Presbymeme

I’ve been busy in Slovakia on a high school service project for the past week, but found some time to participate in this little exercise. Neal Locke tagged me to answer the Presbymeme. Click here to find out what this is all about. As you read this post, let me disclaim that my answers are really no more than impressions – observations through a window, out of the corner of my eye, from a long way off. For questions 2 and 3 in particular, I can only offer my vague hunches, not real personal insight.

1. What is your earliest memory of being distinctly Presbyterian? I guess that would be three days ago when I saw that Neal tagged me for this meme. I’ve spent most of my life, including the past four years, in armed forces chapels (Air Force, Navy and Army) with 57 flavors of Protestant chaplains. I’ve recently stated that I have no “special loyalty to the Presbyterian church”, however, one might observe that (1) the majority of the churches I’ve attended in my adult life that were not military chapels were Presbyterian, (2) three of my chaplains were Presbyterian, including all three years in Naples, (3) I married into a Presbyterian family and church, (4) I’ve been a member of a PC(USA) church for six years, and it’s the only church I’ve ever “formally” joined, (5) that church is a huge part of our missionary support base (6) I’ll be applying to a Presbyterian seminary this summer, and (7) my blog is listed on Presbymergent. So it would appear that whether or not this shoe actually fits, I am wearing it.

2. On what issue/question should the PC(USA) spend LESS energy and time? When I was in the navy, we pilots used to joke that Naval aviators’ attitude is that we could do anything in flying unless the “book” explicitly prohibits it, while Air Force pilots can only do something if the “book” specifically allows it. I have a suspicion the PC(USA) might be more like the Air Force. Maybe it should spend less time writing very specific flight instructions…

3. …and more time flying. On what issue/question should the PC(USA) spend MORE energy and time? Perhaps “flying” would be building communities that intentionally include those outside the church and using those communities as platforms for doing unto the least of these our brethren.

4. If you could have the PC(USA) focus on one passage of scripture for an entire year, what would it be? Romans 12:9-18, especially verse 18, using the fullest, richest, most expansive definition of peace / shalom.

5. If the PC(USA) were an animal what would it be and why? In the little bit of surfing I did on this meme, I saw several wonderful and creative answers here. Here’s my stab at clever originality: a Weimaraner; a noble breed with an aristocratic pedigree, beautiful and elegantly put together, though not always the most cuddly. Originally, bred for a specific and practical purpose, but now more commonly raised as show dogs. Here are some fun, possibly appropriate words from Wikipedia: “All parts of the dog should be in balance with each other, creating a form that is pleasing to the eye…Weimaraners are very protective of their family and can be very territorial. They can be aloof to strangers, and must be thoroughly socialized when young to prevent aggression. They are also highly intelligent, sensitive and problem-solving animals…”

And of course, the real reason I chose the Weimaraner: there is reason to be hopeful for this breed, as some specimens can apparently be convinced not to take themselves to seriously:

I’m going to wave off on the Extra Credit.

I’m not even well connected enough to tag five more people, but I will tag Marcus Watson and Adam Walker Cleaveland (tagged again) and invite Doug Forsberg (and any of the other good people at FPC Newport) and Bill Enns to start blogs just to participate. Or at least answer in a comment!