gave that all away to have the moments pleasure of an illicit sexual relationship. How foolish! Yet, how often is it the case  Only to then have the weight of it crash down on them like a tsunami, then to pass the blame onto others. Do you think Reuben wishes he could have that lost birthright back? Did Esau? Having put his hand on the plow he looked down and  It is with this mindset that the Associate Reformed Presbyterian Church must be watchful of itself. Much has been given to us. Much is required of us. We are inheritors of a 220 plus year history of faithful gospel witness, and we descend from men who had taken on a heritage even older than that. The goal of Erskine, Wilson, Moncrieff, and others was not to remake the Church of Scotland in their own image any more than it was Luther’s intent to make a new church in the 1520’s. They saw their grand vessels listing to port and in their own ways wanted to right the ship, but they were stymied by forces who could not see the need. Even when confronted with the reality of the matter pride and arrogance grabbed hold and the truth-tellers were cast off into lifeboats while the others sank into the mire. Having laid their hand on the wheel the men tasked with caretaking had ran the ship into the Charybdis of Legalism and the Scylla of Tradition rather   needed at the moment. There is much on the agenda of Synod this year that requires us men who have taken vows to lead Christ’s church to think deeply about what we are going to do with our inheritance. I did not invent the ARP Church, and it is not mine to shape like a potter with clay. I am a steward of an heirloom that does not belong to me and I am tasked with making sure this priceless family treasure is available for my grandkids to pass along to their grandkids. We did not make it thus far  without. The question before us today is having put our hand to the plow will we look back or will we continue forward furrowing out the rows where the seeds of the gospel will be planted and watered for generations to come? It must be said for all of us that there is much shouting from behind, to the side, and below that will tempt us to not focus upon the plowing labors ahead. This will not cease anytime soon. There are those who receive a perverse enjoyment    Presbyterian Church. We have much bigger problems to face as the body of Christ in our culture and in our world than to waste time on those things that are passing away. We must keep our hands on the plow and remember the due focus of our calling as undershepherds and elders of this kingdom of the Lord Jesus.


July/August 2021


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