Following a called meeting of the Administrative Committee on Feb. 25, Stated Clerk Pro Tempore Bryan Chapell issued the following statement.

Ignoring the instruction of an infinitely holy, loving, and wise God is like being a stubborn mule that needs a bit to keep it on a productive path.

The only way we can have a loving relationship with Him is not to view any spiritual discipline as a holy bribe, but as bread – God’s gracious provision to nourish and strengthen our faith in His heart.

There is a chemistry of the heart that is activated when we grasp the magnitude of God’s love for us. It’s that love that causes us to desire Him, and it’s that desire that makes us to want to walk with Him.

The church is always being reformed according to the Word of God.

God knows my wayward thoughts and still teaches me how to pray.

We are each called to love, as God in Christ loved us. Such love is the path to others’ blessing and ours as well.

So, trust Christ’s righteousness alone to make you good enough for God, and then show His goodness to others in how you love and live for Him.

The question of whether I am okay with God cannot be answered by as assessment of anything about us, but only by acknowledgement of the sufficiency of Christ’s provision.

The corruptions of our world do not hinder the eternal plans of our gracious God but draw us to Him.