November 21, 2004

Not Even a Semester into It Yet ...

... and already Andrew Zirschky, Nazarene, Princeton Seminary junior and buddy of Cleave has figured out the Presbyterian way without so much as the benefit of a secret decoder ring or a Book of Order. Check out "Your church might be Presbyterian if ...":

  • If your church and the Church Triumphant are in competition for the same members, your church might be Presbyterian.
  • If you fall asleep during your own sermons, your church might be Presbyterian.
  • If the pastor refers to the "youth of the church" and your grandma steps forward, your church might be Presbyterian.
  • If you've ever wondered if the pastor lipsyncs the Benediction because it always sounds exactly the same, your church might be Presbyterian.
  • If the offering is considered a sacrament, your church might be Presbyterian.
  • If "contemporary worship" refers to songs written anytime after the death of Calvin, your church might be Presbyterian.
  • If the ushers use walkers, your church might be Presbyterian.
  • If the contents of the church library and the Dead Sea Scrolls look oddly similar, your church might be Presbyterian.
  • If you explain the denominational loss of 1 million people in 10 years by proudly saying, "They didn't leave, they died!" your church might be Presbyterian.
  • If the authority of the church organist is considered on par with the Holy Spirit, your church might be Presbyterian.

Posted by Mike at November 21, 2004 07:54 PM | TrackBack
Comments

Owwwww!!!

Posted by: Dave at November 24, 2004 08:59 AM

My "secret decoder ring" is the fact I've ended up at an 190-year-old Presbyterian church in Pennsylvania doing youth ministry. I haven't been able to reveal this on my site since I don't want the denominational rumor mills back in Nazarene-land to start churning, "He's become a Presbyterian!!!"

I haven't become a Presbyterian, but I'm sympathetic to the cause. After all, I believe in "right to life" and think it's important to keep things on life support as long as possible.

Regardless, the church I'm at is a great little place with a lot of good folk. But everything I wrote in that list is true. The pastor really has referred to the Church Triumphant every week I've been there. That's not a good thing. It's started making me nervous so that everytime an elderly person at the church says, "I'm going home," I don't know if I should say, "Bye, see you next week," or, "You'll be missed; cremation or burial?"

Posted by: Andrew Zirschky at November 26, 2004 11:15 AM

I think we're all in trouble .....

Posted by: The Gray Monk at November 27, 2004 02:21 AM