Overture 4

Several Presbyteries within the PCA are currently discussing Overture 4 entitled “Confession of Sin and Commitment to Racial and Ethnic Diversity”  While I admire the desire to repent of racism, or any other form of oppression, I cannot in good conscience support this Overture.  I hate racial oppression and I am deeply saddened by the reality that much racial oppression has been perpetrated by Christians.  I do not, however, believe that I am bound to confess sins that I did not commit.  In addition, I believe that the Overture errantly asserts that the PCA is a continuation of the PCUS.  The documents from the time of the formation of the PCA indicate the intention of the founding fathers to form a “new” denomination by separating from the PCUS. 

In the second paragraph of Overture 4, we read,

Whereas, in the 1973 “Message to All the Churches,” the founding generation of the Presbyterian Church in America (PCA) expressly declared our denomination to be the “continuing church” of the Presbyterian Church in the United States (PCUS), saying, “We have called ourselves  ‘Continuing’ Presbyterians because we seek to continue the faith of the founding fathers of that Church,”

The assertion that the PCA began with the intention of being a continuation of the PCUS is inconsistent with the very document quoted.  Nowhere in the Message to All Churches is the phrase “continuing Church” used.  The only time the word “continuing” is used is in the above quote that indicates a continuation of “Presbyterianism,” not a continuation of the PCUS.  In fact, in the third paragraph of the Message to All Churches  the authors say, “The constituency of this new denomination for the most part have separated themselves from the Presbyterian Church in the United States.” Notice two key ideas from this declaration.  First the authors viewed the PCA as a NEW denomination.  Secondly they viewed themselves as separating from the PCUS.  This belief is affirmed by the numbering of our General Assemblies.  In 2016, the PCA will meet for the 44^th General Assembly not the 222^nd. If the founding fathers of the PCA believed that they were the continuing church, they would not have begun numbering their GAs with 1. 

            To further illustrate that the PCA has never acted as though it is the continuation of the PCUS, consider the number of congregations that lost their property in joining the PCA.  If they are the continuing PCUS and their property is owned by the PCUS presbyteries, how could they ever lose their property.  The only explanation is that the founders of the PCA always understood that they were leaving the PCUS and the courts of the USA agreed.

            Consider the full text of the third paragraph in the Message to All Churches,

The constituency of this new denomination for the most part have separated themselves from the Presbyterian Church in the United States. The decision to separate has come only after long years of struggle and heartache on the part of many of us to return the Church to purity of faith and practice. Principle and conviction entered into that decision, reached only after much soul searching and earnest prayer. We have reluctantly accepted the necessity of separation, deeming loyalty to Christ to take precedence over relationship to any earthly institution, even to a visible branch of the Church of Christ.

The founding fathers of the PCA never intended to be a continuation of the PCUS.  The word separate, or its cognates, is used eight times in this Message indicating the firm conviction that they were founding something new.  Why were they founding something new?  The founders told us why in the fifth paragraph.

We are convinced that our former denomination as a whole, and in its leadership, no longer holds those views regarding the nature and mission of the Church, which we accept as both true and essential. When we judged that there was no human remedy for this situation, and in the absence of evidence that God would intervene, we were compelled to raise a new banner bearing the historic, Scriptural faith of our forefathers.

            There are, likely, current members of the PCA who sinned during the time of the Civil Rights Movement while serving in the PCUS.  Those individuals should confess and repent of those sins even as one such leader did on the floor of GA last year.  At the same time, honesty requires us to acknowledge that the PCA did not exist during the Civil Rights Movement.  We must also acknowledge that the PCA includes former RPCES congregation which were never a part of the PCUS.  Note as well, that the history of the PCA is one of racial inclusion. 

1)      At the advisory convention item 47 says, “It was resolved that the continuing Presbyterian Church movement welcome fellow believers in Christ regardless of race.”

2)      In 1977 the PCA (including Morton Smith) helped draft the NAPARC declaration on Race Relations which expressed, “In repentance we acknowledge and confess that we have failed effectively to recognize the full humanity of other races and the similarity of their needs, desires, and hopes to ours; and thus we have failed to love our neighbor as ourselves.”  It also commended seminaries and churches for working toward racial equality, including Covenant Seminary which would later become the PCA’s seminary.

3)      In 2002 the PCA made strong statements decrying many racially driven sins including slavery, oppression and racism.  In this declaration the PCA committed to further oppose the racial inequality around us.

4)      In 2004 the PCA adopted a proposal from MNA that decried the sin of racism and gave practical instruction to churches to oppose it.

The history of the PCA which began in 1972 is one that opposes racism and seeks to be racially inclusive.  Even so, it is likely that racially driven sins continue.  For this, we must address these sins according to the scripture, calling the offender to account for their sin (Galatians 6:1-2).

This leads to my second concern for Overture 4.  Overture 4 assumes a covenantal and generational culpability.  Let me reiterate.  I do not believe that the PCA is the continuation of the PCUS and therefore we are not accountable for the sins committed by that body.  In addition, I believe that God establishes a principle in Scripture that opposes the idea of covenantal and generational culpability. 

When God reveals to Abraham that He was about to destroy Sodom and Gomorrah, Abraham protested, “Will You indeed sweep away the righteous with the wicked?”  Lot was attached to his city and yet he was not found covenantally culpable for their sins.  God dealt with the individual.  This principle is more clearly articulated as Jeremiah reveals the promises of the New Covenant in Jeremiah 31, 29-30, “In those days they will not say again, 'The fathers have eaten sour grapes, and the children's teeth are set on edge.' But everyone will die for his own iniquity; each man who eats the sour grapes, his teeth will be set on edge.” God declares that the children are not culpable for the sins of the fathers.  Ezekiel expounds this principle even more fully in chapter 18:1-9 where God draws a clear line of demarcation between the one who sins and the one who does righteously.

In trying to establish the idea of covenantal and generational culpability which might require confession for sins committed by our fathers, the pastors supporting Overture 4 refer to Daniel 9, Leviticus 26:40 ff, and Nehemiah 1.  What seems to be overlooked is that in each of these passages God speaks of shared sin.  Leviticus 26 is the easiest to see, “If they confess their iniquity and the iniquity of their forefathers…”  The Israelites were to confess, their iniquity AND the iniquity of the forefathers.  Both have committed the sin.  That is why both Nehemiah and Daniel confess not just the sins of the forefather but say, “we have sinned.”  These passages demonstrate that the children often repeat the sins of the fathers but they do not support the idea of covenantal and generational culpability.

            Another disturbing element to Overture 4 is that it will be a formal judicial ruling in that it does not only decry certain sins but it implicates individuals for those sins without proper judicial process.  It is inappropriate for a court of the church (BCO 10-2) to issue a finding of guilt without hearing the specifications or evidence and without providing the accused an opportunity to address the accusations. 

In the fourth paragraph of Overture 4 we read…

Whereas, the members of the PCA are increasingly aware that during the Civil Rights period, many of our founding denominational leaders and churches not only failed to support, but also actively worked against racial reconciliation in both church and society through sins of commission and omission, including: barring African Americans from worship services; misusing and twisting the Bible to support racial segregation; participating in and defending white supremacist organizations; and failing to speak out against state-supported segregation and to support efforts to secure access to basic human and civil rights;

Notice the words, “many of our founding denominational leaders.”  Those leaders are individuals who have a right to the process of our church courts (see BCO 6-3, 6-4, 27-2).  Rather than bringing charges against these individuals, Overture 4 summarily convicts them of “sins of commission and omission.”  If we adopt Overture 4, the General Assembly is officially declaring, without process, tht these individuals are guilty.

            In the ninth paragraph, Overture 4, lists some fruits of repentance—none of which truly reflect 2 Corinthians 7:10-11, “For the sorrow that is according to the will of God produces a repentance without regret, leading to salvation, but the sorrow of the world produces death. For behold what earnestness this very thing, this godly sorrow, has produced in you: what vindication of yourselves, what indignation, what fear, what longing, what zeal, what avenging of wrong! In everything you demonstrated yourselves to be innocent in the matter.”  This description of the “fruits of repentance” raises several questions.

a.      Would it constitute a chargeable offense if an individual failed to “establish interracial friendships?”

b.      If repentance requires us to establish “partnerships” outside of the PCA, would a failure to have such “partnerships” constitute racism?

c.       Is the goal “a more racially and ethnically diverse church” or the elimination of oppression expressed in racism?

Overture 4 says, “that this General Assembly also confesses our continued sins of racism…”  I cannot, in good conscience, declare that this General Assembly is guilty of racism.  I must see some specification of this sin and some evidence of it.  Which members of the General Assembly are guilty of racism?  The General Assembly consists of “all teaching elders in good standing with their presbyteries, and ruling elders as elected by their session.”  This statement would implicate all of the African American teaching elders in the PCA of the sin of continued racism.  Is that true?   I do not believe that I am guilty of racism and I cannot in honesty before the God of truth say that I am.  I believe that there are many PCA teaching elders who are not guilty of “continued sins of racism.”

Put Cynicism to Death

“When Joseph saw Benjamin with them, he said to his house steward, "Bring the men into the house, and slay an animal and make ready; for the men are to dine with me at noon." So the man did as Joseph said, and brought the men to Joseph's house. Now the men were afraid, because they were brought to Joseph's house; and they said, ‘It is because of the money that was returned in our sacks the first time that we are being brought in, that he may seek occasion against us and fall upon us, and take us for slaves with our donkeys.’”  Genesis 43:16-18

                Dick Keyes writes in Seeing Through Cynicism, “Cynicism, as we use it today, has to do with seeing through and unmasking positive appearances to reveal the more basic underlying motivations of greed, power, lust, and selfishness.”  Yesterday, President Obama presented a plan for gun control.  During his presentation, his eyes filled with tears.  I noticed articles, written by opponents to gun-control, calling his tears “crocodile tears”; implying that our president teared up only to sell his idea.  How do they know?  Why would they assume this?  Is it possible that President Obama, aware of the number Americans who are killed each year with guns, is actually saddened by that fact and he wants to help?  We may not agree with his solution, but that does not mean he is pretending.

                My state, Pennsylvania, does not have an approved budget.  The state legislature presented a budget in June that the Governor vetoed.  This impasse has meant that some charitable organizations who depend on public funding are not receiving funds.  Again on Facebook, friends regularly malign the legislators, assuming that the process is some sort of joke to them.  Is it possible that the legislature and the Governor are both taking stands on principles that they believe are best for our state?  This does not seem far-fetched to me.

                This brings me to the passage from Genesis 43, which reveals the problem of cynicism.  Joseph’s brothers, assumed that he was planning to do them harm.  They did not trust the Egyptians.  Up until this point, Joseph had only treated them with kindness.  Cynicism is not based—as some errantly assume—on previous experience that teaches us to distrust.  It is based in a fearful, faithless determination to protect ourselves even if that means that we must ignore God’s commands.  The brothers assumed that Joseph intended to harm them, when in reality, he planned to feast with them.  In their assumption, they maligned Joseph’s character to one another, breaking what would one day be the ninth commandment.  Cynicism is not wise, but diabolical, see Genesis 3:4-5.

                What is the solution?  As is most often the case, the solution is faith.  Will I trust God enough that I will not malign other people even if my assumption is right?  Will I believe that it is better to endure pain trusting that Jesus will comfort me, than to compromise God’s commands to be safe (Matthew 5:4)?  Will I follow Jesus even when it is hard, or painful?  Dietrich Bonhoeffer was imprisoned for attempting an assassination of Adolf Hitler.  In his prison cell he wrote to his parents, “Without trust, life is impoverished.”  If ever a man had the right to the cynics assumption, it would be a prisoner in Nazi Germany.  However, this man of God recognized that cynicism would rob him of joy.  He was unwilling to pay that price.  May God keep us from cynicism.

A Call to Quality Character

Carl Trueman recently wrote in a blog entitled, Basic Decency. That’s All That’s Needed, “In one instance, while debating whether a particular individual was qualified for office, a person read to me the list of qualifications for eldership and declared, ‘If we apply those, then nobody will ever be qualified.’”[1]  Carl was discussing the lowering of standards, particularly for elders.  I greatly appreciate his thoughts as I have seen Christians clamoring for pastors who are “just like us.”  This has led to lowering educational standards, and now, moral standards.  I heard of a man who was recently deposed for drunkenness, pornography, and adultery (he had been having an affair for years).  Following the administration of his censure, the gathered elders expressed hope of one day restoring him to office.  Why?

This lowering of standards is not new.  Dietrich Bonhoeffer wrote about it while he sat in a Nazi prison camp.  “Unless we have the courage to fight for a revival of wholesome reserve between man and man, we shall perish in an anarchy of human values. The impudent contempt for such reserve is the mark of the rabble, just as inward uncertainty, haggling and cringing for the favour of insolent people, and lowering oneself to the level of the rabble are the way of becoming no better than the rabble oneself.”  “Quality is the greatest enemy of any kind of mass-leveling.”[2]  Are we afraid of individuals with greater ability, wisdom, or character than we possess, or are we inspired by them?  The elders in the Church of Jesus Christ must live lives of greater piety and integrity because we need them to inspire us to trust Jesus enough that we too may live a more holy life.

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[1] Mortification of Spin: http://www.alliancenet.org/mos/postcards-from-palookaville/basic-decency-thats-all-thats-needed#.VnK9x0q2m00

[2] Dietrich Bonhoeffer, Letters and Papers from Prison

Violence

                Recently, I was thinking about violence.  I have often worked with victims of domestic abuse which leads me to think about such things.  Here are some of my early thoughts.

It is through the gift of rationality that man is able to work toward his own safety and growth.  By his mind, man learns what foods are good, how to keep warm, and how to relate to others.  The drive for self-preservation is also God-given and reflects God’s value of Himself and man, whom He created.  Jesus speaks to this by telling us to love our neighbor as we love our self (see also Ephesians 5:29).[1]

These two gifts work together to help us glorify God; rationality and self-preservation.  They are designed to work in concert, however, in this sin-cursed world, other people sometimes force us to choose one or the other thereby striking at the essential integrity of our being.

Violence, or the threat of violence, whether it is physical, verbal, or emotional, places the individual in a dilemma.  He must choose to relinquish his independent thoughts and adopt those of his attacker, or risk injury to himself.  Such a decision should never be made.  To force another to make such a decision is to attack the essence of his humanity and to rob him of one aspect of God’s image.  This is why we see God opposed to violence (Genesis 6:11-13, Habakkuk 1:2-3).[2]  How great a crime is it when this choice is given in the home?  

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[1] Eph 5:29 “for no one ever hated his own flesh, but nourishes and cherishes it, just as Christ also does the church,”

[2] Gen 6:11-13 “ Now the earth was corrupt in the sight of God, and the earth was filled with violence.  God looked on the earth, and behold, it was corrupt; for all flesh had corrupted their way upon the earth.  Then God said to Noah, "The end of all flesh has come before Me; for the earth is filled with violence because of them; and behold, I am about to destroy them with the earth.

Hab 1:2-3 “How long, O Lord, will I call for help, and You will not hear? I cry out to You, ‘Violence!’ Yet You do not save.  Why do You make me see iniquity, and cause me to look on wickedness? Yes, destruction and violence are before me; strife exists and contention arises.

Central truth

What is Christianity?  I mean at the very center of our faith what is there?  Maybe I am talking about what C.S. Lewis called, “Mere Christianity” and Chesterton referred to simply as “Orthodoxy”.  If we were to compare the faith of Adam, Abraham, Peter, Augustine, Calvin, Sproul, Miquel in Belize, Don Michael in Scotland and Thokosani in Malawi, what would they have in common?  The expression of their faiths is vastly different but surely the central characteristics would be the same.

I am firmly convinced of Covenant Theology.  Covenant Theology believes that the unifying idea of all of Scripture is the covenant of God.  The covenant is, simply put, the terms of man’s relationship with God.  We can use lots of words to describe it, but the central concept of a covenant is a relationship.  I think that relationship with the one true God is the heart of Christianity.  Dick Keyes describes the central claim of Christianity in his book, Chameleon Christianity, “…we believe that individuals and the whole community have actually met the transcendant God—the Creator of heaven and earth—who in turn is deeply concerned for us and even loves us.” God initiated a relationship with His image in creation.  That relationship was broken by sin but restored through Jesus.  For this reason Jesus describes the greatest commandments as loving God and loving our neighbor.  That is to say, maintaining right relationships.

I am sad that too often relationship with God has been replaced with a reliance on religious rites.  The rites are good but not as replacements for knowing Jesus, John 17:3.  We read and study our Bibles confident that this is the way to eternal life all the while missing Jesus say to us, “You search the Scriptures because you think that in them you have eternal life; and it is they that bear witness about me, yet you refuse to come to me that you may have life.”  We list our prayer requests in bulletins and web-pages.  We read the list to God expecting Him to heal our diseases and make us prosperous; all the while missing that God’s plan for us includes suffering and hardship so that we may trust Him more tenaciously.  We should hope for His presence through the difficulties rather than the removal of hardship, Psalm 23:4.  Too often we go on in our superstitious religion while God still invites us to more, Isaiah 1:14-18, 29:13; Revelation 2:4, 3:18-20.

I want Him: that is all, just Him.  “Whom have I in heaven but Thee and besides Thee, I desire nothing on earth.”

Above Reproach

Matthew 23:1-12

Then Jesus spoke to the crowds and to His disciples, saying: "The scribes and the Pharisees have seated themselves in the chair of Moses;  therefore all that they tell you, do and observe, but do not do according to their deeds; for they say things and do not do them.  "They tie up heavy burdens and lay them on men's shoulders, but they themselves are unwilling to move them with so much as a finger.  "But they do all their deeds to be noticed by men; for they broaden their phylacteries and lengthen the tassels of their garments.  "They love the place of honor at banquets and the chief seats in the synagogues,  and respectful greetings in the market places, and being called Rabbi by men.  "But do not be called Rabbi; for One is your Teacher, and you are all brothers.  "Do not call anyone on earth your father; for One is your Father, He who is in heaven.  "Do not be called leaders; for One is your Leader, that is, Christ.  "But the greatest among you shall be your servant.  "Whoever exalts himself shall be humbled; and whoever humbles himself shall be exalted.

I just heard the news of a PCA church hiring a new Director of Ministry Development.  The man they hired was deposed for adultery just three weeks ago. His name is Tullian Tchividjian. 

A pastor has a solemn responsibility to speak truth.  He represents the God who is truth by proclaiming the message of truth.  Tullian Tchividjian—who has now been approved by the elders of Willow Creek Church—recently stood in front of God’s people speaking for God even while he was in an adulterous relationship.  Do you see the depth of betrayal and dishonesty?  Imagine if he had been preparing his sermon when his conscience began to torment him.  In this conviction, he called the elders and confessed his sin, recognizing that he could not live out the sham of preaching while he was living such a duplicitous life, so he stepped down.  Such a situation would be commendable.  Instead, Tchividjian pretended to be qualified to speak for God until the elders discovered the affair and invited him to resign.  Even after his resignation and deposition, he continues to speak for God.  Until the elders confronted him, his conscience was not burdened.  He did not mind the duplicity.  The lie did not trouble him enough to bring him to action. It is this duplicity that is most troubling and is least addressed.  The hypocrisy that mirrors the Pharisees is what most disqualifies Tchividjian from office.  The hardness of heart required to carry on an affair while teaching and preaching the Word of God is unfathomable.  Surely, he should be given more time to demonstrate a real change before we ask God's people to trust him again..       

I am so sad.

Four

When I was four years old I witnessed a brutal beating.  My parents were having trouble.  Dad was an alcoholic and frequently flew into a rage and beat us, (me, my brothers and my mom).  On this particular day, we met Dad at his mother’s trailer.  The night before, we had stayed at another man’s house.  I betrayed my mom by revealing this fact to Dad.  He became furious, pinning Mom to the corner of the couch.  He repeatedly hit her in the face and began to slam her head against the wall.  I was afraid and I wanted to help.  I knew it was my fault.  Mom had told us that we could call the operator if we were ever in danger (this was before 911).  I immediately went into Grandma’s bedroom, picked up the phone, and dialed 0.  Before I could explain what was happening, Grandma hung up the phone and I was left to witness the rest of the beating.

God brings good from every situation.  This beating was the last straw for Mom.  She packed us up and moved to California, and divorced Dad.  Even though Mom did not know God at that time, He knew her and gave her the wisdom and courage to take this step.  In so doing she protected us and taught us that we do not need to be abused.  In addition, God placed a burning passion in my heart.

From that day, I have a deep hatred for oppression and abuse.  My brothers and I swore to each other that if one of us ever hit his wife, the other two would beat the stuffing out of the abuser.  To my knowledge, none of us has ever hit our wives.  Since God has given me life and faith, he has given me opportunities to care for victims of abuse.  I have physically stood between an abusive husband and his family to protect them.  I have helped victims understand their situation and stand up to the bully.  I have opposed bullies in the church, demanding that they stop enslaving those around them.  All of this can be traced to that awful day in the late 1960s.

  

When I was four, I stood alone knowing that no one in authority would help.  I gained a great resolve to be strong.  Today, I stand with a strong hand holding mine.  I bury my head into His chest and sob as I watch people I love suffer abuse.  He gently strokes my head and reminds me that He is involved.  I must fight the four year old, and chose moment by moment to trust the only real authority in the world, the One who is my Savior.