Behind Psalm 8, the second “song of majesty” is Psalm 145, where we also find “two modes” of divine majesty. The fourth stanza praises God’s regal highness in the more typical terms: glory and power, mighty deeds, situated in “his kingdom,” under his kingly dominion. This is the stuff of natural majesty. Then the fifth stanza unfolds this peculiar majesty for the enlightened eyes of his covenant people — the people to which God, amazingly, is kind, or literally loyal (verses 13b and 17) by his gracious covenant. Psalm 138 also contains a parallel, at least in showing the surprising majesty of God, and the global advance of his renown, his name.

Mention something “majestic” in nature, and many of us would think of mountains.
We might call to mind some great range of mountains, or a towering waterfall, or an expansive body of water with no end in sight. Majestic features are both imposing and attractive, both impressive and beautiful, both intimidating and inviting. They have a strange pull on the human soul, drawing on us to draw near, but with reverence and care.
In our language, as in biblical terms, the word majesty captures not only bigness but also beauty, awesome power combined with pleasant admiration, both great height or size and yet potential safety. Majesty brings together both greatness and goodness, both strength and splendor (Psalm 96:6). It’s not only a fitting descriptor for mountain majesties but also for God, who is, above all, “the Majestic One” (Isaiah 10:34). Psalm 76:4 declares in praise to him, “Glorious are you,” and then adds, “more majestic than the mountains.”
How Majestic His Name
Such divine majesty pulses with an expansive, evangelistic force. God is not only majestic in fact but also in renown. His greatness, his power, his glory are not to be hidden and kept secret, but to spread through sight and word far and wide, attaching his name to such greatness and glory. His majesty is to be known, and he to be known, by name.
In a song of high praise, Psalm 148 bids both kings and commoners, young men and maidens, old and young alike to praise God’s exalted name as an extension of his majesty:
Let them praise the name of the Lord,for his name alone is exalted;his majesty is above earth and heaven. (Psalm 148:13)
So also Micah’s famous Bethlehem prophecy speaks of a great ruler arising, from the little town, who “shall stand and shepherd his flock in the strength of the Lord, in the majesty of the name of the Lord his God. And they shall dwell secure, for now he shall be great to the ends of the earth” (Micah 5:4).
Of course, nowhere is God’s majesty accented as memorably as in the first line of Psalm 8 and its refrain in the last. This is Scripture’s signature celebration of divine majesty. Yet here, God’s majesty is not like the renown of mere human splendor, whether of ancient Egypt or Babylon or Rome, or like the renown of a Washington or Napoleon, a Lincoln or Churchill. This psalm, perhaps surprisingly, largely assumes God’s natural majesty (as we might call it), equally visible to unbelieving eyes, while accenting his peculiar majesty — the summit of his beauty requiring a miracle of his grace to see and enjoy.
Two Modes of Majesty
Psalm 8 manifestly sings of glory — God’s glory, set above the heavens (verse 1), and man’s glory, appointed by God, as one he has “crowned . . . with glory and honor” (verse 5). And so, that memorable opening line, reprised as the final note, hails the majesty of God’s name:
O Lord, our Lord, how majestic is your name in all the earth!
Here, under the banner of God’s majesty and excellence as his glory, we find two levels, or modes. First is what we might call a natural mode: the heavens (verses 1 and 3), the moon and the stars (verse 3), and we might presume the quintessential natural majesties like mountains and waterfalls and oceans, vast physical expanses that remind us of our smallness and the awe-inspiring bigness and authority and power of the one who made such majesties.
But then, second, is what we might call a special mode of his majesty, which is the particular emphasis of Psalm 8: verse 2 mentions the mouths of babies and infants (that is, the weak) testifying to his strength in the face of foes and the enemy and avenger. Then, at the heart of the psalm, verses 3–8 marvel at his grace toward mankind. In view of such natural majesties as the heavens (“your heavens”!) and moon and stars, and mountains, “What is man that you are mindful of him?”
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I trust that you are men driven by Christian character who will not countenance watching a sound church of Jesus Christ – your church – be torn asunder, especially by a small minority. If this is true, then give no support, encouragement or succor to any man who would refuse now to submit wholeheartedly to the will of the brethren. 

Dear Brothers:
Pondering the dangerous and seemingly unquenchable division in our nation right now the thought has occurred to me that sometimes men just have to “slug it out.” Boxers, pre-fight, stare at each other with absolute malice in their eyes and the visceral desire to kill or seriously wound the other.  Honestly, there is no way that this aggression is going to be defused without a fight.  However, after the match the combatants usually hug and congratulate each other as reconciled enemies. The hostilities have abated, and the two stand with a unique and very strong bond as brothers in arms.
Around 160 years ago our nation was torn apart by a bloody civil war.  Young men chomped at the bit to move onto the field of battle and unleash lethal force upon their neighbor.
However, after four years of bloodshed men on both sides had had enough and were ready to be at peace. General Robert E. Lee did much to help bring about that peace.
It is reported that President Jefferson Davis desired to continue to fight a guerrilla war against the U.S. However, knowing the costs of dividing a nation and the price of war, Lee said, “No.” Instead, he went on an extensive campaign throughout the South to help heal the rift that had formed.  He encouraged Southerners to forget the past, to lay aside revenge and not to engage in continued warfare against the Union. Did Lee suddenly think that his reasons for fighting were wrong? No, however, what he saw was the greater good of peace and unity that stood before a nation torn apart by a four-year war.
Interestingly, the Presbyterian Church in America (PCA), our denomination, has been at civil war for the same number of years. It was in 2018 that a member church of your presbytery stunned the denomination by hosting Revoice, a Side-B gay affirming conference. Letters and articles were written addressing genuine concerns.  Greg Johnson went on a speaking campaign via podcasts, magazines, twitter and finally a book.
The Heart of the People
Brothers, the rollout of Side-B was orchestrated in your presbytery. I am not going to get into all of the evidence of this in this letter, but suffice it to say, the evidence is clear. Now, I do not think that you all planned to “take down” the PCA.  I simply believe that you misread the heart and mind of the denomination; a heart and mind that has been clearly demonstrated over the past two General Assemblies.
At GA 2021, the GA voted to pass overture 23 by well over 2/3 of the body.  The overture clearly expressed the will of the denomination that a man not be allowed to serve as a church officer who professes to be a “gay Christian,” “same-sex attracted Christian,” “homosexual Christian,” or like terms. Many in the PCA wanted their feelings expressed and did so.
Those on the other side were successful in scuttling the overture by seeing that it did not reach the high threshold for ratification by 2/3 of presbyteries.  Nonetheless, the vote was very close to the two-thirds of presbyteries needed.
So, the elders of the denomination came back together in 2022 and passed yet two more overtures dealing with the matter.  Overture 29 only had 200 votes against it.  Overture 15, with specific language referring to those claiming to be homosexuals, and despite arguments that it wouldn’t be able to pass the 2/3 threshold, still passed GA by nearly 55% of the body. The point in all of this is that the denomination has spoken.  It does not agree with Side -B-gay-but-celibate ideology. The sentiment is overwhelming.  The war is over.
Jolene
Back in the early ‘70s Dolly Parton sang a song about a woman who came from a position of admitted weakness, begging her antagonist, who was beautiful and seductive, to have a heart and not take away her only love, just because she could.
Our denomination finds itself coming to you in a position of weakness. Those who support Side B could wage a guerilla war within our denomination. 1) They could work to scuttle the overtures again, frustrating the will of the members, and we could debate them again at GA after GA. Or 2), they could allow the overtures to pass, but simply not obey their spirit while hiding within sympathetic presbyteries and an effete Standing Judicial Commission.  Certainly, PCA members would be very frustrated.  Or 3), they could even engage in a tactical retreat in order to hide out and replan, only to spring another surprise on the Church in a few years. In short, those supporting Side B ideology could do much to sow discord and in so doing destroy the peace and health of the PCA, something they swore not to do in their ordination vows.
The reality is it is time for those who support Side B-gay-but-celibate ideology to submit to the will of their brethren, also a part of their ordination vows and bring an end to the lost-cause campaign.
This is where you step in to be the Robert E. Lee of our age. The denomination needs you to say, “Enough.  It is time for peace and submission.”  Many of those who support the other side of this issue look up to you all – particularly certain members of your court who perhaps have served them at the seminary.
Fool Me Thrice
There is an old proverb: “Fool me once, shame on you; fool me twice, shame on me.” Even though I have had my trust abused on numerous occasions by fellow PCA presbyters and ought to know better, I am just a sucker.  I trust that you are men driven by Christian character who will not countenance watching a sound church of Jesus Christ – your church – be torn asunder, especially by a small minority. If this is true, then give no support, encouragement or succor to any man who would refuse now to submit wholeheartedly to the will of the brethren.  Make every effort to root out rebellion, and counsel men of the need to uphold their vows.
It is understood that some will conscientiously be unable to submit to the will of the brethren in this matter. They must be encouraged to exit the denomination for one that suits them better.
Brotherhood Again
The fight has been long, tiresome and costly. We have slugged it out, so to speak. It is time to shake hands, come together and be one church with the same heart and mind. It is incumbent upon you to rally together to restore peace and unity in the PCA, to strengthen the PCA for the good of Christ’s Church.
Sincerely in Christ,
Jim Shaw is a teaching elder in the Presbyterian Church in America serving Redeemer Presbyterian in Brunswick, GA. 
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Written by Robert A. J. Gagnon |
Monday, April 17, 2023
“Embracing the Journey” has all the earmarks of being a stealth gay/transgender front organization, and an exemplar of deception, doublespeak, and egregious proof-texting. There is a reason why they avoid direct statements about their view that Scripture isn’t addressing committed homosexual relationships and an “authentic” transgender life: They want to attract conservative parents who start with a position akin to that of Jesus and Scripture, and then convince them to abandon the tension of truth-in-love in favor of a distorted view of love.
“Embracing the Journey: A Christian Parents’ Blueprint to Loving Your LGBTQ Child” by Greg and Lynn McDonald
I’m starting to read Embracing the Journey: A Christian Parents’ Blueprint to Loving Your LGBTQ Child* by Greg and Lynn McDonald. As I noted in a prior post, their organization by the same name is putting on a conference at Andy Stanley’s church in September, and has a “chapter” at Saddleback Church (Rick Warren’s old church).
It has all the earmarks of being a stealth gay/transgender front organization, and an exemplar of deception, doublespeak, and egregious proof-texting. There is a reason why they avoid direct statements about their view that Scripture isn’t addressing committed homosexual relationships and an “authentic” transgender life: They want to attract conservative parents who start with a position akin to that of Jesus and Scripture, and then convince them to abandon the tension of truth-in-love in favor of a distorted view of love.
Remember to compare whatever someone claims with respect to treating someone engaged in homosexual activity to how one should respond to someone engaged in adult-committed incest, then polyamory.
The McDonalds say in their book that they don’t “tackle many hot topics” in their book like what the Bible says about homosexual practice (though they have their own opinion), because “thriving isn’t about being right.” “There was a time, not so long ago, when the world seemed black and white to us … ‘right’ or ‘wrong’” (207; RG: like their stance on incest and polyamory?).
They were “released … from the idea that everything is either/or” when a pastor told them that between God’s creation of day and night are “gray periods” of dusk and dawn; between the land and sea God created are the unmentioned “streams, lakes, and rivers” which are not “less biblical than the oceans.” In other words, embrace the shades of gray entailed in “LGBTQ” propaganda. While you are at it, embrace the shades of gray involving idolatry and other forms of sexual immorality.
They do recommend that if the reader wants more “guidance about issues related to the LGBTQ community” they can go to “the resources list on our website,” where incidentally they will find no books that make the biblical case for a male-female requirement for sexual relationships. They will find plenty of “resources” that promote committed homosexual relationships, like books by Justin Lee, Matthew Vines, David Gushee, Kathy Baldock, Debbie Causey, John Pavlovitz, and Andrew Marin. You certainly won’t find any of my work recommended there, or even the diluted work of Preston Sprinkle.
The McDonalds assure their readers: Just “love God, and love another. We leave the rest to the Holy Spirit.” What do you mean? You leave incest, polyamory, and idolatry to the Holy Spirit and don’t concern yourselves with whether these things are right or wrong? Applied to other areas where Scripture is clear (and the scriptural position on a male-female prerequisite for sexual relations is the clearest of all sexual-ethic concerns in the Bible) it would mean abandoning biblical clarity and drifting towards acceptance and promotion.
They address the issue of thriving, where they simply assume without any biblical basis whatsoever that thriving never involves exhorting people to depart from a life of sin, in short, to repent; even though this is a staple of the preaching and teaching of Jesus, Paul, and all NT writers. There is a reason why Mark summarizes Jesus’ entire message as “The Kingdom of God has come near: Repent and believe in the gospel” (1:15). True love always entails a call to repentance, with warnings, when a person holds beliefs or engages in behavior that could lead to their exclusion from God’s kingdom.
Yet for the McDonalds thriving involves “losing a lot of our old ideas about religion,” when you stop feeling a need to talk about someone else’s sin (because that would make you better than someone else, which is wrong), giving up the need to fix others, avoiding those who “will choose judgment” and “reject your efforts to love” (210-12).
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