God subjected everything “under the sun” to futility in hope. Hope is the opposite of depression. God made everything vapor under the sun in hope that you’d start looking for what is not under the sun. God is not under the sun and apart from Him, you can’t eat or enjoy anything (2:25). So, stop being apart from Him. Please God, by not living just for what’s under the sun. Get wisdom and knowledge and joy (2:26), and a life that’s not a vapor, not just wind chasing. Everything under the sun is in bondage to futility. So, what’s the use? The use of putting everything under the sun in bondage to futility was so that you would look higher than the sun and have the freedom of the glory of the children of God, through Jesus Christ. Ecclesiastes’ use is to take our depressed stare off things under the sun and set it on things above.

Twenty years ago, I was depressed. I was 37 years old living in a nice home in Kentucky. Just a couple of months earlier I thought I was set up for the life I had been working so hard for. I was driven. After three years of 17 hour days of an MDiv program with Greek and Hebrew flashcards, after a missionary stint in Ethiopia, I bull-dozed my way through a Ph.D. program, while working – walking outside in 30 below degree weather in Chicago, hunched over in my car, writing academic papers at 3 am. I had arrived, finally, I thought, where everything would pay off: church, academics, success. It all turned to nothing. So, I sat in the recliner, staring out the window, staring at nothing, with the tv on but not really watching, a freezer full of ice cream which I didn’t eat because I just didn’t care and thought, ‘what’s the use?’. There’s good news for depressed people in Ecclesiastes: you’re right. What is the use?
First, the facts. What are the facts, you depressed people? The “preacher” tells us. He’s the philosopher king, the wise man and he’s going to tell us the facts.
The facts are “vanity of vanities.” The word literally means “vapor,” like a puff of wind, like that mist that comes from vaping. You see it for a few seconds and it dissipates. Everything “under the sun” is like that. Except, it gets worse. It’s not just vapor, it’s the vapor of vapor. If vapor could produce a vapor — if the whole universe were vapor and in that vapor universe there was its own vapor — that’s what everything is like, under the sun.
Under the Sun
“Under the sun” is the qualifier, specifying what exactly is vapor. Not everything but everything “under the sun.” What is “under the sun” is the world we can see; what can be observed; the horizons of this world; the things we see and touch and taste; the work we can do, the things we can achieve with our bodies or minds. That’s the stuff that’s vanity, vapor, meaningless, for nothing. Of course, for most people, that’s their whole lives. They live constantly for what is “under the sun” and so, for them everything is meaningless and they don’t know it and if they find out, without God’s word, they’re going to be very depressed. They’re going to be staring out the window thinking, ‘What’s the use?’
The fact is, under the sun, you’re getting nowhere. “Sixteen tons and what do you get? Another day older and deeper in debt.” What’s the gain if you work 14 hours a day, 7 days a week, for years, to make a life for you and your family and your family doesn’t care? I know a couple who did that, who grew a successful business; were able to branch out to 2 restaurants, move to a nice house near a golf course and their daughter grows up, goes away and never wants to visit. What did they gain by all their toil? (1:3.) “Gain” means profit, end up with more than you began with. Your work has gained you this that you can point to: a house, a bank account, a car. “Under the sun,” people think they’ve gained if they end up with more money and stuff than they started with, than they were raised with. “He who dies with the most toys wins,” they think — except they don’t really think or they’d see that here, under the sun, no one gains because everyone ends up with exactly what they came with: nothing. Hearses don’t pull U-Hauls, no trailers full of their stuff going to heaven. We all end as empty-handed as we started. So, what’s the use?
The fact is we’re never satisfied. “The eye is not satisfied with seeing nor the ear filled with hearing” (1:8.) You never watch a movie that is so good, you’re satisfied never to see another movie again. You never hear a song so fulfilling that you’re happy to never hear another song again. It’s addiction. Now with our phones we can feed that addiction. We can be constantly staring down, looking at something, listening to something and we never have enough of it and we never learn that we’ll never have enough.
The fact is that we’re not really getting anywhere, under the sun. “What has been is what will be and what has been done is what will be done” (1:9). The more things change, the more they stay the same. Is there anything that is really new (1:10)? ‘Ah, we might say back, living in an age of rapid innovation, the iPhone is new, the internet is new.’ Maybe, but what we do with it is the same. Nonsense, looking at cat videos, ranting about politics, porn. Archaeologists dig up pornographic sculptures from Pompeii or from the Canaanites and with our smart phones we’re conveying the same content. Same song, different verse.
Maybe, we’ll think, we’ll make a difference. We’ll write a book or an article or a song or build a building or give the money or be the parent who will be remembered. But how many people do you know from the past? Do you know your great grand-parents? How many of your eight great-grandparents can you name? What makes you think your great-grandchildren will know you? I don’t mean to depress you. Those are just the facts.
Wind Chasing
The facts are that everything, under the sun, is nothing; that it’s going nowhere and try as hard as you can, you won’t change that. You’ll be forgotten just like you forgot your ancestors. You might think that’s brutal, but those are the facts. What I can do, though, is understand it.
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At its October 18, 2022 stated meeting, Tennessee Valley Presbytery (TVP) approved an overture from the Session of First Presbyterian Church in Ft. Oglethorpe, Ga., requesting that Missouri Presbytery investigate the Session of Memorial Presbyterian Church in Saint Louis, Mo. The overture based this request on BCO 40-5, where a higher court can be asked to investigate a lower court if a credible report has been made. TVP approved the overture by voice vote.
The overture alleges that “the St. Louis Magazine reported Memorial Presbyterian Church (PCA) hosted an event in ‘The Chapel (Sanctuary for the Arts)’ on September 2, 2022 entitled, ‘Celestial Bodies.’” It further claims that “the poster for this event featured scandalous depictions of people;” and that “one of the headliners for this event who calls himself eldraco, has performed as a transvestite, and boasts of headlining at the St. Charles Pride Festival.” The overture also highlighted that Missouri Presbytery had previously adopted certain actions to redress and remove previous scandal associated with The Chapel, which is on the Memorial PCA property.
TVP adopted the following to be sent to Missouri Presbytery:
Tennessee Valley Presbytery to request Missouri Presbytery, in accordance with BCO 40-5, to investigate the Session of Memorial Presbyterian Church in Saint Louis, Mo. to determine whether hosting the event reported to have taken place on September 2, 2022 violated the vows of the elders of MPC or otherwise reflects grossly unconstitutional or delinquent action by “promoting uncleanness,” failure to keep “chaste company,” failure to preserve “the chastity of others,” and the failure to “shun all occasions of uncleanness, and resisting temptations thereunto.”
The Overture Considered by Tennessee Valley Presbytery
WHEREAS, the Lord Jesus Christ is the King and Head of the church and has entrusted the care of His flock, the Church He purchased with His own blood, to faithful overseers, and
WHEREAS, the Presbyterian Church in America requires overseers to swear vows and agree to the following (BCO 24-6, 21-4):
“Do you accept the office of ruling elder … in this church, and promise faithfully to perform all the duties thereof, and to endeavor by the grace of God to adorn the profession of the Gospel in your life, and to set a worthy example before the Church of which God has made you an officer?”
“Do you sincerely receive and adopt the Confession of Faith and the Catechisms of this Church, as containing the system of doctrine taught in the Holy Scriptures; and do you further promise that if at any time you find yourself out of accord with any of the fundamentals of this system of doctrine, you will on your own initiative, make known to your Presbytery the change which has taken place in your views since the assumption of this ordination vow?”
“Do you engage to be faithful and diligent in the exercise of all your duties as a Christian and a minister of the Gospel, whether personal or relational, private or public; and to endeavor by the grace of God to adorn the profession of the Gospel in your manner of life, and to walk with exemplary piety before the flock of which God shall make you overseer?” and
WHEREAS, the Westminster Standards of the PCA summarize the moral and ethical duty of Christians to include the following (WLC 138):
“chastity in body, mind, affections, words, and behavior; and the preservation of it in ourselves and others…keeping of chaste company, modesty in apparel… shunning all occasions of uncleanness, and resisting temptations thereunto.” and
WHEREAS, the St. Louis Magazine reported Memorial Presbyterian Church (PCA) hosted an event in “The Chapel (Sanctuary for the Arts)” on September 2, 2022 entitled, “Celestial Bodies,” and described it in the following way:
Celestial Bodies is a uniquely bombastic concert event presented by The Chapel (Sanctuary For the Arts) and hosted by Eldraco+FreeNation. Enjoy 2 complimentary beverages provided by the house whilst grooving and moving to jamming performances from four amazing music acts!
Dream-pop/Alt-Soul diva Elle Patterson and her eclectic band The Focus will bring thought-provoking vibes and undulating grooves that will set the atmosphere. Brother Francis will be testifying funktastically soulful noise with his ensemble The Soultones that will bring you to your knees. Eldraco+FreeNation will tear the roof of the building with their usual high-octane musical madness! The evening will culminate in a euphoric dance party led by the party monster D.J. Rico Steez!
Beloved come revel in sonic splendor with the sounds of some of STL’s finest artists! Come clad in celestial whites, silvers, and golds draped across your person so we may experience unity across the senses and party the night away!
Source: https://www.stlmag.com/events/celestial-bodies/?fbclid=IwAR08my26QU7j7UFJxuIY_v1AJUEfhz-7xKs7S3w-1QujkeInfkE1jLy0XD4; and
WHEREAS the poster for this event featured scandalous depictions of people, and
WHEREAS, one of the headliners for this event who calls himself eldraco, has performed as a transvestite, and boasts of headlining at the St. Charles Pride Festival, and
WHEREAS, The Chapel (Sanctuary for the Arts) is a ministry under the control of Memorial Presbyterian Church (PCA), which it describes in the following manner:
We host The Chapel, a volunteer-led not-for-profit arts venue. The Chapel provides all services including drinks free of charge to artists, theatre companies and their guests. This is a practical, real-life way that we can support local artists and manifest the Welcome of Jesus through our hospitality and through our service. Now seeking volunteers to serve people free drinks. (http://www.memorialpca.org/chapel.html) and
WHEREAS, media have previously reported on lewd and scandalous events taking place at the chapel including those featuring “eldraco,” and
WHEREAS, Missouri Presbytery has adopted the following actions to redress and remove previous scandal associated with The Chapel (Sanctuary for the Arts):

Establish greater accountability for the ministry of The Chapel;
Create clearer processes and policies in order to more intentionally curate the art platformed at The Chapel;
Strengthen the leadership of the ministry by developing a more robustadvisory board for The Chapel to report back to the session;
Rearticulate the vision and mission of The Chapel with greater clarity; and

WHEREAS, Missouri Presbytery is responsible to ensure the actions of the Sessions under its care are “in accordance with the Constitution” and “wise, equitable and suited to promote the welfare of the church” (BCO 40-2), and
WHEREAS, the report from St Louis Magazine referenced above seem to suggest some “important delinquency” or “grossly unconstitutional” activity taking place in “The Chapel (Sanctuary for the Arts)” at Memorial Presbyterian Church (BCO 40-5), which warrant investigation.
THEREFORE BE IT RESOLVED, the Session of First Presbyterian Church overtures Tennessee Valley Presbytery to request Missouri Presbytery, in accordance with BCO 40-5, to investigate the Session of Memorial Presbyterian Church in Saint Louis, Mo. to determine whether hosting the event reported to have taken place on September 2, 2022 violated the vows of the elders of MPC or otherwise reflects grossly unconstitutional or delinquent action by “promoting uncleanness,” failure to keep “chaste company,” failure to preserve “the chastity of others,” and the failure to “shun all occasions of uncleanness, and resisting temptations thereunto.”
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The greatest guardrail entrusted to us is the “unity of the Spirit in the bond of peace” (Ephesians 4:3). We cannot allow the demands of growth to deter us from a proper use of our authority, from striving to maintain this bond of peace. The question thus becomes: how can we use our authority to shepherd our Permanent Committees and develop the mutual trust and support required for us to be more effective in our mission?

Is the Presbyterian Church in America (PCA) a “Big House,” or a “Big Tent?” How about a third option? The PCA a “Big Flock!” In its 50-year history the PCA has enjoyed numerical growth nearly every year, so much so that the 50th General Assembly reported 390,319[1] members in her care. The last year marked another year of growth in terms of ministers, members, and money. With growth comes an important question—how do we, as elders, effectively shepherd a large denomination?
Growing pains have forced us to ask this question, haven’t they? When I was a young licentiate, the repeated refrain was to “trust your committees.” However, the last three years have seen a marked shift from that reigning advice. In 2021, an outcry by a Committee of Concerned MTW Missionaries prompted Overture 14, asking the 48th General Assembly to deem a change that opened “leadership positions with authority over MTW church planting and church development ministry to unordained men and women” as out of order. This move limited the authority of that Permanent Committee.
Likewise, this year saw both the addition of Rules of Assembly Operation (RAO) 4-21.d and discussions of the new RUF Affiliation Agreement. The Agreement has prompted many questions from multiple presbyteries over everything from the originating source of calls to the place of appeals. The Agreement’s FAQ admitted that the document proposed “substantial change” to current arrangements; however, the RUF Permanent Committee did not bring this matter before the Committee of Commissioners. As at the 48th Assembly (over MTW’s proposed policy change), the 50th General Assembly’s action restrained the authority of a Permanent Committee.
What prompted these two occasions of Assembly intervention? The short answer is growth. Looking forward, we must begin to ask how our polity establishes guardrails for the Assembly and her Permanent Committees to properly manage growth in the PCA. What are those guardrails? I propose that our polity gives us three guardrails.
Our First Guardrail
First, authority properly resides within church courts. Authority is a key issue in how an organization operates. American Presbyterian theologian James Henley Thornwell (1812-1862) once quoted the great Princetonian Samuel Miller (1769-1850) to the effect: “Each individual church is under the watch and care of its appropriate judicatory; and the whole body, by a system of review and control, is bound together as one homogeneous community.”[2] Review and control requires authority, and authority has a limited supply. I tend to think of authority as pie. There is only so much pie to go around. We cannot simply make pieces appear out of thin air. Any authority given to a Permanent Committee is taken from the authority already entrusted to the church courts. The question then becomes: how much authority can a church court relinquish before she has too little left to adjudicate her own affairs?
If the General Assembly allows a Permanent Committee to make substantial changes without first presenting the proposal to the appropriate Committee of Commissioners, the General Assembly effectively relinquishes authority. Or, for instance, if presbyteries allow calls to come from those same Committees, their oversight effectively lacks any authority, any real bite. In this case, the presbytery’s authority over a minister has been relinquished. Authority given away is a challenge to get back. Economist Milton Friedman (1912-2006) once said, “There is nothing so permanent as a temporary government program.”[3] Or to return to our previous illustration, how much pie can a church court give away before she goes hungry?
Our Second Guardrail
This drives us to our second guardrail: Permanent Committees are committees, not commissions. As elders in the PCA committed to the authority of Scripture, we understand that words are important. How we define “commission” and “committee” has titanic implications for how effectively we conduct business. Book of Church Order (BCO) 15-1 states: “A commission differs from an ordinary committee in that while a committee is appointed to examine, consider and report, a commission is authorized to deliberate upon and conclude the business referred to it.” A committee has no authority to act, but only examines what is committed to them; a commission receives authority from the court to act upon the particular mission entrusted to it.[4] If we lack clarity on these definitions, the PCA’s administration of her affairs will be as clear as mud.
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