Last weekend we prayed for the Babcock Presbyterian Church in Ashaway, Rhode Island, where Marilyn McNaughton, former MWPC Associate Pastor and daughter-in-law of David and Carol Legg, serves as pastor. On March 17 vandals broke into their church building and severely damaged furnishings, musical instruments, and more. To see footage of the damage, go to www.wpri.com and enter Babcock Presbyterian in the search box. We continue to pray for this community. Clean up and repairs have begun, but these saints will need spiritual healing as well. A sense of violation always accompanies vandalism of a sacred space.
I mention this not only to encourage prayer support for a sister congregation, but also to note that the day after this vandalism Presbyterian Disaster Assistance (PDA) arrived on the scene with two first responders, a pastor from Maryland and an elder from Florida. We often mention PDA in association with floods in the Midwest, hurricanes on the Gulf Coast, and events like the tsunami in Japan. It will not make the news, but PDA now assists the saints of Babcock Presbyterian as well. That is a blessing of belonging to a connectional church. The funds we provide to our denominational agencies allow us not only to respond to needs across our nation and the globe, but also to support other Presbyterians long before we could mobilize to assist in person.
Many Christians question the legitimacy of denominations. Since we’re all Christian, why be Presbyterian, Roman Catholic, or Methodist as well? Denominational identity can impede the ministry of Jesus Christ. Yet, it permits Christians to gather and participate in ways that express and feed distinct spiritual hungers and gifts. Not all Christians are or need to be Reformed; but our focus on an educated approach to faith, the centrality of the Bible, “decent and orderly” conduct of church affairs, and trusting representative groups to discern the will and guidance of God have made and still make valuable contributions to the ministries of Jesus. If many of us lack awareness of what makes Presbyterians distinct, leaders like me need to do more teaching and those with questions can do more asking and seeking. My perspective reflects the fact that I felt drawn by God to become Presbyterian after receiving ordination in another tradition and considering moving to yet another. I feel led by God to our tradition and theologically at home in it. We’re not perfect, but we have something to offer the world in Jesus’ name. We often have conflicting opinions about important issues, but the folks at Babcock Presbyterian and in Japan probably have little interest in that now.
We cannot stop vandals from destroying church property or flood waters from devastating communities, but we can and do respond in Jesus’ name. That’s a blessing, privilege, and requirement of being a connectional church.
Grace and Peace,
LP
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