This is a guest post from Alec Flynt, a student at Princeton Seminary who is preparing for ordained ministry in the Presbyterian Church (U.S.A.). As part of the ordination process, most presbyteries require participation in a program called “Clinical Pastoral Education.” This program varies from place to place, but it usually involves being […]

Continue reading " Ministry of Reconciliation or Clowning Around?: A Seminary Student Reflects On “C.P.E.” "

Today I’ve been thinking about “identity issues,” our assumptions about who we are and why our churches exist, which in turn inform why we choose to do the various activities, programs, etc. that busy our calendars. One of the most important and difficult challenges facing our congregations is their need to develop a new missional identity. For most of us, becoming missional will require a deep re-orientation of personal life and a challenging transformation of the leadership style, foci, and even structures of our congregations.

Continue reading " Missional Identity: Some Initial Reflections "

A couple weeks ago I promised to continue a series of reflections on the theme of “Yearning for Unity and Purity” in the PC(USA), commenting on the state of the church, looking at Ephesians and then a few books on the topic of church unity. This post looks at Ephesians. I’ll pick up on the […]

Continue reading " Unity and Purity, Humility and Moral Striving: Listening to Ephesians “In Christ” "

Let me suggest something that may sound a bit dangerous: there is a certain freedom in our present circumstance, a freedom out of which God might end up bringing some good. In some ways the Assembly’s decision on ordination finally admits in theory where we have been in practice for quite some time. And staring reality in the face can be a revelatory experience.

Continue reading " Free To Be Faithful: Covenant Community After the 217th General Assembly "

I would like to begin a series of regular reflections that arise out of my yearning for unity and purity in the church. The Presbyterian Church (U.S.A.) is in crisis.
We have been in crisis for quite some time, though our Assembly’s recent decision to no longer require our officers to live according to biblical standards […]

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When we emerge from the waters of baptism, we renounce the prerogative, in moments of weakness, to avoid the offense that all too often comes from the fallen human discomfort that arises at the mere mention of the Father of an oppressed and crucified peasant Jew whom we confess and worship as Christ and Lord of all.

Continue reading " God-generic?: Can God be Called Father During the PC(USA) General Assembly Worship? "

In a recent post regarding correspondence with one of the developers of the Abrahamic Heritage overture being considered by the General Assembly, I promised to offer what I thought would be a better alternative, something other than a simple “no” vote by the Assembly.  Having now read the advice from the PC(USA)’s Congregational Ministries Division, […]

Continue reading " Abrahamic Heritage: A Good Option for the Assembly "

This post is a letter I wrote to Bob Donaldson, one of the developers of the Abrahamic Heritage overture headed to the PC(USA) General Assembly. The conversation started on the basis of PFR’s Advice on that overture. This post could be understood in itself, but it picks up the correspondence in the previous post.  Feel […]

Continue reading " “Unity and Harmony” with Islam?: Correspondence on the Abrahamic Heritage Overture (Part II) "

Below is some of my initial written correspondence with Bob Donaldson, a PC(USA) elder who helped develop the Abrahamic Heritage overture coming to the 217th General Assembly of the PC(USA). That overture is an attempt to establish a basis for dialogue between Christians, Jews, and Muslims.

Continue reading " “Unity and Harmony” with Islam?: Correspondence on the Abrahamic Heritage Overture (Part I) "

As we meditate this Good Friday on the crucifixion of our Lord Jesus, our minds are indelibly marked with two realities in the battle against evil.
The first is the forgiveness of sins made possible only by the shedding of Christ’s blood: “without the shedding of blood there is no forgiveness” (Hebrews 9:22). And the […]

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