Joining our High Priest’s prayer

I heard a sermon once on Matthew 9:38 where Jesus calls the disciples to pray to the Lord of the harvest for workers.  The preacher exhorted us to pray the same prayer with Jesus, and then offer ourselves as an answer to that prayer. 

As our national church is grappling with ordination and marriage, I’ve been thinking a lot about how we Presbyterians in Canada can join Jesus in his high priestly prayer for unity (John 17), and then offer ourselves as an answer to that prayer. 

There are many reasons for the current divides and others have written far more eloquently on them, but what’s become clear is that ours is becoming a polarized national church.  I don’t believe difference of opinion is a bad thing.  Our ability to navigate difference is part of what I love about The Presbyterian Church in Canada. I learn a lot listening to the viewpoints of others. 

However, we’re now at the place were we need to make some decisions.  Are there possibilities for us that won’t demand uniformity, but still preserve our unity?

I think so.

1.   Are our creeds descriptive, or prescriptive?

While in seminary and studying church polity, I remember the instructor describing our creeds as snapshots of what the church believed in different periods and contexts.  They remained authoritative for we Presbyterians because they anchored us in how God had spoken within each epoch.

The writers of Living Faith seem to affirm this:

"[Our] confession must at one and the same time be the ancient faith of the church and yet spoken into the mood and questions of its own time." 

A clergy friend reflected, “It seems pretty clear that LGBTQ marriages, etc., are part of the mood and questions of our time and to respond using only silence seems to me at least to be contrary this goal."

Living Faith continues, "In writing this document the authors have tried to be in contact with people where they are today." My friend reflected, “That connection now includes gay elders, ministers, and Christians who believe in affirming a wider variety of marriages.”

And again, "In the end the document is our own [belonging to The PCC], reflecting our own needs and experiences."

My friend asked, “How does it continue to do so without an open robust recognition of the portion of the church seeking an affirming stance?”  How could it do so without recognition of both stances we Presbyterians hold?

The writers conclude with a George Wishart, 16^th C translator of a Reformed Creed: “It is not our mind to prescribe a certain rule of the faith to all churches, for we know no other rule of faith but the Holy Scriptures; and therefore we are well contented with those who agree with these things although they use another manner of speaking.” They then conclude: “It was our pleasure to use these words at the present time, that we might declare our opinion in our religion and worshipping of God. The truth will have the upper hand (emphasis added).”  

It seems both Wishart and the drafters of Living Faith saw the document as a description of The Presbyterian Church in Canada, rather than a prescription.  And there lies the rub.  If we say something of the whole church when a significant portion doesn't say it, then we leave each other with no option except to choose whether this church can still include all of us. 

If we accept Living Faith as descriptive of our church, including it’s variety, perhaps we can find a way forward together.  What prevents us from including other opinions when it comes to marriage but remaining unified in the rest of what it proclaims: salvation through Christ?  

What prevents us from simply adding a line to Living Faith around marriage, describing what many among us believe.  Since The PCC currently has two functional views of marriage, why don’t we simply describe that?  We don’t need to change the whole definition, simply to add a definition that includes those who understand things alternatively. 

Currently, Living Faith 8.2.3 says

Christian marriage is a union in Christ
whereby a man and a woman become one in the sight of God.

It is the commitment of two people
to love and to support one another faithfully for life.
God's law forbids adultery.
Loyalty is necessary for the growth of love.
Disloyalty destroys the union of marriage.
Sexual union in marriage is intended to provide
mutual joy and comfort as well as
the means of creating new life.

What prevents us from adding as 8.2.3.1, something to the effect of:

“In the spirit of grace we affirm that there are occasions

when two people commit themselves to live faithfully,

as one in the sight of God and others.  

For these, this is also marriage.”

Since our creeds can only ever be snapshots of the church family, let any new snapshot be of the church in its current form, including its diversity.  Then none might look a the picture and wonder where they are in it.

2.   Leave it with the courts

Within The Presbyterian Church in Canada, marriage has been an issue for the local court of elders, the congregation’s session.  Since opinions on same-sex marriage vary widely from congregation to congregation, what prevents us from making the change to Living Faith described above and then reaffirming that marriage is the purview of the session?  Should John and Jane get married within the church?  That’s the decision of the session.  Should John and Jack get married?  That’s also the decision of the session.  There will be differing opinions, for certain, but courts will handle it the way they always do: through prayerful discernment and due process.  Together, they will discern the will of Christ whether the couple is straight, or same sex. 

Similarly, unlike some denominations, we aren’t ordained by the national church but by a local Presbytery. Most Presbyterians I speak with agree that committed, monogamous relationships are the only alternative to chastity for our ministers.  However opinions on who should be involved in those committed and monogamous relationships change from region to region.  What prevents us from leaving it with the Presbyteries to decide who is fit for ordination?

3.   Non-geographical Presbyteries

We may not be able to simply leave it as a local option.  I'm hearing many among us concerned that a freedom-of-conscience-approach will not provide the legal protections for individual clergy who cannot, in good conscience, act contrary to the church's official position.  The addition to Living Faith (above) may help remedy this.  I'll leave that to brighter minds than mine.

Whether this is the case is less important than whether it is a cause of anxiety for our brothers and sisters.  If my wife is scared, simply saying she shouldn’t be is of little comfort.

So what prevents us from creating parallel, non-geographical presbyteries?  We have already done this with our Korean sisters and brothers.  Additional Presbyteries will allow us to leave ordination with the courts (see #2 above).  They will provide a safe space within our church for congregations who struggle with the decision of Assembly, whatever it might be.  They will prevent the “winner” from bullying the “loser” through retention of buildings and assets.  And, like Roman Catholic Orders, these presbyteries can exist because of their shared experience of Christ, but still be part of the larger framework that is The Presbyterian Church in Canada. 

4.   A parallel national organization

Perhaps there’s already too much water under the bridge, and we can’t envision a big tent like that described above.  It breaks my heart, but we are human.  Even so, we can still be proactive in an attempt to let God answer our high priest’s prayer through us.  Instead of simply waiting for the great schism to occur, let’s see it coming and plan accordingly.

For example, what prevents us from creating a parallel national organization, a sibling national church that shares staff and resources and that meets together regularly to discern Christ’s will.  It would be a monumental task, but not impossible.  And being proactive would allow us to reduce anxiety and think things through well.

In 1989, after the rule of the Communist party of Czechoslovakian ended, the people’s representatives took a brave step.  They parted ways.  It became known as the velvet divorce because there was no violence or bloodshed.  While over the next four years both new countries had to come into their own, they now enjoy a good relationship as partners and members of the European Union.

Two parallel national churches in partnership with an agreement on sharing resources wouldn’t be my first choice, but we are human.  If feelings have escalated so that we can’t envision being in fellowship with those who disagree with us, then what prevents us from planning for this by planning for a partnered church that furthers the goals of both?

* * *

I love how we Presbyterians value hearing Christ speak through other people.  I would hate to lose that because we can’t find a way forward together. 

We are exhorted over and again to live peacefully with each other. In Romans 12:18, “If it is possible, as far as it depends on you live peacefully with everyone.”  Jesus said, “Happy are the peacemakers for they will be called the children of God (Matthew 5:9).”  He prayed, "That they may all be one.  As you, Father are in me and I am in you, may they also be in us (John 17:21)."

What prevents us from offering ourselves as an answer to our high priest’s prayer?

My Dream for The PCC in 2015

I have a dream for my Presbyterian Church. 

We’re engaging in conversation around what full inclusion looks like for persons from the LGBTQ community.  Like with many other national bodies, the individual viewpoints are diverse and each position is defended with passion.  In my own Presbytery, I’ve had the privilege to work with gracious colleagues as we propose a request to our General Assembly (The PCC’s highest governing body).  Though conversation wasn’t always easy, I sensed a commitment to working together.  It allowed us to arrive at this conclusion: agreement isn’t required when our mission is pointing people to Jesus Christ.

This position is called Generous Spaciousness by The Rev. Wendy Gritter, executive director of New Direction ministry and her words have inspired my dreams for what the Church can be. New Direction focuses on creating a safe environment for people from both sides of the issue to nurture their faith and grow in their relationship with Christ.

In a recent blog post, Wendy beautifully describes the concept this way:

“Generous spaciousness is energized by Jesus’ high priestly prayer in John 17 that we would be one so that the world would know.  Our unity, transcending our differences and diversity, is intimately connected to our public witness.  When we choose the way of love, we can find the beauty of unity, and we can be a beautiful picture to those who may be watching. 

Generous spaciousness isn’t trying to “solve a problem” of who is right and who is wrong on the question of covenanted same-sex relationships for followers of Jesus.  Audacious as it sounds, we want to reframe this “problem” as an opportunity – an opportunity to grow in spiritual maturity as we reach out to love one another across our differences (which can be both intimate and significant).  We believe that this spiritual formation may be more important than the imagined perfect resolution – that the far right may envision as upholding a particular view of scriptural authority and the far left may view as a justice that eradicates oppression. 

Somewhere in the midst of all the tension of disagreement, there is a pearl of great price to be found – a unity that sings to the world of a loving and good God.”

What a great perspective,

            and my new year dream for our Church

She recalled what this looked like at a communion service during the annual retreat:

“At the [New Direction] retreat, our community groups (intentionally diverse, the groups have spent the whole weekend in dialogue together) come up together to serve each other the bread and the wine.  I have the “take off your shoes” experience of celebrating with each of the groups as they come forward.  One moment, in particular, is etched in my memory.  An individual who works for the Southern Baptist denomination in the U.S (not known for LGBTQ+ affirmation) tenderly served a queer theologian.  They had their arms around each other and tears were streaming down their faces.  It was a sacred moment of the kind of unity in our diversity that I dream about! 

We have all heard stories of the harm and division the alternative brings.  Some of us have even made our peace that this is a necessary evil to the “right” (read, “my”) way.  I was working to plan a retreat a few years ago. As I filled out forms to secure a booking with a facility we’d used a few times before, I noticed a new page.  It outline their view on the scriptures regarding this issue, and then stated that only those who signed onto agreement with this view would be welcome to use their facilities.  No doubt they felt they were right, but who were they excluding and what spiritual growth were they denying themselves by not welcoming the stranger?

There is a danger to emphasizing a single position to the exclusion of others.  Wendy quotes Miroslav Volf who reminds us, “The harder I pursue justice, the blinder I become to the injustice that I myself perpetuate.” 

I want better for our church.  In January, this working group is proposing to our Presbytery a Big Tent, where we can spend more time listening to God’s Spirit speaking through each other in hopes of letting the Spirit shape us into his likeness.

I believe such a position will honor our Lord, and reflect him well to those who are watching.  That’s my dream for our church.

For those interested in reading Wendy’s full blog post, click here.

A New Way Forward

I’m torn about a letter that came across my desk recently.  Its asks for full inclusion for people from the LGBT community in our national church.

I’m torn because the issue hits close to home, and affects my family deeply; people we love are in the LGBT community. I’m also torn because I don’t like the culture of silence our national church has embraced in the last decade. Silence may calm the surface, but torrents can still swirl just beneath. 

Though I’m torn, I’m grateful for this letter.  Its given colleagues and I the opportunity to talk openly. Candid, respectful discussion is life giving. 

But, I haven’t been able to sign.  There are two reasons.

Does this go too far?

The letter describes the paths sister denominations have taken.  But it is strangely silent on the fragmenting these same churches have experienced.  In every example I’m aware of, the discussion has resulted in an argument where some of the sisters and brothers leave the family.   Will my signature result in a similar outcome? Will a signature for one side of the issue, be a signature to dismiss some of my family?

Part of what attracted me to The Presbyterian Church in Canada was its broad, centrist theology.  It was refreshing after being in churches where there was only one right way to think about an issue.  I would hate to see that inclusivist position sacrificed, even if it’s in the name of inclusion or hospitality.

Furthermore, changing the church’s law doesn’t mean we’ve achieved inclusion.  Recently I was doing some training with colleagues in the PC(USA).  I had the chance to speak with a gay minister who was serving an urban, largely ethnic congregation in the New York Presbytery.   Though living “out” to his friends and family, he was in the proverbial closet with his congregation.  In fact, he had no intentions of coming out with those he served.  He felt some just couldn’t handle a gay minister and in service to them, he kept his sexuality to himself. 

Closer to home, a local United Church colleague recently asked her congregation to become “affirming”.  This title marks an important status change for interacting with members of the LGBT community in the United Church.  Despite being in a growing suburban area, the vote was unsuccessful. This happened thirty years after the United Church in Canada had changed the law.

Changing the law doesn’t mean the culture has changed.  Thus, the second reason I can’t sign:

Does this go far enough?

Culture change is what’s needed, but that doesn’t happen quickly.  We need to learn how to talk about sexuality, but that won’t happen overnight.

A few years ago I was sitting with some colleagues after a Presbytery meeting.  The conversation turned to inclusion of members from the LGBT community in our pulpits and getting married in our churches.  The energy of the conversation suddenly increased.  I’m sure the scotch helped but within a few short minutes we were all a bit uncomfortable and embarrassed at how things had escalated.  Our host summed it well when he said, “I don’t think we know how to talk about this issue.”

That needs to change.  

I don’t want to be forced into an either/or position on this.  My church, including my brothers are too important, including those in the LGBT community and those who disagree. There are more and better options than simply “for” or “against.”  Reducing the issue to these binary terms reduces us to opposing tribes.  This issue, and even people from the LGBT community, are reduced to a boundary.  Our position in relation to them marks whose in our tribe, and whose not.  I’m not ok with that.

We need to talk with people from the other side.

During a trip to Israel and Palestine, our team was sitting with some Palestinian Christian leaders in Bethlehem.  We were disturbed as they shared stories of violence and racism.  Then, someone asked the leaders, “How many Israelis do you know personally.”  Their answer? None.  Prejudice of all kinds is fed by ignorance, whether racism or misunderstanding about gender and sexual minorities.  These can only be overcome as we share our stories and ideas openly.

In the almost 10 years I’ve spent in The PCC, I’ve noticed that many are trying to create an environment where this can happen.  Members of the LGBT community are already in our churches, and have been ordained. In love for them, we’ve not subjected them to church discipline.  In love for us, they have not proclaimed their sexuality forcing divisive cases of church discipline.  Granted, this isn’t a sustainable solution, but it points to a way forward.

A Different Way Forward

Let’s continue creating a safe environment to hear God’s Spirit in each other’s lives.  Instead of getting mired in a polarized conversation, why not change the church’s law to reflect our current practice?  Could even be Sun Tzu's golden bridge one of my colleagues referenced?

Let’s remove any references that affirm or forbid the varieties of sexuality.  Let our national church stay silent on the rightness or wrongness of any particular identification: gay, straight, bi, trans.

Then let the conversation continue to bubble up at the local level.  Let us ask God’s Spirit to work within each of us, accepting that we all “see through a glass dimly.”  Let our national bodies or synod staff take the lead in developing tools to help us talk about sexuality and gender identity.  We don’t need to reinvent the wheel – there are already groups doing excellent work in this field, like New Directions.  Then locally and relationally, emphasizing love over tolerance, we can together discern God’s Spirit for our specific contexts.

Since we’re not forcing any change from the top-down, it will continue to be slow and organic. But, it also won’t be about a winning side and a losing one.  Instead we will be creating a safe space for all to come together: right and left, conservative and progressive, gay and straight.  The national church’s legal neutrality can be an affirmation of our respect for each other as seek to become the answer to our High Priest’s prayer: “that they should be one, as [The Father] and I are one.”

I want to hear the voices of my brothers and sister, gay or straight, right or left.  Only together, can we hear God speak for the future.

Wrestling with God

Wrestling with my son just helped me teach him the Bible.

We were doing our usual pre-dinner devotional routine.  Tonight, it was the Spark story Bible, a great book that tells many of the stories from scripture in accessible language and with fun pictures.  We read the story of Jacob’s wrestling with the angel.  As usual, the little guy was restless. Is it just mine or do all boys finds sitting still a chore?

There are certain go-to strategies that help keep attention.  Moving children from passive listeners to active participants is one of them.  

The angel tries to get away, but Jacob won’t let go, not until the angel blesses him.  “The angel turned and asked Jacob his name” I read, then asked, “What’s your name?”  We all shared our names.  

We finished the story.  The angel gives Jacob a new name, Israel, because he had wrestled with God.  “Cool! He wrestled with God."

After the story was done, the responsive activity was to find someone to wrestle with.  That’s when the magic happened.

I lay on the ground, and the little guy jumped on me.  We tickled, laughed, rough-housed.  Then, he said, “I’m the angel, no I’m Jacob.”  He grabbed my shirt and wouldn’t let go as I feigned escape.  I asked him “What’s your name?” Nothing.  

“You say ‘Jacob’”, I prompted.  

“Jacob.”  he said, still hanging onto my shirt with tenacity and a mischievous smile.

“Now you say, ‘I won’t let go until you bless me.’” I continued.

He said it, grin turning to smile on his mouth and eyes.

“I give you a new name: Israel,” I said.  

His grin grew.  Then, like the kids we were, we pressed rewind and told the whole story over again.

A scene from The Nativity flashed into my mind.  The children are sitting around Anna, a leader in her village.  While an adolescent Mary prepares their snack, Anna tells the children the story of Elijah on the mountain.  But, the children aren’t passive.  As Anna tells, she pauses, and the children respond with lines that sound ancient, like they’ve been said since the children were babes.  

I think something like that happened with my rambunctious little guy tonight.  Hearing the story wasn’t enough.  We needed to act it out, be part of it, respond to it.  In the wrestling, he moved from distracted to involved and the story from simple words to lived experience.

How do you tell your kids the ancient stories?

Life Lessons from Zip Lining

 This past July, my nine year old, adrenaline-junkie daughter and I couldn't resist going zip-lining down Marble Mountain near Corner Brook, NF.  

 

Its advertised to be one of the highest zip courses in Canada, spanning a small gorge and waterfall.  We took ATV's to the top, then zipped down nine lines to the bottom.

What a blast!  Here's some of what I took away from the experience

Research – Get the Facts Straight

The guides started by explaining safety procedures, the specs of the ropes and how the trip would look.  We'd jump, and they catch us on the other end.    Don't twist the double ropes.  Don't hang onto the ropes.  Do enjoy the ride.

 

Before we jump, we need to start by gathering the needed information.  Don’t let emotions alone be the guide.  Let’s make sure we know and understand as much as we can before we make the jump.

 

Faith

Despite everything our guides had said, we still had to make the choice whether to believe them.  Did the folks who built the course know what they were doing?  Thankfully, one of the guides, who were both bigger than me, went ahead first. If the lines could hold the him, they’d probably be ok with me.  

 

It works that way with our faith in God too - at some point, we have to look to those who have gone ahead of us: the writers of scripture, heroes in the Church's history, mentors, loved ones.  Looking at their example will build our faith.  Others have trusted him and thrived; we can too

 

Jump – Take a risk

I heard the instructions; I saw the guide cross.  Now I had to jump.  Despite everything I just said above, there was still a moment when I had to will myself off the platform and over the gorge.  

 

The reward was massive!  A beautiful view, a total rush.

 

Once we've done our research and had our faith strengthened, its time to jump.  God will often ask us of things that stretch us out of our comfort zone.  We know with our head they're important and good, but we still have to make the choice to…

 

            … JUMP!

 

Enjoy the trip

As we stood overlooking the gorge for the first time, I said to my daughter "Would you like to go first?"  It was code for "You go, I'll follow."   Yes, I can be a wuss.  Not surprisingly, she passed it back.  A little banter and we agreed to take turns going first.  I took turn one.  Then she took turn two.  Then I went.  Then she did, again.  And she did again, and again! It was so much fun, she went first almost every time.

 

Once the trip was started, we were having so much fun I didn't want it to end.  Then I caught myself beginning to dread the end, and suddenly the trip wasn't fun anymore.  "Just be here and now," I heard the wind say, "enjoy this gift."  

 

So, I chatted with the guides and heard their stories.  I got my picture taken over the gorge.  I repeatedly came in rear-end-first to the next platform, a sure sign that my backside is more aerodynamic, the guide explained.  

 

So much can distract us from the joys of right now.  Sometimes we need to just be here.

 

Laugh at Yourself

We arrived at the last run of the course.  I'd been following all the instructions the guides had given at the top.  Now, there was one more.  

"At the bottom, listen to what the guide says - its really important for stopping."  Ok, deal.  And off I went.  Faster and faster - this was by far the longest and fastest line.

Then, the guide waiting at the bottom yelled "pull the break!!!" as his hands pulled down on an imaginary rope near his head.

"Brake.

            Brake?!  

                        What brake?!?!" I panicked, just before my rope slammed into a series of springs that diffused the speed.  

Of course, there was no brake.  

Sometimes, we'll misunderstand, or make a mistake.  I have a bad habit of taking myself too seriously when that happens.  My wife is a good antidote to that affliction.  I'm learning that it’s important to learn what I can from my misunderstandings, and be prepared to laugh at myself.

A Prayer for Students

We'll be using this at Burns Presbyterian Church on Sunday, September 8, as we pray a blessing upon all students.  We've made this a community service, but will be pairing it with commissioning the kids ministry workers.  Its not a celebration without food, so of course they'll be a BBQ after.  

The prayer is a merger of two prayers found in Illuminata (Marianne Williamson, Random House, 1994) and Prayer Book for Lay People (The Society for Promoting Christian Knowledge, 2008).

Lord Jesus Christ,

You are alive and at work in the world

            In schools

            And in all the places where students go to meet, and live and learn

There are no words for the depth of our love for these students

            We surrender them into your hands

May they be protected from the darkness of our times

            And always see You at the centre of life

We pray each may be blessed to be your disciple

            And their hearts made strong to love you and serve you

May each see through your eyes,

            And hear the questions you are asking

May they welcome truth when they find it

            Greeting it as a gift from you

May they be agents of your lovingkindness

            To all they meet

And learn to invest their lives in changing the things that contradict your love

As they begin a new school year

            May they increase in kindness and strength

            Relying on your power from within

Living fully and deeply

            And freely growing into

                        The men and women you have created them to be

For its in your name we pray

Amen

The Truth about Transformation

Transformation is a wonderful thing. It can be slow, sometimes imperceptible, but it’s results can be delicious.

There’s a pear tree in my backyard that was bare a few months ago.  First came beautiful blossoms, then leaves and then just the smallest buds of young fruit.  This week, I was up on a ladder trying to get all the pears that were bending the branches with their weight.  The yellow ones were soft, sweet and warm from the sun.  Delicious! I think my son ate six.

Like those pears, our purpose is to be transformed into something delicious.  All the potential lies within and around us, and like a Master Chef (yes, I’m mixing metaphors here), our Creator has made each of us with a plan in mind.  Our transformation into the men and women we were created to be is often just as slow and imperceptible as with those pears. But, the end is no less sweet.

I’ve been reading parables in the Gospel of Mark chapter four: The Sower, the growing seed and the mustard seed.  All are parables about how the Kingdom of heaven infiltrates and transforms us.  C.S. Lewis famously described it as a good infection, changing us from the inside out.  Jesus used seed metaphors because the change is slow, sometimes imperceptible. 

Waiting for the pears to come could be agonizing.  Instead, all our family could do is go on with life, nurture the tree and notice when the fruit was ready.

Its that way with our personal transformation too.  Rather than waiting for it to come, or beating up on ourselves because we haven’t arrived, we’re invited to get on with life.  Nurture our transformation and take notice when the work has been happening.  Live, love, reflect.  Sounds like a wonderful rhythm.

Now, I was raised in a tradition that heavily emphasized personal transformation; you might hear that prejudice coming out.  I’m currently in a tradition that includes societal transformation. In Christ’s Church, there has been a chasm between the personal gospel of one stream, and the social gospel of the other.  I’m glad to see signs of a bridge being built, because these two streams are part of the same River (to borrow an image from Richard Foster).  They are intimately connected; two sides of the same coin. 

Individuals cannot be genuinely transformed by God’s love without becoming means of transformation to the whole of God’s Creation.  “Grace is not grace if it is not expressed in life” says Karl Barth. 

And, the whole of creation becomes a means of God’s transformative work. “Where can I go from Your Spirit?” the writer asks in Psalm 139.

(Is it any wonder that the Christian view of the end includes the idea that some pieces won’t fit? When all is made right, when creation and each of us have been transformed and finally know ourselves as we have always been known by our Creator, what place will there be for the darkness that had prevented us from realizing this identity? The darkness must cease to be.)

One last thought.  I could nurture and notice the pear tree, but I couldn’t make the pears grow.  In the same way, I can nurture and notice my personal transformation, but I can’t make it happen. That’s God’s work, and the Christian hope is for a final day when this work will be finished and all will be made well.  Until then, all I can do is join God’s great transformative endeavor, within me and in the whole of Creation.