The Open Life

Where has episcopal polity ever served to advance the Reformation for more than a generation? Americans are pragmatic people and despite their republican roots they are tempted by the pragmatic advantages of episcopacy. The truth is that when there is an orthodox, strong bishop much good can be done in a short period of time but where there is a bad bishop much evil can also be done with equal speed.

Presbyterial polity, i.e., governance by elders and pastors is inherently slow and inefficient. In that respect it is “un-American” (even if our founding fathers intended the federal government to be small and all government to be slow, each branch held in check by the other). America is not the Kingdom of God, however, and the Kingdom of God is not America. I believe that it is the divine intention (de iure divino) that church governance be slow, inefficient, each assembly (i.e. session/consistory, presbytery/classis, GA/synod) accountable to and held in check by the other. Remember, the Third Reich was efficient. Yes, the railroads ran on time and we know where that led. No, I’m not saying that episcopacy or the “collegiate model” is fascist or totalitarian but the history of episcopacy and totalitarianism serves to warn us about the dangers of efficiency and about central command of anything (civil or ecclesiastical). Human beings are sinful, profoundly wicked and, in this life, they will always remain thus. The Wesleyans and Nazarenes are wrong. We are not perfected in this life and never shall be. Presbyterial polity is premised on divine sovereignty and human corruption.

God does give us the desires of our hearts. He is not out to get us, or to make us wander the vocational wilderness forever. Sometimes we are "dumped" into short-term vocations which to us seem utterly meaningless and yet in some way providentially equip us with a skill which will be vital in our as yet unknown calling in life. We just cannot figure out God's secret plan, but we can trust it and learn from natural as well as biblical sources how we might better discern our calling.

The questions, What are your skills?, What do you really enjoy?, What would get you up on Monday morning?, are in the realm of nature. Super-spirituality may look down on such mundane questions and try to steal into God's secret chamber, but biblical piety is content to leaf through the book of nature. God has created us a certain way, given us certain habits, skills, longings, and drives. In no single calling would we be able to employ all of our interests, skills, and drives. That is why there are avocations. An avocation is a side-vocation: a hobby, sport, or pastime. Let's say there is this person named Ralph who enjoys painting. He finds it relaxing and fulfilling. It is something he enjoys. But does that mean that it is his calling? Not necessarily. It may be an avocation rather than a vocation; something he does to wind down on Saturday, not something he does to bring home the bacon on Monday. He might have a better idea whether it is an avocation rather than a vocation if, over time, the general response to his work is favorable from close relatives but nobody else in town will take his work on consignment or exhibit it in any gallery. It doesn't require a period of prayer and fasting to figure this out.