|
04221
May 11, 2004
Glory be
Presbyterian Men get a warning: Lord’s Prayer can bring ‘trouble’
by Jerry L. Van Marter
LONG BEACH, CA — Saying the Lord’s Prayer and really meaning it can get a Christian in a lot of trouble, members of Presbyterian Men were told during an April 23-25 conference here.
The theme of the organization’s 2004 gathering, which concluded a seven-year study of the Lord’s Prayer, was “For Thine is the Glory.” More than 200 men and a smattering of women dug into the concluding phrase of the prayer — and found it a bit unsettling.
“What does life look like when God is glorified?” asked the Rev. Gary Demarest, the keynote speaker, an evangelical pastor from California who co-moderates the Presbyterian Church (USA)’s Theological Task Force on Peace, Unity and Purity of the Church. “What would the world look like? What does a nation look like under God? Should there even be nations?”
Because the prayer insists that there is no other kingdom, Demarest said, “Once you start using kingdom thinking, you’re going to be in a lot of trouble; you’re not going to fit in the kingdoms of this world.”
Demarest said he prefers the word “realm” to “kingdom” because it has no suggestion of gender.
Sadly, he said, Christians who engage in "kingdom thinking" may not even fit in the church today. “We live in an arrogant culture,” he said, “and we don’t leave our arrogance at the church door — so we beat each other up, thinking winning is more important than love.”
Another speaker, Philip Butin, the president of San Francisco Theological Seminary (SFTS), delivered a similar message.
“Giving God all the glory runs counter to the secular value of human assessment of human competence,” he said. “The focus in our culture is on esteem and regard for ourselves, (on) seeking respect and recognition. Our culture says life is about success, and failure is the greatest sin.”
The incarnation of God in Jesus Christ transforms all that, Butin said, citing Paul’s explanation in 2 Corinthians: “The transfiguration of glory through God’s gracious sharing of glory through Christ for our good, reflected through the human one, Jesus.”
Thus, human life is transformed, Butin said, adding: “This transformation frees me to be who I am, not who I am not. I no longer have to fear weakness or failure. It’s not about us, but about God in us.”
Seen in this light, the model of Christian leadership is servanthood, said the Rev. Peter Kim, who preached on the final night of the event.
“The church often errs by misplaced hierarchy so they may be served by others,” he said, noting that the disciples, clamoring for the seats nearest to Jesus, fell prey to the same temptation. “The disciples constantly missed the point,” Kim said. “In this generation of Presbyterian Men, Jesus’ aim is the same. We don’t need powerful people. We need ‘serving elders,’ not ‘ruling elders.’”
Noting that the office of deacon may be a more appropriate model than that of elder, the Rev. David Tomlinson, a workshop leader, identified the marks of servant leadership:
- It’s directed toward others, rather than the self
- It’s guided by prayer and the leading of the Holy Spirit
- It’s reflected in courage
- It requires speaking the truth to power
- It’s done with joy.
Tomlinson is vice president of the San Francisco Seminary for southern California.
“We’re all affected by the desire for greatness,” said Tomlinson, a vice president of the San Francisco seminary. “We all recognize that that’s the way the world operates: Destroy the competition to get ahead. But, as Paul says of Jesus, ‘I will show you a still more excellent way.’”
Charles Easley, the vice moderator of the General Assembly, said the transformation of Christian minds from competitiveness to the recognition that power and glory belong to God alone “operates not just in the natural world, but in the moral and spiritual worlds as well.” That divine power, he said, “creates, preserves and restrains Satan and the natural corruption of humans, judges our actions and answers our prayers.”
|
