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 theme of patriotism was a topic of much discussion before the Fourth of July celebrations began. While the holiday itself has come and gone, the discussions continue. In this issue we approach, and springboard off of, patriotism from a number of angles. Here’s a brief description:

In 2004, the Fourth of July fell on a Sunday. One of the sermons preached that day was “Under God,” to the congregation of Sugar Creek Presbyterian Church in Kettering, Ohio, by their pastor, the Reverend Dr. Julia K. Wharff. This sermon explores the range of meanings of the phrase “under God,” as it is said in the Pledge of Allegiance. Rather than debate whether the phrase belongs, Wharff evaluates four meanings from a Christian perspective and, with Abraham Lincoln as model, suggests a faithful posture toward one’s patriotism.

New York Avenue Presbyterian Church in Washington, DC, is a church that has had a host of well-known preachers, including Peter Marshall. In “Under God,” Julia Wharff mentions a sermon by the pastor of the congregation in 1954. We want to jump ahead to the present-day pastor, the Reverend Roger J. Gench. We feature here a sermon by Gench from 2004, shortly before the November elections. In “Partisan Stories,” Gench remarks, “…for Christians, our chief concern in such a highly politicized and polarized world is not partisanship—whether we admit it or not, we are all partisans. Rather, our chief concern should be whether or not we’ve become a dysfunctional people who fail to engage one another in face-to-face encounters about our differences. We tear up one another’s signs under the cover of night or what is the same thing, talk about someone behind his/her back with no attempt or intention of having a face-to-face encounter. On controversial issues we often tend to speak only with those with whom we agree. So I find it interesting that, speaking of prayer, Jesus tells the story of a persistent woman who did not avoid conflict but walked right into the midst of it in a face-to-face encounter.”

The Reverend Todd Jenkins is into his tenth year as pastor of First Presbyterian Church in Fayetteville, Tennessee. In addition to his pastoral duties, Jenkins writes “Tuesday’s Muse,” a regular offering of thoughts, reflections, and ponderings on what’s happening in the world, near and far. In “My Patriotism,” Jenkins offers his own take on our topic. The article is copyrighted and is reprinted here with permission from the author.

And, finally, from an historical perspective: William Miller’s article, “Presbyterian Signers of the Declaration of Independence” first appeared in the Journal of Presbyterian History in September 1958. “The primary purpose of this study,” he wrote, “…is to discover which of the signers of the Declaration of Independence were either Presbyterian members or related to the Presbyterian Church to a significant degree.” From his research, Miller identified twelve signers—21 percent of the total number of those who signed the Declaration. They include John Witherspoon, the only clergyperson to sign the document. In this article, Miller shares a fascinating bit about each signer’s life and involvement with the Presbyterian Church. We feature it in Perspectives with permission from the author. William Miller is retired, having served as director of the Department of History and associate stated clerk in the Office of the General Assembly.

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Sharon K. Youngs, Editor

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