The good news (besides the Good News of the new creation
made possible through the death and resurrection of Jesus Christ) was that the
decongestant I took before bed seemed to clear up some of my ear issues.
Hallelujah! The less good news is that taking a stimulant before trying to
sleep makes for a fitful night. Woke up at 6 a.m. and took a 5 mile run along
the river before getting some breakfast and a shower. Then it was off to the
bus to attend Sunday worship at the Hot Metal Bridge faith community. I read
about HMB a couple of years ago when it was profiled in Presbyterians Today and was intrigued by the description of their
ministry. It was a truly inspiring service that is nothing like the worship I
lead in Sioux City. Like many contemporary worship services they opened with
several songs. Unlike any contemporary service I’ve experienced, the music was
more gritty folk gospel than the mealy Contemporary Christian praise choruses
you usually hear. We were told that they have about 30 musicians in their
community who rotate playing for worship and that they all volunteer their
efforts. Music was followed by a time of prayer and the requests went on for a
good ten minutes, people sharing the struggles and needs of friends, family,
people offering thanks for the ministry of the
Church. All of that was pretty cool. But then one of the
pastors got up to offer the proclamation and what we got was a creative,
humorous, and ultimately very moving dramatic treatment of the story of the
Good Samaritan. It’s a familiar text, one that I’ve studied, preached, talked
about- and still I was moved to tears by what they did. It wasn’t sappy. It
wasn’t cheesy. It was quite funny, and ultimately true to the spirit of the
Word. That was followed by a more traditional explication of the text by a
seminary student who works with the community. It was really good too. The
final element of the morning was the celebration of communion, a weekly feature
of the community, one that shapes their identity. The whole thing was so cool.
At the conclusion of worship we cleared the space and set up tables and joined
them for lunch. This wasn’t just lunch for the GA visitors, they share lunch
EVERY WEEK following worship as a way of continuing their communion with one
another and with God.
It was nice to get back with time to rest a bit before heading
to the Assembly Hall for the afternoon’s business. My roommate, a recently
retired Korean IT worker from Southern California, came in while I was resting.
He was able to attend a Korean church here in Pittsburgh and clearly enjoyed
his time there.
The afternoon session included the approval of the
vice-moderator and the re-election of the Stated Clerk. While she may be a very
nice person, the woman selected by our moderator has openly defied the polity
of the church, presiding over the union of a same gendered couple. The issue
for me isn’t the union itself. I think there may be an argument to made in
favor of marriage equality. For me the issue has to do with ordination vows.
Abiding by the polity of the church is not a selective option. You might not
agree with it all, but if you’re called to serve the ordered ministry of the
church, abiding by our polity is imperative. While there was a sizable number
of commissioners who did not approve the selection (including yours truly), the
majority did give its approval. I think it’s a bad precedent, but there you go.
Not much else to report of interest other than a lengthy
presentation about how our denomination is older and whiter that the US
population. I know, what a shock! Can’t tell if it’s meant to shock us into
evangelism, or to simply discourage us. My guess is that the result will be the
latter.
Just when I thought we might get out early, we were
treated(?) to a lengthy presentation by the General Assembly Mission Council,
complete with several videos. Some may appreciate knowing these things. It’s
great that they’re being done even if most of the people in our congregations
don’t know about them. The whole thing just felt a little like a desperate
attempt to justify their existence.
After an afternoon break and dinner, the various committees
convened for the first time to begin their business. There are 21 committees
who will be considering the overtures sent by Presbyteries for consideration by
the Assembly. These committees will meet over the next two days. Not all
overtures will be sent to the entire Assembly for consideration- only those
that come out of the committee work. The committee I’ve been assigned to (not
my choice) is listening to overtures regarding Church Orders and Ministry. The
last Assembly (in 2010) approved a change to the language regarding the
standard for individuals ordained to the ordered ministries of the church
(teaching elder, ruling elder, deacon). That change was ratified by a majority
of the Presbyteries. Many of the overtures to this committee have to do in some
way to this change. No overtures were
taken up tonight. Just introductions and housekeeping, clarification of roles
and resources. I find that the later the hour, the less patience I have. That
coupled with a cavernous space that has serious sound conflicts with a
committee on the other side of the ballroom divider made me increasingly
cranky. Like any group of people unfamiliar with one another there was
uncertainty in the room and the unspoken tension of the decades-long contention
created by questions surrounding who should, or should not, be considered
eligible for ordination. I’m working through some thoughts on ‘standards,’ and
how they tend to turn us into Pharisees. Haven’t worked it through though. Time
for a drink at the hotel bar and then bed. Tomorrow the real work begins.
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