Nicole’s e-Pistle

July 31, 2024

Good day, Friends!

I have had the good fortune to speak with several “non-Presbyterians” lately about what it means to be Presbyterian. One of the tongue-in-cheek names for us, of course, is the “Frozen Chosen.” This combines two stereotypes about Presbyterians that are about as accurate as any stereotype: that we resist change (frozen) and we believe strongly in predestination (chosen). Without getting overly academic, I would like to address both these illustrations of our identity. I’ll tackle our frozen-ness this week and our chosen-ness next week…

I have met people of many denominations that were raised with the understanding that to question one’s faith is to doubt God and is therefore a sin. One must only look to the Bible to find the answers they seek. (Often this refers to the King James Version, which is considered the only reliable text – I even had the grandmother of one of my students tell me that it was the “original” Bible, and that I should never have told her grandson that Jesus didn’t speak “the King’s English…” There’s way too much to unpack there!)

Conversely, I have found consistently that Presbyterians are prone to question their faith, their practices, their beliefs. It is part of what academia calls “Reformed” faith. In his theology textbook called “Faith Seeking Understanding,” Daniel Migliore defines Reformed faith as being “rooted in the work of John Calvin, whose characteristic emphases are the sovereignty of God, his providential rule of creation, the depth of human sinfulness, salvation through the atoning work of Christ, the authority of Scripture illumined by the Holy Spirit, and the parity of clergy and laity in the governance of the church.” – I know, I said I wouldn’t get overly academic!

The phrase from my studies at Columbia that has stuck with me most is that “We are Reformed and always being reformed.” In other words, Presbyterians hold to the fact that we are molded and shaped by the Holy Spirit, free to expand our thinking and question our motives. Far from being “frozen” in our traditions and practices, our systems are designed to check human frailty and make way for the Spirit to move in our midst. Ours is a faith that continues to seek deeper and deeper understanding of the mysteries of God and our relationship to Him…

Until next week, friends, Peace be with you!