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Published On: Apr 07, 2009 10:28 AM
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Published On: Apr 07, 2009 10:28 AM
Ashes to Ashes ...
Yesterday was Ash Wednesday, the beginning of
Lent. For Christians, this is the period of 40 days (not counting Sundays) that
precedes Easter. It is to be a time of reflection and a time to humble
ourselves. It is a time to take our lives into account and rid ourselves of the
things in our lives that separate us from joyful obedience to God
.
I've written several times about the wranglings in the Presbyterian Church (USA), the denomination to which my husband and I belong. Mostly these arguments are about "the gays" of course, since conservative straight guys are always seemingly more concerned about gay sex than even gay people are. Instead of realizing, to quote Kate Hepburn, "Every family has its little ups and downs," they refuse to concentrate on their own ministry and can't curb their need to be denominational tattletales, busybodies, fusspots and scolds.
However, something interesting is happening this year in the PCUSA. Last summer our General Assembly passed a proposed constitutional amendment regarding how we run our denomination. Basically the amendment would place control for ordaining ministers, elders, and deacons back in the hands of the local governing bodies (eg. congregations) rather than having the national church make blanket statements about who is in and who is out. In other words, the folks who actually know the people being ordained get to decide whether or not they should be ordained, based on actually knowing the candidate in question. Not only is this a good idea, it also happens to be the way we Presbyterians have done things for the last 400 years or so (up until about a decade ago) -- returning to our traditions of how we govern ourselves.
Such a proposal must be approved by the Presbyteries, the regional governing bodies of the church, just like amendments passed by the federal government have to be ratified by the states. Last time such a proposal came up in 2001-2002, it was soundly defeated by the Presbyteries 46-127, with the "popular vote" percentage of 42.3% to 57.7%. (The Presbytery votes are all or nothing.) We need a simple majority, or 87 presbyteries to win, so that means we have to see at least 41 presbyteries flip from no to yes, almost doubling the support we got last time.
It's starting to happen.
Voting started a month or so ago and so far 15 Presbyteries, about a third of what we need, have flipped from no to yes. But that's not all. Even in presbyteries that still voted no, we've seen extraordinary shifts in their votes, on average, a shift of around 6%, but in some cases, we've seen pro-LGBT shifts of almost 30%. Right now the vote totals are at 35 to 47, we're close and gaining ground. Not a single presbytery has flipped in the other direction, from yes to no.
Some are predicting the end of the denomination if this propsal passes. Others are predicting real wrath of God type stuff: Fire and brimstone coming down from the skies! Rivers and seas boiling! Forty years of darkness! Earthquakes, volcanoes, the dead rising from the grave! Human sacrifice, dogs and cats living together .... mass hysteria!*
I sorta doubt it.
So what does this have to do with Ash Wednesday?
One of the traditional readings for Ash Wednesday comes from the book of Isaiah (58: 4-10) and it applies so perfectly to the folks voting against justice:
4: Behold, you fast only to quarrel and to fight and to hit with wicked fist. Fasting like yours this day will not make your voice to be heard on high.
5: Is such the fast that I choose, a day for a man to humble himself? Is it to bow down his head like a rush, and to spread sackcloth and ashes under him? Will you call this a fast, and a day acceptable to the LORD?
6: Is not this the fast that I choose: to loose the bonds of wickedness, to undo the thongs of the yoke, to let the oppressed go free, and to break every yoke?
7: Is it not to share your bread with the hungry, and bring the homeless poor into your house; when you see the naked, to cover him, and not to hide yourself from your own flesh?
8: Then shall your light break forth like the dawn, and your healing shall spring up speedily; your righteousness shall go before you, the glory of the LORD shall be your rear guard.
9: Then you shall call, and the LORD will answer; you shall cry, and he will say, Here I am. If you take away from the midst of you the yoke, the pointing of the finger, and speaking wickedness,
10: if you pour yourself out for the hungry and satisfy the desire of the afflicted, then shall your light rise in the darkness and your gloom be as the noonday.
These folks have tied the church up in knots for years with their quarreling, fighting, pointing fingers, hitting with wicked fists, and separating all of us from concentrating on our real mission: sharing our bread with the hungry, housing the homeless, and clothing the poor. They are nothing but tattletales, busybodies, fusspots and scolds. I pray that they will observe a holy Lent and fast from their homophobia, bigotry, and injustice.
This year it looks like some of them have already begun it.
(*quote blatantly stolen from Ghostbusters)
I've written several times about the wranglings in the Presbyterian Church (USA), the denomination to which my husband and I belong. Mostly these arguments are about "the gays" of course, since conservative straight guys are always seemingly more concerned about gay sex than even gay people are. Instead of realizing, to quote Kate Hepburn, "Every family has its little ups and downs," they refuse to concentrate on their own ministry and can't curb their need to be denominational tattletales, busybodies, fusspots and scolds.
However, something interesting is happening this year in the PCUSA. Last summer our General Assembly passed a proposed constitutional amendment regarding how we run our denomination. Basically the amendment would place control for ordaining ministers, elders, and deacons back in the hands of the local governing bodies (eg. congregations) rather than having the national church make blanket statements about who is in and who is out. In other words, the folks who actually know the people being ordained get to decide whether or not they should be ordained, based on actually knowing the candidate in question. Not only is this a good idea, it also happens to be the way we Presbyterians have done things for the last 400 years or so (up until about a decade ago) -- returning to our traditions of how we govern ourselves.
Such a proposal must be approved by the Presbyteries, the regional governing bodies of the church, just like amendments passed by the federal government have to be ratified by the states. Last time such a proposal came up in 2001-2002, it was soundly defeated by the Presbyteries 46-127, with the "popular vote" percentage of 42.3% to 57.7%. (The Presbytery votes are all or nothing.) We need a simple majority, or 87 presbyteries to win, so that means we have to see at least 41 presbyteries flip from no to yes, almost doubling the support we got last time.
It's starting to happen.
Voting started a month or so ago and so far 15 Presbyteries, about a third of what we need, have flipped from no to yes. But that's not all. Even in presbyteries that still voted no, we've seen extraordinary shifts in their votes, on average, a shift of around 6%, but in some cases, we've seen pro-LGBT shifts of almost 30%. Right now the vote totals are at 35 to 47, we're close and gaining ground. Not a single presbytery has flipped in the other direction, from yes to no.
Some are predicting the end of the denomination if this propsal passes. Others are predicting real wrath of God type stuff: Fire and brimstone coming down from the skies! Rivers and seas boiling! Forty years of darkness! Earthquakes, volcanoes, the dead rising from the grave! Human sacrifice, dogs and cats living together .... mass hysteria!*
I sorta doubt it.
So what does this have to do with Ash Wednesday?
One of the traditional readings for Ash Wednesday comes from the book of Isaiah (58: 4-10) and it applies so perfectly to the folks voting against justice:
4: Behold, you fast only to quarrel and to fight and to hit with wicked fist. Fasting like yours this day will not make your voice to be heard on high.
5: Is such the fast that I choose, a day for a man to humble himself? Is it to bow down his head like a rush, and to spread sackcloth and ashes under him? Will you call this a fast, and a day acceptable to the LORD?
6: Is not this the fast that I choose: to loose the bonds of wickedness, to undo the thongs of the yoke, to let the oppressed go free, and to break every yoke?
7: Is it not to share your bread with the hungry, and bring the homeless poor into your house; when you see the naked, to cover him, and not to hide yourself from your own flesh?
8: Then shall your light break forth like the dawn, and your healing shall spring up speedily; your righteousness shall go before you, the glory of the LORD shall be your rear guard.
9: Then you shall call, and the LORD will answer; you shall cry, and he will say, Here I am. If you take away from the midst of you the yoke, the pointing of the finger, and speaking wickedness,
10: if you pour yourself out for the hungry and satisfy the desire of the afflicted, then shall your light rise in the darkness and your gloom be as the noonday.
These folks have tied the church up in knots for years with their quarreling, fighting, pointing fingers, hitting with wicked fists, and separating all of us from concentrating on our real mission: sharing our bread with the hungry, housing the homeless, and clothing the poor. They are nothing but tattletales, busybodies, fusspots and scolds. I pray that they will observe a holy Lent and fast from their homophobia, bigotry, and injustice.
This year it looks like some of them have already begun it.
(*quote blatantly stolen from Ghostbusters)
Posted: Thu - February 26, 2009 at 08:38 AM