The Messenger

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A NOTE FROM DAVID

 Dear Sisters and Brothers in Christ,

One of my favorite scriptures is a prayer from Paul to the church in Philippi. Paul says, “And this is my prayer, that your love may overflow more and more with knowledge and full insight to help you determine what really matters, so that in the day of Christ you may be pure and blameless” (Philippians 1:9-10).

In this prayer, Paul is reminding the church that knowledge of God is rendered useless when it is not kindled in the unity that comes from love. When we love as God has loved us, the knowledge we carry provides    insight that helps us navigate a world that is marred with brokenness and hostility. Insight is one of those tricky psychological and spiritual processes that is difficult to fully understand. Psychologist Wolfgang Köhler said that insight is a “sudden and unexpected rearrangement of the mind.” And Carl Jung said that insight gives us the ability to understand ourselves when we find “everything that irritates us about others.” While these psychologists were likely not considering the words from Paul when these words were written, they strike the heart of what Paul likely meant. Love is the mechanism that rearranges our minds and gives us the opportunity to grow in Christ together. In our moment, the church lives into our counter-cultural existence by loving those we disagree with and gaining insights from various perspectives. So, this month I give you a spiritual challenge: Engage in a conversation with someone who thinks differently than you and keep a record of where you see wisdom in those views. There are patently bad ideas, and those should be rejected, but once we get past the media-induced noise and find the person behind the view, we open the door to actually love them in a way that Paul urges.

Last month, I was formally commissioned by Eastminster Presbytery to serve as Commissioned Ruling Elder (CRE) at Kinsman Presbyterian Church. This formalizes the relationship we have been engaged in over the past few years and allows me to fulfill certain pastoral responsibilities, such as moderating Session and       administering the sacraments. What does not change is the love and affection I have for each of you and my gratitude for your ongoing support in developing my call to ministry. Be on the lookout for a formal         commissioning service, which will take place in July, in which we will formalize this next chapter in our     relationship together. I look forward to continuing to walk this journey with you as we discover new insights that are found in mutual love!

With Christ’s peace, grace, and love,

David