Emerging and Trad Presbys

The world is evolving.  New things, new knowledge and experience, new shit, as the Big Lebowski put it, comes to light every day.  Ask Galileo if things remain to be discovered.  Ask the historic Church how they like confronting new realities that have come to light.

People, particularly ‘religious types’, are averse to change.  Quite happy to perceive life as it has been.  Being in an in-group only strengthens the human resolve to maintain tradition and refuse change, especially when the group has enjoyed some amount of dominance.  Movement requires effort.  Movement expends energy.  Ideologically and religiously speaking, mass movement rarely happens unless a crisis looms or devastation ensues.  Thankfully we do indeed have an obvious Presbymergency.

The lack of changeability is all very ironic when it comes to critiquing the Reformed Church – a prophetic movement founded upon a shift from the status quo.  Presbyterian USA folk like to think they are Reformed and Always Reforming, yet through the years there has been little reform, despite splits with the PCA, EPC, etc.  Certainly there has been pockets of movement in the Church theologically and socially – and more movement is always required!  We religious tend to resist change by citing that God never changes, and somehow that equates we should never change.  We are not God and our theology and way of being are not infallible but subject to our murky vision and finite position as particular human beings – even together.

To compound the PCUSA dilemma, people do not tend to shift when it seems they are at the top of the heap.  Many of the established rank in the denomination, remember the church at a stronger position numerically and financially.  People tend to hang on to what they have known and over time grow sentimental.  Often it seems, people that experience decline perceive that things are simply going to seed all around them, and so resolve to hang on all more to what they know.

The Church is not to simply shift by the whims of society.  The Church is to shift as it speaks and acts prophetically. If a church/denomination does exercise the prophetic function it will always be on the move.  If not, the church will certainly devolve into a social club, as Martin Luther King Jr. warned, and in time flake up and blow away, leaving the work of the Church to the prophetic.

The Emerging voice in the PCUSA is important for the Traditional PCUSA to hear and listen to as new things continually come to light.  May the Emerging voice allow for the tent of the PCUSA to be extended, not so that there is agreement on all issues, but  an awareness that we do not know all that we think we do – and together, with tolerance, we can reflect a broad range of opinion, and live in the dissonance of humility.

Technology and the Next Presbyterian Hymnal

Sing to the Lord a new song!  Technology opens doors in the church and in the world. One tweet on Twitter can connect pastors in ways unimaginable when my Dad was in seminary (sorry, Pops). Blog communities bring new and exciting — though imperfect — ways to discuss Christ and culture. What self-respecting youth group these days doesn’t have a Facebook group? That said, I’m also aware of the growing digital divide in our congregations. Now, when we think of our diversity, we must also remember the diversity of those with email and those without, those with a high-speed internet connection and those without a computer. Ahh, the challenges of ministry in 2009.

The Presbyterian Hymnal Committee, a group formed last year, is in the initial stages of developing the next Presbyterian hymnal. The next hymnal will include songs composed since 1990 (the publication date of the blue hymnal) and will seek to honor our rich heritage. Perhaps it will bring back some from the red book, but it’ll also put into print some of the new places that God is leading us. For all your next hymnal questions check out http://presbyterianhymnal.org , and remember the committee is just beginning its work.

Especially in these early stages, though, I want to take to the committee some ways that new technology might best be used to sing a new song unto the Lord. Copyright law is tricky enough with printed materials, let alone when concerned with electronic formats, but I want to think broadly at this stage.

(On a parenthetical note, let’s not forget the amazing “technology” of the bound paper printed book. What a remarkable, durable, cheap, easy-to-use, technology it is — and will be for years to come. The next hymnal will certainly be in book format, but why stop there?)

The committee can make no promises — we have budget considerations like everybody else — but we will consider, in good faith, how God may be calling the church to use technology in its congregational song and worship planning. That’s where you come in.

Comment away. What tech ideas — hymnal/singing/worship related — would be handy in your congregation? How do you use the hymnal for worship planning and how could that be bettered with new technology? Do you use existing online worship resources? What, technologically speaking, should the hymnal committee consider?

Pop a comment on this post, or email me at adamjcopeland at gmail dot com. Peace.

Presbymeme II

Presbymergent friends – well, it was only a matter of time before two things happened:

  1. Bruce Reyes-Chow, our esteemed Moderator of the Presbyterian Church (USA) started up another meme, called Presbymeme II.
  2. Neal Locke, a member of our esteemed Coordinating Group here at Presbymergent, “tagged” literally EVERYONE at Presbymergent to respond to the meme.

Now, I’m not sure if you simply wish to respond in the comments section here, or if you’d like to post your own responses as separate posts here in Presbymergent, or if you’d like to go post it on your own blog and leave us a link here, but one thing is for sure – we’ve been tagged.

The information for Presbymeme II is below. I’ve gone ahead and posted my response over on my blog, pomomusings. Let’s all join in the fun!

The Rules

  • In about 25 words each, answer the following five questions.
  • Tag five presbyterian bloggers and send them a note to let them know they were tagged.
  • Be sure to link to this original post.
  • Leave a comment or send a trackback to this post so others can find you.

1) What is your favorite faith-based hymn, song or chorus?

2) What was the context, content and/or topic of the last sermon that truly touched, convicted, inspired, challenged, comforted and/or otherwise moved you?

3) If you could have all Presbyterians read just one of your previous posts, what would it be and why?

4) What are three PC(USA) flavored blogs you read on a regular basis?

5) If the PC(USA) were a movie, what would it be and why?

Christendom and “The Presbyterian Establishment”

Two days ago, I opened an envelope from Louisville to find a copy of a new occasional paper from the Office of Theology and Worship: William Weston’s Rebuilding the Presbyterian Establishment. I cringed. Rebuilding the Presbyterian Establishment? So I began to read, and my fears were confirmed. “It is time to rebuild the church’s Establishment,” he writes. “Decency and order require it.” (p.12)

Weston’s thesis is this: The anti-establishment attitude of the 1960s is what led to the decline of the denomination. Our preoccupation with political correctness (“a straightjacket for the church” p.12) has removed from power the “tall-steeple” pastors who should rightly lead the denomination, and thus contributed to the PC(USA)’s lack of influence and authority in society. The solutions: remove representation rules, “abolish all the current advisory delegate categories”, and reinstate the core of tall-steeple pastors who lead the Presbyterian Establishment.

How much longer will we continue trying to preserve Christendom? This paper seems to me to be an example of the church failing to rightly interpret its context: Christendom is over, and the national structure of the denomination is never going to have the authority it thinks it once had. Weston certainly does have some ideas which would benefit the church: actual parity of ministers and elders, smaller presbyteries, smaller (or non-existent) synods. But the very term “Presbyterian Establishment” connotes a desire to preserve the institution for the institution’s own sake. Do any of the suggestions in “Rebuilding the Presbyterian Establishment” really help the church adapt to its context in the mission field of post-Christendom North America? Are there better ways to renovate the PC(USA) than by re-roofing a building whose walls are crumbling?

Millenials and the PC(USA)

Rhett Smith has an excellent post on his blog today entitled What Is the Millennial Generation About? He summarizes some key points of an interview with the authors of a recent book on the Millennial Generation, and then offers some analysis of how these trends might pertain to the PC(USA). He makes some good points, and I started to respond in a comment, but then it become one of those long blog-post length comments, and I saw an opportunity to draw a few more people into the discussion.

So first, before you read my response, head on over to his blog and read his original post.

Back already? Ok, here are my thoughts: While I think Rhett’s points are all spot on, I walk away from them with a little more hope for the PC(USA).

I did my undergraduate work at Oral Roberts University, a mecca of Evangelical Christianity. And as top-down-hierarchical as mainline denominations are, I know firsthand that non-denoms are often far worse. Usually there’s a pastor, and he IS the unquestioned authority. The heirarchy then flows down from him (and yes, I did intentionally say “him”). Contrast that with the PC(USA) which, as Rhett points out, so often functions as a top-down hierarchy. But within that hierarchy is a framework that is also surprisingly peer to peer, bottom up self organizing. Think of the autonomy of local churches and sessions, and the democratic values inherent in the Presbyterian system. That will have appeal to millenials also, especially those raised in Evangelical churches looking for an expression of faith that more closely reflects their own values.

The gay issue is certainly dividing our church, but at least we’re talking about it — millennials made up their minds long ago on this issue, but so did Evangelical conservatives, and their decision was to exclude. Period. End of discussion. Because there is still a discussion in our denomination, I believe there is still hope that we will emerge on the inclusive side of this one.

Rhett points out that there is no gender divide among millennials — so I think those millennial women who feel called to ministry are going to be far more likely to find a home in a denomination that has embraced and empowered them for a long time now. And finding a home, or a tribe, a “brand” or a community — these are things that are also important for millennials of either gender. And since they’re two to one more liberal than gen X’ers or boomers, some might argue that the PC(USA) is the obvious home for them anyhow. Certainly for a generation focused on social justice, our denomination has a rich history and tradition of to offer them. True, sometimes we forget about it and focus on other things, but our church has often in the past stood up for issues of equality, justice, and globalism.

And speaking of rich history and tradition, Rhett notes that “Millenials do not like to desert their elders — even when they do crazy things” Or when they live by crazy books of order, perhaps? Where non-denom and Evangelical mega-churches often have little history and tradition, the PC(USA) does, and I think that’s something millennials are finding their way back to.

I think the greater danger with this generation is them leaving “the church” altogether, especially in its less-tolerant, ultra-conservative incarnations. But that’s why I think it’s such an important time for those denominations (like the PCUSA) who have something to offer to this generation. Remember that the church, at the end of the day, is people. I have hope and faith that a Presbyterian church of millenial people will look a lot different than a Presbyterian church of boomers. And if we hang on to our crazy elders for a little while longer (and maybe even learn from them and work alongside of them), I think we can bridge that divide and bring the PC(USA) into the next generation, if not the next era. Maybe that’s what presbymergent is all about anyhow.

So…that’s my response. Would love to hear yours, but I’m going to turn off comments on this post, and direct you back to Rhett’s post to carry on the conversation there.

UPDATE: Tyler and Drew have joined the conversation with posts of their own, plus some interesting conversation back on Rhett’s original post.  And now Bruce Reyes-Chow has also responded on his Moderator Blog.

What is the deal with Chastity?

Hey there– So I am completely drowning in seminary homework, and I intended to flesh this post out more than I really have the time to do, but if I don’t post it I never will.

So here’s the “point” of the post– Karen Sloan and I met over coffee a couple weeks ago and had this amazing conversation about the church and about our struggles and journeys within the PCUSA. Towards the end of the conversation, we somehow found ourselves on the subject of chastity. I found myself confused by the term– what has it and what does it mean for the church today? How has chastity been interpreted and reinterpreted within the Presbyterian Church over time? Does it mean more that simple abstinence? And if so, what is the “more”?

Perhaps this all stems from confusion over the meaning of “chastity in singleness, fidelity in marriage,” but ultimately I think there is more to it than that. I feel both intrigued and challenged by the ambiguous concept of chastity, and my gut tells me that it has quite a bit to offer the church as long as we can save the term from becoming a synonym for abstinence. So, with that very hurried and brief overview of my thoughts over the past month or so, I ask the question that has persisted for me: what does “chastity” have to offer the church today?

Loyal radicals on the move

Yesterday, San Francisco Presbytery endorsed Bruce Reyes-Chow, a member of our Presbymergent community, as a  candidate for moderator of the PC(USA).  Bruce is pastor of Mission Bay Community Church, a power blogger, an advocate of all things Web 2.0, and best of all a candidate for moderator who is under the age of 40!

Here is just one reason as a community of loyal radicals that we should support Bruce in his run for moderator:

The church needs someone who is not afraid to speak the truth. BRC is authentic in his role as a Minister of the Word & Sacrament and is eager to engage in open, honest conversation about the state of the church, the cultures in which we live, and the world. 

I hope you will help get the word out and that you will support and pray for Bruce as he stands for moderator.  If you would like more info on Bruce please check out his moderator’s blog.

PC(USA) Awards Grants to Two presbymergent Communities

Many of you may remember the announcement we made back in August when we found out that the Presbyterian Church (USA)’s Office of Evangelism and Church Growth had $20,000 in funds available for emerging churches. Many groups submitted grant applications and two churches were selected to receive funding from the Presbyterian Church (USA):

  • The Open Door, an emerging Presbyterian church in Pittsburgh pastored by BJ Woodworth, received $8,000 to help them assess the needs within their lower-income and culturally diverse neighborhoods; conduct surveys and meet neighbors in hopes to learn their stories; research, train and develop strategies for becoming the multicultural church they hope to be; hire an intern (for two consecutive years) to work with their church in building bridges with minority populations in their urban neighborhood and developing indigenous leaders from the neighborhood.
  • The Living Room, an emerging Presbyterian chuch in the Westside neighborhood of Atlanta, GA, pastored by Tom Livengood, received $5,000 to help them more fully develop their website/virtual community for their New Church Development. The Living Room will be working with BreenSmith Advertising, a Westside advertising firm, to develop their identity and look.

We are excited for BJ and Tom and their respective communities – we look forward to seeing how this financial assistance helps them to bring about the Gospel and the Kingdom in their midst. It’s also encouraging to see the denomination help out in this way. Congratulations!

A Movement Indeed

Things are happening in the PCUSA. Just as Adam wrote on this post Presbymergent is not about saving the PCUSA. But there are contributions that many are making that make me excited for the church in general (i.e. not just for the PCUSA). It’s not about any one denomination. It’s just that we in Presbymergent happen to be PCUSA.

I am grateful to those currently in seminary or pondering seminary who are asking good questions and offering creative possibilities.

I am grateful to experienced church workers who, after spending time serving Constantinian churches, are working successfully to move churches into the 21st century.

I am grateful to thinkers and writers who offer pathways. And I very grateful to people of other denominations/no denomination who – like us – simply and passionately want to make disciples of all nations and bring God’s realm to this earth.

God is good. Happy Thanksgiving.