Layman.org

A.W. Tozer, the great 20th Century theologian in The Pursuit of God wrote of a void in the human heart that only God can fill.  The constrained, knowing humankind’s sinfulness welcome God’s filling and that brings them hope; they have an eternal view of any problem that confronts them.  Judgment and wisdom are encompassed in this eternal view. The unconstrained attempt to fill the void in their hearts by applying solutions to important problems; they have a temporal view of problems – things need to be fixed now, not later.  For the unconstrained, enlightenment and solutions are like two very powerful searchlights shining within the PCUSA, and when that light hits the constrained faction, an immediate pushback and reaction occurs.  The strong reaction affirms to the unconstrained that they are on the right track; their solutions are good, and they in turn are good themselves.  Otherwise, why would the unenlightened be reacting so strongly?  And so, the unconstrained heart is filled, but this filling comes with a very high price tag.   If the searchlights of enlightenment and solutions illuminate a constrained faction that is so small and feeble as to be nonexistent, then no significant pushback or reaction occurs, and the unconstrained heart is left wanting.

Dismissal settlements in the PCUSA are of course about money and the exercise of power, but at a deep level, the unconstrained know that without the constrained, they are unimportant; no one will really care about their solutions and their hearts will be empty; hence their despair.  For if a “pure” unconstrained PCUSA changes the definition of marriage or even advocates for say polygamy, who cares?  They are merely one of dozens of organizations advocating for the same issues.  Therefore, in the long run, departing churches may threaten PCUSA’s existence, but in the short run, they call into question the PCUSA’s self worth.  Louisville is determined this must stop.  Gracious dismissal – if it ever existed – is out the window and departing churches are tied to the rack of the Trust Clause and stretched until they recant or pay.  These are the actions of desperate individuals.