Posted on 6/19/2006, 11:16:08 PM by ChessMan
Presbyterians Think Of Changing 'Father, Son, Holy Spirit'
POSTED: 5:09 pm EDT June 19, 2006 UPDATED: 7:11 pm EDT June 19, 2006
BIRMINGHAM, Ala. -- The divine Trinity -- "Father, Son and Holy Spirit" -- could also be known as "Mother, Child and Womb" or "Rock, Redeemer, Friend" at some Presbyterian Church (U.S.A.) services under an action Monday by the church's national assembly.
Delegates to the meeting voted to "receive" a policy paper on gender-inclusive language for the Trinity, a step short of approving it. That means church officials can propose experimental liturgies with alternative phrasings for the Trinity, but congregations won't be required to use them.
"This does not alter the church's theological position, but provides an educational resource to enhance the spiritual life of our membership," legislative committee chair Nancy Olthoff, an Iowa laywoman, said during Monday's debate on the Trinity.
The assembly narrowly defeated a conservative bid to refer the paper back for further study.
A panel that worked on the issue since 2000 said the classical language for the Trinity should still be used, but added that Presbyterians also should seek "fresh ways to speak of the mystery of the triune God" to "expand the church's vocabulary of praise and wonder."
One reason is that language limited to the Father and Son "has been used to support the idea that God is male and that men are superior to women," the panel said.
Conservatives responded that the church should stick close to the way God is named in the Bible and noted that Jesus' most famous prayer was addressed to "Our Father."
Besides "Mother, Child and Womb" and "Rock, Redeemer, Friend," proposed Trinity options drawn from biblical material include:
# "Lover, Beloved, Love" # "Creator, Savior, Sanctifier" # "King of Glory, Prince of Peace, Spirit of Love."
Early in Monday's business session, the Presbyterian assembly sang a revised version of a familiar doxology, "Praise God from whom all blessings flow" that avoided male nouns and pronouns for God.
Youth delegate Dorothy Hill, a student at Gordon-Conwell Theological Seminary in Massachusetts, was uncomfortable with changing the Trinity wording. She said the paper "suggests viewpoints that seem to be in tension with what our church has always held to be true about our Trinitarian God."
Hill reminded delegates that the Ten Commandments say "the Lord will not hold anyone guiltless who misuses his name."
The Rev. Deborah Funke of Montana warned that the paper would be "theologically confusing and divisive" at a time when the denomination of 2.3 million members faces other troublesome issues.
On Tuesday, the assembly will vote on a proposal to give local congregations and regional "presbyteries" some leeway on ordaining clergy and lay officers living in gay relationships.
Ten conservative Presbyterian groups have warned jointly that approval of what they call "local option" would "promote schism by permitting the disregard of clear standards of Scripture."
I like 'rock, paper, scissors' myself.
Why not Rock, Paper, Scissors?
God must be weeping
Guess the Catholics won't have to pull out the Buddy Jesus icons after all; the other denominations are determined to fill those pews all on their own.
Presbyterians Weigh Worship Alternatives [Among the feminist-inspired, gender-inclusive options]
Plus, it was resolved that they will stay with traditional language.
"What the heck are they thinking?"
The Presbyterian church leadership has been thoroughly infiltrated by liberals. They are simply starting to practice their true religion, liberalism, from within the church. When the Bible conflicts with that religion in any way, the Bible will lose.
Speaking as a baptized Presbyterian, I think these people are completely and utterly insane.
Worse even than the Church Of Nuclear Disarmament(tm).
Thanks for info, guess I did not search well enough!
Great minds .............20 seconds apart
The frozen chosen have freezer burn. Wouldn't Calvin be proud.
LOL!
I'll always wonder :-)
And the mainline churches continue to slide into the worldly morass so like Rodney Kings comment "why can't we all just get along!"
Between this and the Episcopalians adopting a woman Bishop the slide continues.
Well that is a relief. . .perhaps they realized in the end analysis, that 'traditional language means something". . .
the 'Triniity' never meant. . .the Mother/child/womb. . .and only a self-fixated 'Feminist' could be convinced otherwise.
Yes, it's silly, and you can laugh for the moment. But be rest assured: somewhere on this planet there will always be a very miserable human being who wants you to be just a miserable as them.
Another church that is "post-Christian" and moving into the neopagan Goddess worshiping realm, I see...
"Rock, Redeemer, Friend,"
Doesn't this have a bit of a Princess Diana airheadish sound to it? Isn't she supposed to have referred to that so-called butler of hers as her "rock"? And, look at what an opportunist he has turned out to be.If any church could throw out the trendy stuff and psychobabble ... the pews would be full every Sunday.
Gimme that ol' time religion ...
Shake, rattle and roll. Tall, tawny and terrific. Lock, stock and barrel. Tom, Dick and Harry. Meat, potatoes and vegetables. Animal, vegetable, mineral. This could go on for weeks.
I am woman ... hear me roar ...
What a crock of BS!
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