Reflections on the 219th General Assembly, Part Three, Section B -- Hope in God

May the PCUSA presbyteries and their members remember that some things do not need reforming -- the church does need reform, yes, but "According to the Word of God." Just as in Luther and Calvin's time, the Word continually calls us to re-form back to the basics of the faith, and away from traditions and doctrines made by humans without Biblical basis. The Word of God does not need to be, and should not be, re-formed. It is the church that needs to be always reformed, according to the Word of God, not vice versa.

The old saying of the church that so many quote is usually only half-quoted -- It is ecclesia reformata, semper reformanda secundum verbum Dei : the church reformed, always reforming, according to the Word of God. We must hold fast to that key tenet: according to the Word of God.
Sisters and brothers in Christ, we must continue to be faithful witnesses to the Gospel and to the Scripture based truths found in our confessions. We cannot be ostriches, with our heads in the ground, pretending the conflict will just take care of itself. We must fight the good fight of faith. (1 Timothy 6:12)

But we must also continue to do the important work of the church beyond these issues -- caring for the sick, helping the poor, loving our neighbors, spreading the Good News of Jesus Christ in our communities and overseas, doing acts of kindness in Jesus' Name wherever we can, whenever we can.

We must act justly and love mercy. and walk humbly with our God. We must do what we can do, whenever we can do it, in Jesus' Name, following Him in Word and deed. We must walk the walk, not just major in talk. As Christians, we have vital work to do in partnering in the mission of God in this time and in the places God has given us.

A pastor friend of mine led me to consider two great pieces of wisdom as we all continue to pray about the issues that will come before us at presbytery meetings and in session and ongregational study sessions over the next year.

he first is the great prayer by theologian Reinhold Neibuhr:

SERENITY PRAYER
God grant me the serenity to accept the things I cannot change;
the courage to change the things I can;
and wisdom to know the difference.
Living one day at a time;
Enjoying one moment at a time;
Accepting hardships as the pathway to peace;
Taking, as He did, this sinful world as it is, not as I would have it;
Trusting that He will make all things right if I surrender to His Will;
That I may be reasonably happy in this life
and supremely happy with Him
Forever in the next.
Amen.

The second is the wisdom we find in Proverbs:

Trust in the LORD with all your heart and lean not on your own understanding;
in all your ways acknowledge him, and he will direct your paths.
 Proverbs 3, 5-6

Yes, O Lord, please direct our paths! Amen. Amen.

And may God bless our presbytery, our churches, the PCUSA and the church universal!