…Kind of Like Thanksgiving
PTCA Executive Presbytery Chaz Ruark at General Assembly.
When I first came to PTCA, the 219th General Assembly was already on the front burner. In the year and a half I have been present it drew closer and closer with both excitement and trepidation. And now it sits firmly in our rear view mirror. First of all, hear and believe, I am incredibly proud of our Presbytery for the marvelous way in which we hosted this complex gathering of Presbyterians. The many volunteers who stepped up with smiles and patience were a wonderful gift to the people who came from around the country (and the world too) to our community and faced the double challenge of navigating a strange place as well as the work of the Presbyterian Church (USA). The amazing level of talent and commitment of those volunteers who worked for months to plan and execute the varied activities from picnics to worship, and the hundreds of details in between provided a joyous experience that will long be remembered by everyone who attended this GA. The tireless efforts of those who organized, recruited, and prayed provided an atmosphere in which every participant felt welcome, free, and inspired to tackle the business that we are required to process every other year. I know that many others shared the experience that I had as friends from all over the country made a point of telling me what a fine job PTCA (and our co sponsors Minnesota Valleys and Northern Waters) did in hosting this meeting. There are no words to adequately express my gratitude to all those who gave their time, talent, and resources.
The meeting itself was rather interesting this year. My responsibilities prevented me from following the committee work and the floor discussions as closely as I normally do, but the sense I got was that this assembly listened to one another better than some past assemblies have done. There was no strong majority, conservative or liberal. The votes tended to be close and persons who tend to take strong positions on either end of the political spectrum could claim both some loses and as well as some victories.
In a close vote the Assembly is asking Presbyteries to consider a change in the language of ordination standards and inclusion. As we have done so many times in the last two decades we will discuss the proposed changes and vote how we believe the Spirit is leading us. Most prognosticators predict the voting will follow familiar patterns across the country.
NFOG passed the Assembly and will now be considered by the Presbyteries. NFOG is a new draft of the Form of Government section of our Book of Order. It attempts to establish principles of governance rather than the manual of operations approach that typifies our current book. This effort to streamline our Constitution now faces the challenge of convincing the people in the pews that it fits our emerging needs as a denomination. PTCA’s Bills and Overtures Committee will assist Council in preparing a study process so that we can make as well informed a vote as possible.
An item of business that drew a lot of attention was the Middle East Study Committee report. This was a report that dealt with the difficult issue of peace between the Israelis and Palestinians. After much discussion in committee the Assembly voted to recommend it for study to raise awareness of the plight of innocent Palestinians caught between warring factions. The language was modified in an effort to make the report more balanced and fair as Israel’s right to exist was affirmed, but the seemingly over zealous security measures were questioned.
A hot button issue on the definition of marriage was answered with a study, but no recommended changes in our Book of Order language.
The Belhar Confession has been recommended to the Presbyteries for inclusion in our Book of Confessions. This requires a strong majority and ratification by the next Assembly in order to be accepted. The Belhar Confession is a document written in South Africa in the time of Apartheid that raises the doctrine of inclusion in the body of Christ.
These are just the highlights, the Bills and Overtures Committee will diligently prepare study material and opportunities for our Presbytery to equip itself for voting on these proposals. Please watch carefully for those opportunities so that we can work together to lead our Church according to God’s Spirit.
I must admit the image that came to my mind in the midst of this meeting was one of a large family Thanksgiving supper. There are the countless hugs as folk we genuinely care for come through the door. There are all those cousins we only see once a year, but enjoy so much. There are the Aunts and Uncles we don’t really understand but whom we appreciate because they are a part of the family. There are the siblings whom we know in our hearts we love, but whom we haven’t talked to in a year because of what happened last Thanksgiving. Everyone makes nice early in the day, eventually A mentions something from the news and a discussion follows that leads B to walk over to the kids table for games in order not to get mad. C tells a story that reminds D that she feels hurt. And at some point F screams that the family doesn’t understand him and steps outside for a smoke. Finally, we break bread together and for a time we think of others ahead of ourselves. Soon, it’s time to go home and while it may not have been a perfect day, it was after all a family time, and we walk away knowing we’ll be back next year and that all the good things about this family will overshadow the dysfunctional things.
Like a family, being a part of the Church can sometimes be messy, but it is still a wonderful blessing from God. We as a Presbytery accepted the challenge to host this meeting and we did so in magnificent fashion. Thanks to each and every one of you who were a part of this process. Now we accept the challenge to reflect and vote on the recommendations of the General Assembly. I pray that we will be as successful in following God’s direction to serve the world according to the Divine Will.
Chaz Ruark is the Executive Presbyter of the Presbytery of the Twin Cities Area.
