Page 4 - Presbyterian Connection Newspaper

4 WINTER 2018
PRESBYTERIAN
Connection
MESSAGE FROM THE MODERATOR
presbyterian.ca
Considering Humility
By the Rev. Daniel Cho, Moderator of the
2018 General Assembly
My friend “Jeremy” is a Korean minis- ter and one of the nicest, most hum- ble people I know. He once shared a story about a time when he was sort of “called out” on his humility—not that it wasn’t genuine but that it was too much. As the story goes, Jeremy was at a church dinner at a member’s home along with a colleague, an older respected Korean minister. The host invited Jeremy to sit in the sofa chair while others sat on the floor. Feeling a bit guilty about this kind “pastoral power” he politely declined and in- stead insisted on sitting on the floor to allow someone else to have the chair.
The older colleague gently admon- ished him in private and said that he should have accepted the chair. The reason was that through the particu- lar lens of Korean culture, for him as a minister to accept that offer would be “normal.” But as a meek, submis- sive and docile person to begin with, he didn’t do himself any favours in the eyes of others by lowering him- self even more and compromising
Re: John Congram’s article “The Way Forward: Questions for the Church”
I read with interest John Congram’s article. He seems to argue for the very un-Presbyterian position that the church ought to adopt a minimalist creed, maybe just “Jesus is Lord.” Of course, members have always been asked only a credible profession of faith in Christ as Saviour and Lord. Office bearers are expected to have more understanding of the church’s theology and are required to accept sincerely the doctrines handed down to us over the past 20 centuries. The Holy Spirit has been at work leading the church into deeper understanding of the truth of God’s Word, not get-
any perceived authority.
Jeremy agreed with this admon-
ishment and actually spent several years processing this incident. This reverberates with a Jewish proverb about healthy humility: “Don’t make yourself so small that you’re not that great.” Ever since Jeremy’s con- versation with the elder minister, he questioned his long-held understand- ing and practice of Christian humility and its relation to power.
The usual definition of humility is “a low or modest view of oneself; not assertive, arrogant or proud.” This makes perfect sense and is at least compatible with the biblical view. The Apostle Paul cautioned the Roman Christians “not to think of yourself more highly than you ought to think, but to think with sober judgment” (Rom 12:3). Even Paul considered himself “the least of the apostles, unfit to be called an apostle” (1 Cor 15:9).
But is this all there is to humility? Is it strictly a self-focused action of letting go of power, lowering oneself before others and allowing them “go first”? Is this all that Jesus meant also when he spoke of being humble like a child? (Matt 8:4).
During Advent we enter into reflec- tion on God’s gift, the giving of the Christ-child for the world and for our lives. We hear the biblical narrative of the promised One who will be called Emmanuel, God with us. We take to heart our profound need of this gift, to accept Christ and allow him by the Holy Spirit to change and transform us. But the gospel message is more than simply a platform for individual focus. Its proclamation stretches far beyond merely a roadmap towards
personal self-improvement. It’s not calling us just to be better versions of ourselves by becoming more vir- tuous, friendly and humble. It is invit- ing us in a compelling way to shift our frame of mind, our focus, our attitudes, our ultimate concerns—in- deed our entire orientation away from our “selves” and embrace the new vision of God’s kingdom.
But being humble on one level doesn’t always mean one has re- jected power. Jesus was tempted with power and fame even as he communed intimately with God in preparation for his ministry. We, too, are susceptible to the seduction of power and and privilege. In fact, it’s possible to be personally humble but wish the church to be an institution of power privilege. But the gospel tells us that Christ came naked, helpless, and was born in the humblest of set- tings. In both content and form the gospel speaks to the humble nature and character of God for us: “He humbled himself and became obedi- ent to the point of death—even death on a cross” (Phil 2:8).
Our acceptance of God’s saving work through Jesus Christ trans- forms us not just in the personal sense of conversion but by a con- stellation of change—both we and the multiplicity of our relationships are changed. Knowing the heart of God through the gift of God’s Son connects us with all that God loves and is concerned about. And now we can’t help but value the valueless and poor, lift up the broken-hearted, prize kindness and mercy, be forces for justice, be hope in the face of hopelessness, love the unlovable, and yes, think of others more highly
The Rev. Daniel Cho making friends during the moderator’s visit to Malawi.
ting us to jettison our heritage.
It’s interesting that this sort of de- bate about whether we need to be right or good (a false dichotomy) is actually quite old. Donald MacVicar, first Principal of Presbyterian College, had to deal with it in the late 1800s. He wrote, “In the same breath with which they...denounce dogma, they call upon men to follow Christ. But apart from dogma, how are we to know anything of the Christ we are told to follow?” He continued, “We do not say, as is sometimes hinted, that creeds are to take the place of the Saviour, or that men must mas- ter a system of theology in order to enjoy eternal life... The malefactor who was saved on the cross was
not a master theologian, and there are millions in glory with him today who never heard of the Thir ty-Nine Ar ticles, the Athanasian Creed, or the Westminster Confession of Faith... But while all this is true it is equally certain that there is no merit in know- ing and believing little or nothing. To have a meagre, shabby creed with a few vague and ill-defined ar ticles is nothing of which to boast, but some- thing of which to be ashamed. The man who can find little truth to believe must be lamentably ignorant, indolent, weak-minded or sceptical... It is not a matter of indifference what a man’s creed is, because it defines the nature of the Saviour in whom he trusts and exerts a powerful influence upon his
own character and conduct.” Throwing the confessional charac- ter of the church overboard is not the
solution to our problems. —John Vaudry, Pembroke, Ont.
Re: Joshua Weresch’s Letter to the Editor, Issue 7
Reading Joshua Weresch’s letter regarding military flags and his call for all padres to resign, it is clear he misunderstands the role of mili- tary chaplains. Military chaplains neither bless nor endorse war. My husband is a military chaplain, and his role is to provide pastoral care to the members of the unit he serves, in the same way a minister provides pastoral care to the members of a
LETTERS TO THE EDITOR
than ourselves. To quote C.S. Lewis, the truly humble man “... will not be thinking about humility: he will not be thinking about himself at all.” So our idea of humility isn’t about putting a notch in our ethical belt; rather, it’s about humility being at the very core of who we are in Christ the Redeemer for the world. And our awakening to this reality reflects the constellational change at work within us.
Our life of faith then is not about privileged status based on the pow- er of Empire, but it’s grounded in the manger, in true humility. Faith doesn’t serve to distinguish us, one from another, but it fosters a place where all find common identity and life in Christ. For Christians, humility goes deeper than just being a posi-
tive personality trait. It’s what gives authentic servanthood its confirma- tion—the kind of servanthood that recognizes all people as brothers and sisters; that exemplifies the heart, love and ministry of Jesus himself.
In Jesus, God came to be with us, to save us, dwell with us and restore us. In true humility we are invited as a community to live as the beloved sons and daughters of God. This is the gift of Christmas.
In tribute to the late Eugene Peter- son, author of The Message version of the Bible, I am glad to share these words:
Glory to God in the heavenly heights,
Peace to all men and women on earth who please him.
congregation. Chaplains provide a Christian witness to those who might otherwise never hear the Gospel. Our congregation has seen the difference chaplaincy makes when soldiers and their families come to faith in Jesus Christ because of the faith and work of the padre.
In an increasingly secular society, and in a nation where the impact and influence of Christianity is waning, we should thank God for the men and women of faith who willingly serve as chaplains to our military and share the Gospel with those under their care. They are truly living out Jesus’ command to “Go and make disciples of all nations” (Matthew 28:19). —Paula Hamilton, Charlottetown, P.E.I.