My Love-Hate Relationship Being a “Presby”: Part 3 – The General Assembly – This is Not Just Another Boring Denominational Read . . . Really!!!

Today is my birthday. It is really not a big deal to me, and has never been for my entire life as best I recall. It is basically just another day. However, my birthday will be forever linked in my mind with the PC(USA)’s national gathering called the General Assembly because in 2001 I spent my entire birthday mired in that annual symposium of contention and strife as a voting commissioner. It proved to be one of the more forgettable experiences in my life.

Yesterday began this year’s installment of this bi-annual national gathering. Each time this event seems to serve more for contention than for unity. All of this in spite of the fact that everyone who publicly talks weaves a tale of unity and harmony.

This year has a lot of talk circulating saying the Assembly is expected to cause a lot of dissension. The fact that will occur is probably a given. But the end result of that dissension is totally up for grabs.

This denominational gathering is when both sides of the various theological debates strut and parade around and use the term “church” and “PC(USA)” synonymously. That is a fact that irked me then, and does so even more now.

I am one that does not fit neatly into either side of these debates. I likewise cannot be called someone who fits in the middle of the road. If pressed, I could probably be found on either side depending upon the issue. I see myself as on a continuum between the two extremes.

Many folks talk (as they have every other year it seems) that this Assembly could finally lay the foundation for schism in the denomination.

My response: “Ho hum.”

There are four primary reasons for my response.

The Herman’s Hermits Response – I have heard it all before. As Herman’s Hermits sang in the 60’s. “Second verse, same as the first.” This is the same thing they say every year. The names, faces, issues, and reports may differ, but little else has changed.

The Over Sized Ego Effect – The PC(USA), in my opinion, just like most other denominations, have overestimated their importance. In reality, I wonder what difference it would have on the kingdom if the denomination actually did split. In talking to literally hundreds of non believers, our denominations are such a non-issue that they would not even notice if the religion reporter for the newspaper did not get a great amount of attention. It matters to those steeped in the Christian subculture. It matters to those geographic areas where there are large numbers of a particular denomination that is affected, but I kid you not, most non Christians really could not care less if we split, merged or ceased existence. They do care what the Christians they interact with say, because on some level it is a real person talking about Jesus not an entity.

Yassar Arafat Principle – You remember Yassar don’t you? He was the long time leader of the Palestinians in the Middle East. (Did anyone else ever smile so much with so little to smile about?) During Arafat’s leadership there were several attempts at peace with the Israelis. None came to pass for reasons on both sides. But I think one issue was Arafat himself. I believe he had allowed his identity to become blurred with the conflict and he could not envision life without it. Thus, he unconsciously, could never fully barter a truce. I think that is exactly where BOTH sides are in this denominational debate. They cannot split. They would lose their identity. Their identity is so merged with these denominational issues that they cannot allow schism to take place.

The Flat Rate Income Tax Principle – We will never have a flat rate income tax in the United States. If we were to have a flat rate income tax, it would put hundreds of thousand of accountants and government officials out of a job. Just the same way there are so many folks whose entire livelihood (“ministry”) is tied up in the conflict, they would not know what to do. I think many of them have truly forgot how to serve Jesus. I wonder when was the last time many of them actually led an unbeliever to Christ? When did many of these churches last have a non-Christian join them? I honestly believe many of them could not function in a world void of Christian conflict. How much do the various factions actually enjoy gathering to talk denominational stuff? So much so that last summer when the denomination’s General Assembly took the year off, both sides of the debate had their own separate gatherings! I rest my case.

I am now about to be tarred and feathered. But as I said it is my birthday. I am 52 years old. I am too old for these continual games and quite simply I am tired of playing. It is not what I signed on for when I agreed to ministry.

My Love-Hate Relationship Being a “Presby”: Part 2 - Getting Inside the Mind of a Bureaucrat

Okay, I will now pick up what I started a few weeks ago. Go to archives for May 16 to read Part 1. When I graduated from high school, I wanted to be an attorney. It had absolutely nothing to do with making a difference or any of that other stuff. It was purely a financial / power issue on my part. I had figured out that I lived in a poor home, and wanted to have money. I saw being a lawyer as a way to achieve that. It did not take me long to realize that career was not for me. That is a longer story, but the basics are that even at that early age I sensed that I was not one for bureaucracy. I am not sure why, or how, but I did.

That is still true today. I do not care for bureaucracy.

That puts me in an odd situation in the PC(USA) which is a bureaucratic heaven and haven. Here is what I have noticed. Many of the folks in the branch of the church I currently call home, are very impressed with their polity (read "church government" for those non theologically trained types). It is at the core of so many discussions that I am not sure whether to laugh or cry.

PC(USA) Bureaucrats admire and love their polity and their system (and it does have its good parts) so much that they remind me of a mechanic bragging about his great tool box as the end of all greatness and totally missing the smooth running engine located beside him. (Although our PC(USA) engine is in need of a few well selected tools, a jackhammer would be a good starting point. But I digress.)

I also compare it in my mind to one of the primary critiques I have regarding some veins of Christianity that are so much about the aspect of faith that it seems to me they have "faith in their faith" . . . not faith in God. Of course they would deny that, but it sure looks real to me.

The same is true of the denominational bureaucracies. They are so proud of their system that they miss the very thing their system was intending to do.

Is good government bad? No, of course not. But when a heavy bureaucrat gets involved, and things focus on the system at all costs to ministry, I liken it to idolatry. Is it worshipping the tool box? Is it faith in my faith? Is it noticing the image and missing God? It sure seems to list in that direction.

If it looks like a dog, barks like a dog, wags its tail like a dog, smells bad when wet like a dog, licks your hand like a dog, uses the bathroom in the yard like a dog . . . guess what? It just might be a dog.

Next Up: The Upcoming General Assembly

Missional with a Capital “M” – Part 6

Here are the final quotes from Origins and Ethos.

“Have we asked, 'who are the furtherest people from conversion?' Who are those folks that come to Christ and we celebrate it?” – Erwin and Staff

“One fear I have from what I see, is that there is no sweeping movement of creation in the postmodern church. There appears to be only a sweeping movement of deconstruction.” – Erwin

“Are we creating a place of questions more so than answers?” – Erwin and Staff (compiled)

“You can either control the organization or you can control the character of the people.” – Erwin

“You attract who you value. If you value an artist, you will attract them. If you value dancers, you will attract them.” – Mosaic Staff

“Love is the context of our mission.” – Eric

“Structure must always submit to spirit.” – Mosaic Core Value

“God could have called us. He could have emailed us. He chose to encounter us.” – David

“There are three ways to think about the future: 1. By studying human nature. 2. By studying macro trends. 3. By creating it.” – Alex

“A key in studying trends is trying to analyze if it is a trend or a fad.” – Alex

“Humanity tends to move toward the darkness of the horrific past.” – Alex

“Human nature is of the sort that it will always move toward eliminating the freedom of other human beings.” – Alex

“The west and the east both tend to objectify women. They drape them. We strip them.” – Alex’s Wife

“The greatest danger of humanity is not the environment it is humanity itself.” – Alex

“One of the reasons that we are not appreciative of art is that we have lost an appreciation of western culture and a lack of a belief we have something to give the future. When you lose that appreciation, you are not appreciative of artists who depict it.” –Alex complied

“Put the wrong people in power and the weak are abused.” – Erwin

“Serving others will produce humility.” – Erwin

“Part of wholeness is to forgive and ask forgiveness.” – Erwin

“Character may not affect your talent, but it will affect your contribution.” – Erwin

“Do we as a pastor see people for what they can do or do we invest in them?” – Erwin

Missional with a Capital “M” – Part 5

I am nearing the end of the posts that are primarily quotes from Origins and Ethos. This entry and next will simply be those final quotes.

“Movements are sustained by having non-negotiables. If you have non-negotiables that means that everything else is negotiable.” – Erwin

“If you do not know what is most important to you, you hold on to everything.” – Erwin

“There is so much potential, so much untapped, unused potential in the church.” – Erwin

“Blogs are a form of human migration. It used to be that migrations were geographic, especially in ancient human history. Then in the 20th century humans migrated into cities. Now humans are migrating into cyberspace and we see that with blogs. There are 27 million blogs. That number doubles every 5.5 months. 13.7 million of them are still active after three months. As we ride the wave into cyberspace, we have to ask how can we push it down again so folks do not live on their pc screen?” – Alex

“How do we model for folks that we need to live our lives beyond me? Everything is calling us to move to – to momentum – to live beyond ourselves.” – Alex

“Creativity is the result of Spirituality.” - Alex

“You can’t teach a person to share Christ until they love someone who does not know Christ.” – Erwin

“If you live a low risk Christian life, you are 98% guaranteed that your kids will walk away from the church.” – Erwin

“Buddha is the one who sits, not Jesus. So why have we made coming to sit as our goal and not activity?” – Erwin

“Why do we not see every person as being creative? We confuse being artistic with being creative.” – Erwin

“You have no control over whether you have 1, 5 or 10 talents. But you have 100% control over what you do with them.” – Erwin

“To talk about ourselves as if we do not have a talent or a gift is dishonoring to God.” – Erwin

“We have created a religion of passivity. If I do good, it is God. If I do bad, it is me. So, we sit and do nothing.” – Erwin

“We have to value and unleash creativity in everyone if we expect people to release it in themselves.” – Erwin

“What is the ½ step we can take that will move us in the direction we need to go?” – Erwin

“What is the one thing we can do that would make a difference?” – Erwin and Staff

Missional with a Capital “M” – Part 4

I am writing this from Nags Head, NC where I am on vacation with my family. It has rained thus far, but rain on vacation, is better than sunshine off it! Or so THEY say.

This is Saturday evening. Tomorrow will be the first of two weeks for me to be away from Fountain Park, the faith community I lead. I learn a great deal about where folks are in their spiritual walk by what I hear upon my return. It is a gauge for me of sorts.

Funny, just a week ago, I was returning from LA and Origins. I stood last week with my feet in the Pacific Ocean. Today they were in the Atlantic Ocean. So stinking cool!! That being in my head, here are some more misc. quotes from Origins and Ethos. Everything in this entry is from Erwin.

“When you are in bondage, the first thing to go is the vision that you could be more. In Acts 2 you have Peter telling a nation that has become accustomed to being in bondage that their visions will return and dreams will come back.”

“When most churches talk about their great fellowship, it is great fellowship with one another. It is great fellowship with their great Christian friends that they have not seen in seven days. However, to an outsider it feels like walking in on two people who are making out.”

Our language informs us regarding our culture and informs our culture. We have a lot of language for what is important to us. In Alaska there are 30 distinct words for snow. In the Christian world how many different words do we have for “salvation?” (“Saved,” “redemption,” “come to faith,” “believe in Jesus” – the list could go on and on.) How many words do we have in our church cultures for being missional to non Christians? –
(Compiled)

“The stories we tell on Sunday, affect the culture on Monday.”

How do we move our church culture from requirement to value? We brush our teeth when we are young because we are required to do it by our parents, but at some point we see a cute girl or guy and it moves to being a value. Our culture wore seat belts as a requirement at first, but for most it has now moved to a value. How do we affect values? – (compiled)

“Adults only learn in crisis.” Child seminars reach those with that issue. Marriage seminars reach those who have that issue in the forefront of their mind. It is their particular “crisis.” A part of leadership is creating crises for folks in the areas where we feel the leading of God.

“Every word in the Bible that describes what happens when a human being meets God is all about change. So, why does the church not change? Here is a scary thought, Maybe we are no longer helping people change.”

“We need commonality in our values, not in the way we look.”

As a leader we have to ask, “What structural changes can we make that will affect the Ethos of our community?”

“Do not try to be a church for everyone. There are plenty of ‘blue’ churches.”

“People do not burn out because of stress. They burn out because they are doing the wrong job. We should seek to get them on the right job.”

More to come . . .