Dear Friends,

In 1885, Rev. L.C. Vass delivered the first sermon for our congregation. It was entitled “Why I Am a Presbyterian.” One hundred and twenty-five years later, we still ask that question. Some days it is contemplative, as in “what draws me to the Presbyterian faith?” Some days it might be spiritual, as in “why has God brought me to his place?” Other days it is pure exasperation, as in “why in the world do I continue to suffer this place?” The last response often comes after the meeting of the General Assembly.

Every two years our denomination gathers for a general assembly of its members. Please know, however, that no matter what you may read or hear, the general assembly can not order decrees. One friend writes this. “The General Assembly is not a magisterial body or a pontificate. They only pass measures or changes to our Book of Order which are then referred to presbyteries themselves to debate. No matter what they do, whether you agree or disagree, it will take many months or years to know if a decision will ever be ratified.” Still, gathering of church bodies always draw interest. For those interested, I will review the actions of the most recent GA during the Sunday School hour on August 8th. Please attend if you desire.

Actually, there are many things I appreciate about being Presbyterian: A theology that focuses on the sovereignty of God, an ecclesiology that connects us to Christians around the world, a polity that is representational, a love of learning, a passion for service, and even a willingness to tackle difficult topics. It has been said that a Reformed church is “reformed and always being reformed by the Word of God.” It is a way of saying that the shape and manifestation of our church should and does change as we meet new challenges, but only in light of the Christ we meet in Scripture.

Recently one of those cultural challenges is a new awareness of the affect we have on our environment. The horrendous disaster in the Gulf of Mexico is tragically just one irrevocable example. Clearly, Scripture demands good stewardship of God’s earth. Somehow we don’t always live that out as thoughtfully as we should. In an effort to be more conscience of our own environmental footprint, I have asked the Stewardship Committee to do an environmental assessment. How might our congregation become more “green?” Working with an ecumenical environment group, we hope to learn how.

Being a person of the Reformed tradition is not easy. It means our work is never done and our learning is never complete. This is part of our burden and part of our blessing.

Peace in Christ, 
Tom Watkins                                                    .