Today in the Mission Yearbook - Does wonder have a shelf life?

Musings on wow-fade

November 30, 2022

“Mountain Wonder” (Photo by Ken Rummer)

Does wonder have a shelf life?

Does it come with a best-if-used-by date?

I’m asking because of the mountains.

Just to be clear, we don’t have mountains in Iowa. Our elevation leader, Hawkeye Point, only makes it up to 1,670 feet. We have bluffs, we have knolls, we have hills. But no mountains.

So massive granite pressing into cloud above the tree line — that gets my attention. As it did on a recent trip to Alaska.

The Rockies from an airplane porthole. Mount Rainier out the hotel window. Denali through the curved glass of the train car.

Jaw drop.

And the sightings continued. Saw-toothed peaks. Mist-shrouded heights. Big mountains still wearing snow in mid-summer. Likely places, à la Moses, for a rendezvous with God.

Amazing.

Mountains embracing glaciers. Mountains with their feet in the sea. Mountains behind other mountains catching the orange light of late evening.

Wow.

But somewhere along the way, about day 12 of the trip, I realized I was losing interest in tall peaks. Astonishing views started to look like just more snowy mountains. Not that unusual anymore. Not that exciting. The mountains were fading into the background like wallpaper you’ve lived with a little too long.

The Rev. Ken Rummer blogs periodically for Presbyterians Today.

Did the wonder reach its expiration date?

I once saw a man sitting in his driveway. Just beyond his backyard, Lake Huron stretched to the horizon looking blue and beautiful. But the man wasn’t looking at the big water. He was facing the street out front, reading a newspaper.

I’ve judged that stranger rather harshly over the years, but now I’m realizing that he and I share the same affliction. We both suffer from the waning of wonder. As the once-astounding becomes commonplace, we no longer notice the wow-worthy, even in our own backyard.

But maybe that can change.

The poet T. S. Eliot wrote:

“We shall not cease from exploration
And the end of our exploring
Will be to arrive where we started
And know the place for the first time.” (“Little Gidding,” 1942)
I arrive where I started my mountain tour, at home. What would it be like to see this place, this life, as if for the first time?
Taking a look around, I’m finding a few wonders that have gotten lost in the wallpaper:
Flesh and bone turning food into energy and breath into life.
Light leaving distant stars ages and ages ago, only just arriving.
The snapping turtle laying her eggs on the bank above the creek.
Tiny factories in every green leaf making tree food out of sunshine.
The marvelous human being still sharing life and love with me.
The way I’ve come to see it, newness fades but wonder remains,
waiting for rediscovery by eyes that see anew.

What are you noticing? Is there something wow-worthy you want to reclaim from the invisibility of the everyday?

The Rev. Ken Rummer writes about life and faith from the middle of Iowa by the High Trestle Trail. Previous posts may be viewed here.

Let us join in prayer for:

PC(USA) Agencies’ Staff

Kristen Leucht, Church Consultant, Los Angeles, Board of Pensions
Brad Levy, Production Clerk, Presbyterian Distribution Center, Administrative Services Group (A Corp)

Let us pray

God in heaven, we thank you for your compassionate presence in our lives and ask that you help us to be a compassionate presence to the people around us regardless of who we may encounter. In Jesus’ name we pray. Amen.

Minute for Mission: Giving Tuesday

November 29, 2022

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
• Presbyterians participating actively in worship, whether in person or online.

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

• Presbyterian Youth and Young Adults participating in activities designed to help them discern ministry opportunities for their future
• General Assembly committees meeting in person and actively discussing questions that face the church
• 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:

• Virtual and in person 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 child, and I’ve never looked back. I am grateful for the opportunity to have worked at the Presbyterian Mission Agency where for several years I was reminded of 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.

On Giving Tuesday, 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 we’d love to hear about it!). Then, let us join with Presbyterians from near and far as we profess by our actions and with our gifts — that we are the Church, together!

Lauren Rogers, lifelong Presbyterian and member of First Presbyterian Church in Shreveport, Louisiana.

Let us join in prayer for:

PC(USA) Agencies’ Staff
Shanea Leonard, Associate, Gender, Racial & Intercultural Justice, Presbyterian Mission Agency
Heather Leoncini, Mission Specialist, Presbyterian Youth and Triennium, 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, (Honorably Retired)

Today in the Mission Yearbook - Reimagining Jesus as an Ivy League track and cross-country coach

‘Closely knit’ Presbyterian Women’s group honors beloved member’s memory with a gift of sewing machines from the Presbyterian Giving Catalog

November 28, 2022

Hannah Chappell-Dick

If Jesus coached women’s track and cross country at an Ivy League university, what would that look like?

“It’s kind of a crazy question,” Hannah Chappell-Dick, the women’s cross country and assistant track coach at Brown University in Providence, Rhode Island, said during a recent episode of the “A Matter of Faith” podcast, which can be heard here. “Obviously I fall far short of that standard, but it’s one of those things where you constantly have to challenge yourself.”

“To me, that mostly means being someone who’s a supportive, safe space for the athletes to come to,” Chappell-Dick told podcast hosts the Rev. Lee Catoe and Simon Doong. “From the top to the bottom of my roster, I try to see people for who they are rather than just what their performance is. … When it comes down to it, athletes thrive in an environment where they feel safe. I don’t mean just in a safe space, but a space where they aren’t afraid to fail because they know the support from their coach and from their teammates is going to be unconditional.”

Chappell-Dick grew up in the Mennonite tradition and is a 2016 graduate of Eastern Mennonite University in Harrisonburg, Virginia. “We very much focus on the works, the countercultural way that Jesus approaches the world,” she said of her Mennonite faith. “In the national discourse surrounding Christianity, that’s something that’s nontraditional, in my experience. … If being a Christian isn’t making you a better person here on this Earth, then why are you taking the time to practice your faith?”

Athletes attending Ivy League universities can feel pressure both in both the classroom and the stadium. “Sometimes it’s by parents or communities or guidance counselors who saw potential in them, or even just themselves,” Chappell-Dick said. “It can be really crushing, that kind of pressure. I view the value of participating on a college track team as learning how to handle pressure in a more healthy way, figuring out that the pressure is there but it’s actually an opportunity, a gift for me to use this potential I’ve been given. … If a coach and a team can approach it in a healthy way, it’s an awesome training ground for handling pressure in other areas of your life.”

Photo by Nicolas Hoizey via Unsplash

Catoe asked: “What kind of training might be an analogy to faith?”

Chappell-Dick said that typically when people hear she’s a runner and a track coach, they ask her one of two questions: “What’s your fastest mile time?” or “Did you run a marathon?” The answer to that second question is a definite no, she said, because Chappell-Dick focused on shorter races when competing. “But I do feel the marathon analogy is applicable to people who aren’t in the running world,” she said. “I love that it’s entered the pop culture because that’s exactly what anything good in life is like. It’s like training for a marathon in the sense of delayed gratification and learning how to take care of yourself.”

If the first mile of your marathon is the fastest mile you’ve ever clocked, “obviously you are not going to finish if you are exhausted in mile 1,” she said. “Anytime you’re approaching the expectations the world has set out for you, you have to think about the long term when it comes to self-care, and also when it comes to putting in the work. Both of those things can be true, and you have to find that balance. It’s one of the biggest challenges to being an adult, in my opinion — learning how to balance fighting the good fight and taking time for yourself to sit back and just be.”

“Faith is a good way to do both those things,” she said. “On the one hand, it can challenge you to be better and live for something bigger than yourself, and on the other hand it can remind you to take some time for prayer and meditation, tapping into that spiritual side.”

New editions of “A Matter of Faith: A Presby Podcast” drop every Thursday. The podcast is produced by the Presbyterian Peacemaking Program and Unbound: An Interactive Journal of Christian Social Justice. Hear the recordings here.

 Mike Ferguson, Editor, Presbyterian News Service

Let us join in prayer for:

PC(USA) Agencies’ Staff

Unzu Lee, Mission co-worker serving in South Korea, Presbyterian Mission Agency
Chris Lega, Manager, General Ledger Office, Finance & Accounting, Administrative Services Group (A Corp)

Let us pray

Loving God, we know that the church is not a building but the congregation that worships within. Help us to live this truth. May we honor you by giving what we have while trusting that you will provide what we need. Amen.

Today in the Mission Yearbook - A fine yarn

‘Closely knit’ Presbyterian Women’s group honors beloved member’s memory with a gift of sewing machines from the Presbyterian Giving Catalog

November 27, 2022

Five members of Presbyterian Women at First Presbyterian Church in Batavia, New York, are shown meeting in December 2020. (Contributed photo)

When bestselling author Debbie Macomber famously observed “I love the way knitting brings people together,” she might just as well have been writing about the Presbyterian Women (PW) of First Presbyterian Church, Batavia, New York.

“Since I wasn’t a knitter,” admitted Joyce Saxer, a longtime member, ruling elder and a former stated clerk at the church, “I came late to our women’s group. Three-quarters of our members love to knit, while the rest of us don’t knit at all. But I joined because being with other women was what appealed most to me and what kept us all sane during the pandemic.”

What also touched Saxer about the “closely knit” group was their generous heart for helping others.

“For the past several years, our focus has been on knitting and sewing items that will aid others to stay warm through the cold winter months,” said Saxer. “The women have knitted prayer shawls for those recuperating from illness, lap blankets for those confined to home and numerous hats and scarves for the local school children and adults on the street. Other projects have included tying fleece blankets for the child protection agency, walker bags for the elderly and warm individual quilts for a Rochester mission.”

The output of the 10-member group was nothing short of remarkable, due in large part to one of its most prolific members, Maureen.

“Maureen was a very fast knitter,” recalled Saxer of her friend, who died in 2019. “She was producing such quantities of baby blankets and lap blankets that the other women took note and had to step up their production. Peer pressure!”

When the group recently decided to do a memorial for Maureen, one of the members suggested the Presbyterian Giving Catalog, which she had picked up at church.

Three of the lap blankets completed by Presbyterian Women of First Presbyterian Church in Batavia, New York. (Contributed photo)

“Because Maureen primarily did knitting later in life, we focused on that line of thinking,” said Saxer. “When we couldn’t find any gifts related to knitting, we saw the sewing machines in the Catalog. Since Maureen was a fine seamstress earlier in life, that’s how our Catalog gift fell into place.”

Now in its eighth year, the Presbyterian Giving Catalog — which is available both in print and online as well as for immediate download in English, Spanish and Korean — is filled with a wide variety of gifts that spread hope and provide help and relief to families and communities in need, including aid for refugees, access to clean water and ways to end hunger.

“Maureen inspired our PW group to do more than the occasional blanket or hat,” Saxer said. “Her love for all people combined with her knitting skills and creativity encouraged us to be more productive, sharing our talents with others.”

Once the women had decided on sewing machines as their memorial, they extended the giving opportunity to the entire congregation. The members’ response was overwhelming.

Together, the church and the PW group raised enough funds to purchase 15 sewing machines in Maureen’s memory. The timing of their gift coincided with National Sewing Machine Day, which can be celebrated either on June 13 or Sept. 10.

“Maureen was a very special, very calm person, who just did what she wanted to do and didn’t make a big issue of anything,” said Saxer. “Even though she was in a nursing facility during the last two years of her life, it didn’t stop her from knitting. A couple of times the women from our group even took their knitting and sat with her.

“We are all over the age of 65 and retired, but we’re still active in helping others who are in need. We hope this gift will not only honor Maureen’s memory but also inspire others to enable other women a means of self-sufficiency.”

 Emily Enders Odom for Mission Engagement & Support, Presbyterian Mission Agency

Let us join in prayer for:

PC(USA) Agencies’ Staff

Laura Lee, Art Director, Presbyterian Women
Sangik Lee, Translator, Global Language Resources, Administrative Services Group (A Corp)

Let us pray

Dear God, please bless the witness and the ministry of the Presbyterian Women of the First Presbyterian Church. May others see in them your grace and love and be drawn to know you in your Son, our Lord and Savior, Jesus Christ. We ask it in his name. Amen.

Today in the Mission Yearbook - Taking our well-being into our own hands

Pastor puts both hands to work teaching others how to reduce stress and anxiety

November 26, 2022

The Rev. Judy Slater

The Rev. Judy Slater has stress-reducing and anxiety-alleviating techniques at her fingertips. Following a webinar she put on recently, so do members of Presbyterians for Earth Care.

Watch Slater’s hourlong “Building Resilience: Empowering Tools for Reducing Burnout, Stress and Trauma” by going here or here.

“The nice thing [about the methods she was about to impart] is all you need are your hands,” said Slater, a retired pastor in the Presbytery of the Redwoods, a trained facilitator with Capacitar International and a certified Red Cross Disaster Child Care Volunteer. She works with clients in her coaching business Innerlude & Associates and is co-founder of C Street Village Cohousing in Novato, California. “Often when we are in an emergency or are stressed, our brain shuts down. Our heart can get flooded and overwhelmed with emotions. The one thing we can learn to count on is our body intelligence.”

The body, she said, “has an innate wisdom that knows how to recover, how to balance itself out. … You don’t have to get in a meditative state when stuff is swirling around you.”

Slater offered up a centering exercise “to bring yourself in the present moment.” Bringing together all 10 fingertips, Slater crossed her legs at the ankles to “keep the energy circulating within yourself. Feel your body shifting a little bit. It allows you to breathe deeply.”

She also spoke of grounding by “dropping the weight of our body into the ground.” She took viewers on the imagined journey: into the topsoil, past the aquifers, through dead and decaying materials, past minerals, crystals and gems, down through magma and then “all the way down to the bellybutton of Mother Earth. That’s the place you can always be grounded to.”

Among her favorite stress- and anxiety-reducing practices is an exercise called “Finger Holds for Emotions.” She extended a hand and wiggled her fingers to explain:

The thumb represents grief. The index finger is fear. The middle finger — “We all know what that is,” she said — is anger. The ring finger represents anxiety, while the fifth finger “is for when you’re feeling small,” according to Slater.

One at a time, she wrapped each finger with the other hand and held it for a few seconds, transforming each into a “C” emotion: Comfort for the thumb, courage for the index finger, and compassion for the middle finger, “for yourself and others,” Slater said. “As it becomes balanced, you can become aware of some passionate action for justice.”

Holding her ring finger, Slater transformed anxiety into calm. “We wouldn’t ordinarily think of putting a blanket around our ring finger,” she said, “but it’s there waiting for you.”

Finally, holding the little finger for a while reminds us we can trade a lack of self-esteem for confidence.

“Remember how simple this is. You can do this while you’re preaching or you’re sitting down. You can do it anytime,” Slater said. “I do this often when I wake up in the middle of the night, worried or anxious about something. I just run through the fingers and it really does help.”

Slater also demonstrated tai chi movements and acupressure techniques during the webinar.

“Be healed,” she told those in attendance, “and heal the planet.”

 Mike Ferguson, Editor, Presbyterian News Service

Let us join in prayer for:

PC(USA) Agencies’ Staff
Jendayi Lawrence, Social Media Assistant, Communications Ministry, Presbyterian Mission Agency
D.J. Lee, Sr. Service Specialist, Korean Membership, Plan Operations, Board of Pensions

Let us pray

Dear Creator, help us make every day one of celebration of and protection for your Creation. For all wonders of Creation, we give thanks. Help us remember members of Creation, human and non-human, who are threatened. Give us strength to stand up for the most vulnerable, who are most affected by environmental degradation. May others see in them your grace and love and be drawn to know you in your Son, our Lord and Savior, Jesus Christ. We ask it in his name. Amen.

Advent Unwrapped: Our Advent Revolution Begins ✨

Hello, Happy Friday and Happy Christian New Year, Revolutionaries, My spiritual barometer is a gigantic canister of flour. Much of the time its abundance often reminds me that magical and nourishing transformations that create good things are possible (with the right ingredients). For my grandma, I am pretty sure it is cornmeal, and for my best friend growing up, it was a huge canvas bag of rice. As long as these staples are in the house, there is security, possibility and hope. Around this first Sunday of Advent, my canister of flour falls short. As we start the new church year, I can’t help but wonder if we are going about this revolution in the right way, shouldn’t there be more progress by now? The protest signs under my bed from five years ago could easily be used now. Sadly, there are a few that fellow sojourners could have also used 100 or even 1000 years ago. Amidst all the Christmas cheer, the signs of where we are not (or have never been) as we should be are somber. Why is it that my hope always falters when people demand it of me? I run out of flour an hour before the company starts coming; isn’t it ironic (don'tcha think)?   Luckily, in Advent we are asked to watch and wait for signs of the Christ Child, not signs of destruction. Except, ironically, it is in these places of destruction that I am certain we are to look for Christ. Christ is in all of these places where generations have fought for justice. Christ is in the uprising. Christ is the child cooing and crying, demanding our attention and depending on our love. It feels like an impossible task, caring for this child when there isn’t even enough flour in the canister, but luckily, we are a village; none of us would ever have enough on our own, but together… Since I last wrote you, much has been shared to hopefully help restore, feed and nurture you and yours this week. [Photo credit: Alydia Smith] New This Week! The Giver  Our musical offering by Mia McClain to accompany the candle lighting liturgy is now available in video and musical score. Weekly Micro Blogs      Featuring the art work of The Rev. Maria Christina Conlon and the photography of The Rev. Richard Choe is available on Round the Table blogs and our Facebook page. [Image credit: © Maria Christina Conlon]   Weekly Seeds and Sermon Seeds Visit UCC.org for bible study, evocative quotes, and sermon starters by the Rev. Dr. Cheryl Lindsay.   Daily Prayers  Starting this Sunday join us for daily prayers written by GC44 Youth Forum delegates on Facebook. [Image credit: The United Church of Canada]   New This Year   Blue Christmas Worship Service and Promotional Poster A worship service (including reflection notes) for those who have suffered loss prepared by David Sparks. We also have prepared an advertising poster that you can download and customize for your community. We also have a poster to advertise your Christmas Service.   Christmas Sunday Service A complete Christmas Sunday service by David Sparks can also be found here.  [Image credit: The United Church of Canada]   In Case You Missed it... Intercultural Hymn Sing Don’t forget about the Advent Intercultural Hymn Festival prepared by Bruce Harding, which includes musical settings of two carols not in our current hymn collection.   Advent Communion Service  A beautiful Advent communion liturgy by Rev. Dr. Andy O’Neil that uses expansive language.   The Good News Story Advent Unwrapped Sunday School  A four week Sunday school outline for Advent with links to crafts and coloring sheets.    Advent Mixtape  This is my personal advent playlist from a few years back, I would love to know what is on your play list!    I wish you all the best as we start this advent journey together. Drop me a line if you have something that you want to share (sharing means caring) or ideas for resources that would be helpful. Until then, I will be waiting with you, Alydia Facebook Twitter Website Email Instagram YouTube LinkedIn   Your generosity enables the United Church to love, serve, and minister in the world. Make an online donation or learn more about your options to support the work of the church.

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