for our learning about forgiveness.

For examination of conscience we explored Psalm 51 with the familiar cry of “Have mercy on me, O God, according to your steadfast love; according to your abundant mercy blot out my transgressions.” (51:1)  The idea that we must look honestly on our lives and lift to God in prayer our sins . . . the things we have done and the things we have left undone.

We explored the reality that we must open ourselves to God and realize that it is not possible for us to earn forgiveness and instead we must totally rely on God’s grace and mercy.  In the end, “The sacrifice acceptable to God is a broken spirit; a broken and contrite heart, O God, you will not despise.” (51:17)

The exploration of examination did not end with looking inward, but also looked at the importance of examining our consciousness as we experience the wonder of God’s creation around us.  Psalm 139 served as the model for how we can do this as we acknowledge, “Where can I go from your spirit?  Or where can I flee from your presence?  If I ascend to heaven, you are there; if I make my bed in Sheol, you are there.” (139:7-8)

This week we were challenged to honestly consider who we are and what we have done, as we continue to learn about forgiveness.  It was wonderful to hear the perspectives and ideas of the conversation group as together we strive to faithfully serve God.

Join us as we continue this conversation on Thursday mornings at 10:00am in the Fellowship Hall as part of our ongoing Coffee, Cookies and Conversation series.

Crossposted from:  Lenten Examination

Why forgiveness?

Of all the possible topics for the church to talk about on Thursday mornings, why have a conversation about forgiveness?  This is the question that I had to answer when deciding whether or not to facilitate a Lenten discussion on forgiveness.  There are so many different possibilities for where to start having a conversation about being Christians in the world today, so why start with forgiveness?

The simple answer is because we all need forgiveness.  The reality is that we all sin and fall short of who God calls us to be.  So, why not start with something that we all have in common.

This does not mean that forgiveness is an easy topic to talk about.  That is where The Thoughtful Christian comes in with Marjorie Thompson’s curriculum “Learning Forgiveness:  A Lenten Study”.  This 6-part program serves as the foundation for a conversation about forgiveness.

We began our journey by considering Luke 15:11-32 (The Prodigal Son) on Thursday, February 14.  This is a familiar story to many Christians, but we considered it from new perspectives . . . intentionally reading it as the different characters in the parable (e.g., younger son, older son, father, servant) to hear it with new ears.  The conversation that followed encouraged us to think in new ways and to see that every story (even a familiar one) has multiple perspectives.

We did not solve all the issues of forgiveness in our first conversation, but we did begin to see that sin is more pervasive than we often think and more people than we normally think need forgiveness.  Including in this familiar parable, where when we look closer we find that it is not just the younger son who needs forgiveness . . .

Join us as we continue this conversation on Thursday mornings at 10:00am in the Fellowship Hall as part of our ongoing Coffee, Cookies and Conversation series.

Crossposted from:  Why forgiveness?

Taking on something new . . .

Often during the season of Lent people give things up as part of their preparation for Easter.  This year I decided to try taking on something new . . . writing a blog post each week about something happen at First Presbyterian.  This is a new endeavor and an experiment that I hope you enjoy, so please join us each week and feel free to share what you think & feel.

Grace and peace,

Pastor Bill

Crossposted from:  Taking on something new

Marathon Day (aka – Slogging Through Overtures) – Part 2

After a break for dinner we continued “slogging through overtures.”  The pace picked up significantly during our business meeting tonight as we considered (and ACTED ON) recommendations from the three remaining committees:

• Committee #13 – Peacemaking and International Issues
• Committee #09 – Mission Coordination
• Committee #19 – Health Issues

As we finished up the last of the items for consideration, I realized that I could quote what the Moderator was going to say.  The voting sequence for commissioners is:  “Commissioners, you have been advised.  Please vote while your keypad is active.  Please complete your voting now.  Has anyone not voted?  We await results.”

Also, mark your calendar now for:  Big Tent – Grow Christ’s Church Deep and Wide.  The event will be in Indianapolis, Indiana from June 30 – July 2, 2011.  Join in the family reunion as ten different conferences occur at the same time and place.  Think General Assembly without all the committee and plenary meetings!!

As an endnote to the protest this afternoon, the word that we were given is that the protesters were not affiliated with the PC(USA) and had not been credentialed to be on the assembly floor.  When the protest began they were asked to leave by GA staff and the Moderator, which was followed by a request from building security who said if they did not leave they would be considered to be trespassing.  Then the police asked each protestor to leave voluntarily or they would be arrested.  Some left voluntarily and some were removed by the police and issued a citation for trespassing before being released.

So, we now have less than 12 hours left on site for the 219^th General Assembly of the Presbyterian Church (USA)!!

Marathon Day (aka – Slogging Through Overtures) – Part 1

Today was a day with many hot button issues on the docket (agenda), so here are my brief (I hope) views on some of the big actions of the day:

• The parliamentary excitement started early today as we considered a “Motion to Reconsider” all actions answered by Item 12-12 last evening.  And, only 40% of commissioners voted to approve the motion to reconsider so our actions from yesterday stand unchanged.
• Passed – Item 14-07 “On Iraq.” – an amendment attempted to include language from the original overture related to directing the Advisory Committee on Social Witness Policy (ACSWP) to study the relation to expenses in Iraq & Afghanistan and the impact on the US economy.  In the end this amendment (as was the text in the original overture) was defeated.
• Passed – Item 14-03 “MRTI Report of Its Engagement with Corporations Involved in Israel, Gaza, East Jerusalem, and the West Bank.” – the report deals with several companies, but this item is close to home since there is a Caterpillar plant in Lafayette and members of the congregation are directly or indirectly employed by them.  Carol McDonald (Co-Executive of the Synod of Lincoln Trails and former moderator of the Presbytery of Wabash Valley) made a very strong presentation about the impact within the synod of Caterpillar and their employees.
• Answered with action on Item 14-03 – Item 14-01 & 14-02 “On Divestment from Caterpillar, Inc.” – an amendment was made to divest the PC(USA) from Caterpillar and the amendment was overwhelming defeated by the GA (71% against).  Interestingly, a YAAD (Young Adult Advisory Delegate) who was on the committee said that pastors from the Peoria area said that from their perspective while it would hurt, divestment was a better option from their perspective than continued denouncements every 2 years.  Though an Elder Commissioner from Great Rivers Presbytery (where Caterpillar is headquartered) said that she was against all attempts to divest and denounce because Caterpillar has no control over what end users use their products for.
• Passed – Item 14-08 “`Breaking Down the Walls’—From the Middle East Study Committee.” – after HEAVY amending during committee the updated report (with large sections now removed and/or changed) was discussed and approved overwhelmingly during plenary today.
• Passed – Item 18-06 “On Directing the Board of Pensions to Extend Benefits to Same-Gender Spouses and Domestic Partners.” – I asked another question today because the way that people were talking about an up to 1% increase in Board of Pensions dues would be thousands of dollars more per year.  The reality is that for someone making $30,000 that would be a dues increase of $300 per year and I wanted everyone to hear from someone at the Board of Pensions that the number is really that small.  I felt silly asking the question (and I hope it did not come off as flippant) but people were making it sound like this would be thousands of dollars extra a year that would be breaking the bank.
• Passed – Item 05-04 “On Amending G-11.0407 and G-4.0560, and Adding a New G-11.0408b. Regarding Commissioned Lay Pastors.” – It was a surprise to me that with no debate or amendments the efforts to expand the role of CLPs (Commissioned Lay Pastors) within the PC(USA) was disapproved.

Things got interesting this afternoon when a protest group moved on to the assembly floor and disrupted the work of the assembly.  The group carried signs and moved to the front of the assembly and stood.  The Moderator handled things very well and paused discussion as we joined in a hymn and then she lead us in a prayer before placing us in recess until the protestors were peacefully escorted out by a police officer.

After the protest and impromptu break we returned to our discussion of Item 05-21 “Responsibility of General Assembly to Provide Authoritative Interpretations of Book of Order (G-13.0103r)” which after a lot of debate on polity issues was approved as amended.  And, we were all granted the unofficial title of “polity wonk” by the Moderator.

On a side note the:  congratulations to Rev. Carol McDonald on being named to the Committee on the Office of the General Assembly (COGA) by the General Assembly Nominating Committee (GANC) and being approved by the GA.  While there were many people nominated to serve the larger church at the GA level, it was neat to have a friend on the list of nominations we approved!

Caffeine!! I need caffeine!

Getting going on the 6th day of GA had my rethinking my decision to not drink caffeinated beverages, because a Dr. Pepper or Diet Coke sounded really good this morning (but I did not give in to the temptation).

Today was a day with many hot button issues on the docket (agenda), so here are my brief (I hope) views on some of the big actions of the day:

• Passed – Item 04-06 “On Appointing a General Assembly Commission on Middle Governing Bodies – COGA.” – after significant amending the GA created a “commission” to act on its behalf to work with, study (including the questions from the Overture 04-05 that our presbytery concurred with) and (as needed and when invited) to make changes to middle governing bodies (presbyteries and synods).  There seemed to be among some commissioners a significant amount of fear and possibly suspicion of what the GA is trying to do.  And, I made my first (and possibly only statement) from the floor during the debate when I asked a question (and brief follow-up) on the impact of a proposed amendment . . . I hope that the butterflies bouncing around in my stomach were not too obvious.
• Passed – Item 06-09 “On Amending G-6.0106b.” – there was a lot of debate on this item.  And, after serving on this committee earlier in the week (see earlier posts here, here, and here) there were several times that I just wanted to scream that what was being said is not what the committee is recommending (my apologies to Jill and the other Bill for having to listen to me during the 1 ½ hours plus of debate).  In the end after much debate and discussion the item passed:  53% – yes; 46% – no; 1% – abstaining.
• Passed – Item 11-11 “Commissioners’ Resolution. Regarding a Call to Stand with Immigrant Presbyterians in Their Hour of Need.” – after significant discussion and debate the GA voted to call for among other things for the PC(USA) to “Refrain from holding national meetings” in locations with laws similar to the “Arizona Law” on immigration.  An interesting question asked, what happens if Pennsylvania passes a similar law in the next year since the 220th GA is in Pittsburgh?
• Passed – Item 12-12 “The Final Report of the Special Committee to Study Issues of Civil Union and Christian Marriage to the 219th General Assembly (2010) Presbyterian Church (U.S.A.).” The report passed and will be commended to the presbyteries for study (with the minority report to also be commended for study).  Interestingly, with a single motion this report became the final answer for all the other items on marriage.  The amazing thing is how fast the action went and it will be interesting to see if there is a motion to reconsider tomorrow morning when things sink in.

After being ahead or even on the docket for most of the last two days, we had such long discussions on several issues today that we had to “arrest” consideration and move on to other items to keep things moving a couple of times.  Which meant I spent most of the day at my desk and it was a late evening before we finally “caught up” & finished the docket for today.  Though I did get to eat a delicious lunch at Salsa a la Salsa restaurant and dinner with the Presbytery at The Melting Pot.

PS – As the day went on, the need for caffeine returned several times and while not giving in to the call for a Diet Coke or Dr. Pepper, I did enjoy chocolate (Linda – thank you, thank you, thank you for the snacks!!).

The Fun Begins Again . . .

Wednesday morning at GA is traditionally a morning of catching up . . . on reading (all the reports/actions that other committees have taken) and with friends (during the annual seminary lunches).  So a room full of Princeton Seminary alums gathered at the Hilton for lunch, fellowship and catching up.  Our table had alums from 1947 to 2008 and it was nice to connect with friends and meet new people.

During the lunch, President Iain Torrance updated us on recent changes at the seminary (without going into lots of detail here) the seminary is building new family housing (maybe this means no more pink tiled bathrooms) and working to make more library resources available to the church (both locally and globally) including replacing Speer library with a new Bicentennial Library.

This afternoon and evening we took final action on items from several committees (for the Assembly with several items going to presbyteries for approval).  Here are just a few of the items that we addressed and my perceptions on them:

• Passed – Item 16-06 “Baptism Requirement for Participation in Lord’s Supper.” – while not amending the constitution the “statement is offered as pastoral advice” and provides guidance in serving communion to those who are not already baptized by placing the emphasis on grace and hospitality as well as beginning a conversation about the “significance of the sacraments.”
• Defeated – Item 16-03 “On Amending W-2.3008b Regarding Baptism of Children” – the debate was personally difficult for me.  There were references by a pastor and a chaplain in support of the amendment about how paraphrasing a quote from John Calvin about God adopting us before we are even born is reassuring to parents who have suffered a perinatal loss (infant death in the first 28 days of life) or still birth.  The debate brought back many strong emotions of when we faced this very issue as the parents of a very premature daughter who died at 23 days old.  While the speakers were 100% accurate about the wonderful support that this knowledge provides, it also hurt to hear the death of infants and the pain of parents used as leverage in a larger argument that is really not related to the issue of baptism!!  Particularly since the full quote from Calvin is meant to assure the faithful that infants who die are already adopted by God.
• Passed – Item 16-12 “Report of the Special Committee on the Belhar Confession.” –77% of commissioners voted in favor of referring the Belhar Confession to the presbyteries for approval.  There was less debate than I expected and the number voting in favor was more than I thought it would be.
• Passed – Item 07-01 “Form of Government Task Force Report to the 219th General Assembly (2010).” – after extensive debate (and after a defeated substitute motion) the amended new Form of Government (nFOG) has been approved by the GA and will be sent to the presbyteries for approval.  As a former soccer referee, I like the idea of a more streamlined constitution that provides guidance but is hopefully not bogged down with too many provisions to be easily & effectively implemented (like the difference between “The Laws of the Game” in soccer versus the huge rulebooks for football or baseball).
• Wonderful polity phrase that was heard a couple of times – “on this vote . . . yes means no” which was used when voting to approve a recommendation from a committee to disapprove an overture.

For more info about what happened at GA there are many sources online including these UNOFFICIAL perspectives:  The Presbyterian Outlook, GA Help, and The GA Junkie.

Half Way There . . .

After much discussion yesterday and discernment (as well as debate) today our committee has completed its work.  Yeah!!  🙂

In the end, we approved one more overture today (06-09 “On Amending G-6.0106b.”) and ultimately decided to respond to all the other remaining overtures with our action on this overture.

I appreciated that whether we were considering highly complex elements of Robert’s Rules of Order (I think we were at the 200 or 300 levels instead of the 101-level today) or debating the merits of a motion, our discussion remained civil and respectful.  I really think the discussion time in small groups around the tables was incredibly valuable in helping us to get to know each other; which then facilitated our deliberations today.

Thank you to our outstanding committee leadership team and to all the committee members for your hard work and dedication!!!  I especially want to thank the members of my small group who journeyed with me through our committee work . . . your candid and heartfelt insights are greatly appreciated!

With the end of committee work came a time for worship & communion before we adjourned.  This was followed by a time of fellowship to recharge as I had the chance to spend time with friends and classmates at a birthday party for Carol McDonald (Happy Birthday Carol!!) and at a reception sponsored by my seminary (Princeton Theological Seminary).

It is now time to call it a day because the fun starts all over again tomorrow.  Discussion about COM (Committee on Ministry) related issues in the morning and then plenary in the afternoon & evening as we consider all the recommendations made by the committees!

Committees

Today was all about committee work.  The GA is divided into committees made up of Commissioners (Elder and Minister) and Advisory Delegates (Young Adult, Theological Student, Mission Co-Worker, and Ecumenical) who all have BOTH voice and vote during the committee meetings.  Each committee is assigned a series of overtures (requests/petitions/etc.) from Presbyteries and Synods for the GA to take some type of action and/or amend the constitution.

In Committee #06, we started our work with about 50 people openly and honestly sharing their personal views on the overtures before our committee during an open hearing period.  The stories helped to give important context and perspective to the overtures we have been assigned.  Thank you to everyone who shared their stories and their opinions, your perspectives are greatly appreciated!

After the open hearings, we considered our first two items of business:

• 06-01 “On Amending G-11.0407 and G-14.0730 to Affirm the Role of Certified Christian Educators.”; and,
• 06-19 “On Establishing a Process to Evaluate the Current Call System”

For those who are interested in the procedural details, we heard from overture advocates, resources persons and then after a motion was made we had a period of discussion and questions before voting.  Our action at the committee level is to make a recommendation to the full General Assembly on how it should act on the overture.  Click on the links above to see the details on what our recommendations are to the full GA.

We also heard from the overture advocates and resources persons related to the 18 other items before the committee related to ordination standards.  The presentations were very thorough and very respectful.

Then our committee broke into small groups (we sit at 7 round tables with elders, ministers and advisory delegates at each table) to discuss what we heard.  For me, the discussions were very helpful and provided a way for us to begin wrestling with these complex issues in a non-confrontational way as we process the information shared today.

During our first round of small group discussion, I had to slip out for a short period to wear my overture advocate hat when one of the committee staff came up behind me to say that I was needed now in Committee #04.

So, it was a quick walk around the block of rooms to the other side and as I walked in (less than 3 minutes after being told I was needed) I see the other two overture advocates already up front making our presentation.  Joining them in mid-presentation, I arrived in time to make my ~1 minute presentation.  As of heading back to the hotel for the day, I am not sure of the recommendation on the overture, but will update tomorrow when I know more.

At the end of the day, my overture advocate work is complete and our committee has 2 of 20 overtures addressed with only one day of committee time left.  So, tomorrow will be a busy (and possibly long) day.

Sunday at the General Assembly

Sunday began as Sundays do when you are a pastor . . . with worship.  But, this week rather than serving as the pastor I got to serve as a participant in a wonderful opening worship service at the 219^th General Assembly.  From the liturgical dancers and opening processional to the 250+ person choir and the sermon by Bruce Reyes-Chow (the now former moderator) the worship service was full of energy.

We celebrated both sacraments (communion and baptism) during worship, including the first baptism ever during worship at General Assembly.  The baptism was a wonderful and moving experience; and on a personal note my former upstairs neighbor during seminary (Rev. Kara Root) provided the introduction to the baptism.

During the service there was a time of special recognition for military and veterans affairs chaplains thanking them for their dedicated service to the men and women who serve our country.  Thank you to all who serve and have served as military & veterans affairs chaplains!!

Also, those Ministers of Word and Sacrament who have died and joined the great cloud of witnesses in the church triumphant since the last General Assembly were acknowledged.  Among those acknowledged were several members of the Presbytery of Wabash Valley, including the Rev. Jim Rankin who served at First Presbyterian – Delphi where I now serve.

The worship service was a wonderful experience and it was only after the service that I realized we had worshiped for 2 hours and 10 minutes (and that Bruce’s sermon was about 30 minutes long).

This afternoon found us beginning our committee work.  I am serving on Committee #06 – “Church Orders and Ministry” which will be considering overtures related to Christian Educators, ordination standards, evaluating the call process, and behavior of ordained officers.

Today was a short day of committee work that focused on getting to know each other, orientation to the committee procedures and approving our docket.  So, tomorrow we will move forward with three working sessions as we dive head first into the 20 overtures assigned to our committee.

I am also serving as an “Overture Advocate” in support of the Presbytery’s concurrence to Overture 04-05 “On Creating a Special Committee to Explore the Roles and Relationships of Synods and Presbyteries to Each Other, to the Agencies, and to Congregations.”  So far, there has been very little advocating but the overture is on the docket for tomorrow evening so this will change tomorrow.

We capped off the 4^th of July with a “picnic” (and if you wanted to stay fireworks) on Nicollet Island in the middle of the Mississippi River.

Hope everyone had a wonderful and safe 4^th of July!!