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Welcome to Perspectives,
the online magazine published by the Office of the General Assembly.
Perspectives
offers an exploration of issues facing the Presbyterian Church (U.S.A.)
and its witness in society through
- reflective and
provocative analysis of our life together as a denomination, and
- the lenses of
Scripture, Reformed theology, cultures, and a constitutional and confessional
framework.
IN THIS ISSUE:
The summer months tend to offer a bit more time for reflection. The articles in this issue contain questions and perspectives that perhaps deserve more than a little reflection.
Here’s a brief look:
 In the first effort of its kind, heads of theological schools from every continent met at Princeton Theological Seminary in June in a dialogue between the “global North” and the “global South” about theological education. The consultation was sponsored by the World Alliance of Reformed Churches (WARC). Participants included educators from WARC member churches in thirty-five countries. Featured here is the report from the consultation.
In two years time, John Calvin’s birth in 1509 will be commemorated. In Geneva and all over the world the celebration of this anniversary will provide an opportunity to reflect on Calvin’s legacy and to discover his relevance for the pressing issues of today. To start this process of reflection, fifty theologians from different continents and countries met in Geneva in April, at the invitation of the John Knox International Reformed Centre, the Swiss Protestant Federation, the World Alliance of Reformed Churches, and the Theological Faculty of Geneva. The following statement is a summary of their findings. No doubt, you’ll be hearing much more about the Calvin Jubilee 2009 over the next year and a half.
In her sermon, “A Call to Christian Unity,” Sarah Segal McCaslin says, “… ecumenical work requires enormous patience, delicate maneuvering, and lots of grace. It’s no wonder that we don’t know much about it, and no wonder that the numbers of people involved in ecumenical work are dwindling.” McCaslin speaks from the perspective of having served as an elected member of the General Assembly Committee on Ecumenical Relations for the PC(USA) for the past three years. She is associate pastor for Congregational Care and Mission of The First Presbyterian Church in the City of New York.
The enormous tragedy at Virginia Tech this past spring is no longer in the headlines. However, the ramifications of that event will continue from here on out. Mary Beth McCandless shares her thoughts about the implications of that tragedy for the church. This article first appeared in a publication by the First Presbyterian Church of Elizabethtown, Kentucky, where McCandless serves as coordinator for Family Ministries.
Finally, we offer Robert (Bob) Wilson’s perspective on “The Purpose of Life.” He writes, “Human beings have a basic need and desire to accomplish something before they die—to make a difference. When working toward this goal, people have hope and energy. Therefore, it is essential that each of us learn what we were meant to do as early as possible in order to have a satisfying and productive life.” A Presbyterian elder, Wilson serves as Vice Moderator of the 217th General Assembly (2006) of the Presbyterian Church (U.S.A.).
See you in September,
Sharon
K. Youngs, Editor
Do you have suggestions for future issues or other comments to share? Drop us a line.
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All Rights Reserved.
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