{short description of image}

Stated Clerk's column

{short description of image}
The Presbyterian Layman Volume 34, Number 5, Posted July 6, 2001

Kirkpatrick

Clifton Kirkpatrick
Probably for the first time in the history of the Presbyterian Church in this country, a General Assembly repeatedly used portions of the Book of Confessions during recesses and at the end of business sessions in Louisville, June 9-16. Led by Moderator Jack Rogers, an acknowledged scholar and author on the historic confessions, creeds, or statements of belief, the General Assembly used sections of one confession or another over several days as a litany or read in unison. For instance, from “The Scots Confession:”

Moderator: When the fullness of time came God sent his son, His eternal wisdom, the substance of his own glory, Into this world,

Assembly: who took the nature of humanity from the substance of a woman, a Virgin, by means of the Holy Spirit.

It would be difficult to imagine a more creative or instructive way to demonstrate the importance of the confessions, the profound insights and convictions of that “great cloud of witnesses,” as well as how the confessions might be used in worship or in teaching situations. There is no doubt in my mind that many commissioners, advisory delegates and spectators in the gallery will dip much more thoroughly now into exploring the riches of these resources, which the moderator has so visibly called to the attention of our highest representative body.

In one session the assembly read the Nicene Creed in unison. Another time a portion of the Heidelberg Catechism was used responsibly:

Moderator: What is your only comfort, in life and in death?

Assembly: That I belong body and soul, in life and in death not to myself but to my faithful savior, Jesus Christ, who at the cost of his own blood has fully paid for all my sins and has completely freed me from the dominion of the devil.

Isaiah Jones led the assembly daily in singing during breaks in the business sessions, and he and others in daily worship, using “The Old Time Religion” gospel songs as well as in contemporary hymns and tunes. Each day, also, in an amazing variety of meaningful and thoughtful worship experiences, corporate and personal sins were confessed.

In an entirely different manner, commissioners and advisory delegates “confessed” their desires, over and over, to be sensitive to and concerned about the effects of their words and actions upon others in the assembly and across the church in the following year. On such delicate and heartfelt issues as ordination standards, particularly, one person after another realized that whatever the outcome of votes might be, there would be pain and sorrow for many. In an especially moving and touching series of expressions of attitude, nearly everyone sought to avoid terms or feelings of winning or losing on each part of each issue. Regardless of one’s position on any side of an issue, gracious and decorous language prevailed throughout.

There were certainly decisions made at this assembly that may well be controversial and will engender vigorous debate in our presbyteries. However, I want you to know that the decisions of the 213th General Assembly were reached in a spirit of seeking to be faithful to Jesus Christ, the great head of the Church, and to the witness of our historic confessions. As we move forward in making important decisions in all of our governing bodies in the year ahead, I hope this same spirit will be alive throughout the church.

Clifton Kirkpatrick
Home · News · PLC Publications · The Presbyterian Layman
Online Reviews · Archives· History of the Lay Committee · Feedback · Links