I'd Rather Have Jesus: Worshipping at Presbytery

Beautiful music, “I’d Rather Have Jesus.” Our Presbytery meeting began with a wonderful worship service. The meeting at Capital Korean Presbyterian Church started with the Reformed understanding of the proclamation of the word. The pastor using a text from Ezra preached about the meaning of reformation. Not evolving to something new, not a revolution, but returning to the gospel, the good news that our Savior died on the cross for his church. And the music also proclaimed the word. We sang all the verses of “I’d Rather Have Jesus.”

Because we are splitting from a three-way partnership called Sierra Partnership that has encompassed three Presbyteries, Nevada, Stockton and Sacramento we are now going through a visioning process in order to discover what we will be. Today we sat around tables deciding what kinds of behavior goes with such things as openness, congeniality, listening and respect, a very interesting process.

Within the reports in our docket was the Administrative Report concerning Westminster Presbyterian Church and their past pastor David Thompson who is no longer Presbyterian.
Also today we voted on pastor commissioners for General Assembly. With the final vote we now have both an evangelical and a progressive going as commissioners.

I left slightly early with my pastor who had to leave, but as we passed through the door, an Elder who was ordained by the pastor who is no longer Presbyterian (but the pastor who filed the complaint against the Presbytery for allowing Fair Oaks and Roseville to go with their property) got up and asked for a clearer report on the recent court decision concerning those two churches. He will have to wait for that but …

All I could think about was-- openness, congeniality, respect ….. trust

And

I’d rather have Jesus than silver or gold;
I’d rather be His than have riches untold;
I’d rather have Jesus than houses or lands,
I’d rather be led by His nail pierced hand.

Than to be a king of a vast domain
Or be held in sin’s dread sway,
I’d rather have Jesus than anything
This world affords today.

I’d rather have Jesus than men’s applause;
I’d rather be faithful to His dear cause;
I’d rather have Jesus than world-wide fame,
I’d rather be true to His holy name.

He’s fairer than lilies of rarest bloom;
He’s sweeter than honey from out of the comb;
He’s all that my hungering spirit needs,
I’d rather have Jesus and let Him lead.