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The Third Way
calls for a Whole Gospel
A response from The
Witherspoon Society
[2-13-01]
The declaration offered
to the Presbyterian Church by 113 presbytery and synod executives
gives us all a needed nudge toward seeking new ways of dealing with the
conflicts among us.
In their own words, and through the words of
Scripture, they make important points:
 | We all must be open to the new things that God is
constantly bringing to reality in God's world. |
| We all must recognize that the conflicts among us
are rooted in the conflicts within us; no matter how much we may
declare holy wars, our own inner needs and tensions drive us toward
absolutizing our "good causes," and demonizing our
"enemies." |
| Love, compassion, and humility are the foundation
for peace -- both inner peace, and peace with our neighbors, both
peace in the church and peace with God.
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The writers draw upon the profound Biblical image of
gathering around the table, and Jesus invites all of his followers to
draw together around his table. It is a table for sharing a meal, but
also for talking together. It must be a table where all are welcome, as
they were at Jesus' table. It must be a table where all are heard with
respect and tenderness.
We gather around this table in prayer. Prayer is an
attitude of caring for others without grasping, and so we must gather
seeking unity not as a thing to be grasped, but as a matter of openness
to the new and the unexpected.
Around this table, we may yet discover that the Gospel
that claims us is one Word: the word of God's gracious love that
embraces all of God's creation. We will learn that dialogue does not
deny Christ's presence, but opens us further to it.
It is for the recovery of that Gospel, the whole
Gospel, that the Witherspoon Society has committed itself to a project
of study, action and reflection for the next few years. We will seek
congregations which are effectively proclaiming and acting out the
fullness of the Good News of God's love, and will share what they are
doing as models for our whole church.
Proclaiming and living out the whole Gospel is not a
matter of being on the right or on the left. It is a matter of loving in
imitation of God's love: loving the sick into health, the silenced ones
into speaking for themselves, the excluded into full membership in the
family of God. It is a matter of speaking and of acting; of caring for
people one by one, and seeking changes in society that make life better
for all people.
Our deep hope is that this project may in some small
way help all of us toward following the third way -- the way of peace,
of justice, of the Gospel.
The Executive Committee of The Witherspoon Society
February 12, 2001
Please send
us your comments! |
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Visit
our lively
new website! |
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GA actions
ratified (or not) by the presbyteries
A number of the most important actions of the 219th
General Assembly have now been acted upon by the presbyteries,
confirming most of them as amendments to the PC(USA) Book of Order.
We provided resources to help inform the
reflection and debate, along with updates on the voting.
Our three areas of primary interest have been:
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Amendment 10-A,
which removes the current ban on
lesbian/gay/bisexual/transgender persons being considered as
possible candidates for ordination as elder or ministers.
Approved! |
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Amendment 10-2,
which would add the Belhar Confession to our Book of
Confessions. Disapproved, because as an amendment
to the Book of Confessions it needed a 2/3 vote, and did not
receive that. |
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Amendment
10-1, which adopts the new Form of Government
that was approved by the Assembly. Approved. |
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If you like what
you find here,
we hope you'll help us keep Voices for Justice going ... and
growing!
Please consider making a special
contribution -- large or small -- to help us continue and improve
this service.
Click here to send a
gift online, using your credit card, through PayPal.
Or send your check, made
out to "Presbyterian Voices for Justice" and marked "web site," to
our PVJ Treasurer:
Darcy Hawk
4007 Gibsonia Road
Gibsonia, PA 15044-8312 |
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Some blogs worth visiting |
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PVJ's
Facebook page
Mitch Trigger, PVJ's
Secretary/Communicator, has created a Facebook page where
Witherspoon members and others can gather to exchange news and
views. Mitch and a few others have posted bits of news, both
personal and organizational. But there’s room for more!
You can post your own news and views,
or initiate a conversation about a topic of interest to you. |
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Voices of Sophia blog
Heather Reichgott, who has created
this new blog for Voices of Sophia, introduces it:
After fifteen years of scholarship
and activism, Voices of Sophia presents a blog. Here, we present the
voices of feminist theologians of all stripes: scholars, clergy,
students, exiles, missionaries, workers, thinkers, artists, lovers
and devotees, from many parts of the world, all children of the God
in whose image women are made. .... This blog seeks to glorify God
through prayer, work, art, and intellectual reflection. Through
articles and ensuing discussion we hope to become an active and
thoughtful community. |
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John Harris’ Summit to
Shore blogspot
Theological and philosophical
reflections on everything between summit to shore, including
kayaking, climbing, religion, spirituality, philosophy, theology,
politics, culture, travel, The Presbyterian Church (U.S.A.), New
York City and the Queens neighborhood of Ridgewood by a progressive
New York City Presbyterian Pastor. John is a former member of the
Witherspoon board, and is designated pastor of North Presbyterian
Church in Flushing, NY. |
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John Shuck’s Shuck and Jive
A Presbyterian minister, currently
serving as pastor of First Presbyterian Church of Elizabethton,
Tenn., blogs about spirituality, culture, religion (both organized
and disorganized), life, evolution, literature, Jesus, and
lightening up. |
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Got more blogs to recommend?
Please
send a note, and we'll see what we can do! |
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