A Forum Tomorrow…

SAT., SEPT. 5, 1998, 9:31 PM
FARM, STUDY

Yes, o son, you did only hear Me twice this week in this liturgical way of Ours (you did hear Me more often in less formal, structured ways, usually without recognition of this). So now I need to give you some advice about this Forum that you should lead tomorrow… on “What Is Presbyterian?” Again you are overprepared, and you still may not get to your “revealing” of yourself as a Presbyterian mystic… but I hope you do.

As you know, obviously, there are many “types” of Christians, so there is quite a “range” in churches… and even church congregations are not frightfully “of one mind and spirit”. Presbyterians tend to be middle-of-the-road in some respects, not fiercely liberal nor strongly conservative. Clergy tend to be well-educated and quite knowledgeable about many aspects of the faith. For some this knowledge is more academic than personal-spiritual. I help educate the clergy in your denomination, but many prefer to read it in some printed reference.

Your particular congregation is about middle-of-the-road for the whole denomination… in size, in outlook on life, in commitment to doing My work in the world, and in activity in the denomination in its organized form. Yet it has been a mostly good and satisfying experience to be part of this church and have several responsibilities appropriate to your talents.

You are pleased that your experiences and “knowledge” tell you that predestination or election was a founding truth or premise for this Reformed tradition, as it is for you, personally. Therefore this Forum is an opportunity for you to remind the folks who are with you tomorrow that this is a unique and vital “bit” of doctrine. I, as the Triune God, AM Sovereign, and I am not backward about calling you and others to My service. “Free will” is free only as I allow it to be.

You are hearing and writing this Teaching because I have called you to this relationship. It is not that there would be some dire punishment if you didn’t have this third one for the week. It just would be that you would not be fulfilling the call which you accepted. It is not a chore to hear and write. It is one of your joys… and you are not one, as a middle-class American, well-educated, to respond avidly to “what someone else wants you to do.”

Being called, being “elected” is an “honor”, but quite outside of your cultural requirement of having to “earn it”. I like how you respond to My “voice”, and I like your spirit in coming as regularly as you do. Yet I also say that in the whole panorama of life on earth in this second half of the 20th century (since My time on earth as Jesus) these Teachings are of little consequence. Why should you continue them, if they’re not going to be important? Because I have chosen you, from before you were born as Bob Russell, to be a health educator, an active Christian, and a mystic (of sorts) who is faithful to a call that doesn’t make rational sense. You have responded, and have little to no trouble with the affirmation that you have not had “free choice” in many life events, decisions, and actions.

Hence you are quite a good Presbyterian, in spirit… in the spirit of the John (C.) who responded to a more vital call from Me, nearly 500 years ago. You are not much like him in the way you live life (and that’s a good reason why you have now outlived him by 17 years) but I want you to feel a kinship with this one who also was called… to write.

You participate well in the government of your local church. You have had little desire to be active in the Presbytery, Synod, or General Assembly. This one Teaching (that you really should share next week) reminds you that you were active in Synod School, as a teacher and “entertainer”, at least. That was a good part of your life. Cherish it as such, even if you never do return to experience it directly… which might be good for you, in this relationship with Me.