Gathering
2003 Churchwide Gathering of
Presbyterian Women
by Janice Catron
 "I
therefore, the prisoner in the Lord, beg you to lead a life worthy
of the calling to which you have been called, with all humility
and gentleness, with patience, bearing with one another in love,
making every effort to maintain the unity of the Spirit in the
bond of peace. There is one body and one Spirit, just as you
were called to the one hope of your calling, one Lord, one faith,
one baptism, one God and Father* of all, who is above all and
through all and in all." --Ephesians 4:16,NRSV
At the 2003 Churchwide Gathering of Presbyterian Women, participants
will join in worship and study around the theme "God's Vision-Our
Calling." This focus grew out of prayerful consideration
and discussion of Ephesians 4:1--6, the scripture passage chosen
for this event.
The Bible indicates that there is an intimate connection between
God's long-term vision and our immediate calling. Time and again,
the message of the biblical writers comes down to this: God has
a vision of wholeness for us and for the world that the first
creation modeled and that the new creation will bring to permanent
fruition; in the meantime, God calls us to create as much of
that wholeness on earth as we can.
 The Ephesians passage taps into
this overarching divine vision by centering on wholeness within
the community of faith. Only when we live in unity in the Spirit,
the passage suggests, are we able to fulfill our calling and
usher a bit of God's realm into the here-and-now. What is the
key to such unity? The answer seems to lie in our status as adopted
children of God.
The full argument begins with the third chapter of Ephesians,
where Paul writes about a divine mystery-that Jews and Gentiles
together are full heirs to God's fulfilled promises. Because
we are all heirs to "the promise in Christ Jesus through
the gospel" (Eph. 3:6), we should act accordingly. As it's
put in Ephesians 4:1, we are to "lead a life worthy of the
calling to which [we] have been called." An even more detailed
description of this life follows in verses two and three. The
proper attitude of God's heirs is marked by humility, gentleness
and patience as we "[bear] with one another in love"
(Eph. 4:2). In other words, we are to treat others in ways that
reflect a keen awareness that each and every one of us is equally
precious in God's eyes. Moreover, we are to do everything we
can to "maintain the unity of the Spirit in the bond of
peace" (Eph. 4:3).
Considering all that divides the church today, the call to maintain
peaceful unity in the Spirit may seem next to impossible. In
some ways, the challenge was just as overwhelming for the early
Christians in Ephesus. That is why Paul added the little creedal
statement in Ephesians 4:4--6;
we must focus on what we hold in common, the apostle implies,
because that is what ultimately holds us together: "one
body and one Spirit, [one hope], one Lord, one faith, one baptism,
one God and Father of all."
The use of the word "Father" here is of particular
theological note because Paul is hearkening back to his original
point. In Roman law (and in Jewish tradition), the male head
of a household had the power to adopt another person. The adopted
person then received the full rights and privileges of any other
family member, just as if they had been born to that family.
Former circumstances no longer mattered-even if the adopted one
came from the poorest of circumstances and had no value whatsoever
in the eyes of society, now that person was considered indistinguishable,
legally and socially, from those born into the family. Paul underscored
his belief that the One God we all profess is the same God who
has granted each of us such status, even to the extent of being
full and uncontested heirs. When we accept this role and identity,
we accept the corresponding call to be part of the family business:
bringing God's vision to fruition however and whenever we can.
"God's Vision-Our Calling" is a timely theme. Certainly
recapturing God's vision for the world, the church and ourselves
is vitally important for Presbyterian Women today. The good news
is that not only is this possible, it is a promise. As we seek
to "lead a life worthy of the calling to which [we] have
been called," we become the conduit through which God will
transform all these areas-the world, the church and even ourselves-according
to the
ever-gracious divine vision.
Janice Catron is the editorial director of Geneva Press, a
division of the Presbyterian Publishing Corporation.
A former Horizons Bible study author (Job, 1996), she will serve
as the Bible study leader for the 2003 Churchwide Gathering of
Presbyterian Women.
Gathering Scholarships
$100,000 in scholarships is available for the 2003 Churchwide
Gathering of Presbyterian Women.
 Eligible recipients include
racial ethnic women, young Presbyterian women (under 40), church
professionals (including clergy women, lay pastors and church
administrators/personnel), and daughters (ages 13--29) attending
with mother and/or grandmother. Scholarships can be applied toward
the cost of the Gathering registration fee.
Scholarship application forms will be available March 1, 2002
and may be requested through the moderator for PW in your presbytery,
the moderator for PW in your synod and through your PW Enabler.
The deadline to apply for a gathering scholarship is October
15, 2002. For more information, contact Ann Olson, 651/644-2848
or a_molson@unidial.com.
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