Judgment Day Predictions: a P.R. fiasco or P.R. opportunity?

This photo image appeared among the posts to my facebook page this morning. Awkward is but one description of how some may feel this morning. Any time in which the word of “man” is proclaimed as equal to or superior to the word of God ends up being at the very least awkward for “man.”  Yesterday was proclaimed by one group of believers to be in general terms “the Day of Judgment” and more specifically the day when Christ would return to earth to claim his own and begin the countdown of the end of the world.

Now that its the day after, I find myself pondering the following questions:  Did the event take place and the group claimed was much smaller than I had expected? Or did it happen at all?…Or is the Day of Judgment something other than what our words predict?

Today is a day of judgment of sorts for the Christian church.  It is a day in which we will be judged by our response to this apparent  “non-event.”  Will we allow today to be a public relations fiasco by which critics and skeptics and cynics alike describe us as out of touch, irrelevant, and dead? Will we use this event as a public relations opportunity to share the good news of Jesus Christ with the world?

I am confounded by the audacity of any person or group to predict what clearly is known only to God.  The leader of the group predicting May 21 as the day of Christ’s return were pretty bold but based their date on some unreliable information.  Matthew 24:36 says, “But about that day and hour no one knows, nether the angels of heaven nor the Son, but only the Father.”  Others have futilely attempted to predict the Day of Judgment.

This verse is a portion of Matthew’s account of a final discourse between Jesus and his followers.  It is instruction about the persecutions and the coming of the Son of Man.  It is also the beginning of a pericope, or section that speaks of the necessity of watchfulness, or being ready, ending with these words in verse 44:  “Therefore you also must be ready, for the Son of Man is coming at an unexpected hour.”  The billboard in the image above needed both verses to present a complete message.  The omission of verse is just as awkward as the failed prediction.

I am also confounded by the skepticism that appears in reaction to the May 21 prediction.  Invitations to looting parties that proliferated through social media sites weren’t as humorous as they might have been intended.  I’ve seen and been upset at the images of looters who take advantage of natural disasters to steal and destroy.  Jesus’ words in Matthew were an invitation to be prepared when the time comes, not a word of woe to those who had not met a deadline to respond to an exclusive offer.

There are usually two ways to “spin” a topic.  For us, the challenge is to share what the Day of Judgment  means as an opportunity to advance Christ’s message to the world and keep the failed predictions of “man” from becoming a public relations fiasco.  Now is the time for faithful persons to share what Christ’s message is – to speak a word about what God has done for us through Jesus’  life, death and resurrection – and to invite others to share in a relationship with Jesus.

The Christian church has an opportunity to spin this event into a word of entering into a new way of life.  Just as we prepare for events in our lives, e.g. a wedding, the birth of a child, or simply taking a trip to the grocery store, so too should we be prepared for a time when we might come face to face with the risen Lord.  And we need to remind ourselves that our encounter with Jesus may come at the most unexpected time and place.  We should also be prepared to meet Jesus Christ in a visage that would seem most unlikely.

Be ready, a day of judgment is coming or may be here sooner than you think.

What Amendment 10A means.

The Presbyterian Church (U.S.A.) has new language describing its standards for ordination. When the Presbytery of the Twin Cities voted approval of 10A on Tuesday, May 10th, it became the 87th presbytery to support the change. Therefore, on July 10, 2011 the current provision in our constitution that officers live in “fidelity in marriage and chastity in singleness” will be removed and in its place will be the following statement,

Standards for ordained service reflect the church’s desire to submit joyfully to the Lordship of Jesus Christ in all aspects of life. The governing body responsible for ordination and/or installation shall examine each candidate’s calling, gifts, preparation, and suitability for the responsibilities of office. The examination shall include, but not be limited to, a determination of the candidate’s ability and commitment to fulfill all requirements as expressed in the constitutional questions for ordination and installation. Governing bodies shall be guided by Scripture and the confessions in applying standards to individual candidates.

The rest of this post is a personal reflection on the meaning of 10A for the Presbyterian Church.

What does this new language mean?  I have listened to the speeches of those for and against this proposal.  I have heard it applauded as a way to include people who have been excluded from the church.  I have also heard it condemned as an abandonment of what Scripture teaches.  From all I’ve read and heard, it appears that sexual behavior is the primary concern for determining who can and cannot serve as officers or ministers in our denomination.

There are times that we have hidden behind the fidelity and chastity language as a way to avoid asking some pretty tough questions of candidates.  We’ve made assumptions, sometimes false, in place of  having difficult conversations with candidates.  We’ve used the denomination to do what we don’t want to do ourselves.

What does this new language mean? While this new language removes wording about sexual behavior, it says something even more important.  Note what the final sentence in the new provision says, Governing bodies shall be guided by Scripture and the confessions in applying standards to individual candidates.  In our polity the word “shall” is not permissive but mandates that we do something. When examining individual officer or minister candidates a Session or presbytery must consider what it believes the Bible and the confessions of the Reformed Tradition to say.

What else does Amendment 10A mean?  It means that when examining any person for office or ministry, the examination must include a determination of  each candidate’s calling, gifts, preparation, and suitability for the responsibilities of office. 

The passage of Amendment 10A means that governing bodies must begin to take its responsibility for training, preparing and examining candidates seriously.  Getting people to be officers can be difficult and sometimes it feels like we use the “pulse rate” method to fill an office.  The “pulse rate” method says that if you have a measurable pulse rate you’re an officer.

The change in ordination language means that we must be faithful to what we hear Scripture telling us, to be actively engaged in identifying, training and preparing leaders, and to be bold in our decision to allow candidates to go forward as leaders. We must look carefully at the standards contained in the questions asked of officers in the Book of Order (W-4.4003).

What does 10A’s passage mean?  I believe it means that we need to pay closer attention to neglected portions of our Book of Order regarding leadership.  I hope that it will bring about a renewed look at and curriculum for officer training taking seriously the questions we ask of officers and ourselves.

Preparing for an important meeting, Part 2

A few weeks ago I wrote about preparing for an important meeting. The Presbytery of Boise is meeting on Saturday, May 14 for the purpose of voting on proposed changes to the constitutional documents of the Presbyterian Church. We are one of the 173 presbyteries who will vote on these matters.

One of the most discussed, debated and potentially divisive matters before us was Amendment 10A which changes one of the ordination standards of the Presbyterian Church. Specifically this Amendment would remove the provision of “fidelity in marriage and chastity in singleness” and would not prevent a congregation from ordaining an actively gay or lesbian person as an officer or minister.

A second matter to be voted on remains before us: a proposed new Form of Government. This proposal keeps in mind that the local congregation is the place where God’s mission is most effective. It also affirms a connectional nature that is part of the Presbyterian tradition by recognizing that when congregations join together in doing God’s mission we are greater than when we attempt to do it on our own. The proposed new Form of Government acknowledges the ministries of individuals in congregations: Deacons, and Elders who would be called Ruling Elders; and ministers who would be called Teaching Elders. The new Form of Government would provide for a greater flexibility in doing ministry while maintaining the historic Presbyterian and Reformed understanding of the being the Body of Christ.

Voting on these issues has been taking place since early 2011 and yesterday (May 10) a deciding vote was taken approving Amendment 10A. Eighty-seven presbyteries have now ratified the change in ordination. Voting on the new Form of Government will take place until eighty-seven “yes” or “no” votes are received.

Should the presbyteries that have not yet voted on 10A care? Is a meeting necessary to vote on something that has already been decided? The answer is a resounding “YES!” It is important for you to participate in the process of voting on Amendment 10A so that your voice can be heard. Your presence is critical in stating what you believe God is saying to the church and the world. Our presbytery needs to express where it stands on the important matters in the life of the Presbyterian Church.

The previous advice remains in place: study the issues presented, listen with an open heart and mind to what everyone has to say on the issues; and pray for the wisdom of the Holy Spirit to lead you in your decision.

Down to the wire

I spent much of last month (April) watching my kids at track meets. It was an exciting time for parents as we cheered for our children. I found it equally exciting to listen as parents, students and other spectators cheered for other people’s children. Oh sure, there was the bias for our own runner, but there was also a sense of community that seemed to transcend the competition.

The most exciting races were the ones that came down to the wire. I could feel my adrenaline kick in as I watched runners near the finish line shoulder to shoulder or within mere inches or footsteps of one another. Then there was the cheer from teammates and spectators alike as the racers crossed the finish line. I found myself amazed as I watched racers supporting other racers: teammates hugging teammates and opponents congratulating and in some cases comforting other racers.

Comparing a track meet to denominational matters is not the strongest analogy. It is, however, the analogy that has been playing out in our denomination of late. Voting on proposed amendments feels more like a track or competitive event than an attempt by faithful people to prayerfully discern the will of God.

Voting on the Amendment 10A by presbyteries of the Presbyterian Church is now down to the wire. Unofficial vote tallies reveal that the amendment which will change one portion of our ordination standards will likely pass during the coming week. (These sources, in favor and opposed to the measure, report that 86 of 87 votes necessary have been cast.)

When I began writing this post, I was thinking as a spectator but somehow in the midst of writing I changed my way of thinking – I am not a spectator but a participant in this denominational event. Training for this event requires prayer, both individual and corporate prayer, that seeks God’s will. Training includes studying Scripture and the proposed language to understand how it fits in the Reformed understanding of Scripture and our tradition. Training involves being in conversation with others.

Boise Presbytery will hold a special meeting of the presbytery on Saturday, May 14. Our meeting begins with worship and will then move to a time of debate on the amendments. We will hear from commissioners who support and oppose this measure as we engage in a democratic process that will culminate with prayer and a vote. How will we react when the race is finished? It is at this moment that I pray that we will act with the maturity I saw in the young people at my children’s track meets.

I pray that the Holy Spirit will quash all feelings of winning or losing, replacing them with a longing for community and compassion for one another. I pray that God will open ears to hear, hearts to receive and minds to understand regardless of the vote outcome. I pray that we would recognize our risen Lord in the faces of one another as we discuss, cast our votes and hear the outcome. Why? Because there will be another group watching us.

I admit that I had an interest in watching my children’s track meet. I found myself cheering for and interested in the children of other parents. I watched and I was influenced by how how I saw these athletes interacting with one another. Fortunately, I did not witness examples of bad sportsmanship and I suspect that any such behavior would be responded to with “boos” from the crowd.

Others will be watching us over the next week. If, as I suspect, this amendment is approved by our denomination, the way we treat one another will be watched by others. Will we be greeted with cheers or “boos” for the way we have responded? How sisters and brothers in faith see us treating one another will say a great deal about the future of our church.

We are down to the wire.  God grant us a spirit of discernment, a heart of compassion, and a desire to seek your will for this church.  Amen.