Good News and Bad News

This is a post, not about the balance between good news and bad news, but how bad news drives good news off the table. Wednesday was a day of much good news, but in the discussion and press, just as in this post, the bad news gets the headlines.

On Sunday afternoon, Tara Spuhler McCabe was installed to the office of vice moderator of the Presbyterian Church (U.S.A.) for a two year term. Under our system, the newly-elected moderator selects a person to be vice moderator. The General Assembly confirms that selection or not. In this case the Assembly did by a large, but not overwhelming majority.

Apparently, over the next two days, the blogs, texts, email and tweets concentrated not on her gifts of service to the Church and the Presbyterian community, but on her service of love and compasion to a same-gender couple of her congregation. She brought the Church's presence to a marriage in the District of Columbia where such a marriage is legal. This is contrary to the discipline of the Presbyterian Church in which a marriage is to be exclusively between a man and a woman.

Wednesday afternoon, at the opening of next business meeting of the Assembly, she resigned her office because the controversy over her actions would detract from her ability to serve the church.  This resignation was an act of love for the Assembly and the denomination.

On Wednesday evening Tom Trinidad, from Colorado, was confirmed to the office of Vice Moderator.

The news about the resignation has been and will continue to be the high (low) light of Wednesday's actions.   Lost in this news will be celebrations and joys. For instance:

• The assembly celebrated
  • The service of retired and newly-commissioned missionaries abroad and in the US
  • The 200^th anniversary of two of our seminaries
  • Service of seminary educators
  • New form of worshiping communities
  • Ecumenical worship
• The assembly started the processes to
  • Possibly send the Belhar Confession, a confession based on the struggles for equality in South Africa
  • Send to the presbyteries for consideration a new and more accurate translation from German of the Heidelberg Catechism (1563), based on the academic translation work of scholars of ours and two sister denominations
• The assembly celebrates the gifts of Tom Trinidad as Vice Moderator

It is unfortunate that the bad news about the conflicts within the denomination catch with headlines while the work that is being done as the denomination attempts unity without the necessity of uniformity so pushed aside.

This is the day the Lord has made, Let us rejoice and be glad in it.

The Thoughtful Christian posted the title to this post on on its Facebook page this morning.  This is a list of a few of the many blessing of the the past few days.

1.  The blessing of the congregation of McKeesport Presbyterian Church, hosts to about twenty of for worship and lunch on Sunday.   I have heard the term "Rust Belt" refer to the social devastation of the decline of the steel industry, but had not seen its effects until yesterday.  It was striking to see rows of houses, two-thirds abandoned.  Most of those in the community who could afford to move away have done so.  Those who could not, remain.

The congregation is working in its  community to serve those in its community and neighborhood.  One way they hope to do so is to be part of a city demonstration neighborhood revitalization project.   Keep the region, city, neighborhood, and congregation in your prayers.   Also, if you know of likely sources of funds to assist in their capital funds drive, communicate suggestions to the church.

2.  The blessings of good Samaritans. Roger's bag with substantially all his need for nine days  in Pittsburgh fell out of the shuttle from the airport.   The bag and contents were delivered to Roger intact by Sunday.  Thanks to those who assisted Roger in the interim and to the person who found and returned the bag.

3.  The blessings of varieties of service.   I am part of the leadership team for one of the committee of the General Assembly.   I am impressed that our moderator, vice moderator, committee assistant, resource coordinator, and I bring different talents, each appropriate for the work of the committee.  Also, Edward reminded me this morning of the numbers and varieties of talents of those who serve to bring us to this spiritual and physical space and to assist us while we are here.

In addition to the varieties of the things we do, we are blessed by the varieties of who we are.  Who we  are includes the varieties of our physical abilities, our backgrounds, and spiritual experiences.   These make the diversity that is the strength of God's kingdom.

For these and many more, for all of our blessings, give thanks.

Thoughts on PC(USA) General Assembly 220 Day 1

Saturday was the first day of the Presbyterian Church (USA) 220th General Assembly, Pittsburgh, PA.  This is the day that the whole community of faith gathers in worship and that the commissioner elect a moderator for the assembly and to be the public face of the denomination for the next two years.

Worship each year is awesome and inspiring.   Inspiration comes from the numbers of people worshiping and taking the Lord's Supper together and, this year, for the out-going moderator's presence and sermon.   This spring, Moderator Cindy Bolbach had an abdominal tumor removed.  She continues to struggle to regain her health. Her presence at worship and the evening business session was as inspiring as the worship message of stepping out in faith to serve others.

In contrast to the previous two assemblies, this year there were no apparent malfunctions in the electronic voting system.   The hardware and software vendors and the denomination staff have worked out the bugs that detracted from the work at hand in San Jose, CA, and Minneapolis, MN, in 2008 and 2010.

The election of a moderator is the first of the opportunities for the 688 commissioners to be advised by approximately 200 advisory delegates (youth, theological students, missionaries, and ecumenical guests) and then seek to do the will of God in their work of the assembly.

In the past I've observed generational shifts in the advice given by the various groups of advisory delegates.   There were about 6 ecumenical delegates, 15 missionary delegates, 20 theological students, and 160 youth (ages 17 - 25).  In the past I was able to observe trends in that the ecumenical delegates advised on one candidate and the other groups were increasing less supportive of that candidate and more supportive of another.   This year three of the four groups supported a single candidate very strongly.

Voting continues without further discussion until one candidate receives a majority of the commissioners' votes cast.   This year moderator Neal Presa was elected on the fourth ballot.   He started with the overwhelming support of three of the four groups of advisory delegates and 38% of the commissioners.   On the final ballot he received the votes of 52% of the commissioners.

Today is a day to worship in the various churches of the Presbytery of Pittsburgh, to elect a Stated Clerk, the chief administrative officer of the denomination, and meet our committees for the first time.

More to follow as I have time.