Out To The Lake

Jesus, it seemed, had no desire to be safe.

Even in the face of a horrendous thunder storm, he turned to face the storm. He asked the disciples "Where is your faith?"

Gradye Parsons, newly elected stated clerk of the General Assembly, reminded us of that story during his stand for clerk. Gradye's telling of the story was one of the more moving memories of the assembly. It is, he said, a story he uses as a reminder of his calling into ministry. And, he said, the reminder is always that Jesus is calling us to get into the lake.

The assembly's actions just may give him reason to rely more faithfully on that story.

As you may have heard, the assembly took many actions -- over 400 -- but perhaps only three of them will ever be remembered. Those actions, which are better summarized on the denomination's web page, are all related to issues of ordaining homosexuals. The constitution itself has not yet been changed. That will require a majority vote of Presbyteries, and may or may not happen. In any case, it seems we are out in the lake at the moment.

As I reflect on GA, I have several thoughts. I'm struck by how hard it is to come to consensus around such a difficult issue when the only option is "win-lose." I do not fully think this is the most grace-filled option, but then I'm not sure what other options are readily available. We cannot continue to confront this -- and other controversial issues -- with a "war room" mentality where we rely on stategies, caucuses, and lobbying to "win the day." We must, instead, find a way to confess the faith anew in this time and place. Trusting in Jesus, we must turn toward the storm. Trusting in Jesus, we must turn toward each other and discover new ways of practicing discernment.

A second thought: our work as commissioners was not over as the gavel adjourned the meeting. We are, indeed, floating in the storm.

Claudio Carvalhaes, Assistant Professor of Worship and Preaching at Louisville Presbyterian Theological Seminary, wrote a paraphrase of Psalm 118 for the GA devotional booklet. You can find a copy at www.ThoughtfulChristian.com, but here is a snipet:

"Sometimes, out of my distress here at GA,
I called on God, and God answered me.
The Lord reminded me that God has set me
in the midst of a diverse church, a broad place.

With God on our side to help us,
We should not fear...
In the name of the Lord,
I will not cut off those who do not agree with me;
Here at GA I was pushed hard,
and I pushed hard, too.
But in the name of God we did not cut ourselves off from each
other and from the loving bond of Christ."

Claudio's paraphrase concludes:

Save us, we beseech you, O God!
Oh God, we beseech you,
give us success in our unity!
Blessed is the one who comes
in the name of our Lord.
The Lord is God,
and God has given us light!
You are our God.
And as your church,
we will give thanks,
we will do justice,
we will love kindness,
and we will walk humbly with you, O God.

So it is now time to face the storm. We will debate, we will push hard, we may even be pushed harder. As that storm swirls around us, will Christ say to us "Where is your faith?"

Let us give thanks, do justice, love kindness, and learn new ways of walking humbly before our God.