By Jeff Gissing, at jeffgissing.com All creeds and confessions are created in a context, and that context is important both in understanding them and applying them to the life of the church. Some creeds and confessions manage to plumb the depths of the faith in a way that remains true across many times and many…
By Jeff Gissing, jeffgissing.com A couple of reflections on a post which is in response to an online discussion of the doctrine of the atonement. Note: the views of the person quotes reflect only her views just as my views reflect only my understanding of Scripture, the Confessions, and tradition. 1. This person equates being…
By Jeff Gissing at jeffgissing.com Krin Vantatenhove has issued “An Open Love Letter to My Presbyterian Family” (read it here). Since I’m a member of the family, and since what Krin names in his post is something I’m observing too, I’d like to respond. Krin’s central point is that the real fault line within the Presbyterian…
By Jeff Gissing, jeffgissing.com. I was recently informed that the church I serve risks becoming known for what it opposes rather than for what it supports. This is a familiar rhetorical approach in discussions when churches are willing to publicly question or even oppose things that the society, in general, supports. There’s an appeal to the…
By Jeff Gissing. I was unable to attend this weeks presbytery meeting due to illness. I had prepared remarks for the floor discussion of the marriage redefinition amendment. They are included below. I rise to speak against the amendment offered which would redefine marriage in the Book of Order. I do so in the knowledge…
By Jeff Gissing, jeffgissing.com In a recent post, The Layman has characterized my earlier article on the defrocking of Joseph Rightmyer as “defending” the presbytery (read it here): The condemnation of Grace Presbytery’s defrocking of Joe Rightmyer on Jan. 7 has been virtually uniform. Even those, like Jeff Gissing, who seem to “defend” the decision of the presbytery’s Permanent Judicial Commission,…
By Jeff Gissing, at JeffGissing.com I am embedding a document produced by the Office of Theology and Worship at the Presbyterian Church (USA). It’s worth reading critically in order to get a handle around what we as a denomination have actually done with respect to the ordination of people who engage in same sex sex…
By Jeff Gissing Marriage redefinition continues to be a critical issue before the General Assembly of the Presbyterian Church (USA), which will vote on it later this week. Ironically, no one has framed the issue quite as poignantly as same-sex marriage supporter Mark Achtemeier: “This is an unprecedented spiritual disaster that is taking place beneath…
Review by Jeff Gissing When I learned that the Presbyterian Mission Agency was launching a new web site dedicated to young adults ministry I was excited. After all, I’ve dedicated the last 10 years to ministry with them. In my current call I continue to work with our congregation’s growing young adult ministry. Like many,…
By Jeff Gissing, http://jeffgissing.com 2013 saw incredible change in the legislative landscape of the United States with respect to marriage–a gay spring, if you will–that sharply divided the country along regional lines. Across the South and Central United States voters protected the traditional understanding of marriage as between a man and a woman and refused…