| LOUISVILLE —
Once every seven or eight years representatives of Presbyterian
and Reformed churches from around the world come together for
the General Council of the World Alliance of Reformed Churches.
It is our closest equivalent to a worldwide Presbyterian “Vatican
Council.”
This year is one of those years.
Representatives from 217 member churches in over 100 countries,
having a combined membership of over 75 million Christians, will
gather in July for the Twenty-Fourth General Council. The setting
will be Accra, Ghana, home to two of the largest Presbyterian
denominations in the world. The theme will be Jesus’ wonderful
promise in John 10:10 that he has come so “that all may
have life in fullness.”
Over the holidays I found my spirit enriched as I worked my way
through Crossing Ten Seas, the Bible study for the General Council.
The title is attributed to John Calvin, who once exclaimed that
he would cross ten seas to promote the unity of the church.
It is a moving account of both God’s promises in Scripture
and the reality of the fullness of life in Christ being experienced
by so many Presbyterian Christians in diverse parts of the world.
They include:
- those finding new life in Christ in secular Europe;
- those finding hope in Christ’s healing mercy in the
struggle against HIV/AIDs in Africa;
- those finding assurance in the peace of Christ in a war-torn
Middle East; and
- women in many countries who are finding the joy of being ordained
ministers where new doors are opening for the full participation
of women in ministry.
The theme and Bible study of the General Council are also the
theme and Bible study for the 216th General Assembly of the Presbyterian
Church (USA), which will take place in Richmond, VA, in June.
It will hopefully serve to remind us that we are part of a much
larger family of Presbyterian and Reformed Christians with whom
we share the common promise of fullness of life in Christ.
I invite you to use this Bible study in your congregations this
year, perhaps as a Lenten study. It is an excellent way to share
in the common witness of Reformed Christians to Jesus Christ around
the world. It is also a very good way to prepare the hearts and
minds of our church to be open to receive the fullness of life
in Christ as we move to our General Assembly in June.
The Bible study will be available February 1st through the Presbyterian
Distribution Service at 800-524-2612. Ask for OGA 04-080 for the
English version or OGA 04-081 for the Spanish version. The cost
is $2 per copy. The study is also available online at
http://warc.ch/24gc/cts/index.html.
Most of all, as each of you begins a new year in your ministry,
I pray that the fullness of life in Jesus Christ will be God’s
gift to you in deep and wonderful ways!
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