Wednesday, October 24, 2007

What I Want

I'll miss Presbytery this week.

Here's what I want Presbytery to be:

  • fair to everyone. no favorites. no golden boys. interested in all preachers
  • for the executive presbyter to drop the "executive" part and fulfill all the obligations in the Book of Order, to be a pastor to pastors, to know each pastor's abilities and interests and to use these to further mission
  • a place of encouragement for collegial relationships fostering friendships rather than competition
  • to be a place where worship is valued. for every meeting to include worship not just the obligatory opening prayer
  • where churches work together to help one another
  • where there is a spirit of openness, transparency rather than having all major decisions made before the meeting
  • a better place for laypeople to develop skills for ministry both administrative and pastoral
  • a clearing house of information about available resources
  • a group people love not dread.

Am I willing to work for these things? I'm not sure this week. Politics and meanness are killing my presbytery.

St. Casserole, someone who wants Presbytery to be more



14 comments:

Christine said...

Amen. Over here next door at the Presbytery of Slow Learners we're not faring much better.

Jody Harrington said...

Amen and amen.

Jules said...

Amen, sister-friend!

Unknown said...

May it be so!

reverendmother said...

A wonderful list.

Do you all not worship each time? We have a worship service every meeting. Sometimes it gets tedious, I admit (they can last one hour out of a six-hour meeting), but I'm grateful for it.

It would be interesting for all us presbies to compare notes sometime. Things I think are the norm probably aren't.

Anyway, I love your list.

LittleMary said...

hmmmm. what a nice world that would be.

Di said...

I can relate to this, and will add you all to my prayers for healing this week.

Princess of Everything (and then some) said...

The whole world would be a better place if we followed those rules.

1-4 Grace said...

Amen!
Our worship is at very beginning and often used for a person who is about to be grilled for ordination or installation.
Also, the vast majority of people conviently come in about 30 minutes to hour later, when the "real" meeting begins.
it erks me. I think time spent worshipping God and in prayer BEFORE major decisions are made would be so worthwhile.

Sue said...

Amen, sister.

Unknown said...

From your fingers to God's ears. I have experienced so many painful worship services at Presbytery that I have come to dread them...

more cows than people said...

worth working for, i think.

i hope.

went to lots of different presbyteries a year or so ago. i know the despair.

PPB said...

I think you should apply to be executive presbyter!

When I was a div student, the presbytery where my school was held only 4 meetings a year. I attended them to represent the ministry resource center. They met in a retreat center. Pastors arrived on Friday at noon for continuing education events that were optional, but everyone went. Laypeople and non-participating pastors arrived at dinner time. Friday night was worship and the beginning of the docket. Saturday morning committee meetings, followed by more docket, lunch, end of docket, and more worship. It was amazing. Every meal was "business free"--people mixed and mingled. There were long walks on the grounds, and the convenience of getting everything done at once--including committee meetings.

They don't have the money to do it that way anymore. What a loss.

Lori said...

Ditto what Mindy said.

Plus, hand to God, I believe that if mainline churches can have new life breathed back into them that it's you lady pastors who will kickstart the bellows. So to speak.