David December 6, 2007
In September of 1987, I stood before a congregation of church members and Presbyters to answer the ordination questions listed in W-4.0003. I was nervous, excited, proud and confident that my answers to the nine questions would be true and from the heart. Now, twenty years later, I look at these same questions as I come before you, because in the wisdom of the Spirit, you wish to learn more about me and my understanding of service to the Kingdom of God. As members of the Church, and therefore, one another we must be willing to say the truth with conviction and with heartfelt intention to bring change in itself and the world God has placed us in. This is why I wish to attend General Assembly, to be a part of the change that our Lord and our scripture call us to do.
I am still faced with these profound questions from our Book of Order, and I must confess that my understanding or interpretation of their answers is different than twenty years ago. I have changed in twenty years, and the practice of ministry has taught me more about life, God and the role of the church. Since graduation I have discovered that the primary role of faith as expressed in those answers is not to be found in doctrine, orthodoxy, church councils or tomes of Christian literature. It is to be found in the scriptures that come alive in the Kingdom of God today.
The Kingdom of God is a vast mystery spanning time and embracing peoples, cultures, media and technologies. Its hands, feet and voice are found within the church of Jesus Christ, as it speaks of hope, love, justice, peace and joy. It is the sound of uncountable footsteps that scuffle, march, or run after the Lord Jesus Christ. This following of Christ by the church is the principal way in ...