Dear Partner in Ministry,
A group of intrepid, hardy confirmands (and their ever-faithful mentors) gathered last Sunday to prepare for their upcoming confirmation as church members on Sunday, February 22. They braved treacherous sidewalks, scaled crusty snow berms, and survived arctic temps to enthusiastically engage in an energetic discussion about…. Our Presbyterian Heritage. I had the pleasure of facilitating the time but confess that upon learning the topic set for the day, my own excitement waned (just a tiny, little bit and just for a moment). I wondered if the historic roots of the Reformed Protestant religious tradition was a snappy enough topic to compensate this crew for their early morning effort? BUT they were chatty and hilarious and thoughtful, and we succeeded in hitting the main points of 2000 years of religious history in 45 minutes (donuts and hot cocoa helped!). It absolutely ended up being the highlight of my week.
One of the points of discussion was how our tradition orders and structures church leadership. We learned that, in the 1st century in Jerusalem, the early church appointed leaders, called deacons, to serve those in need in the congregation and wider community (read Acts 6:1-7). We also learned that, in the 18th century in this country, the Presbyterian system of governance by ruling elders served as a model of our own emerging American representative democracy. This coming Sunday, we are blessed to continue in this wonderful tradition as we install a new group of faithful deacons and elders to lead this congregation for the coming season. What a gift it is to find our place in this long line of faithful witnesses.
See you Sunday -
Corrie
