These are my final meditations on the 219th General Assembly, of which I was and am a minister/commissioner representing the Presbytery of North Central Iowa. In the aftermath of the monumental meeting, I have been thinking and praying for almost two weeks now, and I wish to share just a few more thoughts for you to pray about.
While the PC(USA) is in the process of re-thinking its position on ordination standards, with the General Assembly having recently recommended deleting the current paragraph concerning fidelity in marriage and celibacy in singleness, it is interesting to note reaction from other parts of the church around the world.
Our mission partners in the global south, Africa and South America, where the universal church is growing the fastest at this moment in time, have decidedly different ideas about morality – ideas based on traditional Biblical views of morality, many taught to them by Presbyterian missionaries over the years. One young woman, an observer from Ghana, told me she was appalled at the PCUSA's seeming lack of morality. And she told me she thought she spoke for the great majority of African Christians. They, too, will be saddened by the GA's actions. So it seems to be true also of some Eastern European partners in the Orthodox church. They are standing firm on the traditional view of the Bible as seen in the historic confessions of the PCUSA.
One of the most remarkable moments in the general assembly came when the Orthodox Church’s stance on the sexual ethics controversy was made by clear by the Archpriest of Belarus, Rev. Siarhei Hardun of Belarus, who was invited to address the General Assembly.
When the Ecumenical Advisory Delegate from the Orthodox Church in Belarus, brought greetings, he also brought a tremendous moral authority that is found in the Bible, the PCUSA historic confessions, and in the heritage of the church universal.
Archpriest Siarhei Hardun of Belarus thanked the PCUSA for its mission work in his country, but also questioned some of the moral issues decided at the 219th General Assembly.
After thanking the moderator and GA participants for including him in the Assembly, Hardun shared from his heart. “I represent here the Orthodox Church of Christ – the church that has an unbroken, unchanged and unreformed tradition. And our theology has never been changed or reformed for almost 2,000 years."
“But the last century our church suffered severe persecution. Many bishops, priests and lay people were killed or imprisoned. Most of the church buildings were destroyed by the communists. Theological seminaries were closed. Any social work of the church was forbidden by law. And now our church is recovering after these long trials.
“In my country – Republic of Belarus, where I come from – 20 years ago we had 370 Orthodox congregations and now we have over 1,500 congregations. New churches are being built everywhere. We also try to organize the social work of the Church and in this we find support and assistance from the Presbyterian Church (USA). That’s why I am obliged to convey sincere gratitude on behalf of the Orthodox Church of Belarus to your church for its long standing support of our common projects in helping disabled people, lonely aged people, families with many children and other categories of those who are in need.”
The Belarusian cleric spoke words of gratitude for PCUSA mission workers in the region and then turned to his evaluation of the week in Minneapolis. “I am for the first time with Presbyterians, and now I want to say a few words about my impressions that I feel visiting this General Assembly,” he said.
Hardun’s first impression was related to the use of the 11th century version of the Nicene Creed instead of the 4th century version preferred by ecumenical councils. He then said, “And another thing. I was really struck while listening to your discussion about homosexuality, same-sex marriage, civil unions and other moral issues. Christian morality is as old as Christianity itself. It doesn’t need to be invented now. Those attempts to invent new morality look for me like attempts to invent a new religion – a sort of modern paganism.
“When people say that they are led and guided by the Holy Spirit to do it, I wonder if it is the same Spirit that inspired the Bible, if it is the same Holy Spirit that inspires the Holy Orthodox Church not to change anything doctrinal or moral standards? It is really the same Spirit or perhaps there are different spirits acting in different denominations and inspiring them to develop in different directions and create different theologies and different morals?
“My desire is that all Christians should contend earnestly for the faith, which was once for all delivered to the saints, as St. Jude calls us to do (Jude 1:3). And my advice as an Ecumenical Advisory Delegate is the following: 'Do not be conformed to this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind.’” (Romans 12:2).
Hardun spoke of the very Word of God as the only advice worthy of commissioners’ attention. The subsequent actions of the Assembly indicate that the Biblical counsel fell on a huge room where the majority of folks did not heed his time-honored, tradition rich, Scripture infused advice.
However, Hardun bore faithful witness to the reality that indeed, a faithful remnant can survive persecution and the efforts of the Enemy to destroy the witness of Christ. The revival of the Orthodox Church of Belarus from the ashes of communism is a hopeful witness to American denominations in rapid decline who are beset by a cultural tsunami of situational "psuedo-therapeutic" ethics.
Here is a link to the 8 minute segment of the GA where Hardun spoke:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fVOEeQYhX7k
No comments:
Post a Comment