First Sunday of Advent-

My devotional commentary for Advent led me to a Christmas song sung by Joan Baez. Looking it up on You Tube, I, of course, started listening to all of the old songs I love. Baez singing, “The Night They Drove Old Dixie Down,” Peter, Paul and Mary and their “500 Miles” and “Where Have All the Flowers Gone,” Simon and Garfunkel singing “The Sound of Silence.”   But there is a certain kind of melancholy, a looking back at the sadness of the past, the goodbyes, the brokenness—it is after all part of what makes many folk songs beautiful. But for Advent we look back and forward, with joy.

We look back to the birth of our Savior, the Incarnation, the One who is both fully human and fully God. And just as the Hebrews experience their history as now—they speak of the Exodus as through they were present—God delivered us. They are the community delivered. So, in our salvation, our deliverance, in our union with Christ we also look forward to the coming of his birth, the coming of his life, the coming of his suffering and death, the power of his resurrection. We live through it by way of Scripture and the Holy Spirit who unites us to the Lord.  And finally and ultimately we look forward to his return—the second coming of our Lord.

We will (and do) skip like calves in our joy.

“For behold the day is coming, burning like a furnace; and all the arrogant and every evildoer will be chaff; and the day that is coming will set them ablaze” says the Lord of hosts, “so that it will leave them neither root nor branch.” “But for you who fear my name, the sun of righteousness will rise with healing in its wings; and you will go forth and skip about like calves from the stall.” (Malachi 4:1-2)

Kairos humor and Sacramento Presbytery

After having posted the summary of the Sacramento Presbytery meeting in the posting below, as I was putting it on Twitter I saw something on Twitter that really surprised me—because it was on Twitter. This is how Sacramento Presbytery too often functions—this is the pain that is growing in our Presbytery, perhaps across our denomination. This is the statement I saw:

“Ivan Herman ‏@ivanherman [he is a pastor in Sacramento Presbytery]

Lunch with today with a lesbian pastor. At the table next to us sat the 2nd loudest anti-gay elder in the presbytery. #kairoshumor”

There really are no anti-gay people in our Presbytery; rather there are those who understand same gender sex to be sin. And we believe biblically,  as Christianity has for 2000 years, that it is improper for those who call sin 'okay' to be pastors or ruling elders. Not sure who the loudest elder is—but the person Herman is referring to as the 2nd loudest is a friend of mine. I know that because I know he had lunch there that day, since a former pastor of Fremont was also having lunch with Herman.

I am aware that many in Sacramento presbytery do not understood that homosexuality is a part of humanity’s broken condition which Christ wants to forgive and heal. Although I will not be with them—I believe it is a good thing that Fremont Presbyterian Church is moving to the Evangelical Presbyterian Church. They still will not have peace in this world but they will have peace in their new denomination as they worship Christ and serve their community for his sake.

Notice, using what is called a hash-tag (#), Herman puts “Kairos humor” with his tweet. But it is certainly not Kairos humor if one is thinking of the Christian understanding of Kairos. That would tend to be God's appointed humor. Perhaps he intends the original Greek meaning. Wikipedia, speaking of Aristotle’s rhetoric, states this:

Kairos is, for Aristotle, the time and space context in which the proof will be delivered. Kairos stands alongside other contextual elements of rhetoric: The Audience, which is the psychological and emotional makeup of those who will receive the proof; and To Prepon, which is the style with which the orator clothes their proof.

Then perhaps the psychological and emotional make-up of those who will receive Herman’s humor, their Audience, would undoubtedly be anti-orthodox—and, of course, the style that Herman uses, the To Prepon, is absolutely not Christian, (since it insults another person). 

Believe me, one cannot stand for biblical truth in this presbytery and not be slandered and even hated. Please pray for us. Pray for everyone here that Jesus Christ and his authority as Lord will have sway in our hearts and life.

Sacramento Presbytery's Transitional Presbyter' Jay Wilkins' summary of the Presbytery meeting to dismiss Fremont Presbyterian Church to the EPC

This information was sent out by the Sacramento Presbytery’s Transitional Presbyter, Jay Wilkins. I am placing it here because it, hopefully, finalizes all of the postings I have made on Fremont Presbyterian Church and Sacramento Presbytery:  

What Happened at the Special Presbytery Meeting on November 10?

The Presbytery of Sacramento and Fremont Presbyterian Church reached a creative, faithful agreement to a year-long process of dismissal which shows the church a different way of resolving a conflicted situation.

The Presbytery gathered on November 10, 2012, at the Carmichael Church. This special meeting was called to address two items of business – an agreement on the dismissal of the Fremont Presbyterian Church to the Evangelical Presbyterian Church, which includes a license agreement between the Presbytery and Fremont; and, a motion to begin the process of forming a new worshiping community with those members of Fremont who wish to remain in the PC(USA).*

The dismissal agreement had been developed through a process of mediation with 15 people (six chosen by the Committee on Ministry, six chosen by the Fremont Session, and three chosen by the Fremont members wishing to remain in the PC(USA)). The mediation process was led by Tim Pownall, an attorney experienced in faith-based mediation. 

Moderator Bob Yule opened the meeting with prayer, and welcomed Anna Niemann Perrine and Rich McCormac to present the motion for dismissal. Patti Dusel spoke as a member of the mediation team representing Fremont, and shared the experience of being formed as a community by the mediation process. Carter Mosher spoke on behalf of the members wishing to remain in the PC(USA), and affirmed their support of the process and the agreement. Mediation calls for all to make compromises and find common ground for the good of everyone being represented.

Highlights include Fremont being dismissed with the property; the transfer of Rev. Don Baird to the Evangelical Presbyterian Church; a process for the Rev. Dan Willson to transfer to a denomination other than the EPC in the next year; a license agreement in which a new PC(USA) worshiping community has use of the Fremont facilities for 10 years (valued at $500,000); and, a gift from Fremont to the Presbytery of $50,000 over 10 years, or discounted to $325,000 if paid within six months. The dismissal agreement was approved by a vote of 66 in favor, 15 against. All members of the Fremont Church were invited forward for prayer and blessing.

The second item of business was a motion to begin the process of forming a new worshiping community with those members of Fremont who wish to remain in the PC(USA). A group will commit to the 6-9 months required by a process of “Starting New Churches”, which will develop a statement of identity, a vision statement, a mission plan, and identify the leaders of the mission plan – both pastoral and church member leadership. The new PC(USA) church will be located at 5770 Carlson Drive, Sacramento, under license agreement with Fremont Church (E.P.C.). The Presbytery will act as co-signers on the license agreement until the church is organized. This motion passed unanimously.

This has been a difficult year for Fremont and the Presbytery, but a way forward has been found that demonstrates love and creativity, and brings glory to God.

[* These documents are available on the Stated Clerk’s page at www.sacpresby.org.]

A review of Horizon's "Salvation: Why it Matters"

C.S. Lewis writes of God’s glory. Lewis calls it a glory with some weight of which we must take care, since some bear it about their persons. Lewis writes, “Next to the blessed Sacrament itself, your neighbor is the holiest object presented to your senses. If he is your Christian neighbor, he is holy in almost the same way, for in him also Christ vere latitat—the glorifier and the glorified, Glory Himself, is truly hidden.[1]

In the Nov/Dec 2012 Horizons, entitled “Salvation,” Karen Russell, program associate for the Office of Theology, Worship and Education, asks two interesting questions whose answers, in my mind, lead to the glory of God.  In her article, “Salvation: Why it matters,” she asks, “What, exactly, makes the good news so good? What difference does it make to how we live?” In the first part of her article Russell deals with the ‘good’ of the gospel. In the latter part she deals with the ‘difference’ to our lives—the ethics of a Christian. Russell makes hope the main focus of her article; it does affect the Christian life.

Russell, using Jürgen Moltmann’s understanding that “salvation counters the sin of despair, writes:

Despair is fed by looking at the world around us and realizing that we are not on a level with God. [2]Despair whispers in our ear that the hungry will never be fed, peace will never come and that nice gals finish last. Despair urges us to simply accept things the way they are.

It is from this that Russell turns to hope as a gift. She uses 1 Corinthians 13 where faith, hope and love are highlighted. Russell shows that both the prophets and Paul insist that hope entails knowing the reality of the situation while yet knowing, by faith, that God through Christ, is able to change the situation. That is hope. And yet something very important is missing. This is not the whole story-this is not the complete picture of salvation. This is not the ‘good’ of salvation.

As Russell begins her understanding of how hope “spurs us on to action,” she refers to 1 Thess. 2:12, Rom. 3:28 and most importantly Rom. 5:1-2. She writes:

In the intertwining of faith, hope and love, we can identify a Christian ethic that provides a guide for living a life that Paul described as worthy of God’s call to us (1 Thess. 2:12). It is through faith that we are justified (Rom. 3:28), and the gift of the justification is hope (Rom. 5:1-2). This hope fills us with God’s love, which is poured into us, filling us (Rom. 5:5).

This is not a bad beginning for Christian ethics, but Russell has missed a far more important beginning—the goodness of the gospel that is embedded in these verses. She fails to define the hope that is named. It isn’t just a hope that things will be better, not even that God will make them better. It is so much more than that. The Scripture text states, “we exult in hope of the glory of God.” It goes on to say “And not only this, but we also exult in our tribulations …” The first part, hope of the glory of God, refers back to the ‘why salvation matters’ question. It is the ‘good’ of the gospel. The latter, exulting in our tribulations, leads to the hope that shapes our ethics. And they are both wrapped in our union with Christ.

The hope of the glory of God is our hope in sharing once again in the glory that was humanity’s before the fall.  F.F. Bruce explains using Romans 3:23, “The image of God in which man was created was believed to involve a share in the divine glory, which was forfeited through sin.”  Of Romans 5:2 Bruce writes:

… the glory of God is the end for which he created mankind … and it is through the redemptive work of Christ that this end will be achieved. So long as his people exist in mortal body, it remains a hope, but it is a sure hope, one that is certain of fulfillment, because those who cherish it have already received the guarantee of its realization in the gift of the Holy Spirit, who fills their hearts with the love of God.

Our hope of the glory of God, which is promised, entails our redemption and our union with Christ. We are united with him. In his death we also die, in his resurrection we share his life and power. Because he suffered we share in suffering. We, as the text states, exult in our tribulations. Why? The text has the answer and it is bound up with our discipleship, our ethics.

And not only this, but we also exult in our tribulations, knowing that tribulation brings about perseverance  and perseverance, proven character; and proven character, hope; and hope does not disappoint, because the love of God has been poured out within our hearts through the Holy Spirit who was given to us (Romans 5:3-5).

All that is ours we have in Christ—including our suffering. He works it out in us through the Holy Spirit. Salvation is not simply knowing that God will eventually change the circumstances, it is knowing Christ Jesus—it is living in him. It is Christ changing us as we, through the Holy Spirit, live in him.

Russell writes of our actions toward peace, justice and need. She writes, “Hope spurs us to action, whereas despair (hopelessness) bogs us down. If we believe that injustice will eventually be defeated we are more likely to fight against injustice now.” This is certainly true for most of humanity, but it is the transforming life we live in Christ that spurs the Christian on. And Russell does refer to the love shed in our heart by the Holy Spirit. It is our life hid in Christ that makes the difference.

In the end the works that are truly good works are his also. It will be his peace, his justice, his need, not arbitrarily chosen ones. As Paul writes in Ephesians, “For we are his workmanship, created in Christ Jesus for good works, which God prepared before hand so that we would walk in them (2:10).  

---

[1] C.S. Lewis, The Weight of Glory, revised and expanded edition, (New York: Collier Books, Macmillan Publishing 1975) 19.

[2] Karen Russell’s note: Jürgen Moltmann, Theology of Hope, (Minneapolis: Fortress 1993) 22.

A review of Horizons'“Salvation as Right Relationship”

The November/December (2012) Presbyterian Women’s Horizons is entitled “Salvation.” There are five articles on salvation; some are good, although weak in important areas, others are speculative and historically inaccurate. Most of the articles do not make an adequate use of Scripture or the confessions. I believe that the greatest problem with all of the articles is a lack of enthusiasm for the great gift Jesus Christ has given his people. I will write about the articles one at a time over the next few weeks.

A review of “Salvation as Right Relationship” 

Kevin Park, associate dean for advanced professional studies and assistant professor at Columbia Theological Seminary has written what I would call a three pronged look at the meaning of salvation. He begins by attempting to explain what salvation is not; his explanation somewhat caricatures evangelical Christian faith. Park also looks at what he believes are the roots of the western understanding of salvation. His basic focus is how the Christian understanding of the Trinity underscores a relational salvation. For this he uses both the first statement of the Heidelberg Catechism and ideas from the Office of Theology and Worship’s paper on the Trinity, “The Trinity: God’s  Love Over Flowing.”

Park equates his early views of salvation with conservative and evangelical beliefs and sees them as understanding salvation only as a means of escaping hell and gaining heaven.  In other words, for conservative Christianity, salvation has everything to do with humanity’s existence after death and nothing to do with this life. Park, correcting what he believes is true of evangelical teaching and I believe is his caricature, writes beautifully of the Greek meaning of the word salvation which is soteria. Explaining that the root of soteria is sozo he writes:

This word has a wide range of related meanings, including rescue, deliver, protect, save, make whole, preserve, heal and set free. The word sozo is closely related to the Hebrew word shalom—a very robust word that is much richer than its usual translation of “peace.” The meaning of shalom includes restoration, completeness, wholeness, health, prosperity, complete peace, wellness, reconciliation, fruitful life, rightness and justice.

However, simply defining the word salvation with its Greek shades of meaning fails to pull in the whole meaning of salvation as it is meant in Christ Jesus.  It fails to deal with the depth of human depravity. It fails to speak to the historical actions of the God-man, Jesus Christ, who dying gave redemption to an utterly lost people. But most of all it fails to deal with the union between Jesus and those he has redeemed.

Park finds the foundation for what he sees as evangelical Christianity’s preoccupation with life after death in Platonism and its “tradition of the dualism of body and soul.” Park explains, “Platonism taught that the physical world was a shadowy corruptible copy of the real, eternal, spiritual world.” The soul found redemption without the body by “practicing philosophy and contemplating the spiritual realm.” 

Park turns to the Eastern Orthodox tradition which supposedly followed a better way because they were influenced by Aristotle who, “took the physical world much more seriously than did the Western tradition.” These ideas are overstatements, in some ways untrue and simplistic. But more importantly there is too much emphasis placed on philosophical influence and not enough on the Scripture and Confessions.

It is true that early medieval Christianity was cognizant of Platonism using some of its terms to explain what they believed. And later medieval Christian scholars, as well as Renaissance scholars, were interested in Aristotelian philosophy—in particular, among western Christians, Thomas Aquinas’ name is equated with Aristotle. But one does not really find that divide running between western and eastern Christianity. Park has set up a caricature of evangelical beliefs, they are only interested in the afterlife, and then he tries to undergird it with philosophical history, but the lines of that history run in too many directions to be used that way.

Park turns to the Trinity to write about relational salvation. Park quotes that beautiful beginning of the Heidelberg Catechism:

…I belong—body and soul, in life and death—not to myself but to my faithful Savior, Jesus Christ, who at the cost of his own blood has fully paid for all my sins and has completely freed me… (4.001)

He goes on to point out that this answer brings body and soul, life and death together. He, also, once again points out what salvation is and isn’t. “…salvation is not attained by assenting to a doctrine or a set of knowledge.” And then:

Salvation is in Jesus Christ … Truth and salvation for us is a person not information. Therefore salvation is entering into relationship with the person who has initiated and invited us into this love relationship.

Park points out that this relationship has its “roots in the very being of God as Trinity.” This is because “God is relational.” He “exists in divine community and has created the world in order to share God’s overflowing love with us and with all of creation.” Emphasizing broken relationships, and never denying that humanity has sinned and attempted to live dependent of God, Park summarizes salvation this way:

The relational understanding of God and creation shapes the meaning of salvation. Salvation, then, is living in loving and right relationship with God and with all of God’s gifts, including relationships with our human neighbors, as well as with all of creation, marked by generosity of self-giving love as demonstrated by Jesus Christ.

 He goes on to show how this salvation brings meaning to the whole created world as Christians become reconciled to all of creation. This is a salvation that touches all of life, ecology, money, those who live with need—and Park rightly insists that it is costly-it cost the death of the Son of God.

But something is missing—something very important. That is the righteousness of Christ and our union with him.  While Park attempts to pull in the very important objects and people that are affected by our salvation he leaves out the very crux of the matter, that we bear the righteousness of Christ rather than our own righteousness. And our relationship is more than a relationship, we are united to Christ, in Christ—our communion is a life sustaining gift. This is what eliminates the dualism of a salvation concerned with only heaven. We are instead concerned with Jesus whether we touch earth or heaven. And because of our union with Christ we see the harvest fields in all of their whiteness—we also feel more deeply the needs of the wounded.

As Paul puts it, “For me to live is Christ and to die is gain. But if I live on in the flesh, that will mean fruitful labor for me; and I do not know which to choose.” (Phil. 1:21-22) The point is it isn’t a question of dualism but the gift of Christ.

Because the Father has chosen us and redeemed us by the death of Christ we bear the righteousness of Jesus. Yes, we are in a relationship with the eternal God. We are united to that one who took on flesh and carried it into the midst of the Trinity. Forever the Incarnation resides at the center of the Trinity and we, the redeemed, with him. Forever, we have communion with the Triune God. The word salvation, as it relates to us and the Lord of the Church stands alone, a unique category.

Meandering thoughts before Thanksgiving

There is a story, I have forgotten the actual title, it is something like “The Green Grass of Home.” The story is about two astronauts whose links to their space ship have become disconnected and they are slowly floating away from each other and their ship. As they float they begin talking to each other, remembering all of the goodness of life on earth. Very slowly their voices fade from each other as they drift further into space and they are alone. Not a happy story, not a happy ending. Some of us in this denomination, PC (U.S.A), find ourselves in that position. We are becoming disconnected—and it feels lonely. But there is a difference.

In the midst of a denomination where others seem to be trying gleefully to be as theologically different as possible, ignoring the pain that many others are experiencing, there is still at the center of our lives the Lord of the universe. As some move on to other denominations seeking to be obedient to the Lord of the Church—still he is the Lord of those remaining as he is of those going. There is a uniting foundation; it is the One who keeps us in fellowship with one another. But the Lord of the Church will brook no strange vision of his being. He has given his Church the apostolic witness-the authority of his word.

Strangely, but perhaps not so strangely, as many false Christs arise even within the denomination, so our love for the true Christ, Jesus, who is fully human, and fully God, Jesus, who has given us life by the shedding of his blood, will grow and our closeness to those who are intent on following him will also grow. There is a peace placed so deeply at the core of our being that we know there is a holy tomorrow to slip into—it is not disconnected from the mother ship—the Church that is anchored to Christ and his word.

Extra news about Gaza-Update

As most people know there is once again conflict in the Middle East. The Israel/Palestine Mission Network of the Presbyterian Church (USA) is asking that the media report the whole story.IPMN Condemns Violence in Gaza & Israel, Encourages Better Reporting From US Media Although I usually disagree with them this report is in alignment with their request. This is news about something happening in Gaza that I have not seen on the regular news.  It was sent to me by a friend with permission to post:

"17 November 2012

Hamas Detains Foreign Journalists in the Gaza Strip

(Communicated by the Ministry of Foreign Affairs)

 Hamas is not allowing at least 22 foreign nationals who wish to exit the Gaza Strip for Israel to do so. Among the members of the foreign press being detained are nine Italian citizens, six citizens of Japan, one Canadian, one South Korean and a French national. In addition, two Turkish Red Crescent members have been refused exit.

 This violation of the human rights of neutral foreigners is yet another example of Hamas’ attempts to manipulate and pressure the press.

 For its part, Israel is keeping the Erez crossing into Gaza open, allowing passage to the foreign press, diplomats and humanitarian workers."

 Update-this is now being reported in other papers see-

Hamas Detains Foreign Citizens in the Gaza Strip at Algemeiner.