wfn.org | Washington internship established to honor Semper Reformanda founder

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Note #6042 from PCUSA NEWS to PRESBYNEWS:

GA00094
June 28, 2000

	Washington internship established 
	to honor Semper Reformanda founder

	by Alexa Smith

LONG BEACH, June 28 – At its annual dinner, Semper Reformanda gave the
Presbyterian Washington Office a $10,000 gift to begin funding an
internship.

	Holding a larger-than-lifesize check, Semper Reformanda's vice moderator
Nile Harper told Elenora Giddings Ivory, director of the Washington Office,
that the check was only the first of the organization’s efforts to fund an
internship.  “We are making a commitment to you this evening that there will
be more coming,” he said, turning to remind the members that the internship
is designed to be “a year-in year-out commitment.”

	The first check will fund a six-month internship.

	The Internship Fund has been established to honor Robert J. Stone, a
longtime Presbyterian minister and one of the initial organizers of Semper
Reformanda. Contributions to the fund may be sent to Extra Commitment
Opportunity Account  #051422, c/o Central Receiving, 100 Witherspoon St.,
Louisville, Ky., 40202-1396 and should be clearly earmarked with the account
number.

	In another way of honoring Stone, the Rev. Carol Wickersham, a Presbyterian
minister, an adjunct faculty member at the San Francisco Theological
Seminary and a former staffer for the Justice, Peace and Creation Program of
the World Council of Churches, called the gathering to consider the communal
roots of Reformed spirituality in her address, “Spirituality in the First
Person Plural.”

	Wickersham’s lecture is part of the Robert J. Stone Social Justice Lecture
series the organization has founded.

	“We [in the Presbyterian church] take community seriously.  We take it
spiritually,” she said, lamenting how, in an individualistic culture where
advertising is co-opting religious language, and seminary students are
increasingly turning toward individual spiritual direction, the church is
“scrambling” to articulate a communal vision to feed souls.

	Using what she calls “deep listening,” Wickersham urged her audience to
stop and listen to what the “Body of Christ is saying in its heart,” and to
“listen to the Body of Christ and repeat [what is heard] back so we may hear
our own wisdom.”  She said such listening cannot be discerned by political
polls or even informal congregation surveys.

	Describing herself as a biblical literalist, particularly on the issue of
Christ’s bodily resurrection, Wickersham said she doesn’t think of the term,
“Body of Christ,” as a metaphor, but as a physical presence that Christ said
would be able to do even greater things than he did.  “I do not think he
meant for us to pray to him to do things for us or to fix up the messes in
the world.

	“I think,” she said, “Pentecost means, ‘Tag.  You’re it.’”

	She said the critical question for congregations and for denominations is
discerning who is being included and who is being left out of community when
the word “we” is used.

	Semper Reformanda also honored the Rev. Walter Owensby of the Presbyterian
Washington Office, who is retiring.  Author Lewis C. Daly was also
introduced.   Daly is the author of the controversial book, “A Moment to
Decide: The Time is Now,” which researches the political, ideological and
theological struggles within the Presbyterian Church (U.S.A.).
	
	Semper Reformanda defines itself as an organization for progressive
Presbyterians who work to correct systemic injustice in church and society;
mature in gospel understanding, appropriation and expression; encourage
communities of study, action and prayer; and collaborate with other
progressive Presbyterian groups in common mission.

	

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