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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:
In a final nod to the summer of 2007, this issue contains sermons, speeches, and more that were delivered over the summer months.
Here’s a brief look:
 Nearly 300 participants attended the first-ever National Elders Conference in Nashville, Tennessee, at the end of August. They heard William F. Winter share his thoughts on “The Elder as Leader,” which we share with you in this issue. He asked, “Why can’t we who purport to be leaders in our church provide the inspiration and the force at least in our denomination to restore our unity and let civility and joy and grace and love be the characteristics by which we are known?” Winter was the governor of Mississippi from 1980 to 1984. He is a Presbyterian elder and has been a member of Fondren Presbyterian Church in Jackson, Mississippi, for over 50 years.
The Presbyterian Historical Society produced a special edition of the Journal of Presbyterian History this summer to coincide with the 200th anniversary of the founding of the first African-American Presbyterian congregation. We feature here two selections from that issue. First, the “Editors’ Message,” which we hope will whet your appetite for the rest of the Journal’s contents. Second, an article by noted author Gayraud S. Wilmore entitled, “Recollections: The Black Revolt and the United Presbyterian Church, 1963-1973.” He is emeritus professor of church history at the Interdenominational Theological Center (Atlanta, Georgia), where he retired in 1990. Wilmore’s article is used here by permission of the Presbyterian Historical Society.
In her recent remarks to the General Assembly Council, Joan Gray, Moderator of the 217th General Assembly said, “We are not laying hold of prayer the way that our grandmothers and grandfathers and the elders of the church in days past laid hold of prayer.” We discovered that Rebecca Harrison preached on the subject of prayer this summer. She began her sermon, “A Prayer for the People,” by saying, “ Through the years of my ministry I have discovered that, in general, prayer is the most significant and, at the same time, the most under-used spiritual tool available to people of faith.” Harrison is pastor of Parkway Presbyterian Church in Metairie, Louisiana.
Finally, we share a sermon text from our own Gradye Parsons, director of operations for the Office of the General Assembly. In “Naaman Gets His Groove Back,” Parsons talked about Naaman’s encounter with the king of Aram in 2 Kings: “Naaman tells the king about the servant girl’s advice. The king thinks this is all a big joke and starts laughing so hard he almost falls off the throne. But then he realizes Naaman is serious, so he does that thing where you try to cover up your awkward laugh with a cough. Then the two men come up with a real macho plan.”
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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