Nothing But Blue Skies!

We are so blessed by the weather for this Wedding Weekend! After living 9 months with the thought, "what if a hurricane heads for Houston on Wedding Day?" and feeling my stomach knot up at the birth of the tropical Whatever Ernesto last week, today and the days ahead couldn't be better! It's unheard of to have temperatures in the 80's and low humidity in the Houston area this time of year. Amazing!

Two of Portia's bridesmaids arrived yesterday from NYC and Dallas. Last night the three of them plus Babs and several other girlfriends took Portia out for the evening. Today (in true RevGalPal style!) we're off to a spa for group mani/pedis. Then its over to SIL's to put together the wedding programs and favors. More of the wedding party arrive today for DK to entertain.

Tomorrow there is a Bridal Luncheon, the rehearsal and the rehearsal dinner--never mind the arrival of the rest of the out of town relatives. Saturday morning it's hair and makeup time at our house for the bridesmaids. All the women relatives are invited to come over and visit until time to go to the church for photos.

Then the Moment of Truth arrives. Will the 3 Presbyterian pastors involved in the service manage to avoid tripping over each other? Will the 2 year old ringbearer have a melt-down? Will the 4 year old flower girl skip down the aisle? Will the 5 year old flower girl, tomboy that she is, balk at wearing the dress? How beautifully will my neice and Portia's oldest friend sing? How many handkerchiefs will the MOB go through during the ceremony? Then it's off to the reception and the chance to greet all our guests.

Sunday morning there's a post-wedding brunch for the out-of-town guests and local relatives and friends. One of the pastors can come because (ha-ha!) he's retired. The other two have to lead worship. Portia and DK plan to attend so he can visit with his parents and relatives from Florida.

The problems of the world and the church are being set aside for the time being. I'm stoked!

Wedding Whirl

It's a mere 5 days before W-day. I sent out a slew of emails at church this morning, trying to line everything and everyone up for the next week and informing them that I'll be Mother-of-the-Brideing it the rest of the week.

There are sparklers, monogramed matchbooks, wedding guest registers, toasting flutes and other stuff to round up. There are out of town guests arriving beginning the day after tomorrow. There are wedding programs and favors to be tied up with silver ribbons. There are inflatable mattresses to be blown up, airport pickups to be coordinated and...what have I missed?

I plan to enjoy every minute of it! So if there aren't very many posts this week, you'll know why.

Faithfully yours,
QG, MOB

Name That Tort*

From the BETTER LIVING THROUGH LITIGATION Department:

My dear nephew, Daddy of Annie, sent me this which he confessed to reading on his brand new Blackberry.

Never underestimate the ability of the plantiff's trial bar to create new and imaginative causes of action to clutter up the court system. What will they call this one? "Negligent creation of Blackberry Addiction"? "Tortious Blackberry Interference With Life"? "Alienation of Spousal Affection By Blackberry"? I can't wait to find out.

(* for my non-lawyerly readers, a tort is a civil cause of action for negligence)

Adventures in Inspection

~sound of teeth grinding~

Sitting in the kitchen, waiting on the inspectors from the City of Sugar Land to come and inspect work done on our air conditioning system LAST MAY. The A/C service called yesterday and told me this would be necessary and that we had to schedule it. Must be their mistake. Didn't need to waste a morning at home right now, but it's better than during Wedding Week.

Wherefore art thou, inspectors?

ARRGGGHHH!

PJ Alert

One mom thinks she has found the solution to her children's night-time fears--the Full Armor of God pj's.

Hat tip: Attention Span.

News From New Covenant Presbytery

Today's presbytery meeting was strictly business. Among other things I was formally elected as Moderator for 2008. I wondered if God would send a sign in the form of a floor nomination --but no!

The most significant action of the presbytery was the adoption of the following policy:

The Presbytery of New Covenant in its discernment of the essentials of reformed polity and for the sake of preserving the peace, unity and purity of the church does adopt the principle that compliance with the standards for ordination adopted and held authoritative in the Book of Order shall remain essentials of reformed policy and any departure from said standards for ordination will disqualify a candidate for ordination or installation by the Presbytery of New Covenant. Those provisions of the book of Order deemed to be standards and therefore essentials of polity include those statements using "shall", "is/are to be", "required", "requirement", or equivalent expressions.

This discernment of the essentials of reformed polity shall remain in effect until removed by a majority vote of the Presbytery of New Covenant.

Those of us who supported this proposal believe that it is important to make a statement to our congregations and community about what our presbytery's policy is with regard to ordination standards in light of the concerns raised by many of our congregations about the actions of the 217th GA in passing the PUP report with its "scruples" provision. Those who opposed it stressed that it was redundant because our Examinations Committee has abided by the Book of Order. It passed by an almost two to one margin.

The other significant action was the distribution of a comprehensive policy outlining a process for the presbytery to follow in working with congregations that are distressed by the actions of the last General Assembly and considering withdrawal from the PCUSA. General Council has been developing this process for several months, anticipating the problem. We distributed it today and encouraged everyone to send their comments and concerns about it to us so that the General Council can review it again at our next meeting. We don't want pastors and congregations to be afraid of talking to presbytery about their concerns. We want to encourage frank questions and honest answers.

In light of the events surrounding the recent vote by the session of Kirk of the Hills Church in Tulsa to withdraw from the PCUSA, it was very important to make it clear that our process is not secret and that it emphasizes a pastoral rather than a litigious approach. Friends, the PCUSA will not be preserved through litigation. We must find a more excellent way, and pronto.

What if congregations and pastors considering leaving the PCUSA could have open and honest conversations with representatives of presbytery about their concerns without worrying that they were opening themselves to pre-emptive legal action from the denomination? What if they knew that the presbytery was willing to work with them to resolve their concerns even if the result was their withdrawal from the denomination? What if they knew that they could discuss the property implications with presbytery in advance and negotiate that issue without fear of legal reprisal?

We hope that is what our process can achieve, and that it will build trust and thereby keep congregations from leaving or allow for a regretful parting of the ways without adding more rancor and angst. If you are interested in having a copy of the process, email me (click on the "view my complete profile" link in the sidebar and there is an email link). Maybe it would give some good ideas to your presbytery.

Random Wedding Errands

Because I'll be gone all day tomorrow at a presbytery meeting, today was filled with lots of wedding errands--really random errands.

• Took Gretel to the vet for a check-up because she had some worrying symptoms over the weekend and I wanted to get on top of the situation before next week. Now she joins Grandpa on lasix and needs bronco-dialators to reduce fluid buildup around the heart. The vet says she'll be pretty perky in a couple of days time. Look out Giant Rabbit Fu-Fu, Gretel The Mighty Huntress isn't done yet!
• Who knew that Home Depot is the source of aid and comfort for brides and bridesmaids with ~ah-hem~ bustier slippage. Apparently double-sided carpet tape will keep everything where it should be, according to SIL and friends.
  
• Mailed music to the string quartet for the service--copies of Jesu Joy of Man's Desiring and the Pastoral Symphony from Messiah.
  
• Razzlefrackzit. I created a slideshow for the rehearsal dinner with lots of pictures of Portia and DK (to the tune of "Going To The Chapel") but although it plays beautifully on my computer, when I burn it, the resulting disk isn't working. Spent a couple of hours on Apple IDVD help and finally decided to buy blank DVD's from a different manufacturer. That better work. Don't have much more time to fool with it. And it's so cute! Suggestions from any Mac geeks out there?

Keeping the faith and hanging in there! Tomorrow it's all about presbytery...

UPDATE: THANK YOU, JESUS! Changing disk types did the trick and the DVD works now!

Whoo-hoo!

Chance of Thunder and Bridal Showers

Today started with fierce thunderstorms and rainshowers that rolled across the area and continued until mid-morning when Portia, Babs and I were due at a bridal shower over at Dorothy's given by The Shower Sisters.

The Shower Sisters are a group of girlfriends from church who get together to give bridal and baby showers for their daughters and friends. (I'm a Shower Sister, too, but not for Portia's shower!).

We had a wonderful time despite the much-needed rain. It is such a blessing to be with these women who have been a special part of Portia and Babs' life for so many years, along with Portia's cousins, favorite aunt, and girlfriends.

These are the women who taught Portia in Sunday School for years. These are the women who were her youth advisors when she was old enough for youth group. These are the women who asked her to serve as an acolyte. These are the women who sat with Portia (and Babs) in church when they were little and I sang in the choir and El Jefe was out of town. These are the women who led her in Vacation Bible School and were the choir moms when she participated in children's choirs. These are the women who supported and encouraged her the year she served as youth elder. These are the women who always asked about her when she was away at school and sought her out when she came home on vacations from college. These are the women whose example helped influence Portia as she grew into the fine young woman she is today. Blessings on all of you, dear Shower Sisters!

Portia had quite a haul and Babs dutifully wrote it all down for the "thank-you" notes to come. Babs, however, is no one's fool, so she beat a hasty retreat back to Austin for the weekend while El Jefe and I helped Portia and DK fill a rented van with the goodies, along with the bookshelves from her bedroom, cases of her favorite books, and a bedroom set given to them by Saint Betty and The Old Marine. It felt like 102 degrees and the humidity was easily 100%. DK, bless his heart, remarked happily that "it feels just like Florida". (DK is from Florida.) And off they went to work on setting up their new home.

TWO WEEKS TO GO UNTIL W-DAY !!! And now for a nap....

Serious News, Indeed

I am sad and dismayed to learn that the session of Kirk of the Hills Church in Tulsa has voted to leave the PCUSA and affiliate with the Evangelical Presbyterian Church. Kirk of the Hills is one of the largest churches in our Synod, having over 2,600 members.

Both pastors renounced the jurisdiction of the PCUSA. A congregational meeting has been called for August 30 to discuss this action.

Tom Gray, senior pastor of the church, explains the move on his blog today, in a post titled "Serious News". This is serious news, indeed. Gray said, " The session decided that, especially in response to the recently-revealed legal plans of the PCUSA, it was time to take decisive action." So it appears that the release of Advisory Opinion # 19 by the PCUSA Stated Clerk's office created concern about pre-emptive action by the denomination and precipitated this decision.

I don't know whether or not part of the congregation will contest this decision. It's not clear from this post whether the church will seek to be dismissed with its property, because Tom Gray says the action is taken independent of whatever happens with the property. I don't know whether the powers-that-be in Louisville were planning action against Kirk of the Hills, and if they were, whether they had grounds for it. I just know I am very sorry to see Kirk of the Hills leave the PCUSA.

There is a lot at stake in this situation and Presbyterians across the country will be carefully watching the response of the Presbytery of Eastern Oklahoma, the Synod of the Sun, and the Stated Clerk's office to this announcement.

(Credit to Presbyweb, which was the first with this information. It is a subscription website, but you can sign up for a month free trial subscription with no strings attached--then you decide the amount of your donation. It's well worth it.)

Time Warp in Wedding Land

It's been a L-O-O-O-ONG afternoon and evening. The Mother of the Bride and The Sister of the Bride are totally exhausted from a six hour stint waiting on The Bride to arrive for her appointment for bridal photos AND have the photos taken. It seems it took much longer than she thought it would to restore the "natural color" to her hair.

Portia's Thought For the Day:

It's a really, really bad idea to put black in your hair two months before the wedding if you don't want black in your hair for the wedding.

Uh-Huh.

Katrina Eleven Months Later

On Monday mornings the RevGalBlogPals blog posts a Monday Mission Moment. I am one of the team members for this feature, and today I am cross-posting the article that I used so that those of you who are members of my church who read Quotidian Grace will get a chance to read it as well. Shayne Newell posted this on her blog General Thought. Shayne is an elder, a mother of two young sons, and in her "spare" time is an attorney with a law firm in Houston. Shayne kindly gave me permission to copy the post and with the first year anniversary of Hurricane Katrina coming, it is a timely reminder of the struggles of so many of the New Orleans evacuees who are still in the Houston area.

Thanks to Shayne for allowing me to share it with you.

Katrina Evacuees -- Eleven Months Later

I spent yesterday morning volunteering at a housing clinic for Katrina and Rita evacuees who had been denied FEMA rental assistance. I admit that I went into it with some skepticism. It has been almost a year since the disasters. Surely these people could have gotten back on their feet enough to pay their own rent if they really wanted to. But work is somewhat slow, and I thought it would be a good opportunity to do some pro bono legal work. I didn't know anything about FEMA appeals before I got there, but I learned fast!

After getting some on-the-job training, I was sent to a huge room where attorneys were working one-on-one with people who had been denied assistance and wanted to file an appeal with FEMA. As it turns out, FEMA had been denying people aid for ridiculous reasons. For instance, a FEMA inspector was sent to survey the damage at a particular residence in New Orleans and denied rental assistance because the resident did not show up to meet the inspector. Of course, many of them are living in Houston and many other places throughout the country and are without the means to travel to New Orleans. Sometimes FEMA didn't give any reason at all for denying rental assistance.

The appeal papers take time to fill out and were confusing, even for me. I spent a good deal of time with a man named Troy. As he filled out his paperwork, I glanced at his birthday: February 29, 1976. He's 3 1/2 years younger than I am, but I never would have guessed it by his appearance. Incidentally, in non-leap years, he celebrates his birthday on both February 28 and March 1st. I told him that sounded like the best birthday of all -- 2 days long!

Anyway, in working with him, I learned that he evacuated New Orleans literally with nothing except the clothes on his back. He was extremely nice and good natured, despite all he had been through. He doesn't appear to have much education and his income is minimal. After FEMA cut off his rental assistance and he got evicted, his ex-girlfriend was gracious enough to take him in. She had also evacuated to Houston and her FEMA assistance is still in place. I didn't ask what kind of work he did, but he said that immediately before Hurricane Katrina was the "slow season" at work, so he wasn't bringing in much money. Other than a few months' rent, which was cut off in March, he has received no FEMA assistance other than the $2000 voucher that was distributed to all the evacuees last fall.

I tried to imagine what my life would be like if I left Houston right now with nothing except the clothes I'm wearing and whatever is in my purse (at the moment, that includes no cash except a few coins) and went to Tulsa. I don't know anyone there and wouldn't know where to start -- how do I find a place to live, furnish it, find transportation, feed myself, and find a job, particularly if I have no education and few vocational skills? In what circumstances would I find myself a year from now? I think it very likely that I'd be sitting down across the table from a volunteer attorney at a housing clinic sponsored by Legal Aid and asking for help.

It's easy for those of us unaffected by the hurricanes to feel that it's time that people moved on with their lives. I think that most of them are moving on, or trying to, but it can't happen on some artificial timetable. I pray that, as the one year anniversary of Hurricane Katrina approaches, those of us who have not had to suffer through this particular tragedy will be reminded that rebuilding an entire life (in Troy's case, 30 years) can't be accomplished in a matter of months.

Presbyblog Firestorm

A virtual firestorm erupted in the Presbyblogs yesterday with the revelation from the Presbyterian Layman of documents purportedly written by denominational lawyers as a guide to those representing "presbyteries and true churches" in property disputes and a guide for presbyteries for processes to use in dealing with churches wanting to withdraw from the PCUSA. The Layman says these documents were mailed to its office anonymously without comment. This added fuel to the fire started by the release of Advisory Opinion #19.

Among those offering extensive analysis and commentary on these documents (and check out the discussions in the comments as well) are Classical Presbyterian, Will Spotts, and Jim Berkley.

There's been a lot of dismay expressed over the pugnacious, litigious attitude behind the recommendations and advice in these documents. What should the approach to churches seeking dismissal from the PCUSA be?

First of all, we must acknowledge that under the Book of Order church property is held in trust for the denomination and that no church has the right to withdraw from the denomination and keep its property. Although there have been challenges to denominational trust clauses recently, mostly by ECUSA churches, at this time courts are still upholding those clauses. A church could withdraw and affiliate with another reformed group and the presbytery could choose to negotiate a sale of the property to the church rather than asserting control and seeking to install a new pastor. There are so many factors that could arise in these circumstances, that it is impossible to formulate a hard-and-fast position for presbyteries as these documents seek to do.

Secondly, we must acknowledge that the denomination will not be held together by litigation. The language used in these documents contributes to a adversarial atmosphere that will undermine the efforts of presbyteries that seek to work towards reconciliation and continued relationship with disaffected congregations. Calling one part of a congregation the "true church" and another part schismatics, or threatening presbyteries with legal action from synods breeds distrust between all parties.

Presbyteries should seek to work with congregations in serious disagreement with the denomination on a pastoral level first. It is important to show trust in those with whom we are in a connectional relationship and to show that presbytery is also trust-worthy. Jumping immediately to the formation of administrative commissions that are empowered to seize control of the church and displace the elected leaders of the congregation is a sure-fire way to antagonize the members, create a litigious nightmare, and set up an ongoing atmosphere of distrust between the churches, presbytery and synod that will doubtless contribute to more attempted withdrawals from the denomination.

Tag, I'm It

I've been tagged for that book meme that's been going around by Michael Kruse.

One book that changed your life: I don't know that it changed my life, but when I was in college I was a big fan of Lord of the Rings.

One book that you’ve read more than once: The Cloister Walk by Kathleen Norris

One book you’d want on a desert island: Any book by Dave Barry. I'd need to laugh!

One book that made you laugh: St. Fidgeta and Other Parodies by John Bellairs.
One book that made you cry: The Lovely Bones by Alice Sebold. As the mother of two daughters, this book creeped me out.

One book you wish you had written: Eloise by Kay Thompson. This was my daughters' favorite book. We read it over and over again for years.

One book you wish had never been written: Mein Kampf by Adolph Hitler.

One book you’re currently reading: Run With the Horses by Eugene Peterson

One book you’ve been meaning to read: Calvin's Institutes of the Christian Religion. The whole thing. It probably is not going to happen.

I'm supposed to tag 5 other people, but I've already seen this on lots of other blogs. So consider yourself tagged if you want to play and leave me a comment so I can visit you.

A Note of Appreciation

Grateful thanks to each of you who left comments on my last post for your kind words and support and to a couple of you who emailed me privately. I'm very touched and humbled --particularly by the comments from those of you who don't agree with me on all the issues before the PCUSA today--the group Cheesehead called "Flaming Liberals for Grace" (thanks, Cheese!).

I'm sure that I will refer back to these comments from time to time in the next couple of years for reassurance and comfort. I pray that I will prove to be worthy of your confidence and I ask your prayers not only for me, but for the staff and leadership of New Covenant presbytery.

Mom of Presbytery?

Some of my regular readers are aware that I currently serve on the General Council of my presbytery (New Covenant). A couple of weeks ago, I received a call from the chair of the Presbytery's Nominating Committee asking me to agree to nomination as Moderator-Elect--for the year 2008. This despite the fact that he told me he read this blog--and proved it by asking me some questions about posts that were long buried in the archives! Under our presbytery structure, that means I would serve as Moderator of General Council in 2007 and then become Moderator of Presbytery the following year.

Here are some of the things that I pondered as I made this decision.

By 2008 the denomination could be coming apart at the seams. Or not. The New Wineskins group appears to be morphing into an alternative denominational structure. It's not clear what the future holds for the newly formed Presbyterian Global Fellowship that has its first conference later this month. Is a major schism brewing? If so, we could have a nasty mess on our hands by 2008.

We have yet to see the first disciplinary case challenging an ordination in which a "scruple" was declared pursuant to the AI passed at GA. The facts of that hypothetical case and its final disposition by the GAPJC could become the flashpoint. That would put me personally, and as Moderator, in a very difficult position. Conversely, if the outcome of such a case were the enforcement of the consititution, then the disappointment of those who seek changes in ordination standards would present other issues.

New Covenant presbytery is moderately conservative. It has not been overly preoccupied with the doings on the national scene, but instead concentrates on planting new churches in the rapidly growing areas of the Houston metro and Bryan/College Station and encouraging existing churches to foster growth in membership.

The leadership has focused on bringing in nationally known experts on evangelism and church development and re-development like Glenn McDonald to speak at meetings and has offered a number of excellent training opportunities for ministers and laypeople alike. I think this emphasis is very important. If we can't look forward with confidence to the future of the church, we might as well pack it all up right now and save ourselves a lot of aggravation. We need to focus on evangelism, new church development and growth in exisiting churches.

A few years ago there was some distrust of the presbytery leadership but those attitudes are changing because a lot of people have worked hard to change that perception. I was one of those skeptics, but have been convinced there is a change of focus and attitude in the presbytery. Still, distrust of the denomination and the national staff and its policies persists, and I share some of those feelings. At this time I am not aware of any church in the presbytery seeking dismissal from the PCUSA, but events could change that. I hope New Covenant presbytery can model a new way for Presbyterians to relate to each other, even in times of crisis.

Conservatives have been urging each other to get involved in denominational governance at every level, so when I was asked to serve on General Council I agreed to do it. I don't think it's time to leave yet. There were several positive things that came out of the last General Assembly from the evangelicals' viewpoint. The PCUSA will never be perfect and neither will any new denomination that may spin off from it. So long as imperfect sinful people strive to follow Jesus there will be shortcomings. Heck, even I make mistakes!

I'm not a theologian or a minister. I'm a "cradle" Presbyterian laywoman who cherishes her heritage going back 6 generations to Scotland on one side of my family. I believe traditional Presbyterian theology and polity provide an important witness to the Church Universal with its emphasis on the soverignty of God, the authority of scripture, justification by grace through faith and the priesthood of all believers. I don't think that God is through with the PCUSA yet. I think if I want to preserve this heritage for my posterity, it is time to put up or shut up. So I'm putting up. I said yes.

So if elected, would that make me Mom of Presbytery?

P.S. El Jefe agreed to be nominated for a 6 year term on the Presbytery Permanent Judicial Commission.

Just Too Many Churches

Once upon a time it seemed like a brilliant idea to the city fathers and mothers in Stafford, Texas, a town just next to Sugar Land. Let's not levy any property tax. We'll depend on sales taxes and business fees for our municipal revenues. Businesses will flock to our town and it will reap the benefits!

It worked great for awhile. In came Wal-Mart, Sam's Club, automobile dealerships and a big "power center". Not to mention a strip of restaurants lining the highway that runs through Stafford.

But then...the churches started coming. And coming. And coming. Now there are 51 churches in an area of about 7 square miles. The Mayor is alarmed. "Our city has an excessive number of churches" Who will pay for the municipal services? Churches don't pay property tax and they don't generate sales for sales taxes and you can't make them pay business fees. Can the city prevent more property within the city limits being acquired by churches? There are some constitutional problems with that. And what Texas politician wants to seem anti-church?

A classic case of being too clever by half...or hoisted by your own petard!

Bible Follies

Inspired by the new ABS Liberty Bible, Michael Kruse designed GOP and Democrat versions. Look for candidates toting them on the campaign trail this fall!

How To Get Hat Hair

It's been a weird day, bouncing between the church, the wedding, the IRS and RevGalBlogPals, Inc. makes me feel more than a little bit schizo.

Morning--staff meeting (Director of Christian Ed hat on)

Late morning--correspondence with bank officer about corporate resolutions for RGBP, Inc. (Attorney hat on)

Noon--Lunch with Portia discussing tomorrow's closing on the townhouse and a number of wedding-related details (Attorney and Mother of the Bride hats on)

Afternoon--faxing fiesta with bank officer from my home (Attorney/RGBP Director hats on at the same time)

Late afternoon--bonding session with computer and IRS form 1023 Application for Recognition of Exempt Status (Attorney/Director hats on).

End of afternoon--decide to leave the "essay questions" on Form 1023 for tomorrow. (Hats off)

Early Evening--attend midweek dinner and worship at church. (DCE/worshipper hats on)

Late Evening--catching up on wedding details and waiting for the new episode of Project Runway. (Mother of the Bride/Couch Potato hats firmly in place).

Return to Presby-Follies

Many PresbyPolity types are anticipating the first test case regarding ordination standards to arise under the new Authoritative Interpretation and the GA-approved report of the PUP Task Force. You may want to watch the doings in Mission Presbytery, where Classical Presbyterian reports that there is a controversy over the admission to candidacy for ordination of a woman living openly in a lesbian relationship in violation of 6.0106b. This was challenged and the case will now been set for a hearing on September 9 by the Synod of the Sun's PJC. CP says that this is not the test case that has been anticipated since the GA because the case involved admission to candidacy and not ordination itself and the challenge to it came before the adoption of the PUP report and so the presbytery is not declaring a "scruple" with respect to 6.0106b. Still, the outcome of this case could be prophetic.

In the What Are They Thinking Department, see Christianity Today's book review of a new publication from the Westminster John Knox press entitled: The Christian Faith and The Truth Behind 9/11 by David Ray Griffin which advocates the view that the Bush administration engaged in a conspiracy to orchestrate the 9/11 terrorist attacks on the US in order to provide cover for their plan to invade Iraq. Really. I am not making this up.

One of the readers of this blog, and an elder in my church, sent me this link. If the book review accurately depicts the contents of this book then what in the world is WJK press doing publishing a political polemic? I would say the same thing if the book was a right-wing Zionist tirade. Both Will Spotts and Classical Presbyterian have already commented extensively on this--and Presbyweb (a subscription site--but you can register for one month for free to try it out!) linked to it today as well. I can't add much to their observations.


And they wonder in Louisville why sales of PCUSA curriculum is down? This controversy sure won't help the credibility of the denominational publishers.