Posted on 02/04/2012 12:07:17 AM PST by Cronos
When he was 18 years old, Paul Mowry came out as a gay man.
"She said, 'I love you and support you — but two things pain me," Mowry said. "One is that I think you would make a great dad, and I'd hate to have you not have that experience. The other is that Presbyterians don't ordain gay people."
Mowry's mother mentioned ordination because Mowry — whose father, grandfather and great-grandfather had all served as Presbyterian ministers — had felt called to the cloth "ever since I was a really small child," he said.
On Sunday, Mowry's long-held dream came true, as the Sausalito Presbyterian Church ordained the Pittsburgh native as its newest pastor, the first openly gay pastor in the church's history.
For the ministers and parishioners of the hillside church, the arrival of Mowry — a highly-regarded graduate of New York's Union Theological Seminary — was cause for celebration. ..
For the Rev. Mowry, the event marked the latest stage in a long journey that had taken him through careers in the film industry and in corporate banking,..to an acceptance of his "I've always been the person who was most likely to get into a conversation with someone who was trying to understand their place in the universe," said Mowry, who recently moved to Sausalito with his partner and their 5-year-old daughter.
"My father, grandfather and great-grandfather were Presbyterian ministers. I still have some of the handwritten sermons my great-great-grandfather wrote in the 1790s," Mowry said. "I'm proud of all the denominations that have moved forward on this issue, but I guess I've always felt bonded to the Presbyterians."
Spurred by his friends, his partner and his mother, Mowry decided to take the risk of entering the seminary, knowing there was little chance he would ever be ordained as a Presbyterian minister.
(Excerpt) Read more at marinij.com ...
Man, these Presbyterians are going downhill and fast...
To bad these churches don’t follow the written word.
“Man, these Presbyterians are going downhill and fast..”
I call them PINOs(”Presbyterian” in name only).
:) may I use it? PINOs :-P
they do follow the written word according to their own interpretation. By scripture alone they say....
Remember that with the flexibility to interpret the written word we have not only the ECUSA, ELCA, PCUSA, but also Unitarians, Jehovah’s Witnesses, Church of Christ, Oneness Pentecostalism, Messianic Judaism, Christian Scientists etc.
I remember when churches preached in accordance with the Bible. Does that mean I am old?
“they do follow the written word according to their own interpretation. By scripture alone they say....”
The problem is not with the the word but with man. Man wants to do things his way NOT GOD’S WAY. Thus man substitutes the word of God for his own law, following the traditions of men.
Mark 7:13
“making the word of God of no effect through your tradition which you have handed down. And many such things you do.”
Romans 1:16
For I am not ashamed of the gospel of Christ, for it is the power of God to salvation for everyone who believes, for the Jew first and also for the Greek.
John 1:1
“In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God”
John 17:17
“Sanctify them by Your truth. Your word is truth.”
John 14:6
“Jesus said to him, “I am the way, the truth, and the life. No one comes to the Father except through Me”
Romans 1:25
“who exchanged the truth of God for the lie, and worshiped and served the creature rather than the Creator, who is blessed forever. Amen”
Romans 1:25 explains it far better than I ever could...!
“Remember that with the flexibility to interpret the written word we have not only the ECUSA, ELCA, PCUSA, but also Unitarians, Jehovah’s Witnesses, Church of Christ, Oneness Pentecostalism, Messianic Judaism, Christian Scientists etc.”
Some “so called” religions even have more than “ONE” father. In fact some religions set up men in the church and call them/him “holy father” and even call him infallable. Shameful.
Rom. 3:23
“for all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God,”
Ephesians 4:6
“one God and Father of all, who is above all, and through all, and in you all.”
Despite your negative reaction to names which are nothing more than a title of respect, I think that the previous post was spot on. Call him what you will, but, he is the successor to St Peter to whom Christ himself gave the keys to the kingdom and promised that even the gates of hell would not prevail against it.
He is there as the final arbiter. Christ knows our weakneses. Remember what he told the Pharisees about why Moses allowed the Jews to divorce. He knows that we will always find a way to justify our behavior and gives us through his teaching, the apostles and their successors to help guide us. The church is far from perfect, but Christ promise that the Spirit would be with her always is enough for me, who am i to question my God.
Say what you will, but the profusion of Protestant sects is simply a fact,and one question which Sola Scriptura never quite manages to get around is, what makes ANYONES interpretation of scripture any more or less valid than anyone else’s? If that is the case, then why is this interpretation of the teachings of Jesus any less valid than yours?
This sect or that sect could find obscure language that tells them that those in a committed relationship with a dog, or a building, or three partners are just great with Jesus, after all, He never specifically prohibited them.
That is why, like it or not, Our Lord gave us the Church, warts and all.
or not
“Despite your negative reaction to names which are nothing more than a title of respect,”
God is NO RESPECTOR of persons and neither should we be. All of us are Christians, all of us are one. We all have only ONE FATHER, AND ONE HIGH PRIEST AND HE IS HEAVENLY NOT EARTHLY.
Galatians 3:28
“There is neither Jew nor Greek, there is neither bond nor free, there is neither male nor female: for ye are all one in Christ Jesus”
Hebrews 8:1
“Now this is the main point of the things we are saying: We have such a High Priest, who is seated at the right hand of the throne of the Majesty in the heavens,”
1 Timothy 2:5
“For there is one God and one Mediator between God and men, the Man Christ Jesus,”
I think that the previous post was spot on.
Thank you...!
Call him what you will, but, he is the successor to St Peter to whom Christ himself gave the keys to the kingdom and promised that even the gates of hell would not prevail against it.
The Church is built upon Christ, not Peter. Peter is/was a mere man and sinner like all of us. Peter’s confessons is that “You are the Christ, the Son of the living God. The Church is built on his confession of Jesus as being the Son of the Living God.!
Matthew 21:42
Jesus said to them, “Have you never read in the Scriptures: ‘The stone which the builders rejected Has become the chief cornerstone. This was the LORD’s doing, And it is marvelous
Hebrews 12:2
“looking unto Jesus, the author and finisher of our faith, who for the joy that was set before Him endured the cross, despising the shame, and has sat down at the right hand of the throne of God”
Ephesians 2:20
“having been built on the foundation of the apostles and prophets, Jesus Christ Himself being the chief cornerstone”
He is there as the final arbiter.
1 Corinthians 4:4
“For I know of nothing against myself, yet I am not justified by this; but He who judges me is the Lord”
Christ knows our weakneses. Remember what he told the Pharisees about why Moses allowed the Jews to divorce. He knows that we will always find a way to justify our behavior and gives us through his teaching,
Indeed he does, that’s why ONLY HE can be our justifier. He came to earth lived as we did but w/out sin. Therefore he is qualified to be our highpriest.
Hebrews 4:15
“For we do not have a High Priest who cannot sympathize with our weaknesses, but was in all points tempted as we are, yet without sin”
“the apostles and their successors to help guide us. The church is far from perfect,”
Ofcourse the Church is imperfect, it is made up of sinners. That why God gave us His Word. To guide us..!
2 Timothy 3:16
“All Scripture is given by inspiration of God, and is profitable for doctrine, for reproof, for correction, for instruction in righteousness”
but Christ promise that the Spirit would be with her always is enough for me, who am i to question my God.
Agree
Matt. 16:18
And I also say to you that you are Peter, and on this rock I will build My church, and the gates of Hades shall not prevail against it.
“Say what you will, but the profusion of Protestant sects is simply a fact,and one question which Sola Scriptura never quite manages to get around is, what makes ANYONES interpretation of scripture any more or less valid than anyone else’s?”
Because men want it their way and NOT GOD’S WAY. The Bible is God’s word and that can’t be improved upon. PERIOD..! We have many divisions because people refuse to take God at his word.
We just need to realize that God’s word is truth and obey it.
Duet. 12:28
Observe and obey all these words which I command you,
If that is the case, then why is this interpretation of the teachings of Jesus any less valid than yours?
Compare your beliefs to God’s TRUTH, HIS WORD.
John 12:48
He who rejects Me, and does not receive My words, has that which judges him—the word that I have spoken will judge him in the last day.
This sect or that sect could find obscure language that tells them that those in a committed relationship with a dog, or a building, or three partners are just great with Jesus, after all, He never specifically prohibited them.
Ignorance is NO EXCUSE..!
1 Peter 1:14
“as obedient children, not conforming yourselves to the former lusts, as in your ignorance”
All are w/out excuse
Romans 1:20
“For since the creation of the world His invisible attributes are clearly seen, being understood by the things that are made, even His eternal power and Godhead, so that they are without excuse”
That is why, like it or not, Our Lord gave us the Church, warts and all.
The church is for those being saved.
Acts 2:47
praising God and having favor with all the people. And the Lord added to the church daily those who were being saved
Please do. Lesbyterian or Pagan Church USA are good titles for the PCUSA too IMHO.
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