Sheldon Sorge, in a Pre-Assembly article writes, "Acts 2:42 sets the core paradigm for the gathering of Jesus Christ's mission team: 'They devoted themselves to the apostles' teachings and fellowship, to the breaking of bread and the prayers.' To the extent that this apostolic pattern shapes our assemblies, an apostolic identity is more like to emerge among us."
Before any real business of the Assembly is done, other than electing a moderator, the assembly gets started with Prayer, Fellowship, Teaching, and the Breaking of Bread. There has been a lot of these elements so far.
Fellowship: the assembly is a reunion for many. Stand in one place here long enough and people from all parts of my life walk by. I've reconnected with family (four cousins are here as observers), peers from college, mission training, seminary, former presbyteries. It is a homecoming reunion, a gathering of the church family. I've made new acquaintances as well. I had dinner with the Association of Executive Presbyters tonight. There is a special bond among those who lead presbyteries.
Prayer: The prayers at worship this morning were rich and meaningful. But the prayer at the end of the Executive's dinner this evening was full of passion, hope, and longing for our beloved church, and for a colleague who has been battling pancreatic cancer for a year and a half, while continuing to lead the rather complex Presbytery of New York City. The room was filled with love for this colleague who gave her witness. A prayer tent has been set up for the assembly.
Teaching: Friday was a day for learning. I attended a pre-assembly anti-racism training. Before the assembly even convened for business, we learned the stories of a Native American lay commissioned pastor, a black Puerto Rican Seminary student, a second generation Korean/American minister. Out going moderator, Joan Gray gave her witness of confronting her subconscious racist ingrained in life in Atlanta.
Worship and the Breaking of Bread: The music at worship this morning was expectedly wonderful, accompanied by organ, brass and tympani, and a large choir. The preaching was pointed and powerful. Joan Gray lifted up to us the impossible commandment Jesus gave his disciples. "Love one another as I have loved you." Not just to love those persons who are easy to love, but the difficult persons in our lives, in the church and the world with whom we contend. It is an impossible commandment made possible only by God. This commandment goes against our human nature. Only by relying on the divine love of God can we fulfill it. I was unexpectedly moved by the necrology role which included a neighboring pastor of my youth, my supervising pastor as a seminary intern, an uncle, 2 seminary professors, and Al Weenink, who I never met, but have heard so much about. There were 610 of them who joined the church triumphant since the last assembly. Multiply the years of ministry among them and the thought of the multitude of lives their collective ministries touched gave me pause for awe and thanksgiving. We broke bread together sustaining and connecting with realities beyond our strength and knowing.
Tonight the committees met for orientation and took up the business before them. Sorge reminds us, "Items of business are like the poor--we have them with us always, and in abundance. Attention to time is not optional. There is a time and place for diaconal service and prophetic declaration, and all the management, regulation, and advocacy they require. But they need to be set in the larger context of building up the Body of Christ to the glory of God for the sake of the world, rather than becoming the core and substance of our gatherings....What we do when we gather shapes and reflects who we are as a body...Acts 2:42 sets the core paradigm...'They devoted themselves to the apostles' teaching and fellowship, to the breaking of the bread and the prayers.'" And so did we! The rest is gravy.
Grace and Peace,
John
