Pastor Paul's July Newsletter Article

My sister has recently noted that I don't post much stuff here. She's right. It's not like I'm putting long-form content anyplace else, it's just that either I haven't had much to say recently or I've had so much to say it's all garbled and not making it past my fingertips.  Well, this much has gotten past. Here is my Newsletter Article from July. God bless and enjoy!

Dear Friends in Christ,

We are coming up on Independence Day, the day we celebrate the signing of the Declaration of Independence. It is a joyful day. It is a day that should be celebrated joyfully.  The declaration beings:

When in the Course of human events, it becomes necessary for one people to dissolve the political bands which have connected them with another, and to assume among the powers of the earth, the separate and equal station to which the Laws of Nature and of Nature's God entitle them, a decent respect to the opinions of mankind requires that they should declare the causes which impel them to the separation.

Reading this, from the perspective of a protestant minister, something very important pops up; The Laws of Nature have a place of precedence over Nature’s God. Natural law is a view that certain rights or values are inherent in or universally recognizable. In the battle for American Independence, one of the natural laws, the inherent values the Colonists held is that being taxed without having a say about how they are taxed is wrong. “Taxation without representation is unfair.”

I gotta admit, putting natural law before the one who creates natural law bugs me, but let’s not stop there, it gets better. The declaration continues:

We hold these truths to be self-evident, that all men are created equal, that they are endowed by their Creator with certain unalienable Rights, that among these are Life, Liberty and the pursuit of Happiness. — That to secure these rights, Governments are instituted among Men, deriving their just powers from the consent of the governed, — That whenever any Form of Government becomes destructive of these ends, it is the Right of the People to alter or to abolish it, and to institute new Government, laying its foundation on such principles and organizing its powers in such form, as to them shall seem most likely to effect their Safety and Happiness.

This part tells the world that our national forefathers believed that our Creator has first given us certain rights that cannot be denied and that the role of Government is to ensure that these rights are not denied. God gives us rights and Government helps secure these rights.

Romans 13 tells us that government is ordained by God so we must be obedient lest we rebel against what God has instituted:

Everyone must submit himself to the governing authorities, for there is no authority except that which God has established. The authorities that exist have been established by God. Consequently, he who rebels against the authority is rebelling against what God has instituted, and those who do so will bring judgment on themselves.

This applies to taxes too…

This is also why you pay taxes, for the authorities are God’s servants, who give their full time to governing. Give everyone what you owe him: If you owe taxes, pay taxes; if revenue, then revenue; if respect, then respect; if honor, then honor.

So friends, let us obey God. Let us give thanks to God for our leaders of yesterday, today and tomorrow. Let us give thanks for our leaders local and national. Let us even give thanks for our church leaders from the Session to the General Assembly, for they too are a government body, the leaders of our denomination.

God bless you all. God bless the PC(USA). God bless the United States of America.

See you in church,

Pastor Paul

Pastor Paul's June Newsletter Article

Dear readers, this is a particularly long writing for both a newsletter article and blog post. I pray you forgive me as I believe the subject matter deserves and needs these words. God bless you as you read and as always, please comment if you desire. ~Paul

Dear Friends in Christ,

Many of you are aware from the local newspaper and the coffee shop that the First Presbyterian Church in Longview has split. Many are leaving to form a new Evangelical Presbyterian Church congregation and the remaining members are staying to make a go of it in the historic First Presbyterian building.

Many of you also know that our own Harriette Malcolm has served as Clerk for the Presbytery’s Administrative Commission for First Longview. Now that the Pastors who served that church have demitted (sorry, church jargon—set aside/renounced) their PC(USA) ordinations Harriette is now Clerk of their Session. This will continue until the remaining members of the First Presbyterian Church in Longview elect a new Session and Clerk.

A couple of weeks ago, there was a Presbytery meeting in Dallas to discuss some things including the formation of that Administrative Commission. A meeting that could have been finished in an hour (including 40 minutes of worship) took three. It took that long because people were hurt and wanted their pain known and acknowledged.

Friends in Christ, any time a church faces a split there is pain. Few congregations in the Presbytery know that better than this one after a split over twenty-five years ago. There are still members of this part of the Body of Christ who feel that pain intimately. It is the Church’s version of a civil war where brothers and sisters and parents and children fight on opposite sides of the line, or in the case of the church the aisle. It is horrible. It is terrible. But as for the question of whether or not it can be prevented, well, the answer to that just might be no.

The Rev. Bruce Reyes-Chow was the Moderator of the 218th General Assembly in San Jose. He is also a prolific writer and noted speaker on technology and the church. In a recent article the Rev. Reyes-Chow quoted Dr. Fred Heuser, Executive Director of the Presbyterian Historical Society, about the history of splits and reunions among Presbyterians. Dr. Heuser writes:

The conflict and divisiveness within the PC (USA) today is part of a broader pattern that is deeply rooted in our past. The “flash points” that have produced these conflicts may be different, but the underlying tensions that birthed them are remarkably similar.

The Rev. Reyes-Chow believes that we are in such a time. He continues, “Our struggle now is to move away from the many adversarial postures that exist and acknowledge that God may indeed be working through and in all of us during these days of denominations shifts.” [Italics mine.]

The way I read it, the former Moderator of the General Assembly is saying that we need to move from fighting one another because God may well be calling some folks out of the Presbyterian Church (USA) to do the work of the Body of Christ on Earth and calling others to stay and do the work of the Body of Christ on Earth.

To me, that sounds horribly painful. It also begs the question, “Can schism bring glory to God?” Actually, that’s not such a good question. It puts human work (schism) before God’s work. This is never a winning concept. Maybe this is a better question, “Can God do something glorious despite this schism?” That isn’t so good either. This question fails to remember that God does not love us “despite who we are” (sinful creatures). Instead we must remember that God loves us because of who we are, his children.

It’s as easy as that, God loves us because we are his children.

So the better question is “Can God do something glorious through this schism?” I believe the answer is yes. God meets us where we are, even on the battlefields we put up in our sanctuaries, Presbyteries, and General Assemblies. God’s overflowing love is greater than our understanding.

Granted, none of these things relieves us of the bitter realities of our feelings. Those who were here during the split know this too well. The pain of watching family leaving may be as fresh as a newly formed scab, a scar yet to be made. Others remember the pain. Even though the scab has long peeled away and the scar faded, even if just a little. Others just remember what caused it. The Rev. Reyes-Chow tells us not ignore that pain:

Now of course, this does not mean that I do not care or do not grieve the loss of the denominational relationships with those who are leaving, but I also do not begrudge anyone or have an overwhelming urge to fight to make people stay when they are feeling like this is no longer a good place for them. What I am trying to do is to be gracious in the face of frequent castigation (castigation means criticism. -Paul) and loving as I see colleagues move into a new denominational relationship; all the while, remaining committed and faithful to my part in discerning what it means to be the Presbyterian Church (USA) today and into the future.

There is grief and sorrow and pain over the departures. But what the Rev. Reyes-Chow tells us is that he doesn’t and we mustn’t act on the all too human urge to fight with or hold grudges against those who leave. Let them be committed to who they are being called to be and we will continue to be who we are committed to be. We need to do this with grace, not with a chip.

Now he also points out that when there is separation there are other questions to be worked out; questions that end up being asked and answered by church and civil, lawyers and accountants. Every legal split has its arguments about who gets the house and the stuff, but that is not the focus of his article nor this one.

This is a time to grieve the loss of PC(USA) relationships. This is a time to grieve the loss of church friends. It is not a time for hate or spite or distrust to overwhelm the truth that Christ is Lord of ALL. Regardless of any view of “us and them,” Christ is Lord of ALL. Because Christ is Lord of all, we can forgive those who have hurt us, and there is a lot of hurt going around among the current and former members of First-Longview and with in the denomination.

This is our call to continue living out the Gospel of Jesus Christ, regardless of where we do it. We can do this with grief. We can do this with sorrow. We can never do this with hate.

See you in Church,
Paul

For the link to Rev. Bruce Reyes-Chow's full blog post, click here.
For the link to  Dr. Fred Heuser's full article, click here.

Law & Order, PC(USA) Unit

I trust you'll find this more enjoyable if you play the doink-doink noise before reading...

...of course I could be wrong.

Leslie Scanlon, Presbyterian Outlook Magazine National Reporter, reports that the Presbytery of the Redwoods has refused to follow through on the General Assembly Permanent Judicial Commission's finding that the Rev. Janie Spahr be rebuked after the Commission found that she had violated the denomination’s constitution by performing 16 same-gender weddings in 2008.

During that time, same gender marriages were legal in California, but were and are still not within the wedding policy of the denomination. The full article to is found at this link.

As Denver's own Mike Rosen would ask, I will tell you where I sit before I tell you where I stand...

Let's begin with my rather murky take on "same-sex" unions. I believe that in America, as a civil right, people (two human adults) ought to have the opportunity to form a legal union. I believe the civil benefits of family should pertain to heterosexual as well as homosexual couples. This is where I leave my self open, not only to those who think the sexuality of the parties to be at issue, but to those who disagree with the individual nouns I used: two, human, adults.

Some would consider my "two" qualifier too restrictive and "adults" to be unnecessarily binding. As for human, some might say your dog or my cat should have legal standing similar to my wife. Not me. So guess what, this is my blog and "two human adults" is my opinion. If you don't like it get your own blog.

Now, here's where I muddle the waters. In my study, I have found the scriptural witness of marriage to be between man and woman. Granted, not always just one, but still... Granted, the definition of "adult" in the ancient of days does not reflect our view of the age of majority, but still... It's man and woman. I can't get past that.

Here's the other side of that coin: I believe God can bless a union between two same-sex people. I believe a sovereign God will do as a sovereign God will do. This being within the giving loving character of God. God's love which is without limit, overflowing, and self-emptying.

On a final note, while I am muddling through how I might deal with this if called upon (Not a wedding, but a sort of union? What does that mean anyway? Holy? Civil? Still not a wedding. You can see I don't have that answer...), the congregation I serve is not. The official policy of First Presbyterian-Marshall is in line with the PC(USA) Directory for Worship as it is currently written. No homosexual weddings. Period, end of sentence. So speaking for the Session, don't ask to use the building.

Having said that...

I believe the Presbytery of the Redwoods has erred in not exercising the legal authoritative judgement of the Permanent Judicial Council. You don't have to like the rule. Shoot, Redwoods has always supported Rev. Spahr. Yet as a member of the covenant, all Presbyteries are expected to carry out the judgement of the Permanent Judicial Council. Sorry.

On a side note, I could see Rev. Spahr accepting this "rebuke" as a badge of honor. In one way or another, she has told the world that stood up for the gospel, and she stood up for the couples. I believe if you are going to wade neck deep into the hardest churning waters of Presbyterian Polity you shouldn't cross the river if you can't swim the tide. I believe Rev. Spahr is capable in these waters.

Yet, there is one other response Scanlan noted in her article. To quote:

Mary Holder Naegeli, an evangelical minister from California and executive director of the Presbyterian Coalition, described the vote in a blog post as “a new low in Presbyterian life.” Naegeli wrote, “I cannot recall in nearly 25 years as an ordained minister ever witnessing open defiance” of a direct church court order. She added, “this is a presbytery gone rogue.”

I agree with Rev. Naegeli that Redwoods Presbytery has acted in "open defiance of a direct church court order." But here's the rub. In our current national political climate, we need to beware of the phrase "going rogue." A phrase that is seen as a politically conservative badge of honor against the powers that be is in this case being used as a theologically liberal badge of shame against the powers that be.

It may be right to say in our current vernacular, "Going Rogue" is a good thing when it stands up for what we believe and a bad thing when it goes against whet we believe. Maybe the remaining similarity between being "good rogue" and "bad rogue" is that Governor Palin and the Presbytery of the Redwoods both see themselves as "good rogue." To both, being a rogue as a complement.

Go ahead, do the doink-doink thing again if you want...

Pastor Paul's May Newsletter Article

Dear Friends in Christ,

God is mysterious. With this in mind, a few years ago the denomination found a burning need to examine scripture to see what images the Bible uses to describe the persons of the Trinity. It was released in a report called, “The Trinity: God’s Love Overflowing.” They knew this was going to raise some hackles, which is why they stuck very closely to what the bible says. Here’s one example from that list:

As we are born anew by water and the Spirit, the Triune God is Compassionate Mother, Beloved Child, and Life-giving Womb

(Isaiah 49:15; 66:13; Matthew 3:17; Isaiah 46:3).

Of course the committee knew this, along with some of the other images they discovered, was going to raise a ruckus. Feminine imagery for God, no matter how biblical, is quite uncommon. I mention this because as a “Father, Son, and Holy Spirit” kind of pastor, I need to remember that scripture contains other Trinitarian images that are biblical and important.

With this I say, Happy Mother’s Day. I use this preface because while we are used to seeing the face of God as the Father, God loves us and protects us and keeps us like a Mother too. In Mothers we see the strength of God. In Mothers we see life and life giving. In Mothers we see the face of God. By the grace of God, we are blessed by our mothers. We are also blessed by a Lord who (in 1970’s speech) is in touch with his feminine side.

The report contains this prayer—

In praising the Triune God we use biblical language, both classic –

Father, Son, and Holy Ghost,

and surprising –

Mother, Child, and Womb.

We may use words that speaks of the inner relations of the Godhead –

Lover, Beloved, Love,

and those that speak of the loving activity of the Three among us –

Creator, Savior, Sanctifier,

Rock, Redeemer, Friend,

King of Glory, Prince of Peace, Spirit of Love.

Happy Mother’s Day! God bless Mothers—for you show us the face of God.

See you in church,

Paul

A "Suitable" Ending to House M.D.

House M.D. is a long running show on the FOX Network. Over the past eight seasons, Dr. House has led a misanthropic vendetta against disease and civility at the fictional Princeton Plainsboro Hospital in New Jersey with a dedicated if not dysfunctional group of doctors (and one med student).

The show was created and produced by David Shore, Paul Attanasio, and Katie Jacobs. Attansio worked with Tom Fontana on the NBC show Homocide: Life on the Streets.

On a side note, this is one of my favorite all time TV shows and yes, I got the box set for Christmas a few years ago. Thanks to my niece Vallie!

Fontana is also the creator of St. Elsewhere. This is where the whole thing comes together...

The last episode of St. Elsewhere ends with, well, I'll use a description from TVAcres.com.

During the life of the series Dr. Donald Westphall (Ed Flanders) worked at St. Eligius Hospital in Boston and had to juggle a busy schedule that included tending to the needs of his hospital patients and Tommy, his physically-challenged autistic son (Chad Allen). 

In the final surreal scene of the series Ed Flanders is shown as a blue-collar construction worker retuning home to his autistic son and his father (Norman Lloyd - who played Dr. Auschlander on the series). 

Sitting in the comfort of his home's living room, Tommy stares into a small crystal globe -- the kind you turn upside down to make it snow inside.

So, as tiny flakes of shimmering snow fell inside the snow globe, we get a close-up of the building inside...a likeness of St. Eligius Hospital.

The thrust of this is that everything that happened at St. Eligus Hospital was from the fertile imagination of Tommy Westphall. By extension, everything that ever happened in any TV show that is even marginally connected to St. Elegius/St. Elsewhere is from the fertile imagination of Tommy Westphall.

Tom Fontana was quoted saying "Someone did the math once, and something like 90 per cent of all television took place in Tommy Westphall's mind. God love him." In total, there are 282 shows, including St. Elsewhere, connected to Tommy Westphall's mind. This website even has a link to a wonderful grid of the whole Tommy Westphall Universe.

So what's this to do with "House M.D."? Isn't it obvious what's on my mind by now? Tommy Westphall grew up and became Gregory House. The Fontana/Attanasio connection is there. I believe Fontana would love to see Tommy all grown up as House. It would also be a twist no one has seen coming for seven years. It would open up and mess up a whole new generation of people who never knew of Tommy. This could work.

Honestly, I'm probably wrong, but it would be cool if I'm right.

A Gift Buyer's Guide to Mother's Day?

Mother's Day is a little less than two weeks away, so two local merchants here in Marshall, Texas are here to remind you it's not too soon to shop for that perfect gift.

On the way to work a Home Health Care Supply store has this sign--

Lift Chairs

for

Mother's Day

I guess that's because nothing says love like "Ma, you're so fat..." or "Ma, your knees are so badly shot that I got you a lift chair! Happy Mother's Day!"

I felt that way until today when I went to the pharmacy where the bags were stamped

Happy

Mother's

Day

I guess that's because nothing says love like, "Here ya go Ma, stay on your meds!"

Please, do better than that for your Mother this Mother's Day... unless she asks for a lift chair or meds. Then it's up to you!

And Don't Let the Door...

The Colorado Springs Gazette Newspaper is reporting that First Presbyterian in Colorado Springs has had a congregational meeting and voted to leave the PC(USA). The Gazette reports that this has been in the works for over a year. Anyone who is surprised by this just hasn't been paying attention to the current landscape of the PC(USA).

By the way, if that's you let me say I wish it was me.

There was something in the article which has drawn my attention that I feel needs to be shared. This comes from the Gazette article:

The final vote tally was 1689 church members in favor of the split with 80 opposed, the church announced during an evening service.


The shift to the new denomination may cause some members to leave, acknowledged Alison Murray, staff leader, after the results were announced.


“We grieve that and don’t want that to happen,” she said.


The church now has to try to identify those members who voted against the split and help them find new local churches within the Presbyterian Church, USA, if they want to leave, she said.

Read more: http://www.gazette.com/articles/presbyterian-137338-historic-downtown.html#ixzz1t4GN3td0 

What upsets me is that it is not up to the congregation to show the door to those who dissent.

One of the questions that has permeated this process is "in the event of a split, who gets the property." Here's the Cliff Notes version of this part of Presbyterian Polity. To paraphrase, the Book of Order says property is held in trust by the Presbytery and when questions of "which group within a split get to hold the property" arises it's the Presbytery and not the congregation that decides. (There are limited exceptions to this rule, but I don't know if they apply to First-Springs.)

Obviously if the Presbytery does not agree with the congregation about the property issues, this is going to play itself out in civil courts instead of church courts again.

But in advance, First Springs has decided it is the congregation who stays and for those who aren't comfortable can find another place to worship (and we'll help!). The congregation and its leadership has taken it upon itself to usurp Presbyterian Polity by creating a process to show dissenters the way to a place where they'll be more at home. Sorry, this isn't pastoral care, this is laying a siege.

I pray it all works out well for First-Springs. I pray all works out for Pueblo Presbytery. And I hope the Reverend Singleton makes his way into the history books as the father of a new denomination. I want to wish you all love and hope, but I think I'll first offer that love to the 80 people who have become disenfranchised by their own pastors, friends, and neighbors.