The Future of this Blog

Yesterday tonyc commented, “Finally, with regard to our sinking ship, it probably would help if we all spend more time patching and rowing, and less time shooting holes in the hull.” That is exactly what I did for the first 19.5 years of my ordained life. My ministry focused on the local congregation and the Presbytery. I have served on almost every imaginable committee or task force. I shielded my congregation from most of the garbage that happened in the PCUSA. You see, for 19.5 years I have been a part of the problem in the PCUSA.

Pastors in the PCUSA (of which I am one) have been a major part of the problem in our denomination. We focus too much on the local church. We either turn a blind eye to the miss steps of the denomination or we choose to ignore them. As a result, we have the mess we are in today.

Regular readers of this blog will know that I am a sailor. There is something seriously wrong when a sailboat (or any boat for that matter) begins taking on water. The first response is not to row faster (or sail faster, or motor faster). The source of the water needs to be found. The catamaran I chartered in the British Virgin Islands carried 200 gallons of drinking water (that’s a lot of H2O!). Has a drinking water tank ruptured or had its fittings fail? Has the cooling system developed a leak? Is the water coming from outside the hull? Has a thru-hull fitting failed? Has a back siphon developed due to the healing of the boat? The first thing to do when a boat takes on water is diagnosis!

tonyc believes that I am “shooting holes in the hull” of the PCUSA. Long time readers of this blog will know that I have written on numerous topics and reviewed several books. I have looked at what it means to be a Purpose Driven Presbyterian Church. I have used Leonard Sweet’s book, Post-Modern Pilgrims, to look at how the church could reach out to those who could be called postmodern. I have used a book called The Radical Leap (written for business leaders) to look into what it means to be a leader. I have written on the dealing with change (using Who Moved My Cheese for inspiration/ideas). And yes, I have been looked critically at the PCUSA. I call it diagnosis. If the people in the pews believe that all-is-well-in-Presbyterian land then nothing is ever going to change: Horizons will continue to publish studies that most PW groups refuse to use, the publishing arms of the PCUSA will continue to publish books that embarrass local Presbyterians, renegade Presbyteries will continue to turn their backs on the rules of our denomination, etc.

So… where is this leading? I have been wondering what to do with this blog. As a pastor of a small church I wear many hats. This fall I am teaching a class, called Interpreting the Bible Faithfully, that uses a book by Gordon Fee and Douglas Stuart, “How to Read the Bible for All Its Worth.” I also lead the worship teams –that means LOTS of time finding new, appropriate music for our two worship services. I will also be leading a Bible study and I am in a small group. Additionally, there are two worship services each week to plan. I also blog, and I take my blogging seriously. I am constantly reading books, articles and other blogs to keep current in all areas of ministry. I am always looking for topics for this blog. I love being a pastor and doing what I do. Yet, like most pastors… I am swamped.

THE FATE OF THIS BLOG IS IN THE HANDS OF YOU READERS! I will follow your wishes. Here are the choices:

Option #1 – I stop publishing on this blog.

Option #2 – Keep writing the blog but don’t be so critical of the PCUSA.

Option #3 – Keep doing what you are doing.

Post a comment on this blog with your vote. Please vote only once.

On Monday morning, September 11^th, I will count the votes at 7:00 a.m. Pacific Time. If option #1 is the winner there will be no post that day, or the next day, or the next, etc. If either option 2 or 3 is the winner I will post and let that be known.

So… if option 1 is the winner I would like to thank all of you for taking the time read this blog. Time is very valuable. Thanks for spending your time looking at FullCourtPresby!

The Future of this Blog

Yesterday tonyc commented, “Finally, with regard to our sinking ship, it probably would help if we all spend more time patching and rowing, and less time shooting holes in the hull.” That is exactly what I did for the first 19.5 years of my ordained life. My ministry focused on the local congregation and the Presbytery. I have served on almost every imaginable committee or task force. I shielded my congregation from most of the garbage that happened in the PCUSA. You see, for 19.5 years I have been a part of the problem in the PCUSA.

Pastors in the PCUSA (of which I am one) have been a major part of the problem in our denomination. We focus too much on the local church. We either turn a blind eye to the miss steps of the denomination or we choose to ignore them. As a result, we have the mess we are in today.

Regular readers of this blog will know that I am a sailor. There is something seriously wrong when a sailboat (or any boat for that matter) begins taking on water. The first response is not to row faster (or sail faster, or motor faster). The source of the water needs to be found. The catamaran I chartered in the British Virgin Islands carried 200 gallons of drinking water (that’s a lot of H2O!). Has a drinking water tank ruptured or had its fittings fail? Has the cooling system developed a leak? Is the water coming from outside the hull? Has a thru-hull fitting failed? Has a back siphon developed due to the healing of the boat? The first thing to do when a boat takes on water is diagnosis!

tonyc believes that I am “shooting holes in the hull” of the PCUSA. Long time readers of this blog will know that I have written on numerous topics and reviewed several books. I have looked at what it means to be a Purpose Driven Presbyterian Church. I have used Leonard Sweet’s book, Post-Modern Pilgrims, to look at how the church could reach out to those who could be called postmodern. I have used a book called The Radical Leap (written for business leaders) to look into what it means to be a leader. I have written on the dealing with change (using Who Moved My Cheese for inspiration/ideas). And yes, I have been looked critically at the PCUSA. I call it diagnosis. If the people in the pews believe that all-is-well-in-Presbyterian land then nothing is ever going to change: Horizons will continue to publish studies that most PW groups refuse to use, the publishing arms of the PCUSA will continue to publish books that embarrass local Presbyterians, renegade Presbyteries will continue to turn their backs on the rules of our denomination, etc.

So… where is this leading? I have been wondering what to do with this blog. As a pastor of a small church I wear many hats. This fall I am teaching a class, called Interpreting the Bible Faithfully, that uses a book by Gordon Fee and Douglas Stuart, “How to Read the Bible for All Its Worth.” I also lead the worship teams –that means LOTS of time finding new, appropriate music for our two worship services. I will also be leading a Bible study and I am in a small group. Additionally, there are two worship services each week to plan. I also blog, and I take my blogging seriously. I am constantly reading books, articles and other blogs to keep current in all areas of ministry. I am always looking for topics for this blog. I love being a pastor and doing what I do. Yet, like most pastors… I am swamped.

THE FATE OF THIS BLOG IS IN THE HANDS OF YOU READERS! I will follow your wishes. Here are the choices:

Option #1 – I stop publishing on this blog.

Option #2 – Keep writing the blog but don’t be so critical of the PCUSA.

Option #3 – Keep doing what you are doing.

Post a comment on this blog with your vote. Please vote only once.

On Monday morning, September 11^th, I will count the votes at 7:00 a.m. Pacific Time. If option #1 is the winner there will be no post that day, or the next day, or the next, etc. If either option 2 or 3 is the winner I will post and let that be known.

So… if option 1 is the winner I would like to thank all of you for taking the time read this blog. Time is very valuable. Thanks for spending your time looking at FullCourtPresby!

Horizons - Beginning at the Wrong Place

“What happens when women study scripture together? We look at relationships among women, between wives and husbands, between mothers and children. We try to read between the lines, to uncover and untangle what surely were complicated dynamics within families and with God. We look for reflections of our stories in their stories. We understand that the God who worked in and through the lives of our matriarchs and patriarchs, long ago and far away, is the same God who seeks to work in and through us today.” (Horizons Bible Study, In the Beginning, page 46)

As with most mornings I am blogging at my office away from my office – The Oasis. There are two Bible studies meeting this morning. It should make no difference if these Bible studies are composed of men, women or a combination of men and women. A Bible study is about God—it’s not about you, me or the Man-in-the-Moon. There are times in studying the Bible that relationships between women will be the focus of the passage. There will be times in studying the Bible that family dynamics will be the focus of the passage. However, these are NEVER the starting point of the Bible study. God is always the starting point!

You may ask, “What about topical Bible studies?” Topical studies are appropriate as long as the passages are not taken out of their historical and literary context. Yet, the starting point of these studies is God. Period! God, it would seem, is never the starting point in the Horizons Bible Study, In the Beginning.

Horizons - Beginning at the Wrong Place

“What happens when women study scripture together? We look at relationships among women, between wives and husbands, between mothers and children. We try to read between the lines, to uncover and untangle what surely were complicated dynamics within families and with God. We look for reflections of our stories in their stories. We understand that the God who worked in and through the lives of our matriarchs and patriarchs, long ago and far away, is the same God who seeks to work in and through us today.” (Horizons Bible Study, In the Beginning, page 46)

As with most mornings I am blogging at my office away from my office – The Oasis. There are two Bible studies meeting this morning. It should make no difference if these Bible studies are composed of men, women or a combination of men and women. A Bible study is about God—it’s not about you, me or the Man-in-the-Moon. There are times in studying the Bible that relationships between women will be the focus of the passage. There will be times in studying the Bible that family dynamics will be the focus of the passage. However, these are NEVER the starting point of the Bible study. God is always the starting point!

You may ask, “What about topical Bible studies?” Topical studies are appropriate as long as the passages are not taken out of their historical and literary context. Yet, the starting point of these studies is God. Period! God, it would seem, is never the starting point in the Horizons Bible Study, In the Beginning.

Heresy in Horizons

“Just as the rabbis of old could disagree as to the meaning of a text, so we can respectfully disagree with a text and with each other. By asking ourselves how we might tell the story in a different way, we make room for a shift in perspective. The partnership model is often ignored in the Genesis text. But in retelling the story, we make changes in a way we see each other, changes that reflect our common human struggle for mutuality and respect.” (Horizons Bible Study, In the Beginning, page 17)

The editors of the Horizons study should be fired!! This goes against everything the Reformed faith (and all of the Christian faith, for that matter) stands for. This is another example of how the national level of the church is out of touch with the Bible and what it means to be a Christian. Where do they come up with people who teach this heresy?

It is time that people at the highest levels of our denomination are held accountable for what they do and teach. The GAC (General Assembly Council) should look into this matter immediately! This kind of theological garbage damages the PCUSA, local churches and church members. It is garbage like this that makes me wonder how long I will stay with this sinking ship. A pastor friend of mine (not Presbyterian) recently asked me how long I was going to stay with this apostate denomination. It is getting harder and harder to defend the PCUSA.

Deception

The second lesson in the Horizons Bible Study, In the Beginning, raises the issue of deception in Genesis 3. Was Eve deceived by the serpent? Was Adam deceived by Eve? Sinclair goes on to ask, “We might ask these commentators why it is that being godly or godlike is problematic—isn’t godliness a characteristic we desire for ourselves and for our children?” The study misses the point that is being made in the biblical text. The point of the text isn’t that Adam and Eve were deceived. Being “like God” isn’t the point of the text. The point being made is that Adam and Eve ate from the tree that God forbid them to eat from. They openly disobeyed God!

Sinclair is able to come to her conclusions because she believes that “sin” = “separation”. Scripture teaches that separation from God is the result of sin—it is not sin. The “sin” in the garden was disobeying God. God specifically told Adam not to eat of the one tree. The text shows that Eve had yet to be created when this command was given. Did Eve know what God had told Adam? Yes she did! She knew that the tree was off limits. In her dialog with the serpent she adds “and you must to touch it” to the command. Were these additional words given to her by Adam or did she come up with them on her own? Quite frankly, it really doesn’t matter. She knew that she was not to eat from that tree. Additionally, Adam stood there and never tried to stop her. Both Adam and Eve were guilty of disobeying God.

The study misses a golden opportunity for women (the target audience is the women of PW) to talk about sin. They could share times when they had been tempted. They could talk about times when they failed and how Christ’s sacrifice enabled them to be reconciled to God. The study causes the women to miss the opportunity to sit with a sister who was in need of forgiveness and to be a part of God’s redemptive act of forgiveness. Women need to be able to talk about these serious issues with other women (just as men need to talk with other men). Sinclair (and by extension the editors of the Horizons Bible Study) are robbing the women of the church of something that is very valuable—the experience of praying with a sister as she seeks God’s forgiveness in her life!

It is very humbling to be with a person (man or woman) when they come to the Lord seeking forgiveness and reconciliation. To know that the person is broken before God is almost too powerful for words. Then, to see Christ lift that person up, tell them that he has paid the full penalty for their sin and give them new life is like watching a person be born anew (in fact, they are being born again!). It is very similar to the times when I watched my two children being born-it was awe inspiring. There was EXTREME pain (for the mom and the baby) just before the birth that transformed in a matter of moments to PURE JOY: the birth of a baby—the rebirth of a forgiven person.

As I write this post I am listening to a cd by Caedmon’s Call. A song on the cd is called Let Me Be. The lyrics are:

Lord, You are the maker of my heart
The framer and reshaper of my soul
Master and Creator
Healer and Sustainer
I will put my trust in You alone

Teach me to be faithful to confess
In this way my spirit will be blessed
Though my sins are daily,
You have loved me greatly
Removing them as far as East from West

Let me be open
Let me be humble
Let me find the joy of my salvation in Your cross
Let me be broken
Whenever I stumble
Let me remember the great mercy of my God

Give me the full measure of Your grace
As it is reflected in the Word
Faith and reassurance
Mercy and endurance
Carry these to those who haven’t heard

So let me be open
Let me be humble
Let me find the joy of my salvation in your cross
Let me be broken
Whenever I stumble
Let me remember the great mercy of my God

All I have needed is laid at your table
All my achievements, I lay at your feet
Alive in your spirit, I’m willing and able
You make my joy complete

Let me be open
Let me be humble
Let me find the joy of my salvation in your cross
Let me be broken whenever I stumble
Let me remember the great mercy

Make my joy complete

We all need to be broken when we stumble. We all need to find the joy of our salvation at the cross. The women of the PCUSA deserve a better study than In the Beginning.

Horizons Study – Going Too Far

The first lesson of In the Beginning—Perspectives on Genesis (2006-2007 Horizons Bible Study) sets the tone for the entire study. The Horizons title calls this a “Bible Study.” Isn’t a Bible study supposed to be about studying the Bible, what it says and what it means? The weakness of this lesson is that it moves significantly away from the text of scripture.

“Therefore, unusual wording, omissions, and unanswered questions call for imaginative grappling with the text.” (page. 10) One of the keys points in biblical interpretation is that the text cannot mean what it never meant. We cannot read into the text what the totality of scripture does not support. God does not give us the authority to use our imagination to come up with new meanings for the text. Our reason is fallen. Our imagination is fallen. It is too easy to twist the text to say what we want it to say when we use our imagination to fill in silences in scripture. One good example in this area is the teaching of Jesus concerning the practice of same gender sexual intercourse. Jesus is silent on the subject; the rest of scripture is consistent on the topic of same gender sexual intercourse. We cannot use our imagination to come up with something that goes against the totality of scripture. If Jesus had meant to correct or change the biblical teachings in this area he would have done so. Our imagination cannot be used to come up with interpretations that are not supported by the rest of scripture.

“One midrash interprets humanity in Genesis 1:27 as one creature that is both male and female, with separate parts connected like Siamese twins: ‘When the Lord created Adam He created him double-faced, then He split him and made him of two backs, one back on this side and one back on the other side’ (Genesis Rabbah 8:1).” (Horizons study, page 10) Sinclair quotes a radical midrash teaching that is not considered authoritative in Jewish teaching. Kolel: The Adult Learning Centre for Liberal Jewish Learning offered a free online course on Zohar (the midrash that Sinclair quotes). That class says, “Also, for a scholarly reader, references to midrash would make the Zohar's teachings feel familiar, camouflaging how radical they are.” This class, that is by Jews and for Jews, calls the teachings of this midrash “radical.” Sinclair’s use of such a radical midrash calls into question all of her midrash quotes. The typical person doing this “Horizon Bible Study” isn’t going to have the time, training or resources to research all of her midrash quotes. A Bible study on Genesis should look at what scripture says and not cloud the text with other writings that are off-beat and radical.

“Scripture is a living text. Therefore, meaning is not fixed or absolute.” (Horizons, page 10) Scripture is a living text. Scripture is living because the Holy Spirit gives it life. The Holy Spirit does not change the meaning of scripture. Every time we read a passage in scripture the Holy Spirit points things out to us—things we didn’t see the last time we read the passage. This does not mean that the “meaning” has changed!

These items from page 10 of the Horizons Bible Study: In the Beginning are enough to REJECT this study as a “Bible study.” This is a good study if a person wants to see how NOT TO STUDY THE BIBLE.