Presbyterians and the Absence of Faith

Fall 2008 I received a survey from the Presbyterian Church (USA) Research Panel. The Presbyterian Panel is a representative sample of 5,000 Presbyterians (members, elders, pastors, and specialized clergy) serve on the Presbyterian Panel for a three-year period and responds to mailed questionnaires four times a year. The Panel provides a way to listen to and collect information about the practices, beliefs, and opinions from both clergy and laity. The initial questionnaire was sent to more than 5,000 Presbyterians in late 2008, with response rates ranging from 59 to 70 percent from the various groups. The stated average margin of error is around 3 to 5 percent, according to the report, but in some cases can go as high as 7 to 10 percent.

The survey was filled with many questions. We were asked to respond on a scale of 1 to 5. From “strongly agree” to “strongly disagree.” I am a theological conservative and support traditional Christian Orthodoxy and I thought most others did as well. I believe I thought better of my colleagues and fellow Presbyterians than I ought.

The report entitled “Religious and Demographic Profile of Presbyterians” has outlined the findings of the survey I responded to. The survey was sent to Presbyterian Church members, Presbyterian Elders, Presbyterian Church Pastors, and Specialized Clergy. The report defines “specialized clergy” as ministers serving full-time in a school or seminary, as a hospital or military chaplain, as PCUSA middle governing body staff, in an ecumenical agency or any other job or position. The category also includes part-time and temporary ministries.

The results of the survey are frightening. Nearly half of PCUSA pastors (45 percent) and a majority of “specialized clergy” (60 percent) surveyed disagree that “only followers of Jesus Christ can be saved.” Approximately 1 in 5 in both categories answered “neutral” or “not sure,” making the totals that do not “agree” with the statement as 65 percent for pastors and 78 percent for specialized clergy.

More than half of “members” and “elders” surveyed answered similarly. Approximately 1 in 3 members (36 percent) and elders (31 percent) either disagree or strongly disagree that “only followers of Jesus can be saved.” In both categories, approximately 1 in 5 is “neutral” or “not sure.” Those who “strongly agree” or “agree” with the statement are: 39 percent of members; 45 percent of elders; 35 percent of pastors and 22 percent of specialized clergy. If you would like to read more of the report it can be found at http://www.pcusa.org/research/panel/index.htm.

I wonder why people who do not believe, “Jesus is the way the truth and the life and no one comes to the Father but by Him”, remain in the church? All ordained people in the PC (USA) respond in the affirmative to the following questions when ordained.

1. Do you trust in Jesus Christ your Savior, acknowledge him Lord of all and Head of the Church, and through him believe in one God, Father, Son, and Holy Spirit?
2. Do you accept the Scriptures of the Old and New Testaments to be, by the Holy Spirit, the unique and authoritative witness to Jesus Christ in the Church universal, and God’s Word to you?
3. Do you sincerely receive and adopt the essential tenets of the Reformed faith as expressed in the confessions of our church as authentic and reliable expositions of what Scripture leads us to believe and do, and will you be instructed and led by those confessions as you lead the people of God?
4. Will you fulfill your office in obedience to Jesus Christ, under the authority of Scripture, and be continually guided by our confessions?
5. Will you be governed by our church’s polity, and will you abide by its discipline? Will you be a friend among your colleagues in ministry, working with them, subject to the ordering of God’s Word and Spirit?
6. Will you in your own life seek to follow the Lord Jesus Christ, love your neighbors, and work for the reconciliation of the world?
7. Do you promise to further the peace, unity, and purity of the church?
8. Will you seek to serve the people with energy, intelligence, imagination, and love?
9. (1) (For elder) Will you be a faithful elder, watching over the people, providing for
their worship, nurture, and service? Will you share in government and discipline, serving in governing bodies of the church, and in your ministry will you try to show the love and justice of Jesus Christ?
9. (2) (For deacon) Will you be a faithful deacon, teaching charity, urging concern, and
directing the people’s help to the friendless and those in need, and in your ministry will you try to show the love and justice of Jesus Christ?
9. (3) (For minister of the Word and Sacrament) Will you be a faithful minister, proclaiming the good news in Word and Sacrament, teaching faith and caring for people? Will you be active in government and discipline, serving in the governing bodies of the church; and in your ministry will you try to show the love and justice of Jesus Christ?

Did they not mean it when they answered these questions in the affirmative? If people have changed their minds the honorable thing to do is resign from the PC (USA) and the Church of Jesus Christ. Why remain in a Christian church when one is not a Christian? Why remain in an organization that has Jesus Christ as its Head and believes the Scriptures of the Old and New Testaments to be the authoritative Word of God? Why do I say this? Jesus Himself says, “I am the gate; whoever enters through me will be saved.” (John 10:9 NIV) “I am the way and the truth and the life. No one comes to the Father except through me.” (John 14:6 NIV) The Bible goes on to speak of the exclusive nature of salvation, “But now a righteousness from God, apart from law, has been made known, to which the Law and the Prophets testify. This righteousness from God comes through faith in Jesus Christ to all who believe. There is no difference, for all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God, and are justified freely by his grace through the redemption that came by Christ Jesus.” (Romans 3:21-24 NIV) “For the wages of sin is death, but the gift of God is eternal life in Christ Jesus our Lord.” (Romans 6:23 NIV)

There is small wonder why the PC (USA) is hemorrhaging members year after year. Half the church is populated by people that are not Christians. That kind of witness is useless in a lost and dying world.

It has been some time!

I was surprised when I opened my blog to find how long it has been since I made a post. It is not that I have had nothing to say, it simply is that I talk too much on Facebook. My apologies to those that would occasionally turn to this blog and find it wanting.

Charity and Poor Performance

There seems to be a strong aversion in our culture to criticism, unless of course it is the mainline media criticizing Conservatives or Christians. In many places little league baseball is played without keeping score. Apparently the parents want the children to enjoy playing the game without the disappointment of losing. They certainly do not want to bruise the children's delicate egos. Some schools do not give children grades. Their egos and confidence could be damaged by achieving a low mark or a failing mark.

Who decided it was better to protect children from failure than allow them to experience real life? Is losing a game or earning a low grade such a bad thing? Is it unloving to keep score and to give real grades in proportion to performance? Of course not! Games are won and lost because of the performance and preparation of the competing teams and players. Poor grades represent poor effort and poor preparation. Children will never be challenged to excel if they are protected from the truth. Good preparation and good performance must be rewarded and poor efforts must not be ignored.

It is not unloving to say that someone did a poor job.

I Am A Relic, But Not for Long

I fear my brain is old. No, I'm not making a comment on my physical age. I fear my brain is old because I can't seem to grasp the so-called post-modern age. I am locked into the old institutional thinking of the past. I watch NFL Football on Sunday afternoon and I hate that the NFL season is soon to be over. Yet, I find fewer and fewer other football fans with whom to banter. There are still those that wear their team image on their jackets or in the front window of their small business, but I can't seem to find anyone to watch a game with other than my wife. I have two adult sons and neither one is a football fan. They never played the game and they could care less about it. My oldest son was never interested in team sports. He skied, snow-boarded, rock climbed, and hiked. I am a sport watcher, he is a sport doer. Fortunately we do hunt together. My second son participated in team sports until injuries ended his athletic career. He no longer participates or watches.

I did participate. I played three sports in high school and did well. I went to college on a full athletic scholarship. Since then I watch more than I participate. I need to rediscover how to participate.

I don't understand reality television. It has no appeal to me. Yet, literally millions watch and participate. I have a Blackberry. To me it is a telephone with a huge directory of names and numbers. I get email on my Blackberry and even send some now and then. Occasionally someone sends me a text and I can answer it (very slowly). I even have a Facebook page, but hardly appreciate its full potential.

When my Dad died my Mom did two things immediately. She bought a new car with leather seats. Dad would have none of that foolishness. She also bought a computer and got an email account. She could not stand it that life was passing her by. She was not happy being a relic.

I don't do self-learning easily. I prefer that someone show me. Well, no-longer. I am not happy being a relic either. I do know some people that understand the post-modern age and I need to go to school on them. I am on a mission, "understand and participate fully in the post-modern age."

Life is an interesting adventure. It does not always go as we plan or hope, yet it moves forward at a constant pace. How we deal with the events that we cannot control measures our character and our level of happiness. Many rail against the events of life. Crying, "Its not fair!" Life is never a matter of fairness, life is neutral. There is no "fair" or "unfair" it just is. Our response is everything.

Many people are positive thinkers and respond to life at its best and worst with grace and joy. Others are negative thinkers and find fault with every event in life. They are constant victims. Who are you? it is your choice. Abraham Lincoln said that most people are just about as happy as the choose to be. Are you happy? Happy is not something that you strive for, it is a state of being during the trials of life. "Happy" is who you are during the journey.

Recently I spent some time in Palm Beach Gardens and Jupiter Florida. We were in the midst of a family health crisis and it was stressful. Yet, we were able to maintain a level of joy and happiness regardless of the circumstances. As we went about our days I noticed how unhappy so many people were. We were in the most beautiful place in the country with extraordinary weather and people were grumpy. It didn't matter where we were, the grocery, a restaurant, or Starbucks. People were grumpy.

Grumpy is a hard way to go through life. Are you grumpy? Sad? Angry? Aggressive? Happy? Polite? Pleasant? It is your choice. As for me, I choose Happy!