Message to renewalists: ‘You have too many’
By Parker T. Williamson, February 12, 2007
ORLANDO, Fla. – Gideon heard a counter-cultural word from the Lord:
“The Lord said to Gideon, ‘You have too many.'”
That Word of the Lord came to Gideon as he surveyed his soldiers while preparing for battle with the Midionites. The Lord ordered massive cuts in Gideon’s forces, from 32,000 to 300.
Reflecting on the Biblical text, the Rev. Sameh Maurice, pastor of Kasr el Dobara Church in Cairo, Egypt, said, “The numbers were impossible for Gideon. Now the Midianites and Amalekites, all the people of the East, were lying in the valley as numerous as locusts; and their camels were without number, as the sand by the seashore in multitude.”
Impossible odds
“Impossible for Gideon,” emphasized Maurice, “but not for the Lord.” And that, said the preacher who himself is surrounded in Cairo by multitudes of unbelievers, is just the point: “Nothing is impossible for God.” The Lord ordered impossible odds so no one could question about how this battle was to be won and who would be the victor.
Although more than 500 in number, participants in the New Wineskins Association of Churches’ Convocation who gathered before Maurice’s pulpit in First Presbyterian Church on Feb. 9 realized that their forces were very much akin to those of the Israelites under Gideon’s command. Viewing their number from the standpoint of denominational statistics – although the Presbyterian Church (USA) has hemorrhaged millions of members and is facing a massive financial crisis – the New Wineskins tally seems comparatively small.
Calculated in the light of Gideon’s experience, the Lord may say of even these seemingly impossible odds: “You renewalists have too many.”
The fearful should go home
Remember the Lord’s first order, Maurice said. He told Gideon to send “everyone who is fearful and afraid” home. Those who fear anyone other than the Lord are not fit for battle, he said.
The words of this Egyptian Christian struck home among Presbyterians who are facing an increasingly coercive denominational bureaucracy. Everyone in the room was aware of “The Louisville Papers,” advice and counsel memoranda from the Office of the Stated Clerk that counsel presbytery and synod executives to deal harshly with congregations and ministers who are considering disaffiliation from the denomination. The document calls for such measures as freezing a local church’s bank account, seizing its property, defrocking its ministers, and removing its elected leaders.
In sober words following a unanimous vote to enter into a relationship with the Evangelical Presbyterian Church, the Rev. Gerrit Dawson, co-moderator of the New Wineskins Association of Churches, said, “We have crossed the Rubicon. Some of us are going to get smacked … we should not be surprised … we can expect it. That’s the way the world works … but we will not be afraid.”
Studies by the denomination’s research department show that the number of Presbyterians who feel estranged from the Presbyterian Church (USA) is huge, as attested by plummeting congregational contributions to the national church budget. But it also is clear that many Presbyterians – led by ministers whose careers may be on the line – are hesitant to risk the loss of their assets by formally expressing their disaffiliation. Clearly, in the face of threats from denominational offices, there is fear in the land.
Wary but unafraid
But if there was fear in the sanctuary of First Presbyterian Church during the New Wineskins gathering, it did not surface. Those who came to this event represented churches that know very well what lies before them. Many brought attorneys, who conferred with one another in seminars and studied strategies for dealing with legal threats that are being made against their congregations. They are wary, but not afraid.
Maurice reminded his listeners of the weapons carried by Gideon’s forces: a trumpet, a torch and a clay jar. In one hand, they carried the trumpet of the Lord, mightily blasting forth his clarion call. In the other hand was the clay pot, with a bright-light torch inside. At Gideon’s command, the Israelites smashed their pots, revealing flaming torches that had been hidden inside.
Broken jars reveal the light
Maurice then turned to II Corinthians 4:7: “But we have this treasure in earthen vessels, that the excellence of the power may be of God and not of us.” We are the clay pots, he said. The light of the Gospel is within us. Christ is in us. We must be broken to let his light shine. “That is the key,” he said. “We will not win this battle on our own power … We go into this battle knowing the One who is in us.”
Again, as he has done during each of his messages, Maurice called on his listeners to stand in the pews, clasp hands with those around them, and pray boldly and loudly to the Lord. Decibels swelled as hundreds of audible prayers filled the sanctuary.
“Do not be afraid,” Maurice called out. “Remember what the Lord said to Gideon: ‘The Lord is with you, mighty warrior.’ Don’t try to take me with you. This is my battle. Just go with me.”
Parker T. Williamson is editor emeritus and senior correspondent of The Layman and The Layman Online. He can be reached at laymanletters@www.layman.org.