Presbyterian Church (U.S.A.) blogs

Subscribe to this blog

Recent posts

• Unsung Heroes Pt. 2
• Where Are the Ruling Elders?
• Unsung Heroes Pt. 1
• I'm Back
• Can We Give Thanks?

Categories

• Religion (1)
• View all categories →

Archives

• View all archives →

See all PC(USA) Blogs →

PC(USA) Home →

Can We Give Thanks?

Cynthia Bolbach

Tomorrow is Thanksgiving. 

Here’s my question to the PC (USA): can each of us – and I mean EACH of us, every single person who is affiliated with the PC (USA) – remember, as we give thanks tomorrow,  our denomination in that thanksgiving?

It’s easy to criticize the PC (USA). You and I have both done it. Here are just a few of the criticisms that I’ve heard: We go too far on social issues. We don’t go far enough on social issues. We don’t act quickly enough. We take action too precipitously. We don’t listen to each other. We spend too much time  listening to each other. Presbytery meetings are too business-oriented. Presbytery meetings are overly focused on fellowship and worship.

Does that sound familiar?

Let’s be honest: all of us are failed, fallible individuals who are seeking to live out the Gospel message. It’s a wonder we don’t screw up more than we do. To me, the value of the Presbyterian connectional system is that it brings all of us, as those failed, fallible individuals,  with our different backgrounds, our different perceptions,  our different thought processes, our different talents, together, so that, hopefully, together we can  have a better hope of  doing what Jesus has asked of us.

Here are a few things that we can ALL be thankful for:

For teaching and ruling elders who, in every nook and cranny of this country, are living out what it means to be Christian and Presbyterian, sometimes at significant personal cost.

For volunteers in mission and mission workers who are spreading the Word on behalf of the PC (USA) across the world, even if that sometimes places them in harm’s way.

For our Presbyterian serminaries who are nurturing, instructing, and guiding those who will lead us into the coming generations.

For our more than 10,000 congregations faithfully proclaiming  the Word, not just on Sundays, but on every day of the week, changing lives as they do so.

For our Reformed  heritage that guides us, in this time and in this place, to be “the church reformed, always to be reformed according to the Word of God” in the power of the Spirit.

Tomorrow is Thanksgiving. Can we – all of us-- give thanks for the heritage, mission, and ministry of the Presbyterian Church (USA)?  Can we – all of us – remember the denomination in our prayers?

• Posted at 2:21 p.m.
• Tweet