Today in the Mission Yearbook - Reading Bible stories from right to left

The Rev. Dr. Eric Barreto leads a Synod of the Covenant webinar on reading Luke backward

October 28, 2024

Photo by Tim Wildsmith via Unsplash

In an approach that presents any number of spoiler alert challenges, the Rev. Dr. Eric Barreto nonetheless recommends that preachers read Luke backward.

Barreto, the Frederick and Margaret L. Weyerhaeuser Associate Professor of New Testament at Princeton Theological Seminary, was the Rev. Dr. Chip Hardwick’s recent guest on the Synod of the Covenant’s monthly “Equipping Preachers” webinar. Listen to his 88-minute presentation here.

Barreto told the story of working on a Lenten series with the Rev. Dr. Dave Davis, the senior pastor at Nassau Presbyterian Church in Princeton, which Barreto attends and where he teaches adult education. Throughout that Lenten season, Davis preached on Lenten biblical passages while Barreto taught them, beginning with the cross and ending with the unusual Palm Sunday scene of baby Jesus in Mary’s arms.

Starting at the end of Luke’s gospel can be disorienting, but “sometimes disorienting us helps us see texts in a new light. I thought it was helpful to think about Mary in the Lenten season,” Barreto said. “It’s about revisiting an old story we have heard a million times before, only to be delighted and surprised there is so much to be learned.”

The cross of Jesus “is strange, good news,” Barreto said. “It is news of the defeat of death with death, as the empire takes another innocent life. It is forgiveness shared at a place devoid of mercy. The cross is perhaps the strangest of good news.”

Barreto took a brief look at Luke’s prologue to uncover four keys to the third gospel: others wrote stories like Luke did, Luke was interested in presenting an orderly account of what had gone on, Luke’s intended readers are people who “already belong in the gospel,” and he intends to tell old stories again.

The Rev. Dr. Eric Barreto

Then Barreto went straight to the crucifixion account in Luke 23. He said that Rome saw the two other men put to death alongside Jesus as terrorists, “like Jesus, seen as a threat to the order of the empire. It was a signal to the community not to mess with us,” Barreto said, for “if you do, this will be your destiny as well.”

“This is what power looks like,” Barreto said. “Grief and empire are all over the text.”

Why, Barreto wondered, does Luke quote the centurion saying, “Certainly, this man was innocent”?

“Is Jesus special? I want to say on the one hand, in the eyes of the centurion and maybe in our eyes, Jesus is not special,” Barreto said. “He’s not the first or the last innocent person killed by empire to keep order. I wonder if the centurion sees how remarkably ordinary his execution is.”

The United States had its own history of public executions, of course. “Not that long ago, white folks would go to lynchings in their Sunday best and take home souvenirs of what they’d seen. They came to see a spectacle, to be delighted,” Barreto said. “The spectacle of empire says, ‘We can use the weight of violence to keep you safe. Just don’t mess with us.’”

But members of the crowd witnessing Jesus’ execution go home beating their breasts “because they have seen something they should not have seen,” Barreto said. “The cross for Luke is just a blunt instrument of tragedy, a moment of deep trauma — cruelty and death and violence all wrapped up into one. Some say the cross is a mirror held up to us. What we are confronted with is our own love of violence, inflicted on others to keep us safe.”

Barreto said the goal of reading a biblical account backward is “to attune ourselves to these stories with the possibility we will notice something different we haven’t noticed before.”

Mike Ferguson, Editor, Presbyterian News Service

Today’s Focus: Rev. Dr. Eric Barreto leads a Synod of the Covenant webinar

Let us join in prayer for:

PC(USA) Agencies’ Staff
Becky Trinkle, Project Manager, Administration, Communications Ministry, Presbyterian Church (U.S.A.) 
Mel Tubb, Mission Coordinator I, Advocacy Support, Executive Director’s Office, Presbyterian Mission Agency 

Let us pray

Lord, today we give thanks for our long life and continued opportunities to serve Christ. We thank your faithful as they witness to you under difficult and trying conditions. Amen.

Minute for Mission: Reformation Sunday

October 27, 2024

Photo credit: (provided)

Forty years ago, the Dutch Reformed Mission Church (DRMC) in South Africa adopted Belydenis van Belhar — the Confession of Belhar — in its first reading. Belhar was an outgrowth of the DRMC’s effort to grapple with the church’s participation in and defense of apartheid and touches prominently on themes of unity, reconciliation and justice. The DRMC adopted Belhar in its final form in 1986.

Although the Confession of Belhar is inextricably connected to its South African context, its message extends far beyond. The PC(USA) describes Belhar as a powerful statement of belief for the Christian faith that, in part, bears witness to the gift of unity and the church’s obligation to it. Interest in Belhar grew internationally around 2006, including among reformed traditions in the United States, where the PC(USA) established the Special Committee on the Confession of Belhar. On the recommendation of this Special Committee, the 222nd General Assembly (2016) approved the inclusion of Belhar in the Book of Confessions because of the clarity of its witness and its capacity to serve as a model for the PC(USA) to “speak and act with similar clarity at a time when it faces division, racism and injustice.”

The Confession of Belhar is a unique voice among the predominantly European and North American confessions. It elevates the witness of Reformed Christians living under different circumstances and serves, even now, as a springboard to discuss its key themes of unity, reconciliation and justice within a wide range of current issues.

For more on the Reformation, visit history.pcusa.org/rs.

Kristen Gaydos, Director of Communications, Presbyterian Historical Society

Today’s Focus: Reformation Sunday

Let us join in prayer for:

PC(USA) Agencies’ Staff
Tonia Trice, HR Generalist, Human Resources, Administrative Services Group (A Corp) 
Kate Trigger Duffert, Director for General Assembly Planning, Office of the General Assembly 

Let us pray

Gracious and loving God, help us listen deeply to all our siblings in Christ as we strive toward unity and justice. On this day, we give thanks for the Belhar Confession as one important source of your reconciling light in this world. Amen.

Today in the Mission Yearbook - Hard healing work in Rwanda, a promising country with deep enduring scars

As a Rwandan proverb laments, ‘Help from abroad always comes when the rain has stopped’

October 26, 2024

On April 7, 2024, Rwandan President Paul Kagame lit the

flame of this Eternal Flame Monument now installed at the

Kigali Genocide Memorial as a 30-year remembrance of the

genocide initiated that day in 1994. (Contributed photo)

The Republic of Rwanda, a small country in central Africa the size of Maryland, is commemorating the 30th year since the genocide tore the nation apart. In a 100-day period between April 7 and July 19, 1994, up to 800,000 Tutsis were slaughtered by Hutu militias, and an estimated 500,000 Tutsi women were raped.

The term “genocide” was cemented into the global consciousness with the Rwandan massacre. Coined in 1944 by Raphael Lemkin, a Polish-Jewish lawyer, “genocide” combines the Greek word genos (meaning race or tribe) with the Latin word cide (killing) to describe the systematic and deliberate extermination of a group, as seen during the Holocaust. The term became crucial in the 1948 United Nations Convention on the Prevention and Punishment of the Crime of Genocide.

Many governments and organizations initially downplayed the scale of the violence in 1994. By the time the genocide was widely acknowledged, most of the killing had already occurred. In hindsight, this is seen as a major moral and political failure, which has tested the social structure of that country.

In the 30 years since, the country has under President Paul Kagame  done surprisingly well. After a decade of recovery, the country entered a phase of high economic growth. For an extended period, it became one of the fastest-growing economies in Africa, while reducing poverty and fertility rates. Today Rwanda is an inspiration for other poor and struggling countries and a modern-day example of the biblical truth that adversity and trials will develop perseverance, which leads to new constructive solutions.

Rwandan prisoners are shown attending a lecture on restorative 

justice principles. (Contributed photo)

However, the racial divide which initially led to the conflict has been a lingering background concern, and consequently much effort has been extended on healing, forgiveness and integration issues throughout the community and in the prison system to which the main perpetrators were incarcerated.

After the genocide, Rwanda faced an overwhelming challenge of how to deliver justice for the vast number of people involved in the genocide. The conventional justice system was crippled, with courts destroyed, and many judges, lawyers, and other judicial personnel either killed or implicated in the genocide.

A fascinating part of the solution was the reintroduction of the Gacaca courts, which were the ruling community-based justice system in Rwanda before colonial powers took over the country. This traditional court system was revived and adapted in the aftermath of the 1994 genocide. The term “Gacaca” (pronounced ga-cha-cha) comes from the Rwandan word for “grass,” referring to the informal gatherings where community elders would traditionally resolve disputes while sitting on the grass.

Pius Nyakayiro, director of the Good News Rwanda organization, 

speaks to the female population of the Nyamagabe women’s prison. 

(Contributed photo)

The Gacaca courts tried over 1.2 million cases between 2001 and their official closure in 2012 and played a crucial role in dealing with the massive backlog of genocide-related cases the conventional justice system could not handle. However, the Gacaca courts were not without controversy. Critics pointed to several issues, including lack of legal expertise, intimidation, false testimony, and inadequate appeal process.

Despite these criticisms, many Rwandan and international observers view the Gacaca courts as a significant mechanism for achieving justice and promoting reconciliation in the aftermath of the genocide.

Today the 13 prisons now in operation in Rwanda hold more than 80,000 male and 5,000 female prisoners, many of whom are serving long sentences for their part in the systematic killings.

Over the years, the Rwandan government has improved prison facilities and made law revisions regarding prison overcrowding. Soon a halfway house will be operational so released prisoners gradually can prepare for home return and, in the meantime, can communicate with family members through phone conversations.

Nyakayiro and his staff at Good News Rwanda are hopeful that with all these efforts for the safe reintegration the prisoners will eventually be accomplished. However, he fervently appeals to the international prison outreach community and faith organizations for assistance. “We would like to introduce professional Restorative Justice concepts and proven programs like Adopt-A-Prison, Rehabilitation through the Arts, Unlocking Harmony, and others to help our imprisoned brothers and sister return home with peace,” Nyakayiro said.

May the world not be silent to the Rwanda call again.

The Rev. Dr. Hans Hallundbaek, a minister in the Presbyterian Church (U.S.A.), is a co-founder of both Rehabilitation through the Arts and the Interfaith Prison Partnership, an outreach of Hudson River Presbytery. He is an adjunct instructor at the John Jay College of Criminal Justice and Marist College. He lives in Katonah, New York.

Today’s Focus: Hard healing work in Rwanda

Let us join in prayer for:

PC(USA) Agencies’ Staff
Joel Townsend, IT Help Desk Specialist, Administrative Services Group (A Corp) 
Cuong Tran, Mail/Print Clerk, Mail/Print Center, Administrative Services Group (A Corp) 

Let us pray

Creator God, guide us to recognize your love for all people. We rejoice that you have given us individuality while holding us all in your hand. Help us learn from each other and acknowledge the strength that is gained through diversity. Amen.

Today in the Mission Yearbook - Up on the (church) roof

Linda K. Smith, a sustainability consultant, speaks to Presbyterians for Earth Care about how roofs can help faith communities care for Creation

October 25, 2024

Photo by Nathan Cima via Unsplash

If they listen to Linda K. Smith and others in the know, Presbyterians can be much more than God’s frozen chosen — they can become downright cool.

Smith, a semi-retired sustainability consultant, recently gave a talk for Presbyterians for Earth Care she called “Cool Churches, Cool Presbyterians.” Watch her talk here. Smith’s slides can be found here.

Smith had a 40-year career in a variety of roles, including as a chemical engineer, for the U.S. Green Building Council and as the director of sustainability for Central Arkansas Water. She’s a ruling elder at Second Presbyterian Church in Little Rock, Arkansas, and a board member at Ferncliff Camp & Conference Center.

Much of Smith’s talk focused on roofing choices that church building committees make. “I’m not a roofer,” she said, “but I’m very involved with the building committee at Second. I like to do that. It’s a gift I have, helping nonprofits look at facilities and make the best choices” when they’re renovating or building a new facility.

Many Presbyterians worship in older buildings, Smith noted, under roofs that need to be replaced every 20 or 30 years. “It’s one of the largest expenses you can have, other than expansion,” Smith said, asking those on the call to consider, “What else can we do to help us control our electrical cost?”

For most congregations, the number one item on church budgets after personnel costs is the summer electric bill for cooling. “The cost detracts from the mission,” she said. “If we can at least stabilize the payments we are making, that will really help our church budgets.”

Coastal communities in Europe have long dealt with the challenge by painting their homes, workplaces churches and even their roofs white. After a brief lesson on radiation, conduction and convection, Smith brought up the solar reflectance index, which is a measure of a constructed surface’s ability to reflect solar heat. White or light-colored roofs can help save up to 35% on a church’s air-conditioning bill. “Dark roofs look good with brick, but it’s time to move on,” Smith said. “We’ve got to think about light gray or white roofs.”

Linda K. Smith

California, New York City and other communities incentivize choosing light-colored roofs, “which are especially appropriate for flat roofs, like a fellowship hall, a Sunday school wing or a youth building” that’s added to a church campus, Smith said. The most important maintenance issue with a white roof is to “make sure you keep it clean” by sweeping or using a leaf-blower or, occasionally, a pressure-washer.

She also advocates for lighter-color options for pitched roofs, and offered a checklist for churches selecting a roofing contractor that includes finding one who’s installed 100 versions of the kind of roof a church has selected, one who cares about sustainability and is, preferably, a second- or third-generation roofer in the community.

Smith had photos of churches making thoughtful roofing choices as they added on, including Second Presbyterian Church in Louisville. She also offered ideas and guidelines on planting trees and installing insulation as well as zoning the church’s air-conditioning system.

At Second Presbyterian Church in Little Rock, where Smith attends, the roof had been leaking since nearly the day it was installed. About 15 years ago, the church added a taller Celtic cross and a cupula, which not only has solved leaking and ventilation problems, but releases “a lot of heat” and “elevated the church’s presence in the community,” Smith said.  “It was a great solution to the problem.”

Second Presbyterian Church in Little Rock, Arkansas, 

solved a number of problems about 15 years ago 

with this addition. (Photo courtesy of Second 

Presbyterian Church)

Among Smith’s top Creation-care suggestions for churches:

• Install a white, stronger roof at replacement
• Increase attic insulation
• Create a schedule for the HVAC system
• Zone the HVAC system
• Use appropriate HVAC temperature ranges for the season
• Plant trees
• Use native landscaping to reduce irrigation
• Employ healthy practices around utensils and dishes at mealtimes
• Implement wellness programs
• Promote the use of electric vehicles and solar panels.

“I have been thinking long and hard about writing a book for churches and building committees,” Smith said during a question-and-answer session that followed her presentation. “So many members of building committees do this once and they may not think about the questions I might think about.”

Mike Ferguson, Editor, Presbyterian News Service

Today’s Focus: Linda K. Smith, a sustainability consultant, speaks to Presbyterians for Earth Care

Let us join in prayer for:

PC(USA) Agencies’ Staff
Janet Toole, Vice President, Affiliated Markets, Board of Pensions 
Evelyn Torres, Housekeeper, Stony Point Conference Center, Presbyterian Mission Agency 

Let us pray

O Lord, guide our hands in the care of your people and move our feet in triumphal worship of your Word made flesh. Give to us strength and patience, gentleness and voice, as we welcome the in-breaking of your kingdom into the world. Amen.

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