There is a joke I have told from time to time that I am sure most us have heard before. Question: How many Presbyterians does it take to change a light bulb? Answer: Change! Who said anything about change?!
We laugh because there is an element of truth in the caricature. Change does come slowly in the Presbyterian Church in Canada, if at all. At times the polity we have developed to ensure that it is the mind of Christ we are listening to and not someone’s pet idea or the latest fad seems to be a roadblock rather than becoming the avenue for necessary, creative change.
But at the heart of what it means to be Presbyterian is a continued impulse for genuine change coupled with the good news that we can change through God’s transforming grace. We are “reformed and always reforming.” There is no doctrine of infallibility in our statements of faith, just the recognition that we are all sinners in need of God’s saving grace.
In our 2011 PWS&D Lenten liturgies written by Rev. Karen Horst, the recurring refrain at the beginning of each week’s liturgy is, “Change is coming; for God’s plans are unfolding.” Horst’s words echo the words Kennon Callahan often repeats, that the Presbyterian Church is not so much an institution that we need to prop up and support as it is a living and dynamic movement that we are invited to become a part of. We trace our roots back to the renewal movement under John Calvin’s leadership in Geneva. That movement was an attempt to reform the church according to biblical principles under the guidance of the Holy Spirit. It was a bold attempt, not just to reform the church, but to build a more just and humane society. John Knox, who fled Scotland because of religious persecution, settled in Geneva and witnessed the changes taking place. He marveled that he had never seen a more Christian society on earth, and took much of what he learned to launch his movement in Scotland.
Change is coming; for God’s plans are unfolding…
As I travel across the church I see a new and refreshing openness to experiment with different ways of being the church. I am convinced this is the work of the Spirit moving among us. At St. Andrew’s, Sutton, Ont.,I witnessed a small congregation’s bold ministry to reach out to their community through their Tuesday evening community suppers (see the Record’s February issue for their story). Now they are exploring ways to organize their life together to ensure that mission continues. They are truly open to wherever the Spirit may lead.
Change is coming; for God’s plan is unfolding…
While in Edmonton, I preached at Parkland First in Spruce Grove. This new church community worships in a public building—appropriately dubbed the Pioneer Centre—but they will soon move to an abandoned warehouse they purchased with the help of a grant from Canada Ministries. They hope to hold their first worship service there in time for Easter. Their worship is truly Presbyterian, but not in the traditional sense. Worshippers gather around tables with coffee in hand. There are no worship bulletins; everything is projected. The children’s story the day I was there was a passage from the Sermon on the Mount. The children had drawn pictures to illustrate the story that Rev. Mark Chiang turned into a video, captivating both children and adults.
Change is coming; for God’s plans are unfolding…
May the recurring refrain repeated in our Lenten litugies become the recurring refrain for the Presbyterian Church as we follow him who is the Way, the Truth and the Life!
Blessings,
