Today in the Mission Yearbook - Sharing peace and understanding

Preparing for the Peace & Global Witness Offering

September 30, 2023

Every year, Presbyterians are asked to give to the Peace & Global Witness Offering. And every year Presbyterians ask: “Why?” One reason that Presbyterians contribute is because 50% of the offering stays with their local congregation and presbytery, empowering local peacemaking work in their own community. The other 50% supports the peacemaking work of the denomination, through our office, the Presbyterian Peacemaking Program.

I’d like to share a personal story about the power of the interpersonal interactions that are necessary in peacemaking efforts. Our office provides in-person and online educational and leadership development opportunities to help Presbyterians engage issues of justice and peacemaking. One effort is the Standing Our Holy Ground webinar series, which focuses on how the faith community can be involved in gun violence prevention.

Our first webinar was broadcast live from the Presbyterian Youth Triennium at Purdue University. The webinar featured a panel discussion of youth as well the deputy chief of the Purdue University Police Department, who talked about how the university was trying to prevent gun violence.

After the webinar and discussion was over, a young man approached the front of the stage. I’m going to describe him, so you understand the context of the situation. He was a young Black man, wearing a du rag, tank top, green gym shorts and pristine gray basketball shoes. Around the U.S., he would be a prime target for racial profiling by police.

This young man came to the front of the stage and greeted the Purdue University deputy police chief. He said, “Hello, officer, thank you for the presentation and comments today. I’d like to ask you a question.” The police chief said, “Certainly.”  The young man said, “I appreciated how your comments about how you are trying to keep students safe. But I’d like to ask about the incidents of police brutality and being quick to shoot in situations involving Black individuals and members of the African American community.”

Standing Our Holy Ground — Young People and Campuses (provided)

The police chief responded, “Thank you for asking about that. First, I would say that every police officer needs to undergo proper training. Training about not only how to operate a weapon as a police officer but about how to evaluate situations with a measured head. Unfortunately, we get a lot of young officers coming in who are not trained properly and they shoot impulsively in a situation or engage in inappropriate actions. Secondly, we as police officers need to remember that even if we are arresting someone, that they need to be treated like human beings. A practice I use to remind myself that I am working with a human being is I ask, ‘Are you OK?’ I was in the process of arresting a man who was resisting and very agitated and distressed. I took a breath, and I asked him, ‘Sir, are you OK?’ The man stopped resisting and moving around as much and said, ‘yes.’ Then I replied, “OK. I’m going to put these cuffs on you now.”

After this conversation, the young Black man said, “Thank you, officer. I really appreciate you talking with me,” and they shook hands.

I like to think in that situation there was a moment of peace and understanding between these two people. But it is saddening that one year later the very public instances of police brutality and racism against Ahmad Arbery, George Floyd and Breonna Taylor undermined this moment of peace.

In a world that is fractured and chaotic, we need more moments like the one at Purdue University of genuine understanding and conversation. If we can foster moments like this every day and all over the world, imagine how much our world could change. Imagine if our Communion tables would be used not just for the sharing of elements, but tables for the sharing of experience and understanding.

Of course, systemic reforms are needed as well to address the injustices in our world. But at a personal level, this is one way we live into God’s call to us as peacemakers. It requires courage, boldness and a willingness to step outside of our comfort zone. But if we are willing, only God knows the possibilities for transformation and peace that can ensue.

Simon Doong, Associate for Peacemaking, Presbyterian Peacemaking Program

 Today’s Focus: Peace & Global Witness Offering

Let us join in prayer for:

PC(USA) Agencies’ Staff
Sally McKinsey, Managing Editor for Call to Worship, Theology, Formation & Evangelism, Presbyterian Mission Agency
Andrea McNicol, Manager, Budgets & Forecasting, Administrative Services Group (A Corp)

Let us pray

Dear God, bless all those who do peacemaking and justice work in your name. May we be brave and feel your love and comfort even in difficult moments. Help us to remember we are not alone. May we find peace in sitting around a table together to engage in intentional conversation with all our siblings near and far, being the world communion that you call us to be. Amen.

Today in the Mission Yearbook - Do Santa Claus, the American flag and other symbols belong in our churches?

The Rev. Jimmie Hawkins takes on some sacred cows at Synod School

September 29, 2023

Photo by Fungai Tichawangana via Unsplash

The Rev. Jimmie Hawkins warned Synod School attendees that his message “might be a challenging. My wife says I’m not everyone’s cup of tea.”

Still, Hawkins, the PC(USA)’s advocacy director, brewed up a satisfying hot beverage based on the symbols of our faith, taking on some Presbyterian sacred cows along the way during his third convocation at Synod School, put on at Buena Vista University each year by the Synod of Lakes and Prairies. About 500 people are in attendance.

When it comes to adorning their sanctuaries, for the most part Presbyterians believe in simplicity, which Hawkins called “a gift from John Calvin.”

Just about every Christian church has a pulpit, a baptismal font and a communion table. Our primary symbol is the cross, and for Protestants it’s the empty cross. For Presbyterians, the specially designed denominational cross contains numerous symbols, and Hawkins took time to identify each and show how they’re connected.

Hawkins spent most of his energy on what are not symbols of the Christian faith, opening with whether the American flag should be displayed in the sanctuary.

“I think we need to have serious conversations about that in our churches,” Hawkins said, relating a story about a church he once served that had a U.S. flag placed directly in front of the pulpit. In his earliest days as pastor, Hawkins asked the pastor nominating committee about whether the flag should be there. “You know, that’s a session responsibility,” PNC members told their pastor.

The session decided to move the flag upstairs. Expecting a rapid response from church members and friends, Hawkins said he waited two months before someone said, “Pastor, didn’t we used to have a flag right here?”

“I said, ‘Yes, the session decided to remove it,’” Hawkins said with a grin. “I love our [Presbyterian] structure!”

The Stars and Stripes “provides a symbol of hope for America,” Hawkins said, “but we also have to have some distinctions in our faith life” when deciding whether or not to display the American flag in our churches.

The Rev. Jimmie Hawkins

The cousin to the American flag in this context is the Christian flag, which first made an appearance in churches in 1897. The danger here is that the flag can distract “from the real, God-given symbols of the faith,” Hawkins said.

As for singing patriotic songs in worship, Hawkins’ research showed it’s a “split decision.” Among many authorities, the Presbyterian Association of Musicians said that “we are mindful that national boundaries are not God’s boundaries.”

When he launched into a discussion on Christmas, Hawkins was clear: “I want to remind you Jesus is the reason for the season,” he said. “We need to reconnect Christmas with the birth of Jesus. Secular society has lost its mind, and Christmas no longer belongs to the church. It belongs to society.”

Santa Claus is real if one goes bac to Nicholas of Myra in Turkey, who used his wealth to help the poor. The Dutch celebrate the life of Sinterklaas, who later in this country became known as Santa Claus.

Hawkins recalled one Christmas Eve when he told his then 3-year-old daughter that Santa doesn’t bring gifts to her and her brother — Jesus does. “Oh, no,” the girl told her father. “Santa does.”

“Well!” her father told her. “We’ll see in the morning who gets gifts and who doesn’t.”

After the girl had gone to bed, Hawkins’ wife reminded him, “You do know she’s 3 years old.”

“I waited a year and then said, ‘Where’s your mother?’” Hawkins said. “Mom’s outside,” their daughter told him. Hawkins then repeated his story to her from the previous year.

“She’s 19 now,” he said, “and she knows Jesus is responsible for Christmas.”

Hawkins also explored some middle ground symbols, including the Easter Bunny, whose eggs represent Jesus’ resurrection; candy canes, which when looked at one way look like the “J” in Jesus and in another way remind the viewer of a shepherd’s staff; and the Christmas tree, which is evergreen and “represents faith that never dies,” Hawkins said.

“Symbols are important,” Hawkins said, “and we want to make sure they represent who we are.”

Mike Ferguson, Editor, Presbyterian News Service

Today’s Focus: Rev. Jimmie Hawkins preaching on religious symbols during Synod School

Let us join in prayer for:

PC(USA) Agencies’ Staff
Carol McGinn, Executive Business Administrator, Facilities, Board of Pensions
Donald McKim, Writer/Editor, Theology, Formation & Evangelism, Presbyterian Mission Agency

Let us pray

God of Heaven and Earth, as we fix our eyes on you, help us see as you see, hear as you hear, love as you love and serve as you serve. Renew us day by day until you call us to our eternal home with you. Amen.

Ministry Matters - Are aging churches a bad thing? | Talking about money in small membership churches

How can we claim to be incarnational if we are willing to ignore the fastest growing segments of our population? Are aging churches a bad thing? by Allen Stanton   Our churches need to be younger. It is an engrained truth, repeated so much that one halfway expects those words to be found somewhere in a footnote in a letter from Paul. Over the years, the adage has become a tirelessly repeated indicator of church vitality and church health, a boiler plate answer for anyone looking to grow their congregation: Want to grow? Attract young people. Read here

How do we encourage a new vision for stewardship in our smaller congregations? Talking about money in small membership churches by Amy Mayo-Moyle   When I accepted my new position, I was told at the staff/parish introduction, “We don't do pledge campaigns.” A bit naïve, I shrugged this off as I went into my new pastorate not realizing how much of my energy would be spent on money. Upon my arrival, I was soon shocked to discover that, not only did they not do pledge campaigns, but they did not pledge. Read here

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The Voice of the Martyrs - Urgent prayer needed

How should we pray for our Eritrean brothers and sisters in Christ?

Members of the global body of Christ are experiencing violence, imprisonment and even death because of their Christian witness. And you can make a powerful difference by committing to pray for these faithful believers! The need for prayer is especially urgent right now for Eritrean Christian prisoners and their families. Hundreds are imprisoned because of their Christian faith. As they follow Christ in some of the most difficult conditions in the world, let us remember them and their families in prayer. Eritrea, in East Africa, is governed by a totalitarian regime that seeks to control every aspect of life — including religion. The government maintains control of approved churches and has arrested Christians without warning, providing no opportunity for a trial. Conditions inside these prisons are some of the worst in the world. Christian prisoners are provided meager rations and are often held in shipping containers in extreme desert conditions, sometimes for years. Please pray for these prisoners and for their families, who are not allowed to visit their imprisoned loved one. PRAY TODAY As you feel led, please prayerfully consider an online donation to help more than 250 Christian prisoners and their families with food, medicine, clothing and pastoral care. Thank you for your prayers and gifts.

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The Voice of the Martyrs - "I love this podcast so much! Every time I listen, I pray."

“Convicting and Wonderful”

Thousands of listeners are blessed each week by VOM Radio, which shares inspiring testimonies from persecuted Christians on broadcast radio and via podcast. Here’s a sampling of recent listener reviews posted on Apple Podcasts, where 96% of reviewers give VOM Radio a 5-star rating: “I love this podcast so much! … Every time I listen, I pray.” —“ALLIEMEREMCLEOD” (5-STAR REVIEW) “It is convicting and wonderful to be reminded of … the lives of our Christian brothers and sisters. To be reminded of our call as Christians to share the gospel, to pick up our cross and follow Christ … helps me keep it all in perspective.” —“DAENOCH” (5-STAR REVIEW) “If you have a heart for our persecuted brothers and sisters, this podcast will be a blessing. And a challenge! They cover the globe. … Your heart will be moved and your prayer life expanded!” —“MAE1966” (5-STAR REVIEW) “Love the practical ways given to pray for our brothers and sisters and those who persecute them.” —“MICAHANATF1290” (5-STAR REVIEW) If you haven’t listened to VOM Radio, select the buttons below to find out why it’s a blessing to so many. And if you already listen regularly, please forward this email to a Christian friend. LISTEN TO VOM RADIO Listen via Podcast Apps Find a Broadcast Station

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If you’ve never listened to VOM Radio or want to share it with a friend who’ll be encouraged by stories of God’s faithfulness to our persecuted Christian family, here are six conversations to serve as inspiring introductions. John and Karen Short — They stayed spiritually connected when John was detained in North Korea. Martyrs’ Sons — Ezra and Saul Pett struggled with their faith after their parents were killed in Uganda. Amber — Imprisoned in Tibet Richard and Jeanette — After Richard was detained by Chinese police, the whole family was kicked out of China. They found blessings in suffering. Silas — Amazed when he saw Jesus speaking his language on the television.

Please forward this email to Christian friends who will be inspired to pray for and support our persecuted Christian family.

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