Finding A Place At The Table

Amazing Grace

This past Sunday a group of folks gathered to watch the movie, Amazing Grace.  This film, which was directed by Michael Apted, tells the story of a 20 year attempt by William Wilberforce to abolish slave trade and slavery in England.  The film is beautiful, moving and powerful as it shows a man who felt God's call and experienced God's grace, being transformed and then seeking to transform the world around him.  Despite continual setbacks along the way, he continued to pursue justice vigorously. 

As I reflected on the film and the convesation the group had following I found myself pondering a variety of questions and issues:

• Does experiencing God's grace necessarily lead to our comfort and ease?  Or, does it sometimes invite us to journey outward in love, compassion and concern for others in ways that may challenge us as we challenge the world?
• Is there similarities between the arguments used by those who supported slavery and slave trade in England and the arguments used by the abolutionists, wiht the the arguments used today to around our own imigration policies?
• At one point, Wilberforce thought he had to choose between doing the work of God and doing the work of a political activist.  Is there a line between doing God's work and working through the political system to bring about justice and love?
• John Newton, the author of the hymn, Amazing Grace, was once the owner of a slave boat.  He became clear that those actions were wrong and his hymn Amazing Grace, becomes a central inspiration for Wilberforce's work to abolish slavery.  At one point, Newton writes a "confession"  in which he details what he had done as a slaver.  He invites Wilberforce to publish that document, recognizing, in his words that he was a "great sinner and Christ is a great savior."  Does forgiveness compel action for us? 
• Where in our world do we continue to see people enslaved today?  How does God call us to respond to those situtions and people?
• How do we experience God's amazing grace today, and how is that changing us?

The film raises tough questions; but they are questions that just may go to the very heart of the Gospel of Jesus Christ.

New rulings

This past week the Permanent Judicial Commission of the General Assembly issued decisions in three cases related to the movement toward inclusion in our denomination. The rulings are sad for those of us who work for, hope for, and pray for a day when the Presbyterian Church (USA) will demonstrate a love and a justice that is as big and as gracious as God's. These decisions represent a set-back. It appears that these decisions overturn the Authoritative Interpretation passed by the 2006 General Assembly by saying that candidates for ordination may be permitted to depart from an ordination standard related to belief, but not from a standard related to behavior.

Following these decisions, Michael Adee of More Light Presbyterians issued a statement which includes the following reflection on the particular paragraph in the Book of Order which has created so much pain (see More Light's web site for complete statement):

The anti-gay discriminatory ordination policy of G-6.0106b of "fidelity in marriage, chastity in singleness" was added to the Book of Order in 1997.  It has brought nothing but pain, division and discrimination in our Church.  It has worked against the principles and the realities of peace, unity and purity within our Church.  It has driven people out and driven people away from our Church.  It is a barrier to people knowing that they are children of God, created in the image of God, unconditionally loved by God and welcome in our Church.  It is an impediment to faith and grace.  It is a scandal to the Gospel of Jesus Christ.

That All May Freely Serve says of these PJC rulings:

In a decision handed down on February 12, 2008, the highest court in the Presbyterian Church (USA) has ruled that the controversial ordination standard of fidelity in heterosexual marriage or chastity in singleness is a requirement for all persons in ordained office.  The ruling perpetuates the mistaken and destructive prejudice that sexual orientation is a matter of behavior and not identity.  Further, the ruling puts a wedge between faith and practice, as though to believe one thing and act differently were not the very definition of hypocrisy.  The ruling severely damages movement toward greater flexibility, graciousness, and discernment as put forward by the actions of the last General Assembly.

The decision, however, puts stark relief to the necessity for swiftly and finally removing the homophobic and heterosexist policies from the Presbyterian constitution.

The Witherspoon Society maintains a web site that includes links to the PJC decisions and other news covereage and analysis of them. 

West Church continues to work for, hope for, and pray for the day when all of God's children are truly welcomed by our denomination. 

Capital Punishment?

According to the Death Penalty Information Center, since 1976 Delaware has executed 14 people, and executed 62 prior to 1976.  There are currently 18 people on death row in delaware (all are males).  As we journey toward holy week and ponder Jesus' execution, we may wish to think about whether the death penalty is consistent with what we believe about God and what we understand in the Bible.

Is it ever justified for one person (or a government) to kill another?  Does the death penalty deter crime?  How do  beliefs about God and understanding of the Bible inform our position on the issue?   People who support the death penalty point to studies which suggest the death penalty reduces violent crime.  Those who oppose it, however, cite other studies that indicate that the death penalty does not reduce violent crime at all.  Those who oppose the death penalty often ponit out that it is arbitrarily applied, that racial and gender bias play a part in who gets the death sentence, and that the quality of legal representation has a significant impact on who is sentenced to die and who is not.

But, what do we believe as Christians?  How does our faith inform our position on this issue?  The Adult Spiritual Formation Class will explore capital punishment on Sunday mornings from February 17 through March 16.  We will use as our discussion guide a DVD based study produced by Living the Quesitons and narrated by Sister Helen Prejean.  Please join us at 9:30 AM on Sunday mornings.

Sister Helen Prejean is a strong advocate for the abolution of the death penalty, has ministered to inmates on death row, and authored two books based on those experiences, Dead Man Walking and The Death of Innocents: An Eyewitness Account of Wrongful Executions.

Some places to find more information include Sister Helen Prejean's website,  Amensty International, Death Penalty Discourse Network and Death Penalty Focus.

Intentional Faith and Baptismal Vows

When anyone is baptized in the Presbyterian Church someone affirms their faith and makes a promise.  In the case of an adult, the person being baptized makes their own profession of faith and promises.  When it's an infant, the parents make the vows in the hopes that when the child grows up they will make their own profession.    We don't ask for a series of 20 promises and theological affirmations, but only a few:  Do you profess your faith in Jesus Christ as Lord and Savior?  Do you renounce evil and affirm reliance on God's grace?  Do you intend to actively participate in the worship and mission of the church?  These few affirmations, however, are the foundation and bedrock of our spiritual growth and faith journey.   

Tomorrow we begin the season of Lent.  This season of repentance and preparation is an opportunity for us to reflect on how we are living out the vows and affirmations we made when we were baptized or when we made our own professions of faith.  How are our lives being molded by our faith in Jesus Christ as Lord and Savior?  What difference does this affirmation make in the way we are living our life today?    How are our lives being shaped by our reliance on God's grace?  Are we faithfully living out our promise to actively participate in the worship and mission of the church?  What difference does our baptism and our professions of faith make in the way we live, in how we spend our money, in what we do with our time, in how we relate to others?  Are we intentionally living our lives in ways that are consistent with these promises?  As a time of preparation, the season of Lent is an invitation to consider anew these important vows and how they shape who we are and what we do.

We invite you not only to prayerfully reflect on your baptismal vows in the season of Lent, but to begin Lent with us at West on Wednesday, February 6 at 7:00 PM when we gather for an Ash Wednesday Service of Worship.  Please join us for a quiet, reflective and prayerful time.  The service will include the imposition of ashes for those who desire to receive them as a sign of our repentance.