Same Sex Marriage Conversation

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Dear Grace Community,

Last spring the Grace Session invited you to participate in listening sessions regarding same-sex marriage. People were able to share feelings, and Session members heard a wide range of views. These were not debates but time to talk and listen.

Same-sex marriage is now permitted, though not required, in the Presbyterian Church USA, the denomination Grace is part of. Since the Supreme Court ruling this summer, same-sex marriage is now legal in all 50 states. The Grace session has discussed how else we might engage the congregation before making a decision about whether or not Grace will allow same-sex marriages.

As your pastor it is clear to me that we will not be of one mind on this issue. There are far too many opinions and convictions in this congregation. Instead, my hope is that we can remain a unified church no matter what we decide.

With that as my hope and with the Session’s encouragement I reached out to two men this spring and summer. These two men lead organizations with differing viewpoints and yet have found a way to work together. They are Paul Detterman from the Fellowship of Presbyterians and Brian Ellison from the Covenant Network of Presbyterians. The Fellowship is opposed to same-sex marriage while the Covenant Network is in favor of it.

Last year as presbyteries debated this issue Paul and Brian spoke together before many of those meetings, not debating one another, but both speaking honestly about their opinions and their convictions about same-sex marriage and the importance of church unity.

Our Session invited Paul and Brian to Grace, and we host them on Tuesday evening September 29. We’ll have a casual dinner from 5:45-6:15 pm for $7, and the program is from 6:30-8 pm in the Great Room. Both men will speak, and there will be plenty of time for questions and answers. Please make plans to attend.

I know that many of you know how you feel and will not change your minds on this issue. That is fine, but it’s important that we know how to be a church with people we disagree with.

In preparation for their visit we are offering a book study in the weeks leading up to September 29. We will read two books, one recommended by Paul and the other by Brian. The books are Washed and Waiting by Wesley Hill and The Bible’s Yes to Same-Sex Marriage by Mark Achtemeier.

The study group meets Sundays August 23 and 30, September 13, 20, and 27 from 2-3:30 pm in the Grace Parlor. Copies of the books are available at Grace for $22 total, or you may purchase them on your own. Please reach out to me or anyone on the Session if you’d like to talk about any of this.

In Christ,

Catherine

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From the Pastor’s Desk on July 23

Best Years is a ministry of Grace Presbyterian that provides spiritual, missionary, educational, and social opportunities to people in our community. And, after many years of faithful ministry, Best Years is ending.

I am so proud of this ministry and grateful for the countless volunteers who’ve made it run for so many years. In recent years the programs were opened to all people, but older adults remained a special part of Best Years, and I am humbled by the ways people drove all over town to make sure anyone who wanted a ride could get here. I’ve been amazed at the faithful planning team that put together programs, went to great lengths to decorate tables, and planned thoughtful mission projects.

Even with all of this, the reality is that numbers have dwindled in recent years, and the work required to manage this program is too great. This should not diminish what this ministry has meant to this church and to the individuals who’ve led and participated in it. Instead, I hope you’ll join me in celebrating Best Years and thanking God for this incredible ministry.

The final Best Years is on Thursday, August 6. As always, the group gathers at 10 am for mission project. (This group has created countless neck pillows for the Veterans Administration, stuffed animals for the Police force, knitted hats for Cloud Elementary, and many other creations.) There is a program at 11 am and lunch at noon. There’s still time to join in the fun and come to the last meeting. RSVP if you want to eat – otherwise come and join us.

In Christ,

Catherine

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From the Pastor’s Desk: July 9

There is a congregational meeting on Sunday, July 26 at 10:30 am in the sanctuary, and I hope you’ll attend. The purpose of the meeting is twofold. First, you vote to elect Karen Wagner to serve as a deacon, filling an unexpired term for the class of 2016. This meeting is typically quick and simple. The second part of the meeting is a little unusual.

You vote on extending me a call to serve as your pastor. Yes, I am already your pastor, and yes you have to call me again. In the fall of 2012 you called me to be your designated pastor. That word designated is important because it means my call is for a particular period of time, three years. We are now at the end of that time, and so we have to decide what to do next.

In April you received a letter from the Grace Session inviting you to talk with them about this process. I expressed to the Session that I continue to feel called here and want to remain as your pastor. They received feedback from you, the congregation, and the sense the Session got is that the congregation wants me to continue on as pastor. It’s great that we’re on the same page!

The next step was for the Session to approve my new terms of call. These are available to you beginning on Sunday, July 19. This all is approved by a committee of the presbytery. In June, Sandy Remsberg, who serves on the Session, and I met with this committee and all was approved. The next step is for you to call me at the congregational meeting on July 26. The final step is for the entire presbytery to confirm the call at the August 11 meeting. Once that is complete I will be installed, again, as your pastor.

In many ways this is cumbersome, but it’s important. Some of you will recall that three years ago we had just come through a hard season as a church. The decision to call me for a designated period gave the congregation the chance to catch its breath. I’m grateful for the last three years and excited about what God will do with this congregation in the future.

In Christ,

Catherine

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From the Pastor’s Desk: June 25

Each August members of Grace attend the Willow Creek Global Leadership Summit, right here in Wichita. That introduction alone might be confusing. Willow Creek is a church in Illinois, but they put on a leadership summit that is broadcast all over the world. We attend at Pathways Church in West Wichita.

When I got here five years ago I was skeptical of this event. What could a mega-church in Illinois have to say that would relate to my life at Grace? And (this is what I was really skeptical of), why would I go sit in a church and watch a screen for two days?

Well, it turns out that Willow Creek does a really good job with this event, and there’s a lot I’ve learned. Once I decided to open my mind, I realized that this was an incredible chance to hear from amazing leaders and thinkers. Willow Creek spends at least a year putting together each summit. Their philosophy is that everyone benefits from better leaders: churches, businesses, homes, everyone. With that in mind, they compile a diverse group of speakers. Each year I am energized and challenged by what I hear, and I always leave with ideas about how what I experienced relates to my role as the pastor at Grace.

To my second concern of watching a screen for two days, it’s always a little strange at first, but then I don’t really even think about it. This event is really well done, so much so that the technology is seamless, and somehow the atmosphere created is that we are really there hearing the speakers in person. It helps that it’s a live event, and so it’s neat to know that we’re watching along with hundreds of thousands of other people.

If you’ve never attended the Leadership Summit, consider joining us this year. The dates are August 6-7. If you can’t attend both days, it’s possible that someone might split the ticket cost with you and attend one day. There is a cost, but don’t let that deter you. Please contact Martin Burch, marburch@mygpc.org to learn more.

 

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From the Pastor’s Desk: Preaching the Verbs

In early May I traveled to Columbia Theological Seminary in Decatur, Georgia, for a preaching conference. It was fun to be back on the campus where I’d lived for three years, and it was invigorating to engage with scripture alongside peers. The conference was called Preaching the Verbs. It was led by two of the seminary’s preaching professors, one of whom, Anna Carter Florence, was a favorite professor of mine when I was a student.

Anna’s emphasis in teaching for the past few years has been to get students to focus on the verbs in scripture. One of her main points is that we share the same verbs with the people in scripture. Abraham and Sarah walked, talked, and prayed. We do the same. Thinking about the verbs gives us another way to enter into a text.

Another point that Anna emphasized with us was the importance of reading scripture in community. She suggests getting a group together each week to read the scripture for the coming Sunday’s sermon. The group is to focus on the verbs, not try to write sermon for the preacher. The preacher leads the group, and the participants engage with the text and share ideas.

This is not something I’ve done much of at Grace with any consistency, so I want to try it during the month of June. Each week in June you’re invited to read scripture with me. We meet for an hour, and we read and talk about the text. I hope you’ll join me. We meet:

  • Tuesday, June 2 at noon
  • Monday, June 8 at noon
  • Tuesdays, June 16, June 23 and June 30 at noon

We’re calling it Sermon Preview as those of you who come will engage with the sermon text for the coming week.

Speaking of scripture reading, our Disciple Class wrapped up its 34 weeks with the Bible on Thursday, May 21. For 34 weeks this group gathered for two hours each week to study scripture together. Seventeen people completed this intensive Bible Study.

One person summed up my thoughts when she said, “I’m ready for it to be over, and I’m really going to miss it.” I’ve loved co-leading this course, and yet it will be nice to have a break from the intense workload. I think Disciple is my favorite Bible Study that I’ve ever led. The daily readings and study fed me spiritually, so not only was I leading, I was growing through the process.

There is great value in reading scripture and studying it together. If you’re looking for a way to do this, join me during June.

In Christ,

Catherine

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