Minute for Mission: Giving Tuesday

November 30, 2021

Photo provided.

Giving Tuesday allows us to celebrate what makes us proud to be Presbyterian.

What does Presbyterian pride look like to you? For me, it looks like:

• Disaster response teams swooping into action following the latest natural disaster
• Church buildings opening their doors to house after-school programs and community dinners
• An offering plate overflowing with gifts as it’s passed from pew to pew.

What does Presbyterian pride sound like to you? For me, it sounds like:

• Over 4,000 young people performing energizers at Presbyterian Youth Triennium
• Calls to Capitol Hill to voice our desire for hope and justice for all God’s children
• Prayers for peace spoken during a worship service at the U.S.-Mexico border.

What does Presbyterian pride feel like to you? For me, it feels like:

• Hugs with friends we only see every couple of years at General Assembly
• Plucking food from the earth as we work to feed the hungry in our communities
• Aching feet after marching in the streets to end cash bail.

I am proud to be Presbyterian. It was a decision I made as a teenager back in 2006, and I’ve never looked back. I am grateful for the opportunity to now work at the Presbyterian Mission Agency where every day I am reminded what a faithful and generous denomination the Presbyterian Church (U.S.A.) is, and possibly more so, I am grateful for the opportunity to celebrate the work God is accomplishing through the PC(USA) on Giving Tuesday.

On the heels of the commercial events of Black Friday and Cyber Monday, a third post-Thanksgiving tradition has emerged that redirects our priorities – Giving Tuesday. Giving Tuesday, which is being observed today in more than 150 countries, exists for one purpose: to celebrate and encourage giving.

In collaboration with the ministry areas of the Presbyterian Mission Agency as well as the Office of the General Assembly, the Presbyterian Church (U.S.A.) will be hosting an eight-hour livestream this Giving Tuesday that will be sure to entertain, inform, and dare I say, make you proud to be Presbyterian. The event, which will be broadcast from four locations across the United States, will include worship, conversations with congregation and mid council leaders, ministry areas and partners around topics such as poverty, racial justice, and creativity in worship, and some lighthearted fun with familiar faces.

During the virtual event, we will be provided the opportunity to express our gratitude to God for all God has done for us and the household of faith. Through our gifts, the PC(USA) can continue to be a healing presence to a world in need, being a church of action and reaching out to our siblings who are most marginalized. Gifts made on Giving Tuesday will support Shared Mission (unrestricted giving), Per Capita, and the Special Offerings, lifting up the work of the entire Presbyterian Church (U.S.A.).

Today on Giving Tuesday, as we are inspired to respond to God’s generosity, I invite you to reflect on what makes you proud to be Presbyterian (and I’d love to hear about it!). Then, let us join together with Presbyterians from near and far as we profess by our actions  and with our gifts — that we are the Church, together!

Lauren Rogers, Project Manager for Digital Fundraising for Special Offerings and the Presbyterian Giving Catalog

Let us join in prayer for:

PC(USA) Agencies’ Staff
David Dobson,  President & Publisher, Presbyterian Publishing Corporation
Simon Doong, Mission Specialist, Presbyterian Peacemaking Program, Presbyterian Mission Agency
 

Let us pray

To make my offering to you, God,
Is to bring back to memory
That you are the source of all gifts, and
The one from whom all blessings flow.
When we join our gifts with the gifts of others, we are reminded that we cannot go it alone.
We are in the company of the household of faith and the whole host of witnesses who went before.
Each gift I make is a “thank you” for the community of faith where I can share my griefs and burdens, my joys and excitement.
Each gift is a “thank you,” God, for the gift of life.
Each gift is an act of hope in God’s future for all Creation. 
Each gift is a sign of our thanks and gratitude.
May it always be so.
Amen.

Prayer by the Rev. Rosemary Mitchell, Senior Director for Mission Engagement and Support Project Manager for Digital Fundraising for Special Offerings and the Presbyterian Giving Catalog

Today in the Mission Yearbook - Baltimore church embraces the Matthew 25 vision

Knox Presbyterian Church uses varied programs to serve its neighbors

November 29, 2021

Knox Presbyterian Church ruling elders Loretta Parrish and Charese Jordan Moore worked to unpack donations from the Maryland Food Bank. (Photo by
Volanda Peace)

During 2020, Knox Presbyterian Church in Baltimore faced both the start of the pandemic in March and the loss of its pastor, the Rev. Michael Moore, who accepted a call from the denominational headquarters in September.

Already committed to the Matthew 25 mission and vision, the church knew that it had no other choice but to become a more vital congregation, even as it faced many obstacles. What better time to deepen community engagement than at a time when all members were forced outside the four walls of the church? Although members were shut in and faced with many challenges, the congregation dug deep to stay connected with each other and reached out to the community.

Knox quickly adapted its weekly soup kitchen to a food giveaway to meet the needs of the urban Oliver community. Volunteers from the church and the community rallied to provide groceries, meats, masks and sanitation supplies to neighbors in need, including community members who lived in a food desert, worked an essential job or lost jobs altogether.

The church organized teams of volunteers to pack and distribute the bags of food and supplies. Basic sustenance was, and remains, a key issue. Another important aspect of supporting the community was passing out flyers in the neighborhood and calling neighbors. The flyers provided pertinent information about the dates of the food distribution, voter registration and COVID-19 vaccinations.

As the church began to make deliveries to a local senior building, neighbors started to recognize and welcome Kenneth Walker, a ruling elder at Knox Presbyterian Church and co-chair of the “In the Loop” ministry group that organized a speaker series on the 1619 Project, on his regular “flyer run,” which also invited neighbors to worship with Knox. Every Sunday, the church announcements include the dates of the food giveaway and a request for volunteers.

The author, who co-chairs the Presbytery of Baltimore’s Dismantling Racism Team, says that Knox offers a way for everyone to be involved in the community endeavor, from socially distanced onsite food distribution to a phone team to make calls from home.

In addition to charitable action, Knox has joined the Baltimore Industrial Areas Foundation (IAF) group Baltimoreans United In Leadership Development (BUILD) to learn community organizing skills and to help shape policy.

The IAF partners with congregations and civic organizations at the local level to build broad-based organizing projects, which create new capacity in a community for leadership development, citizen-led action and relationships across the lines that often divide our communities.

BUILD is a broad-based, nonpartisan, interfaith and multiracial community power organization rooted in Baltimore’s neighborhoods and congregations. The organization is dedicated to making Baltimore a better place for all residents to live and thrive. For more than 40 years, BUILD has worked to improve housing, increase job opportunities, and rebuild schools and neighborhoods, among other issues.

Plans are under way to work with other churches and community groups to restore a full-service grocery store in the Oliver community. “Knox knows that the church can help to organize people and money to build power in the community,” according to Moore.

The congregation has also started to focus on dismantling racism. The predominantly African American church has a history of activism going back to engagement in the civil rights movement. This year, Knox started the Relationships, Action, Communication and Education (R.A.C.E.) Committee to address racial justice issues.

Knox has initiated partnerships with two larger predominantly white churches in the Presbytery of Baltimore, Govans Presbyterian Church and Catonsville Presbyterian Church, to work on joint racial justice projects. Key to the success of these projects is the relationship stage to build trust and communication. The churches are sharing worship and Bible study and supporting each other’s projects.

In 2021, Knox plans to live more deeply into the Matthew 25 vision as the congregation builds bridges and make disciples for Christ.

 Charese Jordan Moore, Ruling Elder, Knox Presbyterian Church

Let us join in prayer for:

PC(USA) Agencies’ Staff
Dave Dinkel, IT Associate Director, Information Technology, Administrative Services Group (A Corp)
Carla Dobson, VP, Director of Philanthropic Services, Trust Services, Presbyterian Foundation

Let us pray

Gracious God, as we grow, may we feel your presence in our lives. As we discover who we are, give us the strength to go out into the world and share the gifts you have given us. Amen.

Today in the Mission Yearbook - Welcome to ‘phygital’ worship

The challenge of blending physical and digital worlds is real

November 28, 2021

As many churches navigate the both/and world of hybrid ministry, where in-person and online worship coexist, there’s a word to keep in mind: “phygital.” I didn’t invent it. It was coined in 2013 to describe creating a seamless experience that is the best of both the digital and physical realms. And there lies the goal — and the challenge — for our churches, that of creating hybrid worship where two intrinsically different environments come together seamlessly.

During the pandemic, many churches changed their order of worship to accommodate the digital venue. For example, at my church we used to have up to five pieces of music at an in-person service. That is too much for an online service, so we have limited the music to just two pieces. Another interesting development over the past year is that online we encourage people to engage with one another using the chat function. We would never encourage people to chat in their seats during in-person worship. While we had been livestreaming our worship since 2017, before the COVID-19 pandemic, our livestream made no provision for church school. During the pandemic, though, our online church school has been one of our strongest features.

As we return to in-person services, our main question is: How can we provide an optimal experience for both our online and in-person congregants? I believe that many churches are placing too much emphasis on providing simultaneous, identical experiences, rather than tailoring the experiences to their respective environments.

In a hybrid worship experience, a single event is created that is simultaneously provided to both in-person and online attendees. The drawback to the hybrid approach is that it causes churches to include only those things that can be provided in both environments. People have different expectations in the different environments, and we need to try to meet those needs. Educators have told us that hybrid classrooms, where a single teacher tries to teach in-person and online students at the same time, are not working well. But the other extreme of creating separate online and in-person worship services is also unsatisfactory. This presents the risk of creating such divergent experiences that people are unable to move seamlessly between them from week to week.

When thinking through such challenges, I often turn to professional sporting events as one of my “thought models.” The in-person and home experiences of a sporting event are simultaneous but different. Announcers and camera angles aid the home experience. The ambience of the in-person experience is wonderful, even if you can barely see the players on the field. We like both options, yet our expectations of each are different. Some 60 years ago, when sports were first being broadcast, team owners feared that broadcasting games would kill ticket sales. The opposite happened. Broadcasting games enlarged the fan base and ticket sales soared along with viewership. I believe that vibrant online worship will eventually increase in-person attendance.

As we look toward our post-COVID-19 worship, we need to ask: What is the optimal online worship experience? What is the optimal in-person worship experience? Which aspects must be or can be shared, and which must be provided separately? In my ministry context, the most important common aspect of our worship is the Prayers of the People. Right now, people text in their prayer concerns, which are read aloud and prayed for. Our church school probably needs to be offered separately in a context-specific format. The sermon for the online service might be live from the worship space, or it might be prerecorded. We’re still working through the complexities of providing quality worship experiences that are accessed in person and online.

It is important to remember that I am not claiming that either online or in-person is a superior experience. I believe that most people will appreciate both. Our ultimate goal is for people to connect with God through worship as often as possible, using the means that works best for them in any given week. I don’t think any of us has all the right answers, nor is there one right answer for everyone. But this is an opportunity to rethink our worship services. My encouragement is simply for you to step back, think about the most effective way to reach more people more of the time, and tailor your worship to suit each mode in order to best nurture the relationship of the people with Jesus Christ.

Richard Hong, Pastor of First Presbyterian Church, Englewood, New Jersey

Let us join in prayer for:

PC(USA) Agencies’ Staff
Christy Dickson, Operations Specialist, Presbyterian Foundation
Dawn Diggs, Operations Reconciliation Specialist, Presbyterian Foundation

Let us pray

O God, you are the friend to whom all can come. You give us more than we can ever know, and you give it freely and abundantly. Help us to see you in the faces and lives of those with whom we work, that while we minister, we also may be ministered to. In Jesus’ name we pray. Amen.

Today in the Mission Yearbook - The world needs peace

But what exactly is this peace we say we seek?

November 27, 2021

If you ask a Presbyterian to define “peace,” you’ll get lots of answers, and they’re mostly all correct. Peace is tranquility and calm and quiet and respect and all those things that we ask of our children, at least for a few blessed moments every now and then. Peace is well-being, wholeness, health, safety, security, civility and all those things we expect from our communities. Peace is diplomatic treaties, international accords, global conventions, mutual aid, disaster relief and all those things that create understanding among nations. Peace finds its expression in many ways, takes on a variety of forms and is evident in both the most intimate and expansive parts of life. And as people of faith, we believe peace — in all its expressions and forms — is a gift from God.

Peace is a dominant biblical theme, mentioned 400 times in the King James Version and 250 times in the New Revised Standard Version. In the Hebrew Scriptures, peace appears as the word shalom. In the New Testament Greek, the word for peace is eirene. Both words suggest positive relationships with God, well-being among humanity and harmony with the created order. Over and over again, Scripture provides clear images and visions of peace, urging believers to not just receive peace as a divine gift, but to pursue it as a way of life. In so doing, we become “peacemakers,” and are called “children of God.”

Over the past century, Presbyterians have been bearers of peace, often in response to pain, brokenness, conflict, oppression and injustice. When faced with national and global events, the Presbyterian Church (U.S.A.) and its predecessor denominations have determined that the church has needed to do more. In the Depression era of the 1930s, the United Presbyterian Church formed the Department of Social Education and Action. Following World War II, in 1945, Presbyterians were instrumental in writing the charter for the United Nations and establishing a continuing Presbyterian presence there. The next year, in 1946, Presbyterians opened a denominational office in Washington, D.C., ensuring that the voice of the church would be heard in the public square. In 1975, in the aftermath of another war and with the new reality of nuclear weaponry, the church determined that it would “reassess the concept of peacemaking,” leading in 1980 to the adoption of a report to the 192nd General Assembly titled “Peacemaking: The Believer’s Calling.” This would lead to the formation of a denomination-wide peacemaking program.

Over the subsequent 40 years, peace has been something that we’ve recognized as the work of the church at all levels. We’ve nurtured and equipped Presbyterians of all ages to engage in the practices of peacemaking, recognizing that our formation as peacemakers is an essential part of our lifelong faith formation. And yet, sometimes the peace we seek as Presbyterians is not easy. Sometimes it demands change, sacrifice and a disruption of the status quo. Peace can often be countercultural and might even call into question the church’s own culture, systems and structures. It can speak truth to power and take on the principalities of the world. And while Jesus may have been able to say “peace” and the storms would subside, the prophet Jeremiah reminds us that many times people say, “‘Peace, peace,’ when there is no peace.” Indeed, peace is not peace if it is achieved for some and not for all.

In recent months, the words “no justice, no peace” have been seen and heard in demonstrations across our country. From Portland to Kenosha, those words and their variation, “know justice, know peace,” have shown up on yard signs and in storefront windows. Peacemakers and justice seekers are again utilizing one of the nonviolent tools in the peacemaker’s toolbox: peaceful protest. The Rev. Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. in his sermon “When Peace Becomes Obnoxious” said that “Peace is not the absence of tension, but the presence of justice.” He described a peace that accepts injustice as “an obnoxious peace” and said he wanted no part of it. 

For Presbyterians, peace is more than an idea or a declaration. It is the work we do, and it requires both compassion and justice. As peacemakers, we are both compassion-bearers and justice-seekers, meeting the needs of the world around us and righting the wrongs that, still today, impede justice for all.

 Carl Horton, Teaching Elder and Coordinator, Presbyterian Peacemaking Program, Compassion, Peace & Justice, Presbyterian Mission Agency

Let us join in prayer for:

PC(USA) Agencies’ Staff
Michelle Diallo, Accountant, Financial Reporting, Administrative Services Group (A Corp)
Doug Dicks, Mission co-worker in Israel/Palestine, Presbyterian Mission Agency

Let us pray

Holy One, we seek to be fully alive within and without. Shape us according to your purpose, that we may reflect your glory. Bless us to be a blessing. All this we pray in the name of Jesus. Amen.

Today in the Mission Yearbook - Relishing a slower pace of life

‘New Way’ podcast celebrates relationships with waves, mountains, fire — even our own gut

November 26, 2021

The Rev. Chantilly Mers-Pickett

 In her introduction to a recent episode of the “New Way” podcast, the Rev. Sara Hayden quotes St. Thomas More, who once said, “Soul cannot thrive in a fast-paced life because being affected, taking things in and chewing on them requires time.”

After mentioning the scorching heat around the country that is surprising many of us with its intensity, she said, “If you’re still hustling, take a moment with us to dream and pay attention to the life around you. We have the perfect episode for you right now.”

With that,  Hayden, host of the podcast for the 1001 New Worshiping Communities movement, began a two-part conversation with the Rev. Chantilly Mers-Pickett, co-organizer of The Common Ground in New York City and a facilitator of The Circle Way.

In part one of the conversation, Mers-Pickett talks about having her first child — calling it her “reorienting relationship to mothering and wombs.” Up that point, she said, her own body had belonged to her. But now there was “a real grief and loss of independence,” which she described as “a form of wilderness.”

“I didn’t know day from night. I was going from one cry to the next,” she said, “trying to figure things out, trying to adapt to this human, trying to learn from this human, trying not to project my childhood wounds onto this being.”

Looking back, Mers-Pickett realizes this was a deeply formative time — and still is — for her own growth. Telling Hayden that she wishes we could talk about such important matters in our churches, Mers-Pickett and Hayden speak about relishing the slow pace of life and the joy of being in relationship with things: waves, mountains, fire — even our own gut.

Listen to part one of Hayden’s conversation with Mers-Pickett here.

Join more than 9,000 others by subscribing now for “New Way” episodes via Spotify, GooglePlay, Stitcher and Apple Podcasts, so that you don’t miss an episode.

 The “New Way” podcast is produced by Atlanta-based artist and pastor the Rev. Marthame Sanders, who also hosts the weekly podcast “Aijcast,” which is part of the 1001 New Worshiping Communities movement.

In 2012, the 220th General Assembly of the PC(USA) declared a commitment to this churchwide movement that would result in the creation of 1001 worshiping communities over 10 years.

 Paul Seebeck, Communications Strategist, Presbyterian Mission Agency

Let us join in prayer for:

PC(USA) Agencies’ Staff
Mark DeSantis, Director, Infrastructure Systems & Cyber Security, Board of Pensions
Ann DeVilbiss, Production Associate, Presbyterian Publishing Corporation

Let us pray

Gracious God, thank you for how you are using the 1001 movement to inspire your church. We pray that each of us would recognize how we are — and can be — part of a church participating with you in drawing others closer to Jesus. Amen.

Today in the Mission Yearbook - Giving thanks in plenty and in want

God remains with us

November 25, 2021

Give thanks with a grateful heart, give thanks to the Holy One …

The children practiced their song repeatedly in the fellowship hall. The adults, gathered in the kitchen assembling Thanksgiving food baskets, didn’t mind listening to them. It had been a while since the struggling church heard children’s voices within its walls. The sound not only brought smiles to wrinkled faces, but a few tears as well to cataract eyes.

Give thanks with a grateful heart …

Today as families and friends gather around the holiday table filled with food wafting with the scent of nostalgia, they will pause to give thanks. Perhaps some will be thankful that they are able to gather safely enjoy a boisterous Thanksgiving meal that didn’t happen in 2020, due to COVID-19. Perhaps some will be grateful that they were able to find the ingredients needed for Grandma’s special stuffing, considering a breakdown in supply chains that have led to bare shelves. Perhaps some will be praising God that a loved one is with them after facing a life-threatening illness.

But perhaps, too, there are those whose Thanksgiving will not be reminiscent of a Norman Rockwell painting. There are those this day who are sitting down to a meager meal, those watching the Macy’s Thanksgiving Day Parade alone, and those whose eyes gaze longingly at the now-empty chair.

In our lives there are seasons of plenty and seasons of want. There are Thanksgivings when children’s voices fill the air of an aging church. There are Thanksgivings where their voices are nowhere to be heard. There are holidays where laughter and food abound. Then there are holidays where both seem scarce. I have had Thanksgivings of both plenty and want and I know personally how hard it is to be thankful when everything seems to be falling apart. Yet, even in our darkest times, we are to remember to whisper our broken “thank yous,” for God is not done with us nor has God ever forgotten us.

The apostle Paul once said, “I have learned the secret of being well-fed and of going hungry, of having plenty and of being in need.” And that secret was that no matter what life brought, Paul knew he could count on God to give him strength.

In plenty and in want, no matter what this day is like for you and your family, remember that God is with you, providing the strength you need — always.

Donna Frischknecht Jackson lives in rural Vermont where she is a part-time rural pastor and editor of Presbyterians Today

Let us join in prayer for:

PC(USA) Agencies’ Staff
Alicia DeMartra-Pressley, Administrative Assistant, Vital Congregations, Presbyterian Mission Agency
Sheldon Dennis, Vice President, Human Resources, Board of Pensions

Let us pray

God of bounteous grace, we thank you for your steadfast love that sustains and strengthens us. May we remember to sing your praises always: on days where our tears are filled with joy and when they are filled with grief; when our tables are full and when they are scarce; and when loved ones and friends are near and when they are far. We lift this prayer, in the name of your Son Jesus. Amen.

Today in the Mission Yearbook - In Peru, the light at the end of the tunnel still a distant one

Surrounded by desert, mission co-worker finds peace among the plants

November 24, 2021

Mission co-worker Jenny Koball and son Thiago sit in the garden they have created on the 16th floor of their apartment building. Photo by Jed Koball.

Although the U.S. is slowly returning to some semblance of normalcy, the light at the end of the COVID-19 tunnel is much more distant for other countries.

In a recent letter to supporters, mission co-worker Jenny Valles Koball sees a stark contrast in Peru, where she serves with husband Jed and son Thiago.

“Jed and I can see how the pandemic is subsiding in your part of the world, and we celebrate with you the newfound freedoms of social gathering that many of you are now enjoying,” she wrote. “Here in Peru, throughout Latin America and across the global South, we still have so far to go. The light is still so distant; the tunnel is still so long. And so, I ask myself, from where will my help come? How do I find peace in the darkness? When will the light shine again?”

Jenny was born in Peru and as a child she found refuge and a kind of inner peace among the plants that surrounded her childhood home.

“When war prevailed around us in the high jungles where I grew up, and later when economic difficulties fell upon my family, I found peace among the flowers, the fruit trees, the vegetable plants and the medicinal herbs that filled the land around us. The colors of the flowers helped me see beyond the black and white versions of life that only serve to divide us. The intertwined prickly thorns and soft petals taught me about our interconnectedness. The fruit of the vine reminded me that when we care for one another, God saves us. God provides. The plants not only gave me comfort, they gave me courage, purpose and hope.”

While she can’t pinpoint exactly where her love of plants came from, she believes it may have come from family before her who, by tilling the soil, made it a way of life.

“Perhaps it was passed down through the blood of ancestors long before — those who sought to live in harmony with the Earth before the Spanish arrive,” she wrote. “I still tremble at the thought of those who came not only to conquer a land and its people but to bury its spirit, too.”

Today she works to restore that spirit, not only by honoring those who came before her but thinking about those who will come after, like Thiago, so that he too can know the spirit of the land that surrounds him and find its inner peace.

Like millions of others in Peru and around the world, the past 15 months have been challenging for her family.

“From the 16th floor of our apartment where we have spent most of every day for nearly 500 days, we are able to look out upon the concrete jungle of Lima that is built in the middle of a desert,” she wrote. “There are no flowers or fruit trees, vegetable gardens or medicinal herbs. It is a reminder that those who came to conquer and exploit our people and our land have secured immense power that continues to divide us and generate inequalities. I look out the window, and I see no place to take refuge, to find peace, to find hope. I see so little green.”

So, in their own small way, Koball and Thiago have dedicated the past year to creating their own refuge. They have planted and nurtured their own little jungle on the 16th floor of a high-rise in downtown Lima.

“The colors of the flowers tell us the story of God’s diversity. The scent of lavender brings calm to the moment. The feel of the soil between our fingers reminds us that we are part of something bigger. We are part of God’s Creation. Our tiny jungle gives us peace. And it gives us purpose because to plant a seed, to nurture it and watch it grow is nothing less than an act of resistance in the face of the powers that tell us we are anything less than a valued member of our Creator,” she said.

Koball wants everyone to know that she, Jed and Thiago are doing well. Despite the pandemic, they continue to work with PC(USA) global partners in Peru to accompany those with the greatest need.

“Together, as God’s people, we continue to plant, even in the darkness of a concrete jungle, so that God’s garden of hope takes root wherever we may be,” she said.

 Kathy Melvin, Director of Mission Communications, Presbyterian Mission Agency

Let us join in prayer for:

PC(USA) Agencies’ Staff
Dee Decker, Social Media/Media Relations, Communications Ministry, Presbyterian Mission Agency
Chelsea De Lisser, Retreat Center Manager, Stony Point Center, Presbyterian Mission Agency

Let us pray

Awesome God, we thank you for giving each of us a place to belong with one another. Help us to learn and grow from others so that we may bless others in return. Amen.

Today in the Mission Yearbook - The good news: Many pastors don’t believe science and faith are mutually exclusive

Union Presbyterian Seminary webinar explores ‘to vax or not to vax’

November 23, 2021

Photo by Hakan Nural via Unsplash

To vax or not to vax has become a life-and-death question for millions of Americans — especially people of color. A recent panel put on by Union Presbyterian Seminary’s Center for Social Justice and Reconciliation and the Katie Geneva Cannon Center for Womanist Leadership explored ways communities of color can use trusted voices to both drive up vaccination rates and boost access to health care proved both engaging and informative. Watch the hourlong discussion here or here.

The panelists were:

Dr. Jerome W. Williams Jr., senior vice president for Consumer Engagement at Novant Health
Dr. Augustus Parker III, medical director for Novant Health’s Women’s Urgent Care Centers and Novant Health’s facilitator for diversity, inclusion and health
Dr. Rodney S. Sadler Jr., associate professor of Bible at Union Presbyterian Seminary and the director of the Center for Social Justice and Reconciliation.

While there’s a need across the nation for more providers of color, Williams said another way of improving health in communities of color is “to give our white brothers and sisters cultural competency to understand where we people of color are coming from.”

“We have known for a long time” the inequitable distribution of services, power, money and resources available across communities of color, Williams said. “We have been living this and fighting this for decades.” Eighty percent of chronic problems that afflict people of color have their roots in the environment where they live — housing and food insecurity, lack of social connectivity and limited upward mobility, Williams said. “You see these inequities, and it’s no wonder you see disparate outcomes,” because “continued distrust affects our health overall. If you don’t see a primary care physician or a specialist, it’s only delaying preventative and other much-needed care.”

Communities of color must be challenged to “look at the data” that shows people of color succumbing to COVID-19 at a greater rate than white people do. “We’ve got to educate about the benefits of seeing one’s provider to understand how we can advocate for ourselves and how to ask pertinent questions of our providers. Hopefully then we can active a healthier community.”

We’re also now “more mature in our thinking about systemic racism,” in policing, in the criminal justice system and in health care, Parker said. “Where you live matters,” he said, and sinful acts such as the Tuskegee experiment must be acknowledged before “we move forward to engage Black and brown communities to trust the health care system.”

Parker said it’s important where people receive their information and whom they trust. Myths are still in circulation, including claims that mRNA vaccines change one’s DNA or contain tracking devices. Those myths “need to be debunked,” Parker said. Fortunately, Parker said, “there are many pastors who don’t believe science and faith are mutually exclusive.”

“Many pastors in the Black and brown community are standing up to say, ‘Utilize the faith and know what God has given us,’” Parker said.

One cannot ignore the politics that undergirds the debate, Williams said. While congregants may be hearing sermons about taking individual responsibility and providing for oneself, “public health is a community-based effort.”

What is, Sadler wondered, the ethical responsibility to become vaccinated?

We have a strange dichotomy in the Black community, Parker responded: vaccine hesitancy coupled with the fear that systemic racism “will eliminate our access to the vaccine. … My fear is that because of political backlash, a lot of people are turned off” to viewing reputable news sources. “So,” Parker said, “we need to utilize our leadership, particularly in the faith-based community, to promulgate our message.”

Black church leadership, Williams said, “has a strong voice and presence and is well trusted in the community. They are positioned to continue to educate and inform. You can’t force people to do something, but you can meet them where they are without judging them. And it’s not just the vaccines — it’s medicine and science as a whole.”

“We don’t live in isolation,” Williams added. “We are historically a communal society. We need to get away from an individual focus. What I do has impact on my neighbor, positive or negative. A common North Star will go a long way.”

Mike Ferguson, Editor, Presbyterian News Service

Let us join in prayer for:

PC(USA) Agencies’ Staff
Deb Davies, Manager, Meeting Services, Office of the General Assembly
Allison Davis, Digitization Coordinator, Presbyterian Historical Society

Let us pray

Dear Father, thank you for the opportunities you have given us to spread your word. Help us to serve you in all our words and actions and to show your love to the entire world. Thank you. Amen.

Today in the Mission Yearbook - Face-to-face with all my stuff

Lazarus, Scrooge, and the Inventory Project

November 22, 2021

What would it cost to buy it all back?

Early in the pandemic, my wife and I undertook an inventory with the help of a computer program. We entered our possessions, room by room, with photos and a few facts. The process proved arduous, but we made it to the end.

More recently, preparing for an insurance review, we tackled adding a replacement value for each of our things. It wasn’t as bad as trying to hang wallpaper together, but it was in the neighborhood.

Item by item, the computer kept a running tab, and at the end it reported the total.

I always saw myself as a person of modest means — never competitive in the race with the Joneses. But when the computer finished adding up all the values we’d been entering, the number it spit out was a lot bigger than I expected.

I’m still wrestling with the dissonance.

Marie Kondo recommends starting the tidying process by pulling all your clothing out of drawers and bins and closets, and piling it on the bed. I’m looking at all my stuff piled into one computer file and then run through a checkout line. The total at the bottom of the ticket is overwhelming and a bit embarrassing.

Jesus taught about hearts hanging out with treasures (Luke 12:34). I wonder how much of my heart is tangled up with this pile of possessions. How much of my stuff am I dragging around like the chains and cash boxes shackled to Marley’s ghost?

One of the parables of Jesus in the Gospel of Luke compares the life experience and future destiny of two persons, one poor and one rich (Luke 16:19-31). The poor man’s name is Lazarus. The rich man isn’t given a name, but he has come to be called Dives (Dye-vees), the Latin word for “rich” that appears in the Vulgate translation of the story.

In this life, Dives has a lot of stuff. Lazarus has less than nothing. In the next life, their positions are reversed — a picture of the kingdom of God as Luke preaches it.

Pondering the big number at the bottom of our inventory report, I’m forced to face an uncomfortable truth: I have more in common with Dives than with Lazarus.

Luke’s Jesus story does hint at redemptive possibilities. If only Dives had noticed the suffering of Lazarus just outside his door. If only Dives had done something about it.

Charles Dickens explored these if-onlys in the closing pages of “A Christmas Carol” (1843). He wrote that, in the end, the rich but ghost-challenged Scrooge did notice and he did do something about it, raising the salary of his employee Bob Cratchit and assisting his struggling family, including Tiny Tim.

Finding myself on Dives’ side of the teeter-totter, I’m thinking I’d best keep an eye out for Lazarus and the Cratchits and see what else I can do.

Ken Rummer, honorably retired Teaching Elder, Presbyterian Church (U.S.A.)

Let us join in prayer for:

PC(USA) Agencies’ Staff
April Davenport, Associate General Counsel, Legal Services, Administrative Services Group (A Corp)
Kathie Davenport, Program Administrator, Church Engagement, Board of Pensions

Let us pray

Loving gracious holy God, thank you that you go before us today. Thank you that in calling us you also equip and empower us to be your faithful witnesses whenever you may lead us. This day, please keep up faithful in your way of love. In Jesus’ name we pray. Amen.

Minute for Mission: Matthew 25: Eliminate Systemic Poverty Sunday

November 21, 2021

Photo provided.

Matthew 25: Eradicate Systemic Poverty Sunday asks us to look at the structures in our society that all but guarantee that people living in poverty will stay that way.

In the foundational parable for the Matthew 25 vision (Matthew 25:34–36), those who meet the needs of the hungry, the thirsty, the stranger, the naked and the imprisoned are the ones welcomed by the king, who then recognizes them as his sheep. Each of those conditions that Jesus lists, added together, constitute systemic poverty.

As Reformed Christians, Presbyterians believe that government is God’s agent when it comes to the providential care of people. We also believe that Creation is entrusted to our care. A crucial part of our worship and mission is to stand together for the common good.

Eradicating systemic poverty moves beyond the important acts of compassion listed in Matthew 25 — offering compassion to individuals who are hungry and thirsty — to address the factors that cause such outcomes for large groups in our society and world.

Jesus was not crucified because he was feeding the hungry and healing the sick. He was persecuted and executed when he “troubled the waters” — disturbing those with political, social and economic power.

Communities living in poverty can find their own solutions and also need solidarity and encouragement from people at all levels of society, from local communities to church leaders to policymakers and international supporters. How is your church organizing, networking and advocating for concrete solutions to the systems of poverty in your area?

To learn more, watch the videos “What Does Poverty Look Like in America?” and “Eradicating Systemic Poverty.” Both are created to demonstrate the layered and complicated issue of systemic poverty, as well as highlight steps churches and mid councils are taking to make a difference in lives.

The Matthew 25 vision brings the guidance of Matthew 25:31–46 into focus for our present moment.

Melody K. Smith, Organizational Communications Manager, Presbyterian Mission Agency

Let us join in prayer for:

PC(USA) Agencies’ Staff
Dana Dages, Web Developer/Designer, Communications Ministry, Presbyterian Mission Agency
Kerri Daly, Product Manager, Flyaway Books, Presbyterian Publishing Corporation
 
Let us pray

Giver of all things, you loved the world into life.

You taught us to speak out for what is right.
Make us content with nothing less than a world
that is transformed into the shape of love,
where poverty shall be no more.
We ask for the grace to see the abundance of our world and
enough awareness to acknowledge our sins of greed and fear.

Give us openness of soul and courageous, willing hearts
to be with our siblings who are hungry and in pain.

Inspire us with the vision of a world without poverty,
and give us the faith, courage and will to make it happen.

Lord, hear our prayer.

Amen.