On the cause of Saint Gill - Patron Saint of Hipsters

I am a fan of GK Chesterton.  The sky is blue.  Dogs love sticks.

Now that the basics are out of the way I wanted to spell out some thoughts on the recent momentum in the push for Chesterton to become a saint.  The momentum?  There was an announcement from a Bishop that a cleric is being sought to begin the investigation to opening a cause for GK Chesterton.

My initial gut feel was "ugh.  Why?"

I hate to work backwards (having an ends before the logic), but I initially didn't like the idea, and then started to figure out - why? OR why not?

Part of me wonders if his being labelled a Catholic saint would raise walls for the general reader.  The title of Saint would bring with it the whole baggage of the Catholic church.  Chesterton was a profound writer of poetry, fiction and non-fiction.  If canonized, does he get labelled as simply a writer of "Catholic stuff".  It's very easy to say I don't want to read "Catholic stuff", I want to read a good story or a good defense of faith with reason, enough for an unreasonable world.  It is an ignorant view that is clinging to a stereotype; but these walls from the outside in were my concern.

I am not Catholic.  I have had a handful of wonderful and thoughtful conversations with some Catholics about faith elements and getting past into some of the basics of the Catholic church.  These conversations were incredibly enlightening and lead me to believe that the Catholic church, along with most other church bodies, has a terrible PR firm.  They and their beliefs are not understood well.  Truly God cares about the heart and not the image.  He wants the ruddy David and while the people seek the strong/tall Saul.  Truth doesn't need a PR firm.

As I was questioning my gut, I did some reading on what it means to be a Catholic saint.  Whatever my preconceived notion was, it was wrong.  From some research I found that a "saint" is confirmed to be in Heaven (the miracles are proof of being in Heaven and the candidates intercession in prayer), while on earth they had a life that exuded some level of favor (holiness) from God.  I fully believe GKC is in Heaven and while on earth he had some grace that set him apart. 

So at the basics it is a non-issue.

I'm in favor of it until I talk to some Catholics.  This is a broad brush I am about to paint with.  I feel the need to point to the target of my concern without pointing to all Catholics.  Bring out the Catho-tons. 

Catho-tons 
Catho-tons are eager to claim Chesterton as Catholic to the point that he was nothing else.  That is the start of the trouble; his writing is wonderful, why not claim it?  They work to label it as Catholic more than let it shine as Truth.  As if every word written by such a prolific writer was because he was Catholic and every word is Catholic teachings.  His sole motivation was the Roman Catholic Church. 

It forces me to ask:  Was he motivated by the RCC or the Truths that God revealed to him?  Are those truths exclusively Catholic?  If he never took the later life plunge into RCC would they be less true?  Is the Catholic cross different from the cross of Christ?

They are busy building the wall that my gut was worried about.  I was worried about a wall built from the outside and Catho-tons have built it from the inside.

I'm not sure any doctrine or church statement would point to a piece like The Ethics of Elfland.  Certainly it would lack the eloquence.  Where as Elfland certainly does shine the light of truth onto the church.  It provides the color to the paint-by-number of church doctrine.  But God speaks the color where as the doctrine can only try to define it by setting its edges.

 So was it God's irrepressible truth that stirred Chesterton to that piece?
-OR-
Was it the Roman Catholic church that inspired him to fill in the gap?

The Catho-ton says his witty speaking of truth is Catholic, I'm saying his witty speaking is of Truth.


There is a prayer card that has been circulated:
  http://www.chesterton.org/wp-content/uploads/2013/07/Prayer-Card.pdf

The line that raises my hackles is "his lifelong devotion to the Blessed Virgin Mary".  GKC joined the Roman Catholic church in 1922 and his wife joined him in 1926.  Prior to this he attended an Anglican church with his wife.  From a few accounts there was much tension over this.  To call him a lifelong Catholic is a very Calvinistic view (once Catholic, always Catholic?).  It does not follow that to be with Frances he had to be Anglican; when they met he was not a believer.  The RCC could be claimed as a final destination of his faith, but the Anglican church was not a prison to appease his wife, at the minimum it was a stepping stone.  Since being saved, he certainly always had a regard for Mary (as all Christians should and generally do); but he was not immediately a Catholic as his own words state in his "Autobiography" - "....my reckless course in becoming a Christian, an orthodox Christian, and finally a Catholic in the sense of a Roman Catholic."

He was catholic from his first day of faith and Catholic in his later life.  I'd rather not confuse the two.

I have no issues with GKC being recognized as a saint.  I doubt he would approve, but few saints would (it is neither proof nor dis-proof).  My concern is still there.  His logic is relentless, his writing overflows with seeing joy in the mysterious.  He was a craftsman with words.

 I think the world would be a better place if it would read more GK Chesterton.  I state that with the belief that all conviction and conversion is the work of the Holy Spirit. 

He adeptly makes points of God's beauty, that I fall short, and I need Jesus.  In his published arguments with Blatchford he replied to "What do you mean by the word Christianity?" with - "The belief that a certain human being whom we call Christ stood to a certain superhuman Being whom we call God in a certain unique transcendental relation which we call sonship."

Catho-tons think "the world would be a better place if it were more Catholic."  I was at a Chesterton Society meeting where that was said - not sought Jesus more, or enjoyed the family more, it needs to be more Catholic.

The best example I can find of this are some comments by Dale Ahlquist.  He is president of the American Chesterton Society.  Their official press release contains the following:

G.K. Chesterton’s prophetic writings are being embraced by a new generation who are drawn to his eloquent defense of the Catholic faith, of the traditional family, the sanctity of life, and economic justice. He is known for his great wit, humility, and profound Catholic joy. He was a major influence on such figures on Archbishop Fulton Sheen, C.S. Lewis, J.R.R. Tolkien, Dorothy Day, and Jorge Luis Borges. “I think he is very much a saint for our time and could draw many people into the Catholic Church,” Ahlquist added.

I'm not bashing Dale, it may have been a passing comment in the midst of an interview, and I'm straining gnats.  Chesterton was a spiritual hipster, he defended faith before it was Catholic.  He draws people to Jesus, not just the Catholic Church.  In my readings of GKC I see much that appeals to the masses and much less that appeals to the Mass.

 I really have no issue with GKC being recognized by the RCC as a Saint.  I think I would gladly send my children to The Chesterton Academy (there is one in Minnesota), I might send them to St. Gilbert's School, and as I sit currently I would never send my child to St. Gilbert's Catholic School.

There is nothing on the face of the action that is unsettling.  It is the Catho-ton defenses that stir me.  I struggle with ears straining to hear them proclaiming how we share common ground and only hear all ground being claimed as Roman Catholic. 

If becoming a Saint makes Chesterton less catholic (universal) and only Catholic - I for one am opposed.  I don't want to say one individual is larger than a long church tradition and should be held with higher regard than the denomination.  Yet certain individuals stand out beyond the Christian tradition to which they are a part - Thomas Aquinas, CS Lewis, John Wesley, George MacDonald, GK Chesterton. 

Now one week out I am in favor of it. Strongly.

I think the Catholic church might become more catholic.  As the average church member hears the rumblings of the news they may have to wrestle with the hailstorm that is Gilbert Keith Chesterton.

If the declaration of Sainthood on Chesterton, with all his wit, can nudge the Catholic church to talk to people how GKC did:  to enjoy communion with his fellow man in the pew, and beer with the cabman in the street; to battle the strongest minds with logic, top to bottom, and still present grace and love.  He didn't need a committee or a drive to reach out to people.  He saw their passion and their sense, their love and their loyalty; and he admired them for it.

Please mark him as a Saint and celebrate a feast.  Study his volumes of writing and dwell in the poetic prose.  Wrestle with the paradox.  But do not take away the cigar smoking, cheese eating, beer drinking, raucous personality that he was. 

"Do not free a camel of the burden of his hump, lest you free him of being a camel."

 

The Christian Story.

From Tim Keller's website (Aug 8, 2012):
At some point you need tell the Christian story in a way that addresses the things that people most want for their own lives, the things that they are trying to find outside of Christianity, and show how Christianity can give it to them. Alasdair MacIntyre said this about narratival apologetics: ‘That narrative prevails over its rivals which is able to include its rivals within it, not only to retell their stories as episodes within its story, but to tell the story of the telling of their stories as such episodes.’ Read that sentence again.
There is a way of telling the gospel that makes people say, ‘I don’t believe it’s true, but I wish it were.’ You have to get to the beauty of it, and then go back to the reasons for it. Only then, when you show that it takes more faith to doubt it than to believe it; when the things you see out there in the world are better explained by the Christian account of things than the secular account of things; and when they experience a community in which they actually do see Christianity embodied, in healthy Christian lives and solid Christian community, that many will believe.

I enjoyed this and thought it worth preserving somewhere that I can get to quickly.  Carry on.

Letter to the Center Presby Church Congregation

(following is the letter to be sent out to the congregational members of our church.  It makes for an easy blog post)

Dear Center Church Family,

This letter is notification of a congregational vote scheduled for Sunday May 20^th 2012 immediately after the Sunday Worship service.  The vote is “Should Center Presbyterian Church explore separation from the PC-USA?” 

How did we get here?

Center Church was formed in 1801 and called its first pastor in 1802.  We have a long history of steadily seeking where God is leading us.  We moved with the United Presbyterian church when it merged with the southern Presbyterian Churches in the United States and established the PC-USA in 1983.

For about the past 15 years the PC-USA has drifted away from a high Biblical standard.  Much of this seems to have been an effort to be more inclusive and this has led to an erosion of Biblical authority.  Being inclusive while forgetting our call to be the Body of Christ is too high of a cost.  Last year, Amendment 10-A was passed by the Denomination.  It allows the standards for Ordination to be determined by the local church and Presbytery rather than the national body.  This is counter to the understanding of a united body of believers.  This has already resulted in the Ordination of practicing homosexual clergy, elders and deacons.  There have been concerns over this and other policies and stances made by the PC-USA.  This last step in the drift is beyond reconciliation and there are insufficient means to undo the Amendment.   Loving your neighbor and reaching out to a fallen world does not have to mean losing your footing on the solid foundation of God's Word.

 

Where are we now?

Discussions regarding the “if”, “when” and “how” of leaving have occurred informally many times in the past.  In November of 2011, the Session unanimously voted to explore separation and notified the Shenango Presbytery.  A Task Force of Center Church Members has been assembled to assist in the research, information collecting, and leg work of the process.  We are following the Presbytery process of Gracious Separation and this congregational vote is the next step. 

Where do we go from here?

We see this as a crucial time to move where God may be leading us.  As we proceed, we are seeking a few requirements for our future denomination decision.

1. Affirm Jesus Christ, God the Father's only begotten Son, as our only Lord and Savior.
2. A high view of Biblical Authority.
3. Property and assets to be held by the congregation.
4. Affirm the sanctity of marriage and human life.

There are a few leading options to consider (Evangelical Presbyterian Church and the Evangelical Covenant of Presbyterians) but the first decision is “Should Center Church consider separation from the PC-USA?”

Please keep the denomination, our Presbytery, and our Church in prayer; and please plan on attending the vote on May 20th.  If you have any questions or concerns there will be a discussion forum on May 6th following the worship service.  There will also be information available in the Narthex or feel free to talk with Pastor Woodman or any of the Elders.

By His Grace,

Center Church Session

PC-USA, one more step removed

This will show up in the April newsletter for Center Presbyterian Church.  It makes for a quick blog post, and work is draining my today so this is all the effort my blog will receive.

Gracious Separation Update

"The hammer-strokes are coming thick and fast now; and filling the world with infernal thunders; and there is still the iron sound of something unbreakable deeper and louder than all the things that break." GK Chesterton

We are a few steps further into the process of Gracious Separation from the PC-USA.  We are following the process from the Presbytery and here are the upcoming items.

The CPC Session is slated to meet with the Dismissal Team from the Shenango Presbytery on April 10th.  From this meeting Session must meet 2 more times prior to a congregational meeting.

Most likely, sometime in May we will have a congregational meeting to decide "Should Center Presbyterian Church explore dismissal from the PC-USA?"  A quorum needs to be present for the meeting and 80% majority vote is required to pass the measure. 

We are thankful for the many conversations and much prayer that have surrounded this process.  A few more opportunities are being planned to answer any questions and allow for further discussions.

Following the first vote a new denomination can be selected and a second congregational vote will proceed to determine if we want to affiliate with the chosen denomination.  80% majority is once again needed.  Please continue to pray for Center Church as we seek to continue serving Jesus in this new opportunity.

 

Colossians 2:6-8

⁶ So then, just as you received Christ Jesus as Lord, continue to live your lives in him, ⁷ rooted and built up in him, strengthened in the faith as you were taught, and overflowing with thankfulness.

⁸ See to it that no one takes you captive through hollow and deceptive philosophy, which depends on human tradition and the elemental spiritual forces^[a] of this world rather than on Christ.

We are still Center Presbyterian Church

I am on the Gracious Separation Task Force at our church.  The team is to know the gracious separation policy that has been approved by Shenango Presbytery and help session with the process and legwork.  This is an article that was included in our church's monthly newsletter.

We are still Center Presbyterian Church

^"14 Then we will no longer be infants, tossed back and forth by the waves, and blown here and there by every wind of teaching and by the cunning and craftiness of people in their deceitful scheming. ¹⁵ Instead, speaking the truth in love, we will grow to become in every respect the mature body of him who is the head, that is, Christ. ¹⁶ From him the whole body, joined and held together by every supporting ligament, grows and builds itself up in love, as each part does its work." Ephesians 4:14-16

We are a Presbyterian Church.  Presbyterian denominations differ in some basic characteristics from other Protestant denominations.  We hold to a defined doctrine, organization (governance) and worship.  There are about 10 Presbyterian denominations in the United States.

Doctrine:

We are a confessional tradition.  This has the implication that not only are we expressing our faith, a "confession of faith" which has authority; but we also unite with other churches on the theology.  It is not an individual matter.  Individuals should understand Scripture and carry out their confession with the body of believers.

Governance:

The government is by councils of elders elected at the congregational level.  The congregational elders report and work with the presbytery which works with the synod which unites at the general assembly.  This structure helps to maintain discipline, united theology, and connection across the larger body.  Large missional work (disaster relief, famine, etc) would be a prohibitive burden for a small congregation - but as a united body the Gospel is spread worldwide.

Worship:

Presbyterian worship can vary across the denominations under the Presbyterian umbrella.  All adhere that only two sacraments are administered - Baptism and the Lord's Supper.  They vary on music  (type and instruments) and Liturgical elements (benedictions, doxologies, confessions, prayer, creeds, scripture).

With that background in mind we are at a crossroad.  We have been affiliated with the PC-USA sits its formation in 1983.  The PCUSA denomination has shown a steady decline of adhering to some beliefs held essential by Center and other churches.

Notably:

• 1983 positional paper on the "test of Authority" - "...all theories of the authority of scripture are tested by the effectiveness and usefulness of the the interpretation that they involve."   Using the test of authority by "usefulness and effectiveness" rather than the fact of God speaking to us through the scriptures.
• 1994 (and 2001) overtures which expressed opposition to partial birth abortion were rejected.
• 2001 General Assembly reacting to a minster quoted as saying "what's the big deal about Jesus" a motion to declare Jesus Christ "the singular saving Lord" was debated.  The Assembly refused to make this statement rather it declared Jesus is "unique".
• 2008 General Assembly Permanent Judicial Commission found that "It is not improper for ministers of the Word and Sacrament to perform same sex ceremonies"
• 2010 General Assembly passed a Book of Order Amendment removing the clause "fidelity and chastity" from ordination standards.  This was the fourth attempt to change this clause.
• 2010 the PCUSA was one of 16 signatures to a letter sent to the White House in support of health care reform that does not create new restrictions to abortion.

With the erosion of holding to essential doctrine and the slide of steady governance Session has voted to explore separation.  Shenango Presbytery has established a process for Gracious Separation and we are a few steps into that process.  Over the next few weeks and months we will continue forward by meeting with Presbytery Representatives, Special Session meetings, and a congregational meeting specifically asking "Should Center Church explore separation from the PC-USA?".  The process approved by the Presbytery has rightly set a high bar of 80% approval within the congregation for this measure. 

To help guide the process, assist with leg work, and report to session a task force has been formed.  The team consists of Jason Dunn, Dan Kulp, Harold McDowell, Jean Richardson and Pastor Bill Woodman.  We are excited for this opportunity before the congregation.  It should not be a church dividing item it should be a life giving opportunity for the Holy Spirit to work through us as individuals and as a body.  We look forward to where God is leading us.  Please pray for us, our congregation and our denomination as we continue forward.

 

Thank you on behalf of the Session and the Gracious Separation Task Force,

-Dan Kulp

More PC-USA stuff

I attended a Shenango Presbytery meeting last night on the denominational issues.  It had a large turnout (175-ish) and I haven't seen that large of a cross-church gathering that fired up in a long time.  It felt like a church softball game.

Everyone was about on the same side.  There was a general wondering of "how did we get here?" and "is this what the denomination is focused on?" "What about Jesus?".  I wonder the same thing but on more than the issue of ordaining those who will not submit to "faithfulness and marriage and chastity in singleness" (old language now removed).  Also, and just as stomach churning for me, is how did we get so tied to "social justice"?

Social Justice is a vague term to cover many errors.  On the surface who would be opposed to social justice.  A just society is essential and a good thing.  But when social justice is used to support social programs and political ideologies everyone loses.  Social Justice becomes a joke and those truly suffering from injustice are ignored.  It seems like giving them padding for the shackles instead of removing the shackles.  We can feel better about ourselves, have a nice padded program, pad a pad company profits, and leave those suffering exactly where they are so we can find them and "help" them tomorrow.  Social Justice is about the programs and not about stopping the injustice.

The meeting last night was refreshing in that people are getting involved, aware, and passionate about their churches.  It may lead to the PC-USA having fewer congregations.  It may lead to some changes in the PC-USA.  I don't know if much will change for the denomination though.  And truly it seems like it isn't much of a hop for churches to switch to another Presby denomination.  All should be considered prayerfully.  Hopefully it drives everyone to their knees.


'The Church is not a thing like the Athenaeum Club,' he cried.  'If the Athenaeum Club lost all its members, the Athenaeum Club would dissolve and cease to exist.  But when we belong to the Church we belong to something which is outside all of us:  which is outside everything you talk about, outside the Cardinals and the Pope.  They belong to it, but it does not belong to them.  If we all fell dead suddenly, the Church would still somehow exist in God.'
The Ball and the Cross - GK Chesterton

On PC-USA Denomination Issues

Our church (local) is wrestling with recent changes by the large PC-USA denomination.  This letter was drafted to let the congregation know where the session and presbytery was standing. -Dan

On PC-USA Denomination Issues

Center Church is at a cross roads in its long and rich history. Culture changes with the times, and our current culture has forced a debate upon our congregation that some wonder why there is a debate at all.

Center Presbyterian Church is a congregation within the Shenango Presbytery of the Presbyterian Church USA. PC-USA had a proposed amendment before the 2010 General Assembly referred to as -10A. This amendment was for a change in the Book of Order regarding officers of the church. Previously the Book of Order read for office standard as:

"Those who are called to office in the church are to lead a life in obedience to Scripture and in conformity to the historic confessional standards of the church. Among these standards is the requirement to live either in fidelity within the covenant of marriage between a man and a woman (W-4.9001), or chastity in singleness. Persons refusing to repent of any self-acknowledged practice which the confessions call sin shall not be ordained and/or installed as deacons, elders, or ministers of the Word and Sacrament."

To:

"Standards for ordained service reflect the church’s desire to submit joyfully to the Lordship of Jesus Christ in all aspects of life (G-1.0000). The governing body responsible for ordination and/or installation (G.14.0240; G-14.0450) shall examine each candidate’s calling, gifts, preparation, and suitability for the responsibilities of office. The examination shall include, but not be limited to, a determination of the candidate’s ability and commitment to fulfill all requirements as expressed in the constitutional questions for ordination and installation (W-4.4003). Governing bodies shall be guided by Scripture and the confessions in applying standards to individual candidates.”

In other words, it is now up to each Presbytery and congregation to determine the standards for the Officers of the church. The long standing requirements of the denomination can now be changed by each church. They may determine that the Biblical standard is less important than style or yield to a desire to reach out to the culture. This being a local option Center Church is not required to lower our standard, and will continue to hold to the traditional Book of Order regarding the offices of the church.

The votes are still being tallied (amendments are voted upon for one year and closes July 10) but the amendment already has a sufficient number that it will pass. There is nothing to be done regarding it passing. The Book of Order will be changed and some Presbyteries and congregations may start ordaining avowed, unrepentant, practicing gay officers.

The Shenango Presbytery has taken a firm stand against -10A. They are drafting a response and a document clarifying the options for the congregations. The passing of -10A marks a decision point for each congregation. There are some churches that will stay and fight. These churches will seek to form a united block and still remain under the PC-USA structure. Some are seeking other Reformed Denominational bodies that hold to a scriptural understanding at every level.

Session is awaiting this document and will prayerfully discuss and weigh the options for Center Church. Things may move slowly in this process but the process is moving and our Session, in representing our congregation, seeks to stand firmly upon the Holy Scripture.

The Gospel is good news to be shared with every end of the creation. We are to reach out to culture with love and grace, for without the love and grace of Jesus we are lost. We must also be sure that in reaching out we do not lose our firm foundation on the rock of our salvation.

If you have any questions or concerns, or would like to discuss this further please feel free to speak with any Elder or Pastor Woodman.

Please keep Center Church, the Shenango Presbytery, and the Presbyterian Church USA in your prayers.

-Center Church Session

2 Timothy 4

 ¹ In the presence of God and of Christ Jesus, who will judge the living and the dead, and in view of his appearing and his kingdom, I give you this charge: ² Preach the word; be prepared in season and out of season; correct, rebuke and encourage—with great patience and careful instruction. ³ For the time will come when people will not put up with sound doctrine. Instead, to suit their own desires, they will gather around them a great number of teachers to say what their itching ears want to hear. ⁴ They will turn their ears away from the truth and turn aside to myths. ⁵ But you, keep your head in all situations, endure hardship, do the work of an evangelist, discharge all the duties of your ministry.

 ⁶ For I am already being poured out like a drink offering, and the time for my departure is near. ⁷ I have fought the good fight, I have finished the race, I have kept the faith. ⁸ Now there is in store for me the crown of righteousness, which the Lord, the righteous Judge, will award to me on that day—and not only to me, but also to all who have longed for his appearing.

Recommended Additional Resources:

Presbyterians For Renewal

http://www.pfrenewal.org/

Shenango Presbytery

http://www.shenango.org/
(specifically look for the button labeled "Special Committee to Monitor Denominational Issues")