wfn.org | [PCUSANEWS] Task force acknowledges dependence on Christ

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Note #8137 from PCUSA NEWS to PRESBYNEWS:

04101
February 24, 2004

Task force acknowledges dependence on Christ

Report says church cannot bring peace, unity, purity on its own

by Jerry L. Van Marter

DALLAS - In the first formal vote of its three-year existence, the
Presbyterian Church (USA)'s Theological Task Force on the Peace, Unity and
Purity of the Church (TTF) has affirmed that "Jesus Christ Himself is the
church's peace, unity and purity."

The task force's "preliminary" report to the upcoming 216th General Assembly
also includes the observation that "the bond of faith forged by Christ's
atoning action on behalf of all people" is "more real" than the "divisions
and enmities" that afflict the church.

The report, approved on Feb. 20 during a task force meeting here, also
includes a recommendation that sessions and presbyteries "be encouraged to
create intentional gatherings of Presbyterians of varied theological views to
covenant together" to discuss these matters, "utilizing resources being
developed by the task force."

The affirmation that "Jesus Christ Himself is the Church's Peace" draws on
Paul's Letter to the Ephesians in concluding that "for those who are in Jesus
Christ, division and enmities are not the last word." The report cites Eph.
2:13: "Those who once were far off have been brought near by the blood of
Christ."

On that basis, the TTF concludes that "the Church must draw the strength it
needs for peacemaking from beyond itself, from the one who invites us to a
common witness and worship."

An affirmation that "Jesus Christ Himself is the Church's Unity," also
derived from the Pauline epistles, notes that "the new life that is ours in
Christ is corporate in nature, meaning that there is no unity with Christ
that is not also a unity with other believers."

Noting that unity means neither unanimity nor uniformity, the task force
cites Ephesians 2:21-22, I Corinthians 3:11, and I John 4:20 - "Those who say
'I love God' and hate their brothers or sisters are liars; for those who do
not love a brother or sister whom they have seen cannot love God whom they
have not seen" - in asserting that "union with Christ means union with all
other members of Christ's body, including those with whom one would not
ordinarily choose to associate."

A third affirmation, that "Jesus Christ Himself is the Church's Purity," is
also grounded in quotes from scripture. "Christ's grace is sufficient to make
each one of us pure - sound in our beliefs, upright in our conduct, just in
our dealings," the report says, citing Ephesians 1:3-4 that God "has blessed
us in Christ ... to be holy and blameless before him in love."

The task force states that, in Christ, peace, unity and purity "are tied
together, with no one elevated above the other two." In fact, the report says
- hearkening back to Ephesians 4:1-2: "Any effort to achieve peace and unity
at the expense of purity cannot succeed, nor can we live 'a life worthy of
the calling to which we have been called' unless 'bearing with one another in
love,' we make 'every effort to maintain the unity of the Spirit in the bond
of peace.'"

The way ahead

Clearly aware of the high expectations many Presbyterians have of the task
force and of the skepticism harbored by others, the group says in its report:
"We hope to commend to the church ways of living together and moving into the
future that are rooted in the peace, unity and purity of Christ and that are
more constructive and faithful than our current climate of hostile division."

To that end, the report says, the task force will evaluate any process or
resource it may devise in the remaining two years of its term by four
criteria:

- Faithfulness: "Not...any solution that compromises the gospel of Jesus
Christ, but rather faithful, truthful and just responses to the complex
demands the gospel makes upon us"
- Theological grounding: "Not simply pose political solutions, but a way of
living together that has clear theological and scriptural integrity"
- Clarity about the relationship between the PC(USA) and the larger church of
Jesus Christ: "Whether (the PCUSA) is a church that is called to reflect the
full integrity of Christ's body in a distinctive way or is, rather, merely a
denominational sub-division of the church whose peace, unity and purity are
immaterial and whose reason for being is more pragmatic than essential. ...
Does the well-being and witness of the PC(USA) really matter?"
- Continuity with Presbyterian tradition: "Although polity alone cannot
confer the peace, unity and purity the church is seeking ... any proposals
... must be the outgrowth of Presbyterian ways of ordering church life and
giving it direction."

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