Brittany Dowdy and Jots and Tittles

I'm featuring the blog of Brittany Dowdy the college intern of Voices of Orthodox Women. Brittany has written several excellent articles for VOW. Her blog is Jots and Tittles. Brittany who will be entering Fuller Theological Seminary at Seattle this fall sat at the airport writing out her confession of faith in light of the utter nonsense going on at the Presbyterian General Assembly. She begins:

A PERSONAL CONFESSION OF FAITH IN RESPONSE TO THE 218TH GENERAL ASSEMBLY OF THE PRESBYTERIAN CHURCH (USA)by Brittany Dowdy

In light of the actions taken by the 218th General Assembly of the Presbyterian Church (USA), I felt it right and necessary to lay forth now my personal confession of faith. It is my hope that this confession will serve two purposes: first and most importantly, to glorify and honor God; second, to provide encouragement for my brothers and sisters who fight alongside me in order to restore our church to God. I write in the confessional tradition of the church, recognizing and honoring the confessions which came before mine and affirming that I, too, write in response to a threat to the true faith.

I confess that there is one God, who reveals Himself to us in three persons: Father, Son and Holy Spirit. I confess that this God is holy, eternal, omnipotent, omniscient, just, merciful and good. I confess that the Father, out of His great love for us, sent His only begotten Son, Jesus Christ, to offer Himself up in atonement for our sins. (More)

Telling the Truth

The writer of Proverbs admonishes the reader to “Buy truth, and do not sell it …” Ephesians tells the Christian that they are not to “be carried about by every wind of doctrine, by the trickery of men, by craftiness in deceitful scheming,” but are instead to speak truth in love. (Eph 4:14-15)

The absolute lack of such understanding about truth was pictured to me while sitting as an observer in the Ecumenical & Interfaith Committee at General Assembly. My nervousness over testifying against the overture that would declare that Muslims and Christians worship the same God was gone. All that was left was anxiety that the General Assembly would be unfaithful enough to pass the overture.

But I turned my attention to David Thompson, the minister from Westminster Presbyterian Church in Sacramento, wondering if he was testifying on some overture or just observing?

Thompson is the minister, who along with his associates, filed complaints when the Sacramento Presbytery allowed First Presbyterian Church of Roseville and Fair Oaks Presbyterian Church to leave with their property for a sum of money considered a gift. The two Churches in turn dropped their suit for their Church property. They of course had to return to court when the Synod agreed with Thompson, and they won the case.

When the Presbytery voted not to appeal, Thompson filed another complaint, causing the Synod to insist the Presbytery file an appeal. (Stay of Enforcement) Thompson was not finished. He stood before the Ecumenical & Interfaith Committee and testified that the Evangelical Presbyterian Church was stealing churches and millions of dollars from the Sacramento Presbytery.

Thompson was the only one who testified for approval of “On Investigating the Actions and Conduct of the Evangelical Presbyterian Church.” Did he offer proof? Hardly. He talked about web sites where churches can receive information about how to leave the PCUSA.

It can truthfully be stated that First Presbyterian Church of Roseville has a considerable amount of information on their web site which their members used in deciding if they as a church would leave the PCUSA. Included in this information is the web site of the EPC which offers a fifty page booklet entitled, Information Packet for Inquiring Churches

In the booklet is this statement:

“The EPC takes no joy at divisions existing within any body which bear the name ‘Church of Jesus Christ.’ We join our voices in prayer to the many within and without the PC(USA) for God to bring reconciliation, truth and righteousness. The EPC will retain the posture it has in the past toward other denominations with respect to those interested in or seeking dismissal – we do not recruit congregations from other communions but we will respond quickly and helpfully to those who wish to explore a relationship with the EPC.”

I have read most of the material that was offered as handouts at meetings of both Roseville and Fair Oaks. There was certainly no recruiting by EPC but there was plenty of information about the failure of the Presbyterian Church USA to uphold the faith of the Church. And that was not material published or produced by the Evangelical Presbyterian Church but by members of the PCUSA. The failure of the PCUSA to uphold their standards has everything to do with the loss of two very vibrant and evangelical churches from the Sacramento Presbytery.

While I am not a New Wineskin Presbyterian nor am I at this time intending to leave the PCUSA, I now have a picture of what falsehood looks like and am pained that I am part of a denomination that would persecute their brothers and sisters. And I confess part of the confession written by Bonhoeffer in his book Ethics, The Church confesses “She has not convicted the slanderer of his wrongdoing, and she has thereby abandoned the slandered to his fate.”

In the presence of evil

In the book That Hideous Strength, C. S. Lewis describes a group of people who, in one way or another, have become refugees from their own homes. They are taken under the wings of the Director whose name is Ransom. They are living in the presence of evil as they watch a group of diabolical utopians tear apart their familiar world, a small but ancient college town.

The beauty of this story is that the gathered people live as a family expecting to do great things in the presence of great evil. But the most important thing they do is follow the directions of the Director whether that is doing kitchen or garden duty or running risky errands for Ransom. In the end it is the wizard, Merlin and all the powers of heaven that confront and destroy the evil as those in Ransom’s house simply watch with some wonder.

The Church in the world, the ancient city of God, those gathered under the care of Jesus often face evil and faithlessness. But it is faithfulness and obedience that is required. The words of Holy Scripture are His directions.

“But you, beloved ought to remember the words that were spoken beforehand by the apostles of our Lord Jesus Christ, that they were saying to you, ‘In the last time there will be mockers, following after their own ungodly lusts.’ These are the ones who cause divisions, worldly-minded, devoid of the Spirit. But you, beloved, building yourselves up on your most holy faith, praying in the Holy Spirit, keep yourselves in the love of God, waiting anxiously for the mercy of our Lord Jesus Christ to eternal life. And have mercy on some, who are doubting; save others, snatching them out of the fire; and on some have mercy with fear, hating even the garment polluted by the flesh.
Now to Him who is able to keep you from stumbling, and to make you stand in the presence of His glory blameless with great joy, to the only God our savior, through Jesus Christ our Lord, be glory, majesty, dominion and authority, before all time and now and forever. Amen. (Jude 17-25)

Evelyn Waugh and the 218 General Assembly

The Catholic writer Evelyn Waugh wrote a historical novel about Helena the mother of Constantine; I was reminded of a conversation in that story as I thought about last night’s plenary session. In the novel Helena visits the holy sites of Jerusalem where she later, according to Catholic tradition, finds the cross of Christ.

But the conversation I was thinking of was about those Christians who languished in prison during the last Roman persecution (250 A.D.). Some in the leadership of the Church, while their sisters and brothers accepted death and prison, collaborated with the officials, in order to avoid prison. In a conversation between Helena and another person it is explained to her how the Christians in prison watched their pastors and bishops enter the prison in conversation with their persecutors, walking by their cells without a care.

Many of those who betrayed the sheep of their particular pasture were later forgiven and allowed back into the Church. (As an aside, there were those who did not want to allow them back. This became the Donatist controversy.)

But how this connects with last nights plenary session is how the commissioners were treated by those who officiated over the General Assembly debate on several of the overtures concerning Christians and Muslims, or as one person put it the Muslims and Jesus.

As some on the floor of the Assembly attempted, by amendments, to make sure the church did not enter into apostasy by saying that Christians and Muslims worship the same God ,the Moderator of the Church and others attempted to keep them from their witness.

In particular, the moderator of committee 7 and the new Moderator of the General Assembly, unfairly, paid little attention to parliamentary rules.

As one commissioner gave a strong defense of not using the term a “common God” on the basis of neither offending her Saudi relatives nor her own faith, the committee moderator interrupted her and was not ruled out of order. (Although the commissioner did finish)

The committee moderator was allowed to ask to have a Muslim clergy person who was on the platform speak to the commissioners. This was permitted without the vote of the commissioners and then, although there was someone waiting to speak for the motion, the Assembly Moderator called on a commissioner who was asking to call the question. That meant that after the Muslim speaker no one was allowed to refute anything he said.

Needless to say this means that in both the committee and the General Assembly a member of the Islamic faith actually was allowed to be the largest influence on the voting Christians. When one lists all of the broken parliamentary rules it is breath-taking.

Now several leaders of the Church have various modern & Western Muslim scholars and laity to stand for their progressive views. For the orthodox of the Church it is like being in those ancient prison cells while the progressive leadership of the church walks by hand in hand with those who care little for Jesus Christ.

It is important to point out that 07-01 and recommendation 2 were changed on the Assembly floor to a much better statement, that is, “2. State that though we hold differing understandings of how God has been revealed to humankind, the PC(USA) affirms that, as children of this loving God, we share the commandments of love for God and neighbor, the requirement to care for the poor” However the other amendments would have clarified the item and made it even more reformed and orthodox.

It is troubling when the congenial moderator becomes the congenial dictator. Perhaps it is simply a lack of experience. But nonetheless it does leave one thinking of ancient pastors and bishops who needed forgiveness.

How do you witness to those who need Jesus Christ when what should be pastoral leadership stands between you and the lost?

For complete details on how the three items on Muslims and Christians were handled see, “General Assembly Makes New Statements and Encourages Common Worship for Christian-Muslim Relations” by Michael R. Walker on the Presbyterians for Renewal Web page.

A terrible misundertanding about God

Many members of the Committee on Interfaith and Ecumenical Relationships seem to misunderstand the difference between belief in one common God, and belief in a particular "monotheistic"God. Just because someone believes in one God does not mean that they believe in all other monotheistic gods nor hold them in common.

In an attempt to not offend anyone the committee changed the wording "Jews, Christians, and Muslims worship a common God, although each understands that God differently" to “Though we hold differing understandings of how God has been revealed to humankind, the PC(USA) affirms our belief in one God, the God of Abraham, whom Jews and Muslims also worship.”

They have actually stated the same thing that the original overture stated and simply reversed the order. Perhaps if they had stated that the three faiths each worship a monotheistic God that would have been more acceptable. But given that they were simply guided by the thoughts of a western Islamic leader who is neither an Imam nor an Islamic scholar they had little help.

Her presentation of portions of the Muslim sacred text on Islamic tolerance was helpful when thinking about relationships between Christians, Jews and Muslims, but of little use for understanding the difference in the two views of deity.

As I have stated in another place on this same overture, "the sacred text of Islam does not reveal Jesus Christ as very God of very God although they do speak of Jesus. The Christian does not find grounds for the deity of Christ in any part of the Qur’an and no part of the Qur’an shadows a Messiah who comes to save his people from their sins. ...

God’s revelation has come to us in Jesus Christ who is God in the flesh, the Incarnation. We can only know God through Jesus Christ. That is not an understanding but rather revelation given from God’s side. We cannot get behind Jesus Christ to any other God. So we do not know the God of Islam. He is not our God."

All should pray that this overture be changed on the floor of the General Assembly. Jesus Christ is Lord of His Church and one way or another He will be lifted up by those who worship and adore Him.

Singing our way in San Jose!

I sat in the San Jose Civic auditorium this morning with my husband. We were attending the worship service of the 218 General Assembly of the Presbyterian Church USA. There were a few wonderful songs such as "Bearing Witness and Following the Word into the World: In Christ Alone," written by Keith Getty & Stuart Townend. But lifted with these songs were several monstrosities.

Using the music of "Oh for a thousand tongues to sing," others in the auditorium sang words written by Mirian Therese Winter. She is a Catholic sister who sometimes writes songs in reference to the divine feminine. I did not sing.

How could those who love Jesus Christ sing"O for a world where everyone respects each other's ways, where love is lived and all is done with justice and with praise. ... We welcome one world family and struggle with each choice that opens us to unity and gives our vision voice." as a substitute for:

O for a thousand tongues to sing
My great Redeemer’s praise,
The glories of my God and King,
The triumphs of His grace!

My gracious Master and my God,
Assist me to proclaim,
To spread through all the earth abroad
The honors of Thy name."

Another song was "O God, we Raise Our Voices," written by Rev. W Robert Martin III. The music was "The Church's One Foundation,"written by Samuel S Wesley. So instead of singing:

The Church’s one foundation
Is Jesus Christ her Lord,
She is His new creation
By water and the Word.
From heaven He came and sought her
To be His holy bride;
With His own blood He bought her
And for her life He died.

She is from every nation,
Yet one o’er all the earth;
Her charter of salvation,
One Lord, one faith, one birth;
One holy Name she blesses,
Partakes one holy food,
And to one hope she presses,
With every grace endued."

Some sang:

O God, we raise our voices remembering our past
Brave times of valiant choices on which our hopes were cast.
But now we seek perspective for all the future holds,
Grant us a clear directive to fashion Christ -like goals

We live with vast divisions of race, and creed and view,
a time of dire revisions to what you'd have us do.
So let us seek a pathway that leads us from such night,
and puts us on a highway that guides us toward your light."

Many may find themselves needing to sing a verse from "The Church's One Foundation," which we often don't sing but which was included in the original hymn by Samuel J Stone.

The Church shall never perish!
Her dear Lord to defend,
To guide, sustain, and cherish,
Is with her to the end:
Though there be those who hate her,
And false sons in her pale,
Against both foe or traitor
She ever shall prevail.

Jerry Van Marter, coordinator of the Presbyterian News Service: His reported statements about the Jewish reaction to a paper-switch

The New Jersey Jewish News has a news article written by Robert Weiner entitled Presbyterian confab worries advocates for Israel. There are several statements by Jerry Van Marter, coordinator of the Presbyterian News Service about the Jewish outrage over the switching of texts in the paper, "Vigilance Against Anti-Jewish Ideas and Bias.” It seems Van Marter cares little for the upset feelings of the Jewish community. And if this is reported correctly by the NJJNews, he seems to lack a news person's sense of the unbiased statement. The statements Van Marter is reported to have made are:

“The Jewish groups go nuts every time we make any statement they interpret as favorable to Palestine or the Palestinians...”

Wiener wrote, "Van Marter said church leaders amended their first statement 'to make it more balanced, and apparently it still doesn’t satisfy our Jewish friends. It is tough for Presbyterians because there is a Christian population in the occupied territories. The Christians are a very small minority, and they are shrinking because they are caught in the crossfires. The Presbyterian Church understands precisely why Jewish groups are upset, because we refuse to be one-sided. We’ve been on record for a two-state solution for 60 years now.'”

Evidently Van Marter did go on to state, "Presbyterians are not of one mind about the Israeli-Palestinian conflict."

As a Presbyterian and a Christian who is of another mind than Van Marter I have to say I wish it didn't seem as through he was speaking for most of the PCUSA because in reality he is not!

And the question might be asked, how truthful is that statement of Van Marter's about the sixty year call for a two state solution? Didn't PCUSA only recognize the state of Israel since 1974?