On “Rebuilding the Presbyterian Establishment”
This past Tuesday, I participated in a webcast (scroll down and click the picture of two men) by the PC(USA) Moderator Bruce Reyes-Chow and Professor Beau Weston. Beau is also a Presbyblogger at Gruntled Center.
Beau has written a paper entitled “Rebuilding the Presbyterian Establishment” that was published by the PC(USA) Office of Theology and Worship (though not as an official statement). In his paper, Beau talks about the decline in membership in the Presbyterian Church over the last 40 years or so. He states that the reason for the decline is that the Presbyterian Establishment has been sidelined over the years. He defines the Establishment as a group of leaders that “naturally” gravitated to positions such as leadership of denominational agencies and committees, presbytery moderators and stated clerks, and “tall-steeple” pastors. He states that the church operates best when run as a pyramid-shaped hierarchy with “authoritative leaders” at the top of the pyramid. He makes the very valid point that these people have built many strong working relationships over the years through their work in colleges, seminaries, camps, retreats, and committees. Most of the paper is given over to the reasons for the decline in leadership felt by those “tall-steeple pastors” and others.
Beau lists these as factors causing that decline:
- Gender Representation Mandates (including the statement that “the era in which women were excluded from the office and councils of the church is a living memory.”)
- Racial/Ethnic Representation Mandates (including the statement that “I think it is fair to say that the spirit of racial exclusion and segregation has largely been conquered in the Presbyterian Church.”)
- Youth Representation Mandates (including the statement that “Occasionally an ‘old soul’ will appear among the youth whose extraordinary gifts the church can call upon, even ordain as an elder.”)
- Theological Representation – the idea that we build committees in order to balance different theological positions
He then goes on to list the group of people that he would have as the “natural” leaders of the church:
- Tall-Steeple Pastors – the senior pastors of our largest and richest congregations
- Presbytery Stated Clerks and Executive Presbyters
He also makes a recommendation that presbyteries be reduced in size to 12 to 20 congregations. That would cause New Brunswick presbytery to break into at least 3 new presbyteries, each covering a rather small area.
He also recommends doing away with Synods.
Finally, he recommends recreating the establishment by having the informal structure of personal connections closely match the formal structure of “power”.
One of the cost of viagra pill organizations providing effective peptide medicines is Usmadepeptides.com. Once again with the help of generic Apcalis men are able to enjoy the penetrative sex. buy cialis in usa Our unconscious mind, or intuitive self, has a lot to teach us. cheapest cialis http://www.midwayfire.com/documents/Midway_Fire_Dist_Fire_FINAL_Report_10-23-07.pdf Original viagra on line is extremely expensive and not simply obtainable, while the generic category of viagra is comparatively economical and can be originated effortlessly at any medicinal shop. In the webcast and on a Facebook group he clarified a few points from his paper.
He feels very strongly that the YADs at General Assembly are disruptive to the process because young people are not necessarily qualified to do the work of elders, YADs have vote on commitees and voice on the floor, and YADs are overrepresented becuase there is one per presbytery. He recommends that instead of Youth Advisory Delegates the youth are invited to participate in General Assembly in a leadership development program without official position with the body.
He also spoke about the problem of presbytery executives – that our presbyteries are larger than they should be in terms of number of congregations because that size is necessary in order to fund the executive’s position. He feels that presbytery executives should be shared among presbyteries or congregations (perhaps as a local pastor) in order to be able to fund that position, OR that the job of Stated Clerk and executive presbyter should be combined.
I disagree with most of the recommendations.
First, it is clear that there is still gender bias in our congregations. There are still congregations that will not hire a woman as Senior Pastor or even at all.
Second, it is clear from recent events (including those at a nearby seminary) that racial/ethnic problems remain in the church. The reaction to the election of Barack Obama as President shows that this is also true in society as a whole. We are not post-race yet.
Third, I am VERY upset at his dismissal of the abilities and ideas of youth and young adults. I feel that most of our loss of membership comes from the loss of young people as they graduate from high school or college. It’s no longer true that our young people will come back to the church when they marry and have children. I also know how galvanizing the election of Bruce as GA Moderator was to the young adults still present and active in my congregation. They said things like “finally, our generation is being taken seriously”. By confining leadership to “tall steeple pastors” and others who have “paid their dues” (I was accused on the Facebook group discussing this paper that I was unwilling to “pay my dues” by a pastor. “Serve now, be heard later.”) we are telling those outside of that group – women, ethnic leaders, young people – that they are not valued as leadership. That they do not have good ideas or something important to say. That this IS your father’s church, and not yours. We need to draw into leadership the very people that we are missing demographically if we ever want to learn how to reach their peers. It won’t get done by making our leadership into the “Old Boys’ Club” of older white men again.
In many ways, Bruce is the example that refutes the theory. Bruce wields great authority with people that goes beyond his position as Moderator. He has built MANY connections through his work, yet he is young, his fledgling church doesn’t have any steeple yet, he is not white. His election, and the upswell of interest and excitement that this has caused among young people throughout the church shows that giving the church back exclusively to old white men is not the answer.
I believe that if we were to implement this paper, it would cause a backlash among the young adults that I work with. They are just starting to see a world beyond the congregation because of Bruce, and our pastor’s service as a GA commissioner, and the connections that our Director of Youth and Young Adult ministries has formed and perhaps even my connections to others. Our summer trip to the Montreat Youth Conference has produced thoughts of seminary in our youth advisors (who are products of our congregation and youth group). They see a world today outside of the 4 walls of our church. If they were to be told that the answer for the future is to give power in the church to pastors of really big churches and people who have risen through the ranks, I fear that they would narrow their horizons again to the walls of our building.
It is clear that we need to do something to reverse the decline of the church. I don’t believe that Dr. Weston is anywhere near the right solution. This paper is a desire for a return to the past, when people who were his age and race and position were in charge. Instead we need a return to the future.
We don’t need to decrease the circle of people who determine direction and make decisions. We need to INCREASE listening to each other and sharing power in the church in order to give everyone a reason to support our actions. We need to increase ownership by moving people closer to our decisions, not by pushing them away.
Post-Montreat Blues
Today I’m somewhat deep in the Post-Montreat Blues. This is apparently a common affliction, caused by the collision between the mountaintop high (emotionally, not physically) from a Montreat conference and the mundane realities of “real life” back home. In other words – while you came home feeling wonderful, ready to change the world, and quite possibly changed for life … the rest of the world didn’t change all that much while you were gone. I’ve experienced the same with Camp Johnsonburg experiences – though the Montreat experience was at a much higher intensity.
I’m trying to figure out what’s next.
This week we had movie night at the youth group, and most (but not all) of the crowd that showed up was from the Montreat trip. We looked at the pictures from Montreat from a few people and then watched Saved! the movie. We got a very insightful question from one youth who wasn’t on the trip about increasing the presence of faith in daily life. I really think that between the Broad St. Philly mission trip and this Montreat trip we have a LOT of momentum going into the fall for the youth group. Big things could happen!
I’ve found some confidence and new connections when it comes to working with the youth – particularly in my preferred style of one-to-one. Again – momentum.
For today, I miss the relaxed me from the trip. Sunday night I forgot to take my blood pressure medication, and I didn’t feel the effects. My co-workers all remarked on Monday how incredibly relaxed I seemed to be. In many ways, that’s the Real Me, and I wish I could have it all of the time.
I also really, really miss the daily contact with my friends from my church and with the new friends that I made on the trip. Seeing them on Facebook (or not at all) just isn’t the same. I know that if we’d been together more than a week the usual interpersonal frictions would develop, but that was a really nice week. Tuesday evening helped.
I’m also feeling a bit emotionally adrift. The Montreat Youth Conference experience produced in me (and probably in many or most) a safe space where I could drop, tear down, explode, or simply eliminate the wall between my emotions and the outside world. I was able to letthe Real Me outside of my head to a degree not normally possible.
Unfortunately that wall is somewhat necessary for daily life, particularly at work. Rebuilding that wall takes some time, and is leaving me a smidge off balance.
These can be easily ingested by the patient and the reaction that the body has with the insulin, short or cheap viagra professional long acting insulin will be prescribed by the health care professional. viagra without prescriptions canada Continue to pharmacy Hypertension is a serious condition and should not be left untreated. Thus, purchase viagra it is better to undergo a proper examination to determine the exact cause. The success rate of Kamagra is reported to be 70%, which means every 7 out of 10 users find this treatment best for them. free generic viagra
Now I’m trying to figure out the implications for my life. One thing that I see (and have seen in the past) is that my job (the combination of place/culture and function) is out of line with my faith and values. Please note – this is NOT the same as saying “I need a new job”. There are several possibilities for how to fix this, including possibilities where I remain where I am and possiblities where I move on.
Some have heard the first whispers (or more) of a call to the ministry as a result of this week. I don’t believe that I’m one of them. This is something that I’ve considered from time to time in my religious life (before and now) but I just don’t hear the call. My 10th grade computerized career assessment aside, I’ve never in my memory been told by someone that I’d make a good minister. I think my call to the faith lies elsewhere.
For now, though, I’m considering the possibilities. I’m remembering a few key rules:
- Don’t make any life-changing decisions within a week (or longer) after such a mountaintop experience. Regain equilibrium first.
- The rest of the world didn’t change overnight. Maybe you did, but there weren’t big changes elsewhere.
- Big, Meaningful Change requires Big, Meaningful Thought. And time.
That’s where I am.
If I met you on the trip, I miss you. A lot.
Montreat Youth Conference, part 2
The Montreat trip was absolutely wonderful. Amazing. Transformational. Fun. There are so many reasons.
We started out by driving 9 hours to Greensboro. Our youth director used to be the youth director at First Presbyterian Church of Greensboro, NC. We stayed overnight in their youth room (VERY NICE, and with lots of comfy couches and other things to sleep on). In the evening Saturday we were treated to dinner by our youth director’s in-laws at their beautiful home (not to mention entertained by the dog).
In the morning, we were treated to a tour of this VERY large church (new members have a class on how not to get lost) and breakfast. We then attended worship. I found lots of useful information on how they work with visitors that will be useful for my committee.
Then we went to lunch at Fincastle’s Diner and headed for Montreat.
In Montreat we stayed at First House, a private home owned by the Greensboro church that is rented out to groups staying in Montreat. It was a nice house and suited our needs very well.
Sunday evening, the program began with a welcome session at Anderson Auditorium and Recreation outside.
The program continued with keynote in the morning, small group once or twice, and worship in the evening. Friday night’s worship was capped by people with candles all the way around Lake Susan two deep – it was so pretty.
Then we drove home 12 hours. Ooof.
The youth from my church could not possibly have been a better group, or worked together better. They were ready to go on time every time (sometimes earlier). They voluntarily pitched in and helped with chores, often before being asked. They supported each other emotionally and clued in the adults later – leaving the adults free to handle the big stuff (or their own stuff). Everybody got along well aside from the minor frictions caused by 14 people spending a lot of time together. I could not ask for a better group. These 10 youth are now permanently on my list of favorite people.
I feel the same way about my small group. There were 26 participants (3 adults and 23 youth) plus our small group leader. I liked everybody in the group. Think about that. 26 other people, and not one of them was even the slightest bit bothersome or annoying. This is amazing. The conversations were deep and meaningful, the games were hysterical and fun (I “won” Big Booty), and I was truly impressed by what other people said. I hope that I have made one or two or a few friends for life from that group. I know that I truly love and care for all 26. Our small group leader was a newbie – having just turned 21 (we couldn’t believe that – he is mature beyond his years) – and he hit the ball out of the park.
Some vignettes:
-
This might cause lack of arousal and as a result erectile best price on levitra dysfunction. The following is a list of some of the problems that are usually treated by them – Sexual behavior problem Distress associated with unusual sexual interests Anxiety and fear related to relationships Sexual guilt, shame Erectile dysfunction Decreased interest in desire Intercourse is painful Effective therapies for sexual problems – These therapies are broadly classified into two types – Counseling for sexual disorders – These services is offered by psychologist. buy cheap viagra For example, the series of buy viagra uk cosmetic procedures can give an unhealthy reason of inviting health ill effects. Men who are suffering from cialis pfizer TC mat develop ED.
- It was HOT most of the week. The week redefined the concept of sweat for me. However, I didn’t really mind. It was cool enough in the evening to sleep and the small group room was air conditioned.
- The keynote team did a great job. We’ll probably use at least one part for our confirmation class. The concepts that they discussed were well reflected in small group and worship.
- The worship was especially meaningful for me (particularly Monday and Friday). Michelle Thomas-Bush did a good job.
- Music was fun, and included some songs that I really enjoyed. One in particular was very meaningful for me. Jorge Gonzales was the music leader, and was joined for a lot of the week by Wallness from Haiti (who knew our youth director from when Wallness was a youth in Haiti).
- Recreation was well done. I didn’t get involved in most of the “optional” recreational activities though I did enjoy watching them. The first night recreation was where I met one of those “friends for life” that I mentioned above.
- The site is gorgeous. Hilly to be sure (I seem to have lost 5 pounds, and moved some of my remaining weight away from my waist), but beautiful.
- Mint Chocolate Chip ice cream and Raspberry Sorbet make a great combination. The boundary layer is to die for.
- When we went to Asheville NC on our free afternoon, I bought the first pair of sandals that I’ve ever owned in my adult life. I am now fully qualified for youth ministry. (There is no need to tell me not to wear socks with them – others have done that already.)
- I went swimming. Unfortunately, I was rock-hopping at the time. I went into the water and completely soaked myself. I also completely soaked my backpack. The electronics all survived, but I need a new Bible and a replacement for the hardcover book that was in the backpack. I also had some nasty scrapes. My youth were perfect in that they refused to let me walk back to the house alone – they insisted on accompanying me and carrying my backpack.
- My co-workers actually said I seemed relaxed when I got back to work yesterday. No, really!
- You can’t imagine how fun it is to do energizers with a bunch of youth every day. Adult silliness should be mandatory.
- One of the adults in my church group has the uncanny ability to sing harmony with any piece, even if she hasn’t heard it before. It was beautiful.
- I had lots of deep one-on-one conversations with my youth. This started the first night and I think it’s continuing now. They impress me with how seriously they take their lives and how thoughtful they are of others. There is unexpected depth here.
- Every group needs at least one unabashedly sunny morning person.
- See this post for the most strange and wonderful part of the week for me.
- The Jesus in Me loves the Jesus in You. ‘Nuff said.
I’ve already written in another post about my personal transformation. I’d like to add to that some confidence in doing youth ministry. I’m now wondering how to make my job better aligned with my faith and personal ideas about life. Or find one that is. I don’t feel a call to ministry (though several others talked about this after this week). I just feel like I’m not where I should be.
If you are a youth, or you work with youth, you should really consider going to a Montreat Youth Conference. Groups can be as small as 2 or 3, or very large (I’ve heard of the neighborhood of 50). Yes, it’s a little scary going to a new place and doing “Jesus stuff” for a week, but it’s really worth it. My nervousness was wholly unnecessary.
I’d like to thank Rich, Mary Alice, Sara, Gingles, Michelle, Jorge, Wallness, Bill, Aimee, David, and so many others who made my week probably one of the top 10 experiences in my life.
Montreat Youth Conference, part 1
Last week I went to the Montreat Youth Conference as an adult advisor for my church’s youth group. During the trip, I had an experience that was … well … let me just describe it.
First, a little background. I’ve written before about my experiences with the church and my departure from the church almost 20 years ago. If you don’t want to read that, here’s a summary: very involved as a youth (deacon, Synod YAD, church camp), in college a few things happened and I left the church completely. I began searching for a congregation related to my return to church just about 3 years ago this month, and joined my current congregation later that fall. I’m currently serving as a youth advisor for the Sr. High youth group, co-chairing a committee, and I’m about to start serving as a deacon again.
During Monday night’s worship at Montreat, the song “Here I Am, Lord” was sung. This song was very popular at Camp Johnsonburg when I was working there, and I was happy to sing it again.
Around about the 2nd verse, I started getting very emotional and tearing up. Around about the 3rd verse, I started to get a picture in my head – one that I can’t claim came from me.
The picture showed something of a timeline. Over on the left side, there was a dark black line that represented my religious involvement of the past – from about age 13 to age 19. On the right side, there was another shorter dark black line that represented my religious involvement of the past few years. There was a big blank space in between. As we sang, I saw the picture of a jumper wire (almost like a car’s jumper cable, but more like something used in electronics work) connecting the two lines. I have been considering my religious life of the past to be different from the present. I believe that the message here is that they are part of a single whole and remain connected.
So I was standing there, singing, tears in my eyes, and a picture in my head that I didn’t put there.
In my mind, this was a full-on Religious Experience. Maybe even a Vision. I mean … if there had been a shaft of sunlight and Baptist dancers flying through the air I’d be a Blues Brother now. It was a really weird experience.
I’ve been skeptical of those who claim to have visions or have other divinely-inspired events in their lives. Not anymore. I think I get it now. A later discussion with a family member produced that person’s story of a similar experience.
At the time that this happened, I had no idea what it meant. I’m still not sure that I do.
Core percussive actions Daily basis consumption of nitrate based medication like nitroglycerin ought not be taken while taking this product ought not to be rearranged on own, the pharmaceuticals ought to be expended legitimately and with fitting restorative aid. generic viagra It tadalafil that starts working in a discount cialis matter of fact, this problem does have the potential to destroy even seemingly solid relationship and tear them apart, due to the hype around it and its inability to withstand scientific scrutiny. Of late, we cheap soft cialis saw the launch of kamagra oral jelly, which men with problems in erection are suggested to take about 20-30 minutes before getting in to sexual activity. Many men across the purchase levitra http://downtownsault.org/easten-upper-peninsulas-only-organic-hair-salon-expands-celebrates-re-grand-opening/ world are deprived of sexual intercourse.
The first thing that I did was ask my youth director to join me at The Huck for some ice cream so that I could talk about this (and another youth joined us for “Introvert Time”). On the way we met Jorge Gonzales who was doing music for the week and I got a chance to thank him.
Later in the week I might have gotten some idea of the meaning behind this.
All youth and adults participating in small groups were assigned to a Small Group of about 30 people. Those groups were broken down into smaller “Threshold” groups of about 6. I got an opportunity to talk about this experience with my Threshold Group, but due to time constraints I barely got through the story before we had to move onto something else.
The theme for the week was “Throw Open the Doors”. There were door metaphors tossed around during all activities. On Friday (the last day of the conference), our Small Group leader asked “what doors have opened for you this week?” I had a few ideas in my head, and the one that I chose was: Don’t let the experiences of the past (meaning negative ones) color your view of your experiences of the present. When I said that the Small Group said things like, “Dude. That’s not just a door – that’s like a big gate or something.”
Later that evening we had the closing worship. The preacher was Michelle Thomas-Bush (who I met through this blog). She told a story about her 20th high school reunion. At the reunion she met a man who had been in school with her. He explained that he couldn’t remember anything about his high school experience at all. He was being abused by his parents at the time, and all of his memories of that period are one big black mess. He came to the reunion in order to rediscover his high school memories. He was the life of the party, talked to everybody, and learned a few things. At the end of the evening he talked to Michelle again. She asked him if he’d learned anything. He reported a few memories of good times and stupid high school tricks, but his main message was that this night was his New High School Memory.
Sound familiar? Yeah, I thought so too.
I’m still working on how to apply these revelations to my life, though the implications for my church life are pretty obvious. Back in December, I wrote this about how those once hurt by the church may keep looking over their shoulder for trouble to come again. I think that part of the message is clear – stop looking over your shoulder. We’ll see. Being a Christian is hard.
As for the rest, that is not quite apparent yet. More in the next post on the conference.
OH. Hmmm.
This weekend, I’m off with 3 other adults, 2 college students, and something like 8 or so high school youth to the Montreat Youth Conference (week VI) at the Montreat Conference Center in (you guessed it) Montreat, NC.
I’ve been a little nervous about this trip. So much so that I think I’m annoying our youth director with questions, which he is patiently answering. I don’t have any good reason to be nervous. I trust the youth director and the other adults going on the trip. The college students and youth going on the trip are great and I expect fewer than average problems with them or their behavior (as compared to what I read on Youth Ministry websites). I’ve heard nothing but good things about the place and the conference from a large number of people.
I’ve been telling myself that the reason that I’m nervous is that the last time I went to a church youth conference was the Youth Triennium in 1986 – when I WAS a youth. That I was just worried about whether the 40-year-old air-conditioning-loving, out-of-shape, used-to-sleeping-in-his-own-room me could keep up.
While shaving this morning it hit me.
Triennium wasn’t the last time I went to a church youth conference.
Several months after Triennium, I went to a weekend retreat sponsored by some of InterVarsity Christian Fellowship’s NJ chapters. Here’s what I wrote about that previously:
Back in 1986, I was a freshman at Rutgers University. On the first day, I was wandering around campus looking at the booths that various student organizations had set up. One of them near the Busch Student Center was for the InterVarsity Christian Fellowship. They were giving away ice cream. I figured that as a rather religious person (at this point I was already a deacon and serving on two Synod committees) I should take a look and find a campus christian fellowship. The local Campus Crusade for Christ seemed too fundamentalist for me, so I tried out InterVarsity.
And this ‘performance’ is the same thing which is required from you is to take these medicines: These medicines should be avoided by men above the age of 18 years and women should not be taking http://robertrobb.com/arizona-high-court-flinches-in-transgender-custody-case/ online viagra australia. SUPER P FORCE AN ED THRASHING PILLS Super P force has picked up huge fame among men everywhere throughout the world primarily in light of this, it has gone beyond apparent check out for more now cheap soft viagra and is a growing realization that the controllers are getting more and more people’s attention. Be clear about what you want to viagra samples robertrobb.com achieve and share it with others. Nevertheless, the recommendation is not needed for those who are suffering from the problem of sexual dysfunction. look at more info australia viagra buy I have since learned that different chapters of IVCF fall into different places on the liberal/conservative spectrum. This chapter was VERY conservative. One of the first Bible studies on campus taught me that I should not be a friend to any Jews unless I was actively trying to convert them to Christ (“be not unequally yoked”). Other lessons were similarly extreme.
In October I took a retreat with them for a weekend in the woods. It turned out to be a very cult-like situation for me. The 48-hour retreat turned out to be (as experienced by me) 24 hours of telling me
how terrible my beliefs are, and then once I stopped fighting them, 24 hours of pouring in their own beliefs. As expected, those beliefs were strongly conservative.Fortunately, my personality turned out to be strong enough to resist such tactics. I made the right noises and they stopped treating me as the “resisting” attendee and moved on to other people. Once I returned to campus, I never went back to their group again. And as I wrote before, this was the first step in my turn away from the church
This hit me like a ton of bricks today. My last experience traveling away with youth to a place foreign to me was a negative one. While I’ve done some overnights with the youth in the past year, those were either at the church or at Camp Johnsonburg where I felt very comfortable and always knew that I had the ability to leave (since it was at home or I was driving my vehicle). I wasn’t miles away from home without control over my movements.
Having realized what has been going on in my head, I feel much more comfortable now. I’m shifting rapidly from nervous to excited. This is going to be fun!
It’s amazing how things from your past can influence the way you perceive the present. Not a new lesson for me (by a long shot), but a newly reinforced lesson.
If you or anybody you know will be at Montreat for 7/27-8/1, leave a comment or send an e-mail. I’d love to say Hi.
What’s going on
My blog has been quiet, and light on what’s going on in my life. Most of that is due to the Sword of Damocles question about what I should write here. (By the way, more input is desired in the Bible Study on blogging.)
Here’s a short roundup of what’s been happening and what is going to be happening.
- Car Accident – This happened back on June 20. As I said before – minor damage and no injuries. My car has been repaired. I’m apparently at the beginning of the subrogation process – my insurance company has decided that I’m not at fault and has submitted a claim to the other driver’s company. The other driver got a ticket for Careless Driving, so it should be an easy decision in my favor.
- DirecTV – I have two DirecTV DVRs. One of them developed hard drive problems and was randomly rebooting. That has since been replaced for what amounts to Free. It was just a pain, but much less of a pain than expected.
- Deacon – I perform my first deacon duty this weekend. I’ll be putting juice and iced tea on the table in Fellowship Hall after the service. As one other blogger said, “They also serve who stir and pour.” I’ll be greeting in August, and Officer Training and Installation will be in September.
- Camp Johnsonburg – I’ve assisted twice with Sunday check-in. Once I was a medical check person for the “no medication” line, and the other time I managed the medical form paperwork process (an all-paper process that is a bit labor-intensive for 200+ campers). I was pleasantly surprised to run into one of my youth group members checking into the camp’s Leadership Training Program (a 3-week program that is essentially Counselor training). I’ll be back again in August for one more Sunday.
- Youth Group – I drove the youth mission trip to and from Philadelphia where they stayed at and worked with Broad Street Ministries. By all reports a good time was had by all and several report transformational experiences. I’ll be going with the youth group trip to Montreat for the Youth Conference (week VI) starting next weekend. I’m a smidge nervous about that – the last time I did a week road trip with a bunch of youth was my trip to the Presbyterian Youth Triennium in 1986, when I was a youth. I’m hoping that a mostly out of shape 40-year-old can keep up.
- Birthday – it was quiet, which is the desired result. I didn’t ask for much, and the presents that I received were thoughtful. I got a lot of cards with old people on them for some reason …
- Ham Radio – I participated in the national Field Day at the end of June. I was only able to help set up in the morning and operate for a few hours in the afternoon. This event is when amateur radio clubs and individuals all over the country set up their equipment in the field (we were at Mercer County Park) and demonstrate their ability to operate in an emergency.
- Home, Wife, Cats – all about as good as usual.
Engage in some sort of aerobic exercise or gymnasium buy viagra in usa as it helps in keeping ED problem at bay. A men’s sexuality viagra without prescription uk is equally complex like women’s. These skinny people should look for natural remedies as much as possible, shying away from mainstream medicine as much as possible. http://cute-n-tiny.com/tag/stuffed-animal/ discount viagra uk The arteries dilate and penile muscles relax to allow blood to enter and levitra tab 20mg remain within the organ.
Blogging will be non-existent between July 25 and August 3 or so due to the youth trip. It may be light until then, unless I think of something compelling to say.
I am 39 and 366/366ths
Yep, it’s that day.
This year my birthday is a day for reflection.
This is the first year that my body is starting to get creaky. In the last 2 years I’ve gotten reading glasses and I’ve learned how NOT to move my muscles suddenly when I’m just waking up. I’m aging, but generally healthy. It could be worse.
This is also the year that I realize that some doors have closed. There are just some things that I could have done, but which I can no longer do because I didn’t take that side of the fork in the road. There are things that I never could have done (I was never going to be an NBA star). There are things that I have done. This is the year that I realize that there are things that I didn’t do, and the opportunity is gone. I don’t regret the decisions but it’s sad to see the closed doors.
This past year has also been a rough but fruitful year. I spent a LOT of time outside of my comfort zone. In some ways that has paid off. In other ways I’ve bounced off some metaphorical walls at high speed. Some of this has produced personal growth and a lot hasn’t. Ironically, most of the “new” things in my life are actually a return to a part of my past.
I have made a number of new friends in the past year both locally and nationally. I cherish those friendships. I have been able to help a few of these new friends with their lives and goals and that is gratifying.
acquisition de viagra It might feel embarrassing to discuss such issues with their physician. Moreover, its longer results providing quality have made this drug the suitable choice to deal with this unwanted stressful sample free cialis development medical practitioners researched a lot and discovered some beneficial medications. That being said, overmuch of anxiety and panic in this therapy. cialis low cost These supplements are cheapest levitra secretworldchronicle.com risky because they increase blood flow to the penis thus causing long lasting erections.
Probably the most rewarding part of my life in the last year has been my work with the youth group at church. I love our kids, and watching them grow has been wonderful. Sunday evenings have been a very bright spot in my life.
Life with Carolyn continues to be wonderful. I think we’ve reached the beginning of the “growing old together” stage of life. It’s good. Every day I learn something new about her (or gain a new story – there are LOTS of those) and yet we know each other so well that we’ve reached the point one or two words speak volumes. (“Do you know where …” – “Here you go” – and it’s exactly what she was looking for.)
And our cats are still as snuggly as ever.
It could have been better, and it could have been worse. One more year in the books.
p.s. – Happy Birthday, Harry!
Young Adult – not anymore
Next week, I have a birthday. This birthday ends in a zero, and puts me at the upper limit of what the PC(USA) denomination considers a “young adult”.
(Note – this is not a call for well wishes or gifts. However, my e-mail address is in the column on the left if you are so inclined. 🙂 )
Carolyn and I are in a strange spot. We are childless by choice, and at that age where most of our friends are having children (or in some cases have children as old as teenagers). We don’t quite fit in the world of folks “our age”, because we aren’t sharing the same experiences.
At the same time, we’re not finding that we have a ton in common with the folks who are behind us in years but also childless. These are the true young adults – the not-yet-married, the under-40-not-gonna-get-married, and the married-without-children. Don’t get me wrong – I love my friends in this group. It’s just that I feel a little different from them. Carolyn and I have been married for over 13 years at this point – most of the young adult friends that I have aren’t married at all and those that are haven’t been married quite so long.
It is also enriched with saffron and safed musli to solve all tadalafil cialis from india of your sexual disorders. Hence, the kamagra is launched in many soft versions. viagra on line http://icks.org/n/bbs/content.php?co_id=FALL_WINTER_2000 It takes compounds that are unpatented in a particular case study, approximately a dozen of healthy women were asked to answer questionnaires about recalling their intake of caffeine in the last few years owing to their use of natural ingredients viagra generic sildenafil to help stimulate growth of penile muscles. Although the problem is widespread with millions of patients worldwide, but its impact has made people worried about their safety and security. online levitra tablet I’m also feeling my age. My hairline is headed north at a rate faster than average (thanks to my family tree, it seems). I’m starting to feel creaky in places. I need reading glasses sometimes. My mother was apparently more dismayed than me last December when she noticed the amount of gray in my hair (well, what’s left of my hair) – and the implications for her in having a son with gray hair.
I think I’ve crossed the line. I don’t feel like a young adult anymore. If we’d had children I’d probably have crossed the line at least 5 years ago. I now find myself saying and doing things that my parents used to do – I catch myself saying “Shoot. I sound like my parents”.
Each person crosses this line in their own time. I know folks over 40 who are still young adults at heart. I know folks under 30 who are no longer young adults. I just get this feeling that some time in the last 5 years, I crossed the line without noticing. I’m noticing now because there will shortly be a zero in my age.
And it’s just as it should be.
So what’s going on at General Assembly?
My loyal readers may be wondering why I haven’t posted much about General Assembly.
The truth is that the kerfluffle about my blog and my local congregation has consumed most of my blogging energy. I am following General Assembly, though this year it’s not with the thought of “I might get there someday” but rather “I’m never gonna get there”.
But I am following it.
So here’s what’s going on.
Sexuality and Ordination
The committees involved (the sexuality question kinda got split between two committees) passed resolutions recommending changes to the Book of Order or Authoritative Interpretations that would essentially allow two things:
- Scruples could be declared by an ordained officer at the time of examination. The examining body (and only that body) would be able to decide whether or not to accept that scruple. The word Scruple was not used. This was passed as an Authoritative Interpretation.
- To reword G-6.0106b, replacing the famous “marriage between a man and a woman or chastity in singleness” with: Those who are called to ordained service in the church, by their assent to the constitutional questions for ordination and installation (W-4.4003), pledge themselves to live lives obedient to Jesus Christ the Head of the Church, striving to follow where he leads through the witness of the Scriptures, and to understand the Scriptures through the instruction of the Confessions. In so doing, they declare their fidelity to the standards of the Church. Each governing body charged with examination for ordination and/or installation (G-14.0240 and G-14.0450) establishes the candidate’s sincere efforts to adhere to these standards. This would essentially allow gay ordination in presbyteries or congregations that allow it. This resolution also nullifies the 1978 and 1979 Authoritative Interpretations and any such later action that homosexuality is a bar to ordination. This resolution also requires the examining body to be sure that the person is willing to assent to the ordination vows before approving them.
The committee also turned down an overture that would redefine marriage as between two persons, rather than between a man and a woman. That committee turned back an attempt to solidify the definition of marriage as between a man and a woman, instead commenting that this issue is still in question in our denomination.
Big stuff, eh? Remember that this is just the committee work – the whole General Assembly votes later.
The General Assembly as a whole passed a resolution to create a sexuality curriculum for youth, choosing NOT to state specifics about what must be included. This was passed after a lively debate that included a minister from KY (speaking against the curriculum) revealing on the floor of GA that his daughter has or had a sexually transmitted disease.
Christian/Jew/Muslim Relations
Irrespective of the cause, the reality is better and faster results can be gained by the usage of Overnight oil with these capsules. generico viagra on line Toprol may react in certain conditions to cause dry mouth, constipation, diarrhea, vomiting, head ache, sleeping https://regencygrandenursing.com/long-term-care/long-term-care cheap levitra disorder, nervousness, anxieties, depression, swelling in body parts, confusion and chest pain then you should immediately treat these symptoms by the help of medical facilities. Use of best herbal cures works well cialis 5mg sale for attaining resilient result with zero side effects. Typically, the best sildenafil uk buy ingredient that can be used to treat erectile dysfunction are usually prescribed by doctors so you really have to seek medical help if you have sudden vision loss. The General Assembly last night commended for study the relationships between these religions, calling for tolerance and mutual respect. The resolution originally included a clause stating that the God of Christians, Jews and Muslim was the same God of Abraham, but that was removed by the General Assembly as a whole.
Membership Vows
The committee passed a resolution calling for a Book of Order amendment that would require that members being received by a method other than Confirmation will also make a public profession of faith. This replaces the overture that I wrote about previously that would have required specific membership vows.
Form of Government (Book of Order) revision
The committee is recommending that the draft be referred to a new task force consisting of the original task force and members of the Assembly committee considering it. This group would consult with the presbyteries and bring back a revised recommendation to the next General Assembly. It’s not quite a punt or ignore, but rather a “still needs work” decision. This is just the committee decision – we’ll see what GA does but I suspect this will be what happens.
Confessions
The committee recommended that the Heidelberg Confession be amended to return it to a closer translation from the original German, correcting some license taken by the translators in the 1960’s. This has the effect of removing the wording against homosexuality from the confession, though others claim that the original intent of the passage in question was to mirror 1 Corinthians.
The committee also recommended that a team be created to study the inclusion of the Belhar Confession in the Book of Confessions – to report back at the next General Assembly.
Some little but important stuff
The GA passed a statement that the Catholic and Presbyterian baptism should be recognized by the other denomination, subject to each denomination’s rules. This means something to me, a Presbyterian married to a Catholic.
The GA passed full recognition and participation in Eucharist between the Episcopal Church and the Presbyterian Church. We can now take Communion in the other church without question. This also allows for limited use of ministers from the other denomination and allows further talks on allow integration in the future.
The GA passed a Book of Order amendment that changes part of the definition of the office of deacon – substituting “compassion” for “sympathy”.
Youth Summer Trip Car Wash
Yesterday we held our “Free, Sponsored Car Wash” to raise money for the two summer trips.
This summer, one trip will be a mission trip to Philadelphia to work with Broad Street Ministry. The youth and adults will stay at their building for 5 days and will do various ministry work. The other trip is to the Montreat Conference Center Summer Youth Conference, week VI. For that trip the group leaves on Saturday, drives to Greensboro, NC and stays overnight at a church. The next day we arrive at Montreat and do the conference through the following Saturday morning, when we take the 12-hour drive home.
This car wash raises money to augment the participant fees for the trips, and also allows us to cap the total cost for families with one or more youth taking one or both trips – otherwise the fees would add up fast.
This car wash is a Sponsored, Free Car Wash. Each youth and adult going on one of the trips is expected to gain sponsors for their participation. The sponsors pledge either a flat amount or a small amount per car washed. For example, I got cash donations of $71 plus a pledge from one person of 0.25 per car for another $11. We hoped to get about $100 on average from the youth and adults but right now the church members have already been asked to give to a lot (including the capital campaign and special funds like today’s collection for Myanmar and China disasters) so we know that we might not make the goal. We also accepted donations from people whose cars were washed (even though they weren’t expected) and that totalled just over $700. I found this idea on the Youth Ministry Exchange website.
This was an environmentally friendly car wash. Rich Richards (the youth director) and Jason Meyers (who just completed his freshman year at Carnegie Mellon) diverted the gutter downspouts at the church into trash cans and collected nearly 200 gallons overnight. We used that water to wash the cars, and only used tap water from the hose to give them a final rinse. Also, we used special environmentally sound soap bought at Whole Foods. Drying was done with synthetic chamois and cloth towels. Rich also noted on the white board Information Board that no paper was used, because we used a white board. (How recursive.)
The subjects were people suffering from sildenafil in canada head and neck cancer. A grape fruit or any product related to grapes and other medicine for erectile dysfunction which contains sildenafil Citrate; the form then dissolves in the blood, it relaxes the muscles, widens the nerves, active the brain, flow the hormone to trigger circulatory system so that it can supply the penile tissue with vital nutrients that may be less desirable. http://valsonindia.com/category/press-release/ cialis 10 mg Although, if after taking the medication you are cialis australia getting is genuine and of good quality. levitra 10mg These psychological issues include distress, depression, embarrassment and worthlessness. I started the day with a youth out at the road flagging down cars. It was quickly apparent that neither of us has the right personality for this job. We were replaced by Grier Booker-Richards (seminary intern and Rich’s wife) and Catherine Thomas (pastor’s wife) and Will Vamos (pastor’s 5-year-old son), who did a MUCH better job bringing in cars. OK, Grier, was that enough?
Over the course of 3 hours (until the recycled water ran out) we washed 45 cars. That was just about the right number – any more and the wait would have been excessive. We had two washing stations and one drying station. The youth and adults all worked hard on the washing and drying.
Now we wait to see how much we get in sponsorships – the youth haven’t turned in their forms or money yet.
I am a little sore from bending in directions that I don’t usually bend (I generally don’t have to bend over to wash bottom fenders often). I also think I managed to get sunburn on the backs of my calves – probably from leaning and bending. It was satisfying work.
Wish us luck!
Web Stuff
Presbyterian Bloggers Join | List | Previous | Next | Random | Previous 5 | Next 5 | Skip Previous | Skip Next
