One of the Values of the Presbytery Tickled my Memory

"PASSION: We carry out our God-given tasks with energy, intelligence, imagination, and love in the power of the Holy Spirit."

Passion, one of the values of our Presbytery.  That is not something I have seen very often.  I like it.  And I like the way that it is governed.  Unbridled passion can take us to places in our lives that may not reflect the love of Jesus Christ.  Passion, in the current cultural concept, is often paired with words like "torrid", to describe a love affair.

The Passion of Jesus, a historic usage of the word, reflects Jesus' trial and death on the cross.  In the Middle Ages, where life was brief and the plague always in the forefront of people's minds, Passion Plays, portraying the death of Jesus, were often staged, many times with brutality and pain and sorrow to make Mel Gibson's movie portrayal of Jesus' Passion pale in comparison.

The phrase in this value statement that tickled my memory was "energy, intelligence, imagination, and love", because that statement recurs in our worship on an annual basis.  It is from the last of the general ordination questions for church officers: "Will you serve the people with energy, intelligence, imagination, and love?"  The answer is "I will".

So the call of the Presbytery in this instance is NOT to be lazy, stupid, thick, and uncaring.  (I define the opposite of love to be uncaring, not hate.  That is a discussion for a future blog post).  Each of these characteristics, by themselves, could apply to anything from playing music to doing church to pursuing a degree to building models. 

Passion is what gives our souls fulfillment, what triggers the "WOW" factor in what we ourselves are doing. 

Let me give you an example.  I don't much like cello music.  But I love to watch Yo Yo Ma play.  The reason is the passion that is on his face as he plays.  He is absorbed, sucked into the very essence of what he is giving to the audience listening to him.  When I watch the passion he brings to the playing, it elevates the music to something almost magical.

What a thing to aim for in the work of the church!  And, consider the value statement, we are doing the tasks God has appointed us to accomplish.  Even more, we aren't flapping in the breeze on our own, but the Holy Spirit can inspire and fill us to carry out these tasks!  Not just passion, but divinely appointed and driven passion! 

And Passion that is not pursued for the sake of Passion.  This is not the first of our values, but second to last.  There is much that governs our work that can channel and focus our passion to change the world, or at least this pie-wedged chunk of New Jersey, for Jesus Christ.