Mission Yearbook: Presbyterians for Earth Care’s webinar discusses GA overture on caring for Utah’s wilderness lands

Presbyterians For Earth Care recently hosted a webinar designed in part to explore “On Adopting ‘Protecting Utah’s National Monuments and Wildlands for Ecology and Justice,’” an overture passed by the 224th General Assembly (2024). The overture calls for ongoing protection of wilderness areas including Bears Ears National Monument and Grand Staircase-Escalante National Monument. Listen to the webinar “Protecting Sacred Lands for Culture, Climate and Justice,” hosted by Jenny Holmes, the co-chair of PEC’s Advocacy Team, here.

Holmes’ guests were Travis Hammill, the District of Columbia director for the Southern Utah Wilderness Alliance, and Tara Benally, the field director for Stewardship Utah.

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Photo by Emily Campbell via Unsplash

The environmental stakes are at present quite high, Holmes said, including “the commodification and industrialization of our national public lands on a scale never seen before.”

“This is contrary to Presbyterian values and faith commitments and to those of many other denominations and faiths, including people of no faith,” Holmes said. What’s needed is for people organize “in all ways at all levels to undergird legal and legislative work.”

“All of us who care need to be engaged to protect God’s Creation and vulnerable people from permanent and large-scale damage over the next four years,” Homes said. “We can’t afford to be on the sidelines.”

Hammill said the Southern Utah Wilderness Alliance (SUWA) works specifically with lands managed by the U.S. Bureau of Land Management (BLM). “What’s most important to remember is wilderness is the highest level of protection that can be afforded to federal lands,” Hammill said. Four of the five national parks in Utah were first national monuments, he noted.

He said he’s “proud of the work SUWA has engaged with tribal nations and the partner organizations that advocate for the tribes to find support for the legislation we work on, and for conservation of both the natural world and the cultural and historical value these places have for the people groups throughout the Desert Southwest and around the country.”

Benally, who was born a seventh-generation Hopi but was raised on Navajo lands, is involved with the Women of Bears Ears. She said her people have historically migrated to Bears Ears on a seasonal schedule. Her mother remembers being chased off by law enforcement one spring after Bears Ears had been designated BLM-managed land, “something my family was not familiar with,” she said.

More recently, it’s hard to find “a single pottery shard, a single arrowhead, a fire pit or a hogan or a horse corral” that used to dot the Butler Wash Interpretive Site, she said, adding, “there’s significance in reading the land and understanding it as natural conservationists.”

She thanked those who joined the webinar. “Being part of these conversations is really crucial to us. It’s part of our living, breathing family,” Benally said. The region “has sustained us for hundreds and thousands of years.”

Holmes then explained the history of the overture, an idea that originated with the Episcopal Diocese of Utah, then became an interfaith letter and finally an overture to the 224th General Assembly (2024), which passed it by consensus. The overture also calls on the PC(USA)’s Office of Public Witness to advocate for America’s Red Rock Wilderness Act and for tribal sovereignty in the co-management of Bears Ears National Monument. That legislation, most recently sponsored in the House by U.S. Rep. Melanie Stansbury of New Mexico, would designate more than 8 million acres of BLM land in Utah as wilderness.

As Holmes pointed out, the Book of Order states, “God sends the Church to share in the stewardship of Creation, preserving the goodness and glory of the Earth God has made” and includes “caring for God’s Creation” in the commitment to participate in Christ’s mission.

“This is not an optional thing. It’s considered integral to our faith,” Holmes said. “This is who we are. This is part of our identity.”

Mike Ferguson, Editor, Presbyterian News Service (Click here to read original PNS Story)

Let us join in prayer for:

Staci Wihelm, Vice President, Finance, Board of Pensions
Aniria Williams, Administrative Assistant I, Stewardship & Funds Development, Administrative Services Group (A Corp) 

Let us pray:

God of Justice, we thank you for your unfailing love. We strive to reflect your love through our thoughts, our decisions, and our actions. Strengthen us as we learn to serve. Show us the way to let the oppressed go free as Jesus of Nazareth declared. As Jesus is our witness. Amen.

Daily Lectionary Readings for August 22, 2025

Daily Lectionary Readings (Two-Year Cycle)

Daily Lectionary Readings for August 22, 2025 By Daily Lectionary Readings, Friday, August 22, 2025 12:00 AM Morning Psalm 130 1   Out of the depths I cry to you, O LORD. 2       Lord, hear my voice!      Let your ears be attentive           to the voice of my supplications! 3   If you, O LORD, should mark iniquities,           Lord, who could stand? 4   But there is forgiveness with you,           so that you may be revered. 5   I wait for the LORD, my soul waits,           and in his word I hope; 6   my soul waits for the Lord           more than those who watch for the morning,           more than those who watch for the morning. 7   O Israel, hope in the LORD!           For with the LORD there is steadfast love,           and with him is great power to redeem. 8   It is he who will redeem Israel           from all its iniquities. Morning Psalm 148 1   Praise the Lord!      Praise the Lord from the heavens;           praise him in the heights! 2   Praise him, all his angels;           praise him, all his host! 3   Praise him, sun and moon;           praise him, all you shining stars! 4   Praise him, you highest heavens,           and you waters above the heavens! 5   Let them praise the name of the Lord,           for he commanded and they were created. 6   He established them forever and ever;           he fixed their bounds, which cannot be passed. 7   Praise the Lord from the earth,           you sea monsters and all deeps, 8   fire and hail, snow and frost,           stormy wind fulfilling his command! 9   Mountains and all hills,           fruit trees and all cedars! 10  Wild animals and all cattle,           creeping things and flying birds! 11  Kings of the earth and all peoples,           princes and all rulers of the earth! 12  Young men and women alike,           old and young together! 13  Let them praise the name of the Lord,           for his name alone is exalted;           his glory is above earth and heaven. 14  He has raised up a horn for his people,           praise for all his faithful,           for the people of Israel who are close to him.      Praise the Lord! First Reading 2 Samuel 19:24-43 24Mephibosheth grandson of Saul came down to meet the king; he had not taken care of his feet, or trimmed his beard, or washed his clothes, from the day the king left until the day he came back in safety. 25When he came from Jerusalem to meet the king, the king said to him, “Why did you not go with me, Mephibosheth?” 26He answered, “My lord, O king, my servant deceived me; for your servant said to him, ‘Saddle a donkey for me, so that I may ride on it and go with the king.’ For your servant is lame. 27He has slandered your servant to my lord the king. But my lord the king is like the angel of God; do therefore what seems good to you. 28For all my father’s house were doomed to death before my lord the king; but you set your servant among those who eat at your table. What further right have I, then, to appeal to the king?” 29The king said to him, “Why speak any more of your affairs? I have decided: you and Ziba shall divide the land.” 30Mephibosheth said to the king, “Let him take it all, since my lord the king has arrived home safely.” 31Now Barzillai the Gileadite had come down from Rogelim; he went on with the king to the Jordan, to escort him over the Jordan. 32Barzillai was a very aged man, eighty years old. He had provided the king with food while he stayed at Mahanaim, for he was a very wealthy man. 33The king said to Barzillai, “Come over with me, and I will provide for you in Jerusalem at my side.” 34But Barzillai said to the king, “How many years have I still to live, that I should go up with the king to Jerusalem? 35Today I am eighty years old; can I discern what is pleasant and what is not? Can your servant taste what he eats or what he drinks? Can I still listen to the voice of singing men and singing women? Why then should your servant be an added burden to my lord the king? 36Your servant will go a little way over the Jordan with the king. Why should the king recompense me with such a reward? 37Please let your servant return, so that I may die in my own town, near the graves of my father and my mother. But here is your servant Chimham; let him go over with my lord the king; and do for him whatever seems good to you.” 38The king answered, “Chimham shall go over with me, and I will do for him whatever seems good to you; and all that you desire of me I will do for you.” 39Then all the people crossed over the Jordan, and the king crossed over; the king kissed Barzillai and blessed him, and he returned to his own home. 40The king went on to Gilgal, and Chimham went on with him; all the people of Judah, and also half the people of Israel, brought the king on his way. 41Then all the people of Israel came to the king, and said to him, “Why have our kindred the people of Judah stolen you away, and brought the king and his household over the Jordan, and all David’s men with him?” 42All the people of Judah answered the people of Israel, “Because the king is near of kin to us. Why then are you angry over this matter? Have we eaten at all at the king’s expense? Or has he given us any gift?” 43But the people of Israel answered the people of Judah, “We have ten shares in the king, and in David also we have more than you. Why then did you despise us? Were we not the first to speak of bringing back our king?” But the words of the people of Judah were fiercer than the words of the people of Israel. Second Reading Acts 24:24-25:12 24:24Some days later when Felix came with his wife Drusilla, who was Jewish, he sent for Paul and heard him speak concerning faith in Christ Jesus. 25And as he discussed justice, self-control, and the coming judgment, Felix became frightened and said, “Go away for the present; when I have an opportunity, I will send for you.” 26At the same time he hoped that money would be given him by Paul, and for that reason he used to send for him very often and converse with him. 27After two years had passed, Felix was succeeded by Porcius Festus; and since he wanted to grant the Jews a favor, Felix left Paul in prison. 25:1Three days after Festus had arrived in the province, he went up from Caesarea to Jerusalem 2where the chief priests and the leaders of the Jews gave him a report against Paul. They appealed to him 3and requested, as a favor to them against Paul, to have him transferred to Jerusalem. They were, in fact, planning an ambush to kill him along the way. 4Festus replied that Paul was being kept at Caesarea, and that he himself intended to go there shortly. 5“So,” he said, “let those of you who have the authority come down with me, and if there is anything wrong about the man, let them accuse him.” 6After he had stayed among them not more than eight or ten days, he went down to Caesarea; the next day he took his seat on the tribunal and ordered Paul to be brought. 7When he arrived, the Jews who had gone down from Jerusalem surrounded him, bringing many serious charges against him, which they could not prove. 8Paul said in his defense, “I have in no way committed an offense against the law of the Jews, or against the temple, or against the emperor.” 9But Festus, wishing to do the Jews a favor, asked Paul, “Do you wish to go up to Jerusalem and be tried there before me on these charges?” 10Paul said, “I am appealing to the emperor’s tribunal; this is where I should be tried. I have done no wrong to the Jews, as you very well know. 11Now if I am in the wrong and have committed something for which I deserve to die, I am not trying to escape death; but if there is nothing to their charges against me, no one can turn me over to them. I appeal to the emperor.” 12Then Festus, after he had conferred with his council, replied, “You have appealed to the emperor; to the emperor you will go.” Gospel Reading Mark 12:35-44 35While Jesus was teaching in the temple, he said, “How can the scribes say that the Messiah is the son of David? 36David himself, by the Holy Spirit, declared,      'The Lord said to my Lord,      “Sit at my right hand,           until I put your enemies under your feet.”’ 37David himself calls him Lord; so how can he be his son?” And the large crowd was listening to him with delight. 38As he taught, he said, “Beware of the scribes, who like to walk around in long robes, and to be greeted with respect in the marketplaces, 39and to have the best seats in the synagogues and places of honor at banquets! 40They devour widows’ houses and for the sake of appearance say long prayers. They will receive the greater condemnation.” 41He sat down opposite the treasury, and watched the crowd putting money into the treasury. Many rich people put in large sums. 42A poor widow came and put in two small copper coins, which are worth a penny. 43Then he called his disciples and said to them, “Truly I tell you, this poor widow has put in more than all those who are contributing to the treasury. 44For all of them have contributed out of their abundance; but she out of her poverty has put in everything she had, all she had to live on.” Evening Psalm 32 1   Happy are those whose transgression is forgiven,           whose sin is covered. 2   Happy are those to whom the LORD imputes no iniquity,           and in whose spirit there is no deceit. 3   While I kept silence, my body wasted away           through my groaning all day long. 4   For day and night your hand was heavy upon me;           my strength was dried up as by the heat of summer. Selah 5   Then I acknowledged my sin to you,           and I did not hide my iniquity;      I said, “I will confess my transgressions to the LORD,”           and you forgave the guilt of my sin. Selah 6   Therefore let all who are faithful           offer prayer to you;      at a time of distress, the rush of mighty waters           shall not reach them. 7   You are a hiding place for me;           you preserve me from trouble;           you surround me with glad cries of deliverance. Selah 8   I will instruct you and teach you the way you should go;           I will counsel you with my eye upon you. 9   Do not be like a horse or a mule, without understanding,           whose temper must be curbed with bit and bridle,           else it will not stay near you. 10   Many are the torments of the wicked,           but steadfast love surrounds those who trust in the LORD. 11   Be glad in the LORD and rejoice, O righteous,           and shout for joy, all you upright in heart. Evening Psalm 139 1   O LORD, you have searched me and known me. 2   You know when I sit down and when I rise up;           you discern my thoughts from far away. 3   You search out my path and my lying down,           and are acquainted with all my ways. 4   Even before a word is on my tongue,           O LORD, you know it completely. 5   You hem me in, behind and before,           and lay your hand upon me. 6   Such knowledge is too wonderful for me;           it is so high that I cannot attain it. 7   Where can I go from your spirit?           Or where can I flee from your presence? 8   If I ascend to heaven, you are there;           if I make my bed in Sheol, you are there. 9   If I take the wings of the morning           and settle at the farthest limits of the sea, 10  even there your hand shall lead me,           and your right hand shall hold me fast. 11  If I say, “Surely the darkness shall cover me,           and the light around me become night,” 12  even the darkness is not dark to you;           the night is as bright as the day,           for darkness is as light to you. 13  For it was you who formed my inward parts;           you knit me together in my mother’s womb. 14  I praise you, for I am fearfully and wonderfully made.           Wonderful are your works;      that I know very well. 15       My frame was not hidden from you,      when I was being made in secret,           intricately woven in the depths of the earth. 16  Your eyes beheld my unformed substance.      In your book were written           all the days that were formed for me,           when none of them as yet existed. 17  How weighty to me are your thoughts, O God!           How vast is the sum of them! 18  I try to count them — they are more than the sand;           I come to the end — I am still with you. 19  O that you would kill the wicked, O God,           and that the bloodthirsty would depart from me — 20  those who speak of you maliciously,           and lift themselves up against you for evil! 21  Do I not hate those who hate you, O LORD?           And do I not loathe those who rise up against you? 22  I hate them with perfect hatred;           I count them my enemies. 23  Search me, O God, and know my heart;           test me and know my thoughts. 24  See if there is any wicked way in me,           and lead me in the way everlasting. Read more »

Interim Unified Agency, 100 Witherspoon Street, Louisville, KY 40202

Mission Yearbook: Amid bombs and starvation, Gaza’s deaf persevere

In Gaza, all Palestinians are facing relentless violence and the deliberate use of starvation as a weapon of war. Within this larger humanitarian catastrophe, the deaf community faces unique and often overlooked challenges.

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In Gaza, the deaf community faces unique and often overlooked challenges (contributed photo).

The Atfaluna Society for Deaf Children — a long-standing pillar of dignity, inclusion and resilience — continues its life-saving work even as it grieves the loss of staff, students and its central facility.

In March 2024, Atfaluna’s center in Gaza City was destroyed in an airstrike, claiming the lives of co-founder Hasham Ghazal and staff member Anwar Al Zaeem. Yet, the community’s resilience persists.

One manifestation of this resilience is Atfaluna’s Inclusive Community Kitchen. In the face of severe food insecurity and economic collapse, the kitchen provides hot meals to displaced families and offers employment to youth with hearing impairments. This initiative not only addresses urgent humanitarian needs but also affirms the dignity and leadership of people with disabilities.

Twelve-year-old Lona says, “My mother is sick, and I help her take care of my brothers. I come to the kitchen alone to bring food back home. It's the only way we can eat.”

Raed, a 42-year-old mother, says, “My son has a disability and needs special care. With the lack of food and services, it’s been impossible. Here with Atfaluna's kitchen, we feel supported.”

The Presbyterian Hunger Program is honored to support this Atfaluna-led initiative, reflecting our shared commitment to justice, compassion and human dignity.

As the war drags on, the deaf community is growing. Medical professionals and humanitarian workers report that more children are losing their hearing — whether from the deafening blasts of bombs, untreated infections due to the collapse of Gaza’s health system or the trauma of constant terror. These new realities make Atfaluna’s mission more urgent than ever.

The March 2025 report “Reflection on the Gaza War from a Person With and Without Disabilities,”  highlights the compounded challenges faced by individuals with disabilities in Gaza, including inaccessible shelters, disrupted communication and lack of medical care. These conditions underscore the urgent need for inclusive humanitarian responses.

As people of faith, we are called to not look away. Many deaf children in Gaza cannot hear the sirens that warn of incoming bombs. One child expressed: “It’s a blessing to be deaf, so I am the least to be terrorized when there are bombings.” Yet, the trauma and danger are all too real. Let us listen. Let us act.

You can help by:

• Sharing Atfaluna’s story and speaking out against violence and mass starvation.
• Advocating for an immediate ceasefire and unimpeded humanitarian access.
• Taking action now by urging policymakers to demand a ceasefire and protection for civilians in Gaza — click here to send your message.
• Praying for protection, justice, peace and nourishment — especially for Gaza’s deaf community.

Eileen Schuhmann is Associate for Global Engagement and Resources for the Presbyterian Hunger Program. (Click here to read original PNS Story)

Let us join in prayer for:

Vivian Wesson, Executive Vice President & General Counsel, Board of Pensions 
Donyale White, Account Clerk III, Administrative Services Group, A Corp  

Let us pray:

O Loving Shepherd, we thank you for your ministry. We pray that you empower those who serve to be conduits of your love and light. Bless each to sense your presence and to be comforted by your loving gaze. In the name of Christ Jesus, our light and hope. Amen.

American Baptist Churches USA - United Mission Matters

Mission Matters Written By: Rev. DR. Michael Friday, Regional Executive Minister, ABC of Greater indianapolis When I came to know Floris 54 years ago, she was already living in poverty. Her life circumstances never gave her a shot at escaping that situation. A single parent of two children, she cared for her aged and ailing mother in a humble rented apartment while her five or six siblings—all of whom fared better than her—failed to help in that support. Floris would do any kind of domestic work she could find, to support herself. She is now 81 years old and still has to work, despite the ailments and pains that most people of that age endure. Sounds like a life of real misery, right? It is. Yet Floris loves Jesus deeply, and she serves Him wholeheartedly by serving people wholeheartedly. She has the least in terms of material wealth, yet she’s one of the most generous and joyful people I know. Her generosity isn’t measured in volume, because she has no volume; but it is measured in proportion – the same proportion of which Jesus spoke, when he saw a widow place a penny in the offering while the filthy rich scribes and pharisees threw in their thousands, and went back out to their dirty work of persecuting the poor, ignoring the sick, and prosecuting Jesus. Whenever I visit Floris back in my homeland, I can never leave empty-handed—she always insists on sending me off with some kind of cooked or baked delight. The last time I visited unexpectedly, she went to her freezer and pulled out something she had planned to eat the day before—a special treat she knows my wife loves—and gave it to me. No measure of protestations from me succeeded in making her keep it. Floris reminds me of the Jerusalem Church that was in material distress at the time Paul wrote his first letter to the rich Corinthians, as he launched the Jerusalem Fund. Yet, up to a year later (by his second letter) Corinth hadn’t moved a muscle. Floris reminds me of the Macedonian church who begged to give to that fund, even though Paul offered them an out because of their poverty; and who, instead, gave in mind-boggling abundance (2 Corinthians 8:2). And then, there’s the Corinthian church – called upon, “at the present time (of their) plenty (to supply what (Jerusalem needed), so that in turn their plenty (would) supply what (Corinth needed). The goal (was) equality” – 2 Cor. 8:14. American Baptists’ United Mission reminds us that we belong to each other in love, are committed to and covenanting through our common well-being to serve others beyond ourselves. We are rich and poor, well-off and struggling; but – like Floris – we all have, through Jesus Christ, the immense capacity to love, and with sacrificial generosity. Floris’s poverty, generosity, and cheerfulness always seem to move me to a joyful generosity toward her! May God so move all of us in this beloved ABCUSA, toward each other, and then to others beyond us, beyond our churches, and beyond our American shores. Building on a Legacy of Hope Written By: Rev. Mark Click, Regional Executive Minister, ABC of Ohio The American Baptist Churches United Mission is one concrete way for our diverse denominational family to partner together in mission and ministry. We serve during a time of significant disruptions in our nation and world. The issues of the day work to pull apart our nation, communities, churches and families, yet the Bible calls for the church to strive for unity, and to love our neighbor and enemies. The United Mission has historically been a primary means of shared mission support in American Baptist life. It has funded the work of the Regions, Office of the General Secretary and our Mission Partners. The United Mission has been a major source of mission revenue for the 33 ABC Regions with 65% of the offering going to the Regions. Though the offering has experienced decline, it still remains a significant source of ministry revenue for the Regions, supporting ministries such as pastoral support, churches in transition, next generation discipleship, church revitalization and much more. The apostle Paul challenges the Corinthian Christians to be generous givers and to support the work of other Believers as an example of unity (2 Cor. 9). The United Mission is one way for our ABC family to demonstrate unity in Christ in a time of brokenness and division – reaching across the dividing lines and joining hands together, focusing on what we agree upon, and supporting one another in God’s mission to reach out to our neighbors, sharing the good news of Jesus Christ, focus on making disciples and redeeming a broken world. We may not always agree on all matters, but we remain a family of churches that share a unique history, values, beliefs, and partnership. We are Better Together! United Mission Dollars at Work Written By: Rev. Patty King Bilyeu, Regional Executive Minister, Abc of the Great Rivers Region The ABC of the Great Rivers utilizes United Mission dollars to give Ministry Grants to local congregations. The grant is given when churches present an innovative ministry to reach out to their community. The goal is to spread the Gospel of Jesus Christ in new ways. After receiving a Mission Grant in 2022, First Baptist Church of Jerseyville, IL, launched “Dinner Church” in a local community building. Here's Associate Executive, Dr. Rob Kirbach’s experience at Dinner Church in Jerseyville: “I had the pleasure of visiting Dinner Church at First Baptist Church, Jerseyville. The church calls it a “mission”—not an outreach tool or church growth strategy to more people into their church, but a mission to get Christ into the community. Their mission is simple: to provide a meal, fellowship, and an opportunity to pray, sing, and worship together in a non-churchy setting. The result is amazing! I met numerous widows and widowers who look forward to this weekly night of fellowship outside of their homes. I met working parents who are blessed by having a meal provided for them on a worknight. I met teenagers who saw a sign for “free dinner” and wandered in from the adjacent city park…six months ago…and keep coming back week after week! I met residents from the local public housing unit who have never set foot inside a church building. I met folks who might not have a hot meal, seated next to people who could afford to eat at any restaurant they wanted. All in all, I met an authentic fellowship of believers, seekers, doubters, and learners who visited together and prayed together. They heard God’s word proclaimed by a pastor who is delighted to share in an authentic, yet non-traditional form of worship. It is wonderful to see a church being the church.” Dinner Church grew from 25 community participants to over 100 each Wednesday night. This ministry is still going strong and was made possible by United Mission! What is United Mission? United Mission is a simple yet intentional way that American Baptists contribute to a shared financial fund that is designed and used for mission and ministry that has an impact across the whole American Baptist family. With a large portion of United Mission funds contributing directly to the mission efforts and ministries of the 33 ABC regional entities, the Office of the General Secretary, and the Board of General Ministries, all of which are accountable to and informed by our member congregations, United Mission funding supports efforts on all levels of our denomination as well on our shared mission fields. Portions of United Mission also support services provided by our national ABC partners. How to Participate in United Mission: United Mission Basics are undesignated contributions from local churches to the vital mission and ministry of American Baptists. Basics provide support for the extensive foundation of American Baptist missions. United Mission Love Gifts are contributions from American Baptist women in support of American Baptist ministry, given over and above United Mission Basics. Whether congregations and individuals give to United Mission via regularly scheduled contributions throughout the year or annual one-time gifts, through church budgets or special offerings, your faithfulness shows your commitment to being United in Christ + Together in Mission as an entire American Baptist denominational family.

American Baptist Churches USA | P.O. Box 851 | Valley Forge, PA 19482 US