 Stand up for a friend  The Presbyterian Layman Volume 33, Number 5, Posted September 29, 2000
After reading reports from a Presbyterian “peacemaking” conference, it occurs to me that Jesus himself could use a few friends. Borrowing another hymn, may I suggest that Presbyterians stand up for him? “What’s the big deal about Jesus?” asked a Presbyterian minister, Dirk Ficca, at the denominationally sponsored conference. Ficca urged Christians to abandon the Great Commission, lest they disturb those who choose other paths to salvation. After all, he argued, it is God, not Jesus, who saves us. One would have welcomed a disclaimer from the Presbyterian Peacemaking Program leaders. But this was not to be. Instead, they issued an evasive statement that essentially restated Ficca’s thesis. The statement credits Jesus as the person through whom we received our salvation, but it encourages the notion (contrary to Jesus’ own words) that others may be saved by other means. A subsequent statement by General Assembly Council officials was no better. In the name of “interfaith” dialogue they find nothing amiss when the denomination showcases speakers who deny the Church’s faith. Deja Vu We have heard this theme before. In 1998, it appeared in Building Community Among Strangers, a document written by the Advisory Committee on Social Witness Policy. Using a banquet image, the committee envisioned prayers to Jesus, Gaia (the earth mother), Buddha, etc., a meal where all ideologies claim a place at the table. In 1997, it happened with the National Network of Presbyterian College Women whose mission statement didn’t even mention Jesus Christ. In 1993, the theme appeared in a conference called to “ReImagine god.” Here, a goddess called “Sophia,” was ceremonially toasted with milk and honey and theologian Delores Williams dismissed Jesus’ sacrifice for our sins: “We don’t need folks hanging on crosses and blood dripping and weird stuff …” Taking a stand The Wichita General Assembly declared ReImagining out of bounds. A subsequent Assembly rejected Building Community Among Strangers and ordered the college group to re-write its material in a manner that is faithful to Scripture. But like the proverbial hydra, new forms of this heresy continue to surface. Louisville has apparently not gotten the message. May we suggest a measure of discipline? When your congregation is asked to contribute to the “Peacemaking Offering” on Sunday, October 1, will you remember how this program used your 1999 contributions? Your church dedicated its offering to the Lord Jesus Christ. Ask yourself if the peacemaking conference that was funded by your gifts was faithful to that commitment. Our Lord could use a few friends. Presbyterians can begin by curtailing their support for his enemies. |
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