Well Ordered, Living Well
Government is everywhere. From the United States of America to the Garden Club of America, each organization has officers, terms of membership, mission statements, and ways of addressing injustice. What would you do if I told you that government was a good thing? Let’s take it a step further. What if I told you that government was a gift from God? In our current political climate, this can be hard to believe; however, Scripture paints church government as an essential component of the Church’s mission in the world. The closer our form of church government aligns with the Bible’s blueprint, the more of a gift we can expect it to be. Herein steps Dr. Guy Waters with Well Ordered, Living Well: A Field Guide to Presbyterian Church Government. In a short, accessible book, Dr. Waters draws from the sacred Scriptures the principles necessary to make church government a blessing.
To do so, Dr. Waters lays down “Five Points of Presbyterianism” - the church itself, the church’s members, the church’s officers, the church’s assemblies, and the church and ordination. One could imagine these five points as building upon one another. God establishes the church with Jesus as the Head who rules by His Word and Spirit, and we get the privilege of being members in it. One of our privileges as members is to elect officers to shepherd us, to care for our souls, and to protect the peace and purity of the Church. Now, where do officers do this? This activity happens in Church assemblies (or courts) - such as the Session, the Presbtyery, and the General Assembly. In these assemblies, men are examined and approved for ordination, thus exercising that responsibility to protect the peace and purity of the church. Do you know what this all sounds like? Acts 15 and the surrounding chapters. The Word and Spirit by which Christ establishes the church continues to provide form and function for the Church through the ages.
As helpful as this foundational information is, Dr. Guy Waters shines in his “What About….” section. Questions of every sort are answered. What about church membership? What if I move? What about women officers? What about church denominations? What if I move and need to find a church? Are non-Presbyterian churches real churches? And the list goes on. In this section, theology is made practical (as it should be).
Throughout the Scriptures and throughout Well Ordered, Living Well, the overarching message is that church government is given for the benefit of Christian living. Government is to be guardrails in the Christian life that we may run full speed ahead in our service to God. If you are interested in purchasing this book, it can be found here.
