In Praise of Fussin'

“Why can’t we all just get along?” That’s not just Rodney King’s question – it comes from the lips of so many Presbyterians as we approach what is likely to be yet another contentious General Assembly. It is only natural for Christians to want peace, because such a desire flows organically out of our love for one another.

And the fact is that most of the conservative congregations and individuals that have left the PCUSA over the last several years have done so precisely in pursuit of such peace. They have said that they are tired of fighting the same old battles over questions that should have obvious answers. They say they are ready instead to get on with what they consider to be the real ministry of the Church, to take the gospel into a lost and dying world.

But given the remnants of sin and self-deception that lie within us all, it is no wonder that the Church has always had disagreements. And some of those disagreements have been quite serious.

Think back to the days of the first General Assembly, which is described in Acts chapter 15. The question before the Assembly was whether Gentiles had to be circumcised and follow the Old Testament ceremonial law. In his letter to the Galatians, the apostle Paul indicated that this question struck at the very heart of the gospel. It threatened to overturn the tremendous truth of justification not by the works of the law but by faith in Jesus Christ. This was not an issue that could be compromised or swept under the rug.

Just so, many of the issues that face the 219th General Assembly simply can’t be compromised. It is either right to uphold women’s rights to be in absolute control over human reproduction, or it is right to defend the lives of helpless unborn babies. In the same way, it is either right to open the ordained offices of the Church to those who engage in homosexual practice, or it is right to exclude people who practice such behaviors on the grounds that they are unrepentant sinners.

So, as we see in Acts 15:6, the early Christians engaged in much dispute over issues that were of critical importance. We, their descendants in the faith, are called to do no less.