PCUSA Gay Ordination Issues - Cradling the Grave

1 Timothy 4:14           Do not neglect your gift, which was given you through a prophetic message when the body of elders laid their hands on you.

The denomination that I belong to finds itself at an unprecedented and unenviable crossroads. Within the next couple of months, the current ordination standards are going to be changed. This means that people who are in an active relationship, whether homosexual or heterosexual, who are not married, can be ordained to ministry if their local presbytery agrees. The only barriers to ministry and eldership will now be academic ones, but even they could be challenged.

For the first time in 2000 years, we will effectively be departing from concise biblical standards. Sinful behavior will no longer require repentance. Acceptance and tolerance will be the idols of this new church; contrition and repentance will be cast aside. The slippery slope to secularism will be placed beneath the feet of the faithful and the influence of the denomination will diminish, much like its European counterparts who are already experiencing the failure of Christian faith throughout their society.

The church will never be the same and I believe that the Holy Spirit will leave us to our own fractured state and false free will. We will delude ourselves as numbers decline, churches close, and presbyteries merge over the next 25 years. We will stubbornly refuse to believe that this was the moment when we abandoned God’s will. But by then it won’t matter; we will have reached the point of no return.

The Christian church will flourish elsewhere. Faithful Christian communities will grow and we will watch with enviable eyes as they are blessed. There will come a day when we will curse this moment in our denomination’s history, but the doom will be imminent and by the end of this new century, the denomination will be consigned to the ecclesiastical history books. Our epitaph will be the following:

“For the sake of society, the church was lost. For the want of acceptance, our souls were lost.”

Prayer:                        Lord Jesus, we are about to reject You, Your Ways and Your Words. We will deceive and delude ourselves about this action as being the right thing to do. Your scriptures warn us that “there is a path that seems right, but it leads to death.” By embracing our society, we are cradling the grave. Forgive us, Lord, for thinking that we know better. In Your Holy Name, we shamefully pray. Amen.

John Stuart is currently the pastor of Erin Presbyterian Church in Knoxville, Tennessee. If you would like to comment or ask questions of today’s message, please send him an email to pastor@erinpresbyterian.org.

Today’s image is one of John’s latest Good Friday drawings. It’s called “Forgive Them” and depicts the brutal moment when Christ was crucified. If you would like to see a larger view of the drawing, please click on the following link:

http://farm6.static.flickr.com/5257/5406505957_0639bd0b80_b.jpg

Presbyterian Devotions: Fellow Elders

1 Peter 5:1 To the elders among you, I appeal as a fellow elder, a witness of Christ's sufferings and one who also will share in the glory to be revealed:

Eldership is at the heart of what it means to be Presbyterian. All of our Presbyterian churches are led by our ruling elders and teaching elders. They are called by God to seek the Holy Spirit in a particular congregation and to follow that path sincerely, faithfully, and effectively. It’s one of the great strengths of the Presbyterian system and, when it is employed properly, it makes Presbyterianism a great light amongst Christian denominations.

I love being both a Presbyterian Christian and a teaching elder in the church. I feel connected to the apostles like Peter because of the special, mysterious, and holy laying on of hands that is part of the ordination process. I feel connected to the elders around me, both active on Session and pro-active in the congregation. There is a great sense of team work, responsibility, and faith in Christ that we share amongst us.

I also like the fact that Peter refers to elders as being witnesses to Christ’s suffering, which reminds me that being ruling and teaching elders in the church is never an easy process. We think, we question, and we struggle with our faith. We solve problems, seek answers, and look for guidance from the Holy Spirit. We try to keep the church on the right path, just as the world tries to distract our goals and diminish our effectiveness. We are the gate keepers of the faith and are meant to be the visionaries of our churches. Elders are always looking at the bigger picture and what lies ahead. If we only concentrate on the here and now, we will never reach the blessings yet to come.

These are anxious times for our faith, but if our elders across the Presbyterian Church remain faithful to Christ, uphold His teachings, and live according to God’s Word, then we will not only share in Christ’s glory, but we will also be handing over a strong church for the elders yet to be ordained in years to come.

Prayer: Lord Jesus, we thank You for the precious gifts of eldership that You have bestowed upon the Presbyterian Church. We pray that the faithfulness, integrity, and spirituality of our ruling and teaching elders may continue to inspire our people and lead them through these uncertain times into future years of bounty and blessing, discipleship and service for Your Kingdom. In Your Holy Name, we fervently pray. Amen.

John Stuart is the pastor of Erin Presbyterian Church in Knoxville, Tennessee. If you would like to comment on today’s message, please send him an email to pastor@erinpresbyterian.org.