In the last part of this series, I addressed the complaints from some quarters that there is no list of "essential tenets" of the Reformed faith in the PC(USA). At the end of the post I conclude that it is not so much the list that matters but a culture of mistrust for those who understand or believe differently. What are the implications for our ordination debates of this culture of mistrust?
Ordination vows are, at their most basic level, an oath. The moment that vows are taken are a turning point when an individual, the community and the church affirm the call of God in the life of one of God's children. And in that moment, that individual makes his or her oath. It is an oath made before the church and before God and is, therefore, not to be taken lightly. Because the church is not a coercive body, it is the oath or the vows that hold us accountable to one another. To paraphrase Lycurgus of Athens, it is the oath that holds together our fellowship.
I recall the day I took my ordination vows. I remember the suit I was wearing, the red paraments on the table and pulpit, the smell of the candles, that my grandmother's was the first hand to be laid on me and that my friend David preached the last sermon before his untimely death two weeks later. And I remember taking my ordination vows; my oath before God and the church.
In the moment ordination vows are taken, nothing new is created. An oath does not bring anything into being. Instead it binds and conserves what is already there. In our vows, we who have entered the ordered ministries of the church, affirm God's call to serve God's people.
So vows and oaths are important things. They affirm the good work of God and the faithful existence of the church. Doubting the sincerity of someone taking a vow, especially an ordination vow, has great impact on the life of the church.
The implication that those of us who may understand what it means to be a disciple of Christ differently are somehow unfaithful or lacking in theological purity is the same as implying that we were somehow insincere when we took the same ordination vows that reflect such a solidly Reformed theology and ecclesiology.
The culture of mistrust in the church is not limited solely to mistrust of conservatives for liberals or progressives (or even occasionally moderates). The current of mistrust runs in ever direction between every group and faction in the church. It has come to define much of our shared life together. In a post on the FOP/ECO website, Jim Singleton makes an important and, I believe, correct observation about the conservative movement in the church. He writes, "We have spent years being united by what we were against. Now we need to learn how to join together to affirm what we believe." The same can be said for groups on the more progressive side of the church. We all need to shift our focus from what we are against to what we believe. Or put another way, we need to stop focusing on what divides us and focus on what unites us.
One thing that unites those of us who have been called to lead the church is the common vow that we take. Perhaps a place to start is by taking a long hard look at those vows and what it means to have taken them before the church and before God.
What would happen if conservatives quit implying that liberals did not really mean their vows concerning the bible or the triune nature of God?
What would happen if liberals quit implying that conservatives did not really mean their vows concerning maintaining the peace and unity of the church or being a friend to their colleagues?
What would happen if we all began to take seriously God's wisdom in calling those whom God will call and trust the sincerity of those who answer that call?
In the end, none of us is truly fit to serve. We are all sinners and fall short of the glory of God. The only standard for ordination that really matters in the end is our willingness to serve honestly and open our hearts and lives to receive the mercy and grace of God.
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