38th PCA General Assembly (2010): Overture 1 (And So It Begins...)

It's January and that means, at least for me, that I am getting excited about General Assembly.  "Now why would anyone be excited about General Assembly?"  You ask a good question.  Let me tell you.  First, it probably is because I get to spend time with my friends.

As you see in the picture, there I am about to speak (stupid I know, but I couldn't help myself. Self-control is a fruit of the Spirit, but I didn't have it here) with the other A Profitable Word contributer Kevin Carroll in the background (man with white hair behind me).  Also, I am an odd ball when it comes to church polity and for that matter Presbyterian polity.  I like it!  The PCA's polity is not perfect, but still interesting to me.  But alas it is January and that's when the Overtures start coming.  Overtures are basically requests of Presbyteries for General Assembly to consider and take action on.  Already there are two Overtures listed and I will begin examining Overture 1.

Overture 1 - From New Jersey Presbytery entitled "Ministry to Seniors"

The overture shows there is a need according to Scripture for ministry to Senior Citizens.  Great, I'm on board.  So where is the ministry to them?  Go around your churches, is there a specific ministry to Seniors?  No.  Don't worry.  Programs do not equal ministry.  Some might look at your church and say, "There is no ministry to Senior Citizens, there is no meeting of the Seniors of your church during the week, no attempts are being made to reach out to them."  Nothing on the calendar, eh?  Good!  Most programs that churches partake in are silly anyway.  You have your meeting for men, meeting for women, meeting for youth, meeting for children, and on and on.  Let us divide the church and focus our attention on our differences or might we focus on something else?  Worshipping together.  Seniors are ministered to there.  Deacons, what are you doing?  Are you making sure these Seniors are having their needs met?  Elders are you meeting with those older people of your Church to make sure they are spiritually healthy and growing?

Why a specific ministry to Seniors?  Why concentrate on them particularly?  That is not the churches job.  But it is the role of the Church and everyone in the church to minister to/serve each other.  So the big question is are you ministering to the people in your church?  If not, there is a problem.  Elders there is a problem.  You must equip your people to do this if they are not.  So it isn't about ministering to Seniors or specifically about Seniors ministering, but this is about the service of the whole church to each other.  The focus of this overture is contrary to Scripture. 

Also, what this overture is asking for is beyond me.  It denies our own Confession and Catechisms in point number 4.  It states, "(4) resolve to designate the Sunday after Labor Day as “Seniors’ Sunday,” an effort to give at least minimal formal recognition to people important in our church and community life;"  Do you notice the problem?  The overture is asking the General Assembly to approve a special day for 'Seniors'.  Now I love seniors.  They possess great wisdom and in the church can be great servants for Christ's Kingdom.  But to promote ministry to them and to promote their own ministry to others through a 'special day' is contrary to the Word of God.

You remember the fourth commandment, which says, "Remember the sabbath day, to keep it holy. Six days you shall labor and do all your work, but the seventh day is a sabbath of the LORD your God; in it you shall not do any work, you or your son or your daughter, your male or your female servant or your cattle or your sojourner who stays with you.For in six days the LORD made the heavens and the earth, the sea and all that is in them, and rested on the seventh day; therefore the LORD blessed the sabbath day and made it holy."

Clearly, the day has been set apart for the Lord not 'Seniors'.  It is for the worship of the Lord, not Seniors.  In this Overture, this presbytery is asking the Church to minimalize the Lord's Day and it worship and to honor Seniors above Him.  Why would I say that?  Because the overture denies the very Word of God.  Is Christ head over the Church?  The church isn't acting like it, are they?  The overture as well is calling for the Christian Education committee to promote this 'special day.'  Yet, is not the Lord's Day in itself special, more special than any other day you know?  God's Word seems to show that.  And all of this in the name of promoting ministry or service to Seniors and by Seniors.

This is like taking a VW Beetle and driving down railroad tracks.  You can drive down the tracks and you might get to where you want to go, but you aren't supposed to drive on railroad tracks (for good reason).  Just because you think something is good to do, and the method you want to use to get there seems good, doesn't mean you should do it that way.  God's Word guides us FIRST!  He tells that we need to drive on roads to get to our destination.  So shouldn't we rather equip the saints according to the Word and serve each other, and worship together on the Lord's Day?  O how we would be blessed to do so...