An Inkling
One value of conflict is that it makes us think through why we believe what we believe. Unchallenged beliefs can remain vague and confused. Not so beliefs that are challenged. As they say, “Iron sharpens iron.” We find ourselves in the blacksmith’s shop courtesy of a biblically unfaithful choice made by our denomination this week.
Here’s the short of it. Last summer the General Assembly (our national governing body) voted to remove from our church constitution the requirement that ministers and elders must live in fidelity in marriage between a man and a woman or chastity in singleness. The proposal then went to the 173 presbyteries around the country for their consideration. Three times in the last ten years we have defeated similar proposals in the presbyteries. But this time it passed, with the majority gained this week.
Knowing that this biblically unfaithful proposal would likely gain a majority vote sometime in May, our Session has begun to talk about how we will respond. The Session’s letter to you can be found on our church website (see the link just below). In the coming months the Session will enable us as a congregation to discern God’s guidance. There will be several options for faithful response, and we will be seeking the one to which God is guiding us.
In the process the iron of our beliefs will be sharpened about such basic matters as:
· Sexual ethics – what does the Bible teach? Considering the ferment in our society about sexual ethics, it’s well to have clarity.
· Biblical authority – why should we care what the Bible says about sexual ethics?
· The nature of God’s grace – is God’s grace a love and acceptance that prompts transformation, or is it simply an unconditional positive regard?
· Our relationship with the historic and global church (beyond our denomination) – what does it mean that this action divides us from the historic position of the church, and from almost all of our global partners?
· The nature of the church – yes, we’re one in Christ, but how much diversity of belief can a church handle without making itself crazy? Whatever that threshold is, it looks like we’ve passed it.
· Etc, etc, etc. These are just some of the basic matters that we’ll be addressing as we seek God’s guidance.
I don’t know what all God is going to do through this. But I know the blacksmith shop in which we find ourselves belongs to him. And I know that we’ll be sharpened for more effective service. That’s to the good.
Blessings,
Keith
