Faith that Works A Study of the Langhorne Presbyterian Statement of Faith

Faith that Works A Study of the Langhorne Presbyterian Statement of Faith

Faith that Works A Study of the Langhorne Presbyterian Statement of Faith Why we Confess – the Call to Worship Honor, Respect and Care Without Regard Truthful, Honest, Sober, Self-Controlled Joyful, Prayerful, Thankful Chaste and Faithful In This World but not of This World – Serving the World in Word and Deed Topics of Faith Confessing Our Faith in a Faithless World

That truth is in order to goodness; and the great touchstone of truth, its tendency to promote holiness, according to our Savior’s rule, “By their fruits ye shall know them.” And that no opinion can either be more pernicious or more absurd than that which brings truth and falsehood upon a level, and represents it as of no consequence what a man’s opinions are. On the contrary, we are persuaded that there is an inseparable connection between faith and practice, truth and duty. Otherwise it would be of no consequence either to discover truth or to embrace it. F-3.0104 The Book of Order, PC(USA) Adopted by the first General Assembly in 1789

…we are persuaded that there is an inseparable connection between faith and practice, truth and duty. Otherwise it would be of no consequence either to discover truth or to embrace it. F-3.0104 The Book of Order, PC(USA) A faith worth stating is a faith worth living

Presbyterian Orthodoxy “sincerely receive and adopt the confession of faith…” A communion neither to lax nor too narrow

The Authority of God’s Word – Infallible truth, “given by inspiration of God to be the rule of faith and life.” • The Triune nature of God – Father, Son and Holy Spirit in one essence and three persons. • The Incarnation – Jesus Christ is both truly God and truly human. • God’s Grace in Christ – The only Way, the sole path by which sinners become children of God. • Election for salvation and service – God calls us to himself both to live in Christ and to preach in word and service. • Covenant life in the church – In Christ we are adopted as children of God and into the family of God which is the church. God’s grace is extended through the church through preaching, the sacraments and the practice of mutual discipline. • The stewardship of all life – There is no part of human life that is off limits to the sanctifying claims of God. • Life in Obedience to the Word of God – Progress in holiness is an expected response of gratitude to the grace of God, which is initiated, sustained and fulfilled by the sanctifying work of the Holy Spirit. • From The Form of Government, PCUSA and • “Essential Tenets,” the Theology Project of the Fellowship of Presbyterians

Presbyterian Progressivism “Councils shall be guided by Scripture and the confessions in applying (ordination) standards to individual candidates…”

Early 20th Century Progressives “shifted the focus of faith away from doctrine and toward sentiments and feelings. Against the traditional forms of Calvinism that interpreted Christ’s saving death in terms of the debt of sin and its payment—which is to say, the doctrine of penal substitution—(they) argued that Christ’s example of selfless love provides a decisive moral influence that causes in us a renewal and transformation.” R.R. Reno, First Things, March, 2012 Horace Bushnell Father of Modern Christian Education

The historical Jesus proclaimed the kingdom of God, Rauschenbusch argued, which meant the ethical action and social justice emphasized by the earliest prophets. However, corruption intruded again. The Jewish writers of the New Testament introduced the “ecclesiastical attitude” and other distortions that led to what Rauschenbusch calls “ascetic Christianity,” a religious attitude that thinks in terms of heaven, divine intervention, and personal salvation rather than social justice. R.R. Reno, First Things, March, 2012 Walter Rauschenbusch Father of the Social Gospel

By calling ourselves progressive, we mean we are Christians who... • Believe that following the path and teachings of Jesus can lead to an awareness and experience of the Sacred and the Oneness and Unity of all life • Affirm that the teachings of Jesus provide but one of many ways to experience the Sacredness and Oneness of life, and that we can draw from diverse sources of wisdom in our spiritual journey • Seek community that is inclusive of all people, including but not limited to: • Conventional Christians and questioning skeptics, • Believers and agnostics, • Women and men, • Those of all sexual orientations and gender identities, • Those of all classes and abilities • Know that the way we behave towards one another is the fullest expression of what we believe • Find grace in the search for understanding and believe there is more value in questioning than in absolutes • Strive for peace and justice among all people • Strive to protect and restore the integrity of our Earth • Commit to a path of life-long learning, compassion, and selfless love. • From the Center for Progressive Christianity http://www.tcpc.org/about/8points.cfm • Not Affiliated with the PCUSA. Used for illustration purposes only.

“We need to envision and re-envision the gospel…” William Stacy Johnson, Professor of Systematic Theology Princeton Seminary “Letting the Gospel always be re-shaping, even re-inventing, the church sounds good to me.” Jonathan LaBarge, Pastor, Canoga Park Presbyterian Church

1925 Orthodox Progressive • Infallible Rule of Faith and Life • Divinity/Humanity of Christ • Christian Exclusivism • Sabbath keeping • No Divorce Racial Equality • Women’s Ordination • Six-Day Creation Subject to contextual interpretation Christ as exemplar Pluralism Syncretism Reproductive Freedom Gay Marriage Gay Ordination Darwinism

Orthodox Progressive • Infallible Rule of Faith and Life • Divinity/Humanity of Christ • Christian Exclusivism • Sabbath keeping • No Divorce Racial Equality • Women’s Ordination • Six-Day Creation Subject to contextual interpretation Christ as exemplar Pluralism Syncretism Reproductive Freedom Gay Marriage Gay Ordination Darwinism

2012 Orthodox Progressive • Infallible Rule of Faith and Life • Divinity/Humanity of Christ • Christian Exclusivism • Sabbath keeping • No Divorce Racial Equality • Women’s Ordination • Six-Day Creation Subject to contextual interpretation Christ as exemplar Pluralism Syncretism Reproductive Freedom Gay Marriage Gay Ordination Darwinism ???

Standards for ordained service reflect the church’s desire to submit joyfully to the Lordship of Jesus Christ in all aspects of life. The council responsible for ordination and/or installation shall examine each candidate’s calling, gifts, preparation, and suitability for the responsibilities of ordered ministry. The examination shall include, but not be limited to, a determination of the candidate’s ability and commitment to fulfill all requirements as expressed in the constitutional questions for ordination and installation. Councils shall be guided by Scripture and the confessions in applying standards to individual candidates. The decision as to whether a person has departed from essentials of Reformed faith and polity is made initially by the individual concerned but ultimately becomes the responsibility of the council in which he or she is a member. Book of Order, G-2.0104b and G-2.0105

Councils of this church have only ecclesiastical jurisdiction for the purpose of serving Jesus Christ and declaring and obeying his will in relation to truth and service, order and discipline. They may frame statements of faith, bear testimony against error in doctrine and immorality in life, resolve questions of doctrine and discipline (and) give counsel in matters of conscience… Book of Order, G-3.0102

…we are persuaded that there is an inseparable connection between faith and practice, truth and duty. Otherwise it would be of no consequence either to discover truth or to embrace it. F-3.0104 The Book of Order, PC(USA) A faith worth stating is a faith worth living

We believe, then, among other things that God calls us to: • Worship God in spirit and truth • Honor and respect all people as made in the image of God. • Care for all people without regard to race, ethnicity, nationality, economic or social status, beliefs or (lack thereof), sexual orientation, political preference(s), or the expectation of repayment. • Be truthful and honest in all our dealings with everyone. • Be sober and practice self-control in all aspects of our lives. • Be joyful, pray continually and give thanks in all circumstances. • Use our God-given gifts to build up Christ’s body , the church. • Honor chastity in singleness and fidelity in marriage which is Biblically defined as between one man and one woman. • Present our bodies as a living sacrifice to God, to live in the world, to serve God and do His will, and yet not be enticed by the false promises of the world. • Live in the power of the indwelling Spirit allowing us to choose to do good and not fulfill the lust of the flesh. We understand that in this life our worldly desires will never be fully eradicated but we must choose through the power of the Holy Spirit to keep the flesh in subjection to Jesus Christ. • Carry the Good News of the Gospel of Salvation in Jesus Christ to all people everywhere in the world using words and deeds.

We believe, then, that God calls us to: • Worship God in spirit and truth30 • 30 John 4:19-26; Philippians 2:9-10; Matthew 4:9-10;Psalm 95:6-7

Oh come, let us worship and bow down; let us kneel before the LORD, our Maker! For he is our God, and we are the people of his pasture, and the sheep of his hand. (Psalm 95:6-7 ESV)

And he said to him, “All these I will give you, if you will fall down and worship me.” Then Jesus said to him, “Be gone, Satan! For it is written, “‘You shall worship the Lord your God and him only shall you serve.’” (Matthew 4:9-10 ESV)

Therefore God has highly exalted him and bestowed on him the name that is above every name, so that at the name of Jesus every knee should bow, in heaven and on earth and under the earth, (Philippians 2:9-10 ESV)

The woman said to him, “Sir, I perceive that you are a prophet. Our fathers worshiped on this mountain, but you say that in Jerusalem is the place where people ought to worship.” Jesus said to her, “Woman, believe me, the hour is coming when neither on this mountain nor in Jerusalem will you worship the Father. You worship what you do not know; we worship what we know, for salvation is from the Jews. But the hour is coming, and is now here, when the true worshipers will worship the Father in spirit and truth, for the Father is seeking such people to worship him. God is spirit, and those who worship him must worship in spirit and truth.” The woman said to him, “I know that Messiah is coming (he who is called Christ). When he comes, he will tell us all things.” Jesus said to her, “I who speak to you am he.” (John 4:19-26 ESV)

Faith that Works A Study of the Langhorne Presbyterian Statement of Faith

Faith that Works A Study of the Langhorne Presbyterian Statement of Faith