Minute for Mission: Immigration Sunday

For your steadfast love is higher than the heavens, and your faithfulness reaches to the clouds. — Psalm 108:4

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(Provided by Amanda Craft)

This moment in the United States is one marked by division. For immigrant communities, the moment is marked by threats, fear and repression of rights. We witness arrests at courthouses as immigrants comply with the legal requirements for their cases. Arrests, detention and deportations separate families. We lament the impact of fear-based tactics on church communities, as many immigrant members live in fear. Division and trauma disrupt all facets of life.

As communities stand up peacefully to government overreach in immigration enforcement, we witness the erosion and repression of fundamental rights and values. Religious liberties and the right to public witness have been key values in the country. The Presbyterian Church has centuries of social witness policy that urges members to partake in public witness activities participating in God’s mercy, love and peace. The church also has a history of advocating just immigration laws and demanding the change of structures that cause harm on approach to practicing faith. The Scripture urges believers to awake to the goodness God promises. This steadfast love extends beyond human imagination and understanding. It is offered to all nations, to all people.

May we endeavor to be awake to this kind of love by finding ways to bring communities together, seeking protection and peace. Joining others to pursue ways to protect immigrant communities and ensure rights are examples of being awake to God’s presence and faithfulness. Support immigrant communities by connecting with immigrant rights groups in your area as they mobilize.

Amanda Craft, Manager of Immigration Advocacy, PC(USA)

Let us join in prayer for:

Serena Dowling, Summer Fellow, Office of Public Witness – Washington, Presbyterian Life & Witness
Tucker Samuelian, Summer Fellow, Office of Public Witness – Washington, Presbyterian Life & Witness

Let us pray:

Faithful God, give us courage to seek your love. Give us courage to join our voice with others. May we remember what is lost when we do not. Protect those who urgently need your refuge and care. Amen. 

Minute for Mission: Immigration Sunday

For your steadfast love is higher than the heavens, and your faithfulness reaches to the clouds. (Psalm 108:4)

Image

courtesy of Amanda Craft

This moment in the United States is one marked by division. For immigrant communities, the moment is marked by threats, fear and repression of rights. We witness arrests at courthouses as immigrants comply with the legal requirements for their cases. Arrests, detention and deportations separate families. We lament the impact of fear-based tactics on church communities, as many immigrant members live in fear. Division and trauma disrupt all facets of life.

As communities stand up peacefully to government overreach in immigration enforcement, we witness the erosion and repression of fundamental rights and values. Religious liberties and the right to public witness have been key values in the country. The Presbyterian Church has centuries of social witness policy that urges members to partake in public witness activities participating in God’s mercy, love and peace. The church also has a history of advocating just immigration laws and demanding the change of structures that cause harm on approach to practicing faith. The Scripture urges believers to awake to the goodness God promises. This steadfast love extends beyond human imagination and understanding. It is offered to all nations, to all people.

May we endeavor to be awake to this kind of love by finding ways to bring communities together, seeking protection and peace. Joining others to pursue ways to protect immigrant communities and ensure rights are examples of being awake to God’s presence and faithfulness. Support immigrant communities by connecting with immigrant rights groups in your area as they mobilize.

Amanda Craft, Manager of Immigration Advocacy, PC(USA)

Let us join in prayer for:

Alicia Samuels, Vice President of eCommerce & Marketing & Flyaway Books Editorial, Presbyterian Publishing Corporation
Elizabeth Sanders, Customer Service Representative, Presbyterian Publishing Corporation 

Let us pray:

Faithful God, give us courage to seek your love. Give us courage to join our voice with others. May we remember what is lost when we do not. Protect those who urgently need your refuge and care. Amen. 

Minute for Mission: Immigration Sunday

July 7, 2024

Advocacy is a special kind of ministry. It is the work of centering a particular experience of a community that is facing hardship. It takes relationship building and community organizing. This kind of public witness takes patience, care and persistence. As we celebrate Immigration Sunday, we are reminded of the countless immigrant experiences in our congregations and communities. We celebrate the dedication, commitment and countless contributions of these members.

However, we are also reminded that access to immigration relief and protection continues to be out of reach for many. This country is blessed that those leading the way seeking access and protections are immigrants themselves. They are living the experience as they urge for change. The PC(USA) has been advocating for federal policy changes alongside immigrant voices for centuries. This work is grounded in countless biblical stories: the migration events of the ancient Israelites, the migration of Noemi and Ruth, or like in the stories of the early church as communities learn to live and break bread together. In these examples, communities learned how to resist new ways of being that would harm them and learned how to be a part of ways that would help them thrive. They placed their faith in God, who accompanied them, who protected them and who urged them to live well together as a way of celebrating God.

In the U.S. context, we are blessed to be guided by communities of immigrants who speak with expertise about struggles and solutions. One such expert is Yesica Rosales Miranda. She is the co-director of El Centro in Brevard, North Carolina. She is originally from Mexico and has called the U.S. home since she was 11 years old. Yesica is a Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals (DACA) participant. In her work, she has encouraged the community center to be more involved in programs that meet specific needs of the Spanish-speaking community, like a bilingual club for youth and holding small business trainings for business owners. Yesica is grateful for DACA protections, which have allowed her to access work permits that allow her to provide assistance to the larger community. However, she is also aware that temporary protections like DACA do not provide residency or citizenship. There is a sense of a liminal stability — one that can be taken away at any moment. As we celebrate the recent passage of protections for immigrants by the Biden Administration, we know our work is not complete. There are still people in our communities, members like Yesica, who are giving of their gifts and talents, to improve life for everyone in their midst. We must continue to urge our elected officials to seek solutions for community members who do not have access to immigration status. So today, we lift up in prayer and action the unceasing work of immigrants’ rights voices and groups who lead the way to find justice, protection and stability. May we each move from being beloved strangers to being cherished family in God (Ephesians 2:19).

Access a video from an interview with Yesica talking about her experience as a DACA recipient.

Amanda Craft, Manager of Advocacy, Office of Immigration Issues, Office of the General Assembly

Today’s Focus: Immigration Sunday

Let us join in prayer for:

PC(USA) Agencies’ Staff
Gabe Loredo, Archives Technician, Presbyterian Historical Society  
Lisa Love, Deputy General Counsel, Presbyterian Foundation 

Let us pray

God, we are certain you hear our cries — our cries of suffering and our cries of joy. May you hear the cacophony of voices seeking justice for the newcomer, the immigrant, the migrant, the refugee. May their voices bubble up, bringing lasting solutions of justice and equity. May all of us have the courage to be a part of this movement understanding you are revealed through each of us. When we come together as a family, we understand your depth with greater intimacy and joy. Hold space for the experience of the immigrant and help us build better and stronger communities together. Amen.

Minute for Mission: Immigration Sunday

July 2, 2023

WeAreHome, provided by the Interfaith Immigration Coalition.

“We still have more to offer,” said Stevanie, a young-adult DACA recipient and member of Marturia Presbyterian Church. As the Supreme Court deliberates on how protections under the Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals (DACA) program will continue, we are reminded of the millions of people who are in the United States under temporary immigration statuses. The temporary statuses provide relief from deportation orders and provide access to work authorization but are precarious. They must be renewed every year to every two years, and individuals must put their lives on hold during each renewal process. Regardless of the amount of time someone has been a recipient of these temporary statuses and vetted for renewal, there are no pathways to permanent residency or citizenship. These protections can also be revoked with the change in presidential administrations. Life is precarious.

Dr. Tamar Wasoian, originally from Aleppo, Syria, has dedicated her professional life to preparing faith leaders in the United States. She expresses how tiring and stressful it is to maintain Temporary Protected Status (TPS). Although grateful for the status, she lives in constant fear as renewal times come up every 18 months. It diminishes her life and possibilities. She says, “Look at what I have accomplished with TPS. Imagine what I could do if I had access to a permanent status.”

As people of faith, we understand that we are all created in God’s image and called God’s children. As our neighbors are burdened with obstacles involved in temporary statuses, may we be reminded of the countless ways they invest in and improve our communities. They work tirelessly to seek ways to seek lasting and just solutions, so, may we feel invigorated to amplify their call for legislative solutions that allow for pathways to citizenship.

For more information on DACA, visit the Office of Immigration Issues DACA page. Learn how to engage your congressional leaders with the Interfaith Immigration Coalition (IIC) Toolkit. The PC(USA) is a steering committee member of the IIC and is deeply involved in these efforts. Read an article from faith leaders calling for greater protections for DACA recipients.

Amanda Craft, Manager of Immigration Advocacy, Mid Council Ministries, Office of the General Assembly

Today’s Focus: Immigration Sunday

Let us join in prayer for:

PC(USA) Agencies’ Staff
Michael Gehrling, Associate, Northeast Region & Assessments, 1001 New Worshiping Communities, Presbyterian Mission Agency
Alexander Germosen, Cook, Stony Point Center, Presbyterian Mission Agency

Let us pray

God, you invite us not to a temporary life but to life eternal — one that allows all to live as full participants in your creation. Help us understand how our nation constructs stumbling blocks for many immigrants who are not able to fully participate, who cannot be their full self. Inspire us to seek ways to smooth out those stumbling blocks to create a pathway to justice.

Minute for Mission: Immigration Sunday

July 3, 2022

WeAreHome, provided by the Interfaith Immigration Coalition.

“We still have more to offer,” said Stevanie, a young-adult DACA recipient and member of Marturia Presbyterian Church. As the Supreme Court deliberates on how protections under the Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals (DACA) program will continue, we are reminded of the millions of people who are in the United States under temporary immigration statuses. The temporary statuses provide relief from deportation orders and provide access to work authorization but are precarious. They must be renewed every year to every two years, and individuals must put their lives on hold during each renewal process. Regardless of the amount of time someone has been a recipient of these temporary statuses and vetted for renewal, there are no pathways to permanent residency or citizenship. These protections can also be revoked with the change in presidential administrations. Life is precarious.

Dr. Tamar Wasoian, originally from Aleppo, Syria, has dedicated her professional life to preparing faith leaders in the United States. She expresses how tiring and stressful it is to maintain Temporary Protected Status (TPS). Although grateful for the status, she lives in constant fear as renewal times come up each 18 months. It diminishes her life and possibilities. She says, “Look at what I have accomplished with TPS. Imagine what I could do if I had access to a permanent status.”

As people of faith, we understand that we are all created in God’s image and called God’s children. As our neighbors are burdened with obstacles involved in temporary statuses, may we be reminded of the countless ways they invest in and improve our communities. They work tirelessly to seek ways to seek lasting and just solutions, so, may we feel invigorated to amplify their call for legislative solutions that allow for pathways to citizenship.

For more information on DACA, visit the Office of Immigration Issues DACA page. Learn how to engage your congressional leaders with the Interfaith Immigration Coalition (IIC) Toolkit. The PC(USA) is a steering committee member of the IIC and is deeply involved in these efforts. Read an article from faith leaders calling for greater protections for DACA recipients.

Amanda Craft, Manager of Immigration Advocacy, Mid Council Ministries, Office of the General Assembly

Let us join in prayer for:

PC(USA) Agencies’ Staff
Daniel Braden, Managing Editor-Publishing, Presbyterian Publishing Corporation
Luci Duckson-Bramble, Director of Development & Services, Presbyterian Historical Society

Let us pray

God, you invite us not to a temporary life but to life eternal — one that allows all to live as full participants in your creation. Help us understand how our nation constructs stumbling blocks for many immigrants who are not able to fully participate, who cannot be their full self. Inspire us to seek ways to smooth out those stumbling blocks to create a pathway to justice.

Minute for Mission: Immigration Sunday

“I have faith that God will dry up the Rio Grande so that I may safely cross,” he said. He had been on the journey from Honduras to the U.S. for a month and a half when we met him in a migrant shelter in Arriaga, Mexico. His teenage son was traveling with him. He told us about the pressure on his son to join a gang and the lack of lawful means to support oneself in his nation. He talked of seeing people murdered in the street.

He also talked of abundance.

He knew that God loved them. He knew that God had more planned for their lives than what they had experienced so far in Honduras. He was certain that God was going with them and that God would “turn the sea into dry land” and they would pass “through the river on foot.” God would make the way clear for them both so that they might find abundant life in the U.S.

Every day, families and individuals are setting out on a journey, after finding living in their homelands no longer possible. Some in the U.S. hear of this and talk of laws, policy and economy. Plans do, certainly, need to be made, but what if, instead, the U.S. church first marveled for a moment in the great faith one must have to take such an action? What if congregations, instead, committed to praying for mercies and miracles to meet sojourners along the way? And what if, in so doing, we realized that God’s promise of abundance is only made manifest when we insist in its manifestation for all of us?

For more information on Central American migration, go to genesisofexodusfilm.com.

Teresa Waggener, Coordinator, Office of Immigration Issues, Presbyterian Church (U.S.A.)

Let us join in prayer for: 

PC(USA) Agencies’ Staff

Cheri Harper, Presbyterian Women
Ginger Harris, Presbyterian Investment & Loan Program

Let us pray:

Lord, help us to see that everything is possible in you. Help us to live out this faith in our own lives. Help us to see this faith being lived out in the lives of others. Draw us together as one in you. Amen.