Facing up to our racism In a few weeks, many of us will celebrate Thanksgiving, our most religiously secular and secularly religious holiday. Gathered around a table of plenty, we will partake and share, acknowledging God s gracious bounty to all and giving thanks for it. Politics, economics and religion often make their way into our Thanksgiving conversations, testing the familial and social glue that binds us together. Frequently at the center of these traditionally taboo subjects is race in America. Conversations about race are hard. Some of us will be apprehensive and fearful, and others bold and assertive. Emotions will run high. We may occasionally lose our filters, but we won t lose our faith in the power of repentance, forgiveness and reconciliation in Christ. Since the addition of the Confession of Belhar to the Book of Confessions in 2016, the PCUSA has put antiracism at the center as part of our call as God s people. We must gather and talk if we are to begin to dismantle the structures that accord race such power. And it is the church that must take the lead. The Confession of Belhar declares: We believe that God has entrusted the church with the message of reconciliation in and through Jesus Christ; (and) that the credibility of this message is seriously affected and its beneficial work obstructed when it is proclaimed in a land which professes to be Christian, but in which the enforced separation of people on a racial basis promotes and perpetuates alienation, hatred and enmity. The hard work of engaging in conversation about race begins with each of us. We must come to a greater degree of understanding and conversation about race within our congregations and other worshiping communities, so that we may truly bear the message of reconciliation to a world torn apart by racial injustice. As Christians, we take solace in the witness of Jesus, who presided over a similarly contentious table before he paused, gave thanks, shared bread and wine and charged all to remember him. This is excerpted from an on-line column by Tony De La Rosa, the former interim executive director of the Presbyterian Mission Agency. For those who work with children and youth Calling all volunteers who generously work with our children and youth: Please join us in Ernst Fellowship Hall after worship on Sunday, October 22, for the required annual training session. Covenants will be signed at that time. Childcare provided upon request to the church office by Sunday, October 15. See you there!
On October 31, 1517, Martin Luther nailed his 95 theses to the door of the church in Wittenberg, Germany, which sparked the Reformation. In our reformed practice we commemorate this historical event on the last Sunday of October. As this year marks the 500 anniversary of the Reformation, I wanted to, of course, celebrate it in a grand way with music. I could think of no better way than to look for inspiration in two of Johann Sebastian Bach s great reformation cantatas, Ein Feste Burg ist Unser Gott (A Mighty Fortress is Our God) and Nun Danket Alle Gott (Now Thank We All Our God). The German publisher Carus issued a special choral version that combines excerpts from both cantatas and that is the version the Sanctuary Choir will present in worship on Reformation Sunday. The choir will perform the work in English as Carus has provided a good translation from Luther s German text. Martin Luther himself wrote the hymn A Mighty Fortress is Our God and Bach has magnified it to glorious proportions. The opening movement is possibly one of Bach s most complex and inspirational examples of Baroque counterpoint. It is often referred to as a choral fantasy on a theme, and what a theme it is! You ll recognize Luther s original hymn tune and text: A mighty fortress is our God, a stronghold never failing, even as Bach embellishes it with choral harmonies as only Bach can do. The next excerpt is a tour de force for organ. Bach composes the movement in lilting 6/8 time and has the choir singing in unison the second part of Luther s hymn tune: And should the world with devil s host be bent of our devouring, we do not fear his scornful boast, we still will be succeeding. The prince of this world, his wrath he has hurled, but he cannot harm those resting in God s arm, one word means his destruction. The final excerpt from Ein Feste Burg is Luther s hymn tune (with Bach s harmonization) that the congregation will sing with the choir. It will be the most familiar to you as it is this setting of Luther s original hymn tune that appears in our hymnal. The publisher has tried to stay true to Luther s original text as he wrote it without the numerous translations that have found their way into modern hymnals: The word of God no foe can harm not even know its merit. God guides us with his mighty arm with weapons of the Spirit. And if they take our house, life, fame, child and spouse, let all these things go; no gain it brings the foe, the Kingdom s ours forever! The work concludes with a famous chorus from Bach s other reformation cantata, Nun Danket Alle Gott (Now Thank We All Our God). It is a very lively and joyful setting of the text that continues to inspire us today: Now thank we all our God with hearts and hands and voices, who wondrous things has done, in whom his world rejoices. Who, from our mother s arms, has sent us on our way with countless gifts of love, and still is ours today! So mark your calendars and join us in worship on Sunday, October 29, as we celebrate the 500th anniversary of the Protestant Reformation with this special music by Martin Luther and Johann Sebastian Bach. Ecclesia Reformata, Sempre Reformanda! The church reformed, always reforming! Grace and Peace, Ralph Reformation Sunday: October 29 Five hundred years ago, Martin Luther presented his 95 theses about the church and its need for reform. Now is an exciting time to reflect on what we bring forward from the past that strengthens us and future generations for the coming 500 years of ministry of the gospel of Christ. In times of crisis, challenge, and conflict then and now God calls us to be transformed by the Word and Spirit. As Christians, our faith began with the followers of Jesus. But the beginning of our Christian faith as Presbyterian is in the Reformation. The Reformation marks something significant for us: the coalescence of our focus on the Holy Spirit s ongoing reform of us as a church and as individuals. Martin Luther helps us to understand and acknowledge that the institution of the church is not equal to God. We are called to worship the triune God alone, to claim Jesus Christ as Lord of the church, and to seek the ongoing sanctification of the Holy Spirit. FPC will celebrate Reformation Sunday in worship and with a baked potato lunch afterward in Ernst Fellowship Hall. The cost is $3, children are free. RSVP to the church off ice or in the Friendship Pad.
As we celebrate the 500th anniversary of the Protestant Reformation, later this month, I thought it might be good for me to share some of my thoughts on the state of the church that is the universal church which extends far beyond our own denomination. Five hundred years is a long time when you compare it to our average lifespans but it is a relatively short period of time in other ways. Some theologians have noted that every 500 years or so, the church goes through a major change. If that is so, we are sitting on the cusp of something new. What could it be? I think that the past 500 years have shown us that we can split into as many different congregations as we can possibly conceive. We do this, primarily, by dividing into groups that hold common perspectives. We are, by far and large, a cerebral people. Our thoughts divide us on all sorts of issues, such as who can receive baptism, who is welcomed at the communion table, who can be ordained, how should governmental power be lodged within the church, and the list goes on forever. We are good at pointing out how our group is different from the next. We are good at making our theoretical cases and walking through different perceived scenarios. If the tragedies of the past month have taught us anything, it might just be that, for all of our thoughts that divide us, we Christians are a people who want to see positive change in the world. We hurt when the world hurts. We extend our resources out into the world, to provide some starting point for healing and reconciliation. When the floods come, the church mobilizes to address the work at hand. At that point, there is no discernable difference in the actions of the people based on the theologies they hold dear. Folks can be Baptist, Methodist, Episcopalian, Pentecostal, Nondenominational, or even Presbyterian as they react to the hurt in the world, shoulder to shoulder. I think we will see more of this over the next 500 years. In fact, there has been a lot of work done in recent years to reconcile theological viewpoints that were once at odds. Presbyterians and Lutherans, Roman Catholics and Eastern Orthodox these groups who used to say vile things about one another are beginning to rethink their words. More often than ever, denominational leadership is in conversation with a diverse group of Christians. The differences that our forbearers fought so fiercely to maintain have softened. We can see the benefits in using an occasional icon something John Calvin would have balked at. And our Roman Catholic neighbors can see the benefit of focusing on the Biblical text rather than on the traditional trappings. We all have something to learn from one another. We are all looking at ways to be more genuine in our faith. I think, over the next 500 years, we will see churches and denominations begin to focus on unity. I think this process has already begun. While we do have groups that continue to split apart, we seem to have a greater movement towards unity at the foot of the cross. If we cannot disagree about the occasional doctrinal issue or dogmatic practice and still be in communion, we may have missed the point of Christ becoming incarnate. There will always be differences of opinion. How do we stay engaged in the church when we walk through those valleys? We do it together. I also see the church becoming more multicultural. That just mirrors the world in which we live. The church will probably become less tied to property and be more missional. We will do more for our communities and rely less on the building to house us. There will probably be a consolidation of sorts. Smaller churches will have to embrace the relationship with larger congregations. That will mean more and more cooperation with our sister churches. There is more reform to happen! And we do it, every day in little ways. Keep the faith and share it! Pastor David In light of the Las Vegas Tragedy Re-creating God, thank you for your steadfast presence in this battered and fearful world. Remind us of your immanent presence amidst our suffering and anxiety, and breathe hope into our hearts. Give us the courage to counter fear by witnessing to love, and help us to build more equitable and faithful systems while dismantling those that bind and oppress. Hold us in your grace and mercy. Amen. A prayer by Jessie Light, student at Austin Theological Seminary
Puerto Rico: damage from Hurricane Maria The Rev. Edwin González- Castillo, Stated Clerk of the San Juan Presbytery in Puerto Rico, says the biggest challenge in the aftermath of Hurricane Maria is communications. Attempting to reach and coordinate relief efforts across the island has been hampered by downed communication lines outside of San Juan, infrastructure damage due to flooding and concerns about fuel shortages. More than 20 inches of rain fell as Maria hovered over the island, washing away roads, bridges and damaging other infrastructure such as communications towers, electrical lines and dams. As of yesterday, I believe only 30 percent of households had running water, González-Castillo said. There are still some areas we don t have communication with. The streets are really bad and they don t have access through the roads, they are being handled by helicopter. Some bridges collapsed because of the flooding. We only have phone lines working in the San Juan area and maybe one or two towns next to it. The gas shortage is affecting many people and will present long term problems for access to healthcare and relief services. Those fortunate enough to have household generators for medical needs and other necessities will soon be faced with the prospect that fuel supplies will run out. As an emergency measure, many people are attempting to keep medicine and food from spoiling using ice. But those supplies are dwindling too. Gasoline is being rationed at $20 per person, with most waiting hours to fill their tanks or portable containers. Diesel fuel used in commercial generators, primarily at hospitals and communications hubs, is even harder to get. Because of the gas shortage we may run out of communications they need diesel for the generators powering antennae and cell towers, he said. I don t think we ll have [widespread electric] energy for three or four months it will take time to repair all of the areas, González-Castillo predicts, based on reports from civic officials he s contacted. I have heard they are sending a lot of food from the United States, but I don t know how much of that is getting to the [displaced persons.] And I don t know how much communication the government really has with all the towns. While Presbyterian Disaster Assistance (PDA) has attempted to contact officials in each of the governing bodies, as of this writing only the Synod and San Juan Presbytery have been reached to begin formulating a plan for relief. To communicate from those areas, they will have to drive almost two hours, González-Castillo said of the isolation of the Noroeste and Suroeste Presbyteries. With the problem of gas restrictions I don t think that will happen any time soon. Beth Snyder, associate program administrator for PDA, and James Kirk, PDA associate for U.S. disaster response, have spoken with González- Castillo. They say a financial response is currently in the works. When it is safe and secure, and volunteers will not create an additional burden on the limited resources, our national response team of bilingual volunteers will be deployed to assist, Snyder said. We anticipate there will an opportunity for long-term volunteers to help with the recovery. A Surprise Suggestion In a recent worship service Liturgist Laura Houston dared to challenge us during the Passing the Peace, when she suggested we not only "pass" the peace but we also "receive" the peace. Think about it! Pastor David has often commented on how eager we are to pass the peace, but do we also take the time to actually receive the peace? Might there be something deeper, more thoughtful in the act of passing the peace? Is more better than less? What if, rather than greeting many people in haste, we were to greet fewer people more intentionally, without rushing? As you consider who to greet, what if you were to give priority to three categories of people: those you do not yet know, those you do not usually greet, and those with whom you need to reconcile? Thank you, Laura Houston, for making us think! May the Peace of Christ be with you.
Helping Africa s Children Presbyterian mission coworkers Jeff and Christi Boyd developed a floor and board game to help U.S. Presbyterians appreciate the joint efforts of students, parents, communities and churches to improve education in Africa. The game also prompts players to ponder the plight of African children. Players of The Africa Game roll the dice in hopes of advancing around the board from elementary school to high school graduation and post-secondary training opportunities. Players may land on squares that move them toward the finish line or squares that impede or end their progress. The object of the game is not to finish first, but simply to finish. On the negative squares, players may learn that: Your parents can t afford school fees. Your teacher did not come to class today. He must work in the field to feed his family. Classes are canceled because rain is pouring into your classroom through holes in the grass roof. Despite your great effort, you ve failed the entrance test for secondary school. On the positive squares, players receive messages such as: Your mother had a good day selling vegetables in the market and can buy you some notebooks. Good grades have earned you a place in a technical secondary school. The church has been able to build new classrooms. You have earned a place at the university. The game not only depicts the common pitfalls that African children encounter, but the players also experience the unfair gender gap that is built into portrayed events. Through the Africa Game, we can get a glimpse of some struggles that African children confront. Jeff, a former math teacher, is the PCUSA s regional liaison for Central Africa. He facilitates programs that increase access to quality education. Christi is the PCUSA s facilitator of women s and children s interests. She works with a trauma-healing ministry for children who are dealing with issues such as grief, self-worth, the desire for revenge and the forgiveness of perpetrators. In a recent letter to U.S. supporters, Christi wrote: It has been well established that unhealed childhood trauma increases the risk of developing personal problems and a tendency toward violent behavior in later life. Healing children s wounds of trauma is therefore a way to break the cycle of violence, trauma and behavioral disorders, a first and necessary step for peacebuilding in conflict zones such as the volatile region of East Congo. By supporting and praying for our mission co-workers, you can help them and our partners address the issues children face and make opportunities, like those portrayed in the Africa Game s positive squares, possible for more children. Relaunch of award-winning online social justice journal After a brief hiatus, Unbound: An Interactive Journal of Christian Social Justice, published its first edition since the hire of new managing editor Henry Koenig Stone. The current installment: Defending the Common Good, covers diverse issues such as defending truth in media, sanctuary churches, human trafficking, an ecumenical call to good ecological stewardship, and the role of faith communities in resisting white supremacy. The awardwinning journal is sponsored by the Advisory Committee on Social Witness Policy (ACSWP), which is part of the Presbyterian Mission Agency s Compassion, Peace, and Justice ministries. Stone says, Part of what has been so exciting in joining the PMA team is that I see energy present in the PC(USA): an energy which inspires people to challenge their own assumptions about what it means to be Christian and seek new ways of bearing witness to God s love in everyday and yet earth-changing ways. Stone holds a master s degree in public policy and a bachelor s degree from the University of Chicago. He ll be managing a publication that won eight Associated Church Press awards in 2016, including recognition for excellence in written editorial/opinion and first person experience. (Unbound@pcusa.org)
News You Can Use Thursday Evening Circle Please join us on Thursday, October 12, from 6:30 8:30 p.m. in the church library to discuss Session Two, Quitters, of : It s Not What You Think, by Andy Stanley. Presenter and hostess are to be determined. All women are invited to join us. For more information, contact Ginger (Bob) Anderson. Sunday Book Club We meet at 5 p.m. on October 8, in the church library to discuss Sing for Your Life, by Daniel Bergner. Bring a snack to share. (Reading the book is desired but NOT required.) For more information, contact Ginger (Doug) Anderson. Shufflers We meet for casual bridge at 1 p.m. sharp on Wednesday, October 25, in the office commons. To reserve a seat, contact Barbara Chapman or Frankie Markham. Monday Book Discussion Our discussion of Gilead, by Marilynne Robinson, in September led us to want to learn more about the characters in the book. So we've chosen Robinson's prequel, Lila, to read for discussion in October. Join us Monday, October 30, at 2 p.m., in the church library, when we all will "lead" in the discussion. Suggestions for future reads are welcomed! For information, contact Anne Healy. Wednesday Morning Circle The next meeting is November 1. Watch e-press for details. Farmworkers in Immokalee begin recovery from Irma One of the hardest hit areas during Hurricane Irma was Immokalee, Florida, home to thousands of migrant farmworkers who pick the vegetables sold to restaurants and grocery chains across the country. The poor living conditions for the families went from bad to worse as high winds and flooding knocked out power, damaged homes and left many with little food. The community has several levels of need. The first need is for sustainable goods such as food, hygiene products and children s diapers. The second need is power. Efforts are underway to secure enough generators for refrigerators and freezers. Migrant workers are lucky if they have one or two days worth of food to begin with, let alone enough to sustain them through a hurricane. Once the electric goes out, everything is gone. Another level of need is long-term, including the development of a community garden. There is enough land behind Mision Peniel and the landlord has given permission for a garden. The irony is these workers pick thousands of pounds of fresh vegetables for others and they re good farmers, but they don t have a plot of land to raise their own vegetables. A large level of need and one of the long-term projects will be housing. Most of the farmworkers live in substandard trailers, many of which were damaged by Irma. The workers are charged rent by the week or month depending on how long they work the area. A family of five on average will pay up to $300 a week for housing. Many of the trailers have multiple families living there. Housing is a long-term issue. With most of the community living in mobile homes and half of the community below the poverty line, the ability to rebuild is severely limited. Despite the current living conditions and the slow return to normalcy, the residents of Immokalee are coping as best they can. There is patience and gratefulness that people care.
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October 4, 2017 Domestic Violence Awareness Month (DVAM) evolved from the "Day of Unity" held in October 1981 and conceived by the National Coalition Against Domestic Violence. The intent was to connect advocates across the nation who were working to end violence against women and their children. In October 1987, the first Domestic Violence Awareness Month was observed. That same year marks the initiation of the National Domestic Violence Hotline, 1-800-799-7233 or TTY 1-800-787-3224. In 1989, the U.S. Congress passed Public Law 101-112 designating October of that year as National Domestic Violence Awareness Month. Such legislation has passed every year since. On average, nearly 20 people per minute are physically abused by an intimate partner in the United States. During one year, this equates to more than 10 million women and men. Domestic violence is the leading cause of injury to women between the ages of 15 and 44 in the United States, more than car accidents, muggings, and rapes combined. One in every four women will experience domestic violence in her lifetime. One in fifteen children are exposed to domestic violence each year, and 90% of these children are eyewitnesses to this violence. Unfortunately, too many people, including people worshiping with us, still live in the tragic world of abuse. God s intention for all of us is abundant life! Join in taking steps to make that intention a reality.