Who We Really Are

Church Picnic 2006

Faithful to our heritage, then, we are a congregation that’s open, faithfully and remarkably open to the Spirit. Don’t assume, though, that we’re always comfortable in the presence of the Comforter. We’ve discovered that the comfort of the Holy often includes a challenge to move on, to leave past baggage behind and travel light into new life, with new visions and perspectives, and with refreshed or occasionally altogether new beliefs. How well we know it, that the challenge of the Holy may take us out of our comfort zone!

Nonetheless, with our Madison Square ancestors whispering faithful counsel and encouragement, we are open to the Holy One in our midst. As a result, our eyes, ears and hearts have been opened to three very special truths. These are the truths we cherish, and in which the Spirit is shaping who we are and who we are becoming.

One, there is exquisite beauty woven of the diversity God created in flora and fauna and certainly in us human creatures. With Spirit-opened eyes we see, not one cookie-cutter mold into which all must fit, but the wondrous diversity God breathed into being and on which God smiles in love.

Two, in Jesus Christ we see the Creator’s love and way of loving, how open divine love is, how lavishly inclusive and unconditional. With eyes opened by the Holy, we catch a glimpse of that love. We cannot see it all, the limitless width and breadth of that love, yet just a glimpse of it causes us to catch our breath in awe.

Three, the voice of this same Jesus Christ sings eternally and to all humanity the good news of God’s amazing grace. With Spirit-opened ears, we hear the loving, healing Christ singing to the whole human family and inviting human beings to sing along, to sing to one another the Love song God sings to each of us. We hear the Christ singing, birthing that song to bubble up in our hearts and pour forth exuberantly from us, to love all God’s children inclusively and unconditionally. We’ve discovered that singing the Love song is to experience the joyous abundance of faithfulness. And we’ve discovered that, though the singing does not always bring comfortable calm, its gift is the peace which passes all understanding.

Church Picnic 2006

Our Ministry House

Like other churches, we have a house, not just a building made of brick and mortar, or of limestone, but a framework for ministry, a structure both tangible and intangible. It’s a house built not to confine but to support growth and unite those who live within it. And it’s a house designed for a particular household, with its own customs and traditions and way of living. Those who abide in our ministry house live “the Presbyterian way.”

The Madison Square ministry house: some enter it and are amazed. They say, “We didn’t know that a church could feel like this, so open and warm-hearted. We didn’t know there was a congregation that would say to us, ‘Welcome home.’” One person who is now a church member put it like this: “I visited Madison Square Presbyterian once, but didn’t visit again for a whole year. What I felt that one time I visited seemed too good to be true, and so, it took me a long time to risk coming back. I didn’t want to risk being disappointed.” Someone else, who lives in another city, was in San Antonio for a convention. During the convention’s Sunday morning break, she walked to Madison Square park, sat on a bench, noticed the church, and “on a lark,” as she says, decided to go in. She says it was the first time in years she’d entered much less felt welcome in a church building.

The testimony of these children of God is evidence that, while Madison Square Presbyterian Church is not unique among churches, it is amazingly warm and welcoming. Those who are at home in our ministry house could never fit the clichéd description of Presbyterians, as “the frozen chosen.” Yet we are indeed Presbyterians. The framework for our ministry is Presbyterian; we live our ministry the Presbyterian way.

Like other Presbyterian churches within the Presbyterian Church (USA), we look to our denomination’s long years of shared wisdom, with its vision of Christian ministry. The written constitution of the Presbyterian Church (USA), which includes The Book of Order and The Book of Confessions, opens to us rich theological wisdom founded in the Bible’s story about God and human beings. That wisdom which has been gleaned over the years is formed in the spirit of Spirit-reformation, which means Presbyterian structure cannot be static or stagnant, but ever dynamic, ever open to fresh insights and new interpretations brought by the Spirit.

Church Picnic 2006

Presbyterians are not afraid of spontaneity in the Spirit! Our structure provides the breathing room we need to move with the Spirit’s breathing. At the same time, we know that not every voice which beckons is the voice is the Spirit. So we do not move with irresponsible haste, but with prayerful care; we are very grateful for the “Presbyterian Way,” which roots us and anchors us in the stability we need to walk the sacred path. Without that stable structure, we’d have a hard time walking the sacred path together as Presbyterians, because within our denomination there are many churches, and every church is different.

No two Presbyterian churches are exactly alike. Each congregation has its own “personality” and its own functional calling, something of its own to contribute to the faithful journey of the rest of the body.

Yet we Presbyterians are together bound in deep beliefs and in a shared walk along Way of Christ. As a result, the hearts, lives and ministry of Madison Square Presbyterian Church are connected to the hearts, lives and ministry of all the Presbyterian churches across The United States. Despite the many miles there may be between churches, literally or figuratively, the Spirit’s breathing connects us to live as one body. And, with the Presbyterian constitution providing shared guidance for all congregations, in any Presbyterian church you visit you’ll see evidence of a common structure.

That structure relies on leaders who are themselves led by the Spirit. Note the plural, leaders, not leader: no Presbyterian church vests any one person with sole authority to lead the congregation. True, Presbyterian Christians are as human as anybody else and as subject to error. Therefore, it is sadly true that some Presbyterian congregations fall off the Presbyterian path, by allowing a powerful member, or a powerful family within the church family, or the pastor, to usurp the leadership role. But that’s not the Presbyterian way.

Who’s Who in our Ministry House

Every Presbyterian church must have a Session formed of Elders, though the number on the Session varies to accommodate the size of the congregation. And every Presbyterian church has a hands on caring ministry, sometimes provided by Deacons, sometimes under the umbrella of the Session itself. But other groups, both formal and informal, come together, and other ministries stir to life, in response to a congregation’s “personality.” And if the church is large, many groups form and a variety of activities happen, enabling members to get to know each other. We need to know who’s who in the house, in order to be a family of friends in ministry together.

Madison Square is light years away from being a “mega church” in size. But, with several hundred members, we are considered a large church within our denomination, and we’re certainly large enough to need to be intentional about getting to know each other so we can work together well. What follows is an incomplete list of all our groups and activities, but it may give you more insight into who we are. And, by the way, these groups and activities are never reserved for members only; we want to know each other, but also we want to know others who are our guests and very, very welcome.

            The Sanctuary Choir
            The Hand-Bell Ringers
            The Women’s Association
            The Sewing Group
            Two Writers’ Groups
            Sunday morning classes for all ages
            Vacation Bible School
            The Wednesday Afternoon Bible Study/Prayer Group
            Several other prayer groups
            Several groups which read and study books together
            A “come on in and be at home with us” support group
            Mission teams which travel within and beyond the borders of The United States
            Groups which form around particular projects or events
            The Roley Lecture Series Committee
            Various neighborhood gatherings
            Potluck suppers and other fellowship events
            Retreats

Church Picnic 2006

From Our Ministry House to the San Antonio Community

Yet another group of Madison Square Presbyterians says a lot about who we are and how we live our ministry. This group is huge. It doesn’t hold formal meetings, but is composed of many, many members of the church family. These are the adults and youth who go out into the San Antonio community as volunteers in numerous benevolent organizations. They do that because that’s who they are and who we are as Madison Square Christians.

And, though the architecture of our building may not say everything that’s to be said about who we are, the way we use our building does say something about us, how we minister and live our mission, reaching out to others. If you wander through our buildings during the day or into most evenings, you’ll see us gladly scurrying around, juggling rooms and adjusting our calendar schedule to accommodate many who are not church members. We do not hoard what’s been given to us, but gladly donate space for people in the San Antonia community who need a place to gather. We give space for counseling sessions, support groups, board meetings of benevolent agencies, GED classes, educational training events, hospice worship services, daily AA meetings, and other groups which are beneficiaries of Madison Square hospitality. And sometimes it’s a family who needs a place, for a wedding, or for a funeral.

So-o-o-o-o………..

So, who are we, really? Well, Madison Square Presbyterians are not people who live Christian faith just one hour a week on Sunday mornings! Nor are we content to rest our ministry on past memories. We’re alive and aware of the Holy urging us to move on along the sacred journey, and we spend considerable time thinking about what that journey means, or might mean. We don’t all think alike, but we do all think a lot. We’re curious about God’s beautiful creation, and we’re eager to discover more about God’s love and our human life in it. We’re not just brains with legs, but we do enjoy being stimulated to new thoughts about God and life. As one of our members says, “Madison Square is a church where you don’t have to leave your brain at the door.”

Madison Square Presbyterians are busy Christian disciples because, true to our history and heritage of Spirit-led ministry, we’re open to the dynamic and sometimes very dramatic breathing and calling of that Spirit; we live ready for surprises and challenges along the road ahead. And we live profoundly trusting God, in this life and in the promise of life to come, when our earthly lives will be completed and we’ll go home to the One who loves us so much.

Madison Square Presbyterian Church is an open, welcoming community of God’s children reaching out to all the rest of God’s children. We’re a church family, but we’re not the kind of family which lives as a closed system of insiders. We genuinely want to embrace and include as sisters and brothers any and all whose life paths cross ours. Together listening to the Spirit, we look toward the day when all people are gladly a worldwide family. Toward the beauty and peace of that day, we encourage each other to sing Love’s song and to carry the light of gospel love wherever we go.

Church Picnic 2006