An Inkling
I’m still processing our church’s General Assembly last week. I wrote twice from the midst of the Assembly, and now I write in reflection. Distance is beginning to lend perspective.
It’s a well-known maxim: In essentials, unity; in non-essentials, liberty; in all things, charity. I’ve seen it attributed both to St. Augustine and John Wesley. Whoever coined it, many have found it a wise word for how to make life work in the church.
I wish it were true of the Presbyterian Church (U.S.A.). At points in our history it has been. But for now here is what we’re trying to make work: In essentials, liberty; in non-essentials, unity; and in all things (except church property), charity.
Let’s start with non-essentials. General Assembly wasn’t all business. There were also plenty of occasions to talk shop with other pastors and elders. We have so much in common in education and ethos. We face many of the same organizational challenges in our congregations and presbyteries, and we try many of the same innovations. I had several instructive and satisfying conversations about such non-essentials with people who are opponents on our most contended issues. Camaraderie came easily on non-essentials. It almost felt like unity.
Then there are the essentials. We are clearly on divergent paths. I say “clearly,” but not all would agree. Some say there is room for liberty here, and that we can disagree and still walk together. The matters about which we primarily contend are sexual ethics and the uniqueness of salvation in Christ. (There is much more to say about each of these, but that will have to await additional blogs.)
Here’s the short of it: those who want to revise the historic Christian sexual ethic say agreement is not essential. And those who would recast salvation in Christ as being one of several salvation paths believe that even divergent paths are ultimately the same path. Those who hold to the historic beliefs in these areas say that they are essential, along with about 99% of the global church. I agree. And to indulge ourselves in the fantasy that we can continue as a denomination with liberty on matters so close to the center of our faith and practice is denial on steroids.
Then there’s the matter of charity. We’ve congratulated ourselves at length about how polite we were to each other at General Assembly, and for the most part we were. That is to the good. Where we seem not to be doing so well is in the presbyteries where some congregations have decided they must leave. What is it about “who gets the property” that tilts otherwise charitable Christians toward mean-spirited actions? Whoever gets the property, both sides lose in these cases, and the Lord is dishonored.
When the church has unity in essentials, she can handle an amazing amount of liberty in non-essentials, and charity comes as a bonus. But right now the PCUSA is trying to live outside that pattern. It won’t work. It can’t work.
What will happen? Either God will move to restore our unity in essentials, or there will be some sort of split. I pray for the former and dread the latter. Without a miracle, I believe the latter is inevitable. God has done miracles in the life of his church before. Maybe he will again. We’ll see.
It’s a good thing Jesus saves – even the church.
Lord have mercy,
Keith
