by
Sylvia Dooling
Are you beginning to feel that life within the Presbyterian Church (U.S.A)
would be a whole lot easier if you were an ostrich?
Assuming that you have access to the Internet and have been following the
news about our denomination, you are certainly aware that we Presbyterians
are facing some serious challenges. In my opinion, the most critical of
these have to do with the individuals and governing bodies that are acting
and speaking in defiance of our church’s constitution.
But whatever you consider to be our Church’s most pressing problem, if you
are anything like me, sometimes you just want to stick your head in the sand
and ignore them all. But neither you nor I can do that. So, the question is
what can we do those of us who are ‘just” members of the church?
To answer that question, let me tell you about some of the things that I am
doing during this time of ‘unsettledness.”
1. I am praying consistently for the life of our denomination. No one
can turn this denomination around by himself or herself. God has not
called you or me to ‘save” the Presbyterian Church (U.S.A.). Our church
already has a Savior, and it is only through the power of the Holy
Spirit that reform may occur. But God has called you to take your vows
of membership seriously, and to hold our church in prayer.
2. I am exercising the discipline of daily Bible reading. Each day I am
becoming more familiar with God’s revealed Word concerning Himself and
His instructions to his body, the church.
3. I am educating myself relative to the issues our denomination is
facing. I find that it helps to read a variety of sources in order to
get the full picture. For example: the Presbyterian Church (U.S.A.) has
a news service [1] . Obviously, the Presbyterian News Service will
report the story from an institutional perspective, so I also read The
Presbyterian Layman [2] and The Presbyterian Outlook [3] as well as the
on-line and hard copy publications of various renewal organizations as
they are indexed on Presbyweb [4] . There is also The Presbyterian Forum
[5] . Each of these publications will also have its own particular
viewpoint. But by reading a variety of them attempt to get a balanced
perspective.
4. I ask questions of my pastor and the session of my church. I want to
know where my session stands on the particular issues that concern me. I
try to find out if their position is different from mine. Above all, I
listen to what they have to say after all, they are the God appointed
leaders of my church.
5. I attend presbytery meetings. I can always learn more about
Presbyterian polity. Attending also give me first hand insights into the
positions of the other pastors and elders within my particular
geographical area. It also gives me the opportunity to meet and talk
with others who are seeking to be faithful to the Lord of the church.
6. I act on the facts that I have. I don’t allow myself to be
overwhelmed, thus making myself into a victim. Remember: God has called
us to serve him in a particular part of the Body of Christ. He has given
us gifts for the up building of His church. We are commanded to be
obedient. We are instructed by God’s Word to speak the truth in love.
And, it takes all of us to make a difference.
7. I network with others of like mind. A team of people is always more
effective than one. God has given us the gift of each other. Take
advantage of the rich resource of collective wisdom.
8. I expect God to act in extraordinary ways on behalf of His people. As
I read God’s Word, I continually marvel at His actions in the past, and
find myself excited the good future he has prepared for us. Thus, I
never despair.
These are some of the things that I do as I try to be a faithful in the
midst of a raging Presbyterian storm. Burying my head in the sand is not an
option for me, nor should it be an option for you. After all, you’re not an
ostrich!
Won’t you join me in becoming part of the solution?
[1] http://www.pcusa.org/pcnews/
[2] http://layman.wpengine.com/
[3] http://www.pres-outlook.com/
[4] http://www.presbyweb.com/
[5] http://www.pforum.org