Back from Tulsa

Don, Jen and i got back from Tulsa on Saturday, dodging the storms. It was quite an experience and, just like at General Assembly, I operated on about 5 hours of sleep per night. Late afternoon is the most dangerous time. A little voice inside your head keeps saying, "Of course you can listen with your eyes closed." I don't think I ever actually dozed off, but I'm probably not the person to ask.
One evening I spent over an hour writing a blog but, just as I posted it, the wireless service in the hotel came on telling me that I needed to resubscribe because my 24 hours were up. An hour's worth of blog slipped quietly away into cyberspace, never to be seen again. Sorry, but I didn't have the energy to re-do it, and I didn't trust the service enough to try again another night.
The New Wineskins meeting was, in some respects, a rather odd mixture of reflective music, stirring preaching, and momentous decision-making. Michael Card led worship. I've been listening to his music for 25 years and he still has a beautiful voice. I have to say, however, that it won't take God long to number the hairs of his head. At one point he pointed out that he is bald because he was a breach baby. Not sure I buy that! His emphasis, throughout, was on lament, which I thought was entirely appropriate, a fitting counter to what could have been a grating triumphalism. I'm delighted to have met him, and his daughter. I'd no idea he is Presbyterian.
Various preachers led us through Ephesians Chapter 4 during the convocation, or, at least, that was what they were supposed to do. Jim Logan, bless his cotton socks, was as excellent as usual, but his homiletics professor would have frowned at him and reminded him to stick to the text. Carmen Fowler and David Henderson also did well. The one preacher I didn't appreciate was David Bryant, who was delayed by storms for 24 hours. He was slick, affected, uninformed about our circumstances and overly loud. He was everything I don't appreciate about supposedly evangelical preachers. He didn't stick to the text either.
Then there were several presentations, some in plenary, others in network groups or break out sessions. By far the most impressive was Rob Gagnon's interpretation of the 217th General Assembly. Insightful, witty, Bible-based, he was thoughtful and extremely helpful. His powerpoint presentation is now available at the New Wineskins site (I downloaded it then realised I don't have powerpoint on my laptop). There's also an audio recording of his presentation. It's well worth listening to. http://www.newwineconvo.com/
There was an excellent (if rather dry) presentation by an attorney on Church Property Law, and we were given a resource book by the Layman. I also enjoyed a seminar with a professor from Erskine College, Bob Pittman from the Knox Fellowship, and the Moderator of the Evangelical Presbyterian Church. This latter (I forget his name) was a very impressive, humble man. He brought greetings but did not try to drum up support for a mass exodus to his denomination (though he had information available). He owned up to being terrified of the prospect of hundreds of PC(USA) churches defecting to his denomination, because they would be swamped. In fact, he said that it may be a case of the EPC joining us, given our numbers, and our emphasis on mission. The EPC has grown to abut 70,000 members since its birth with 12 churches in 1983, but it has not been terribly mission minded. He admitted that it has taken them a generation to get beyond moaning about the PC(USA). Another immensely helpful contribution came from Bishop Duncan of the Episcoplaian Church, the Bishop of Pittsburgh, who set our struggles within a much broader setting.
It was odd, those first few days, that the important business of the meeting was introduced, several times, in a very laid back way, almost as an afterthought. Dean Weaver has a wonderful way of saying "Oh, by the way... here's the revolutionary document we wanted you to see. Take it away and pray about it." For the first two days we were treated to vignettes like this. Then came the business meetings. You can read the finished article on the same, New Wineskins site. It took some hashing out, and I was getting very frustrated at the way in which the rules of debate were abused. You can't half-use Robert's Rules of Order. You either use them or you don't. Well, there are a few corners you can cut, but when it comes to the amendment process, not to use proper rules is to descend into chaos. We came pretty close once or twice. But the job was done. We are now an Association of Churches, and have set in motion a period of discernment which could lead to an exodus from the PC(USA). Despite what some may say, that is not schismatic. What is schismatic is for the denomination to break faith with the World Church and to abandon both its own constitution and the historic understanding of what it means to believe and behave as a Christian.
A great deal of work remains to be done. I covet your prayers.
Presbuteros