This year the theme as established by the new Moderator, Rev. Harvey Self, was on military chaplaincy. The Moderator of the Venerable general Assembly had himself served as a chaplain, as did his father before him. The whole Presbyterian contingent in the Canadian Military Chaplain Branch was present for most of the assembly, giving the gathering a distinct and unusual military air. The Chaplain General David C. Kettle was one of the winsome participants who represented the work of chaplains as agents of grace, offering human faces in inhuman situations and acting as those able to speak to power in the tradition of the prophets.
He addressed the assembly and then ended his presentation with a salute to the Moderator. later, at an evening session, there was a recruitment presentation by another Presbyterian padre, Captain Dwight Nelson. During the course of the assembly, there were prayers for wounded soldiers and their families and for those who were killed in action. In all the many times I have attended assembly I have never experienced anything so out of the norm. Perhaps the outgoing moderator, Rev. Cheol Soon Park, had unknowingly set the scene by urging assembly to try something unthinkable, impractical—something beyond the limit—perhaps something we have delayed or omitted for many years— something imprudent! he said that as Presbyterians we are so used to being practical, punctual, precise and productive, that we sometimes are caught in our own limits.
For most of assembly it seemed like business as usual but perhaps the Holy Spirit will yet work to enable us to rise up with new life and vigour. Perhaps the church militant, as it was once called, will heed the call of the trumpet of the Lord and rush not only to defend the fortress but to move beyond its gates to conquer the nation so the holy king will indeed have dominion from sea to sea and the nation will experience the blessing of righteousness and mercy. As the apostle reminds us, our weapons are not the weapons of the world but the weapons best suited for spiritual warfare. As Paul describes them to the early church (ephesians 6:10-20) they are the belt of truth, the breastplate of righteousness, the sandals of peace, the helmet of salvation, and the sword of the Spirit, which is the word of god.
To be sure, we live in difficult times and a casual, undisciplined response will only lead to the continuing decline and fall of our church. It is only as we become disciplined and obedient to our captain and keep in close and constant communication with him (through prayer and meditating on his word) will we have the energy and wisdom, boldness and courage to see fulfilled the battle cry, “your kingdom come, your will be done on earth, as it is in heaven.”
Can you imagine the Presbyterians seen as the renewed salvation army? A powerful force for truth and love and mercy or would that be just too ‘unthinkable?
