The Church is ALIVE through the Presbyterian Committee on the Self-Development of People!

Hey Friends!

We took a bit of a breather this past month, but now we're firing up the engines again for another season, so keep those submissions coming!

In the meantime, we've got a submission that we've kept on the back-burner for a while from the Presbyterian Committee on the Self-Development of People--Presbyterian Church (USA). They're doing AMAZING work all over the world (and they submitted some of their more recent work to us last year), and they've got four - count 'em, FOUR - videos to share with y'all.

The videos tell stories that cover the time gamut (some are several years old), but these tales of making the church alive through people are just at timely today as they were back then.

The submitter, Margaret Mwale, had this to say:

"The Presbyterian Church (USA) is engaging with and positively impacting disadvantaged communities through Self-Development of People. These videos share powerful stories of how the Church is alive in these communities!"

And now, the videos:

Story #1: In 1971, an association of Eskimos in Alaska were able to use a SDOP grant to help pay the legal costs in their battle to claim and keep their native land.

Story #2: A SDOP grant made it possible for Mapuche Indians in Chile to sustain their heritage through the building of a cultural center.

Story #3: In Virginia, a neighborhood group used a SDOP grant to buy and renovate houses and, in turn, provide affordable housing for themselves and others in their community.

Story #4: Kentucky tobacco farmers, faced with not being able to rely on the tobacco market, used a SDOP grant to collectively learn new ways to sustain themselves economically.

Awesome stories, right? You can find out more about what the SDOP does here and also apparently participate in their T-Shirt Design (which gets you money for college?!) contest here.

What I Want the Church to Be…A Prophetic Voice

Tina DeYoe - our on-the-ground report at this year's General Assembly of the PC(USA) - offers us the following report on this year's happenings.

At what pace are we as the Presbyterian Church (USA) to be prophetic? After attending the PC(USA)’s 219th General Assembly last week, this is the question I am asking. As a long distance runner throughout high school and college, I am used to pacing myself at a moderate speed. Sprinting is definitely not my cup of tea. However, when dealing with social justice issues in regards to society and the church I would rather be running the 100m race! When injustices are happening throughout the world I want the church to be a place that steps up and makes a statement or acts quickly! The 219th General Assembly (GA) did step up quickly on certain issues, but on others we were caught running the pace of a long distance runner.
This summer I have been interning in the Advisory Committee for Social Witness Policy (ACSWP) office within the PC(USA). What do we do? We are assigned to encourage the prophetic voice of the church on matters of social justice. We work with volunteer member-experts to write policies, resolutions, and study papers that are then adopted at GA by the PC(USA) as a whole. After these papers have been adopted the PC(USA) agencies are supposed to act in accordance to what is stated in the recommendations. The basis for most of the writings comes from applying the Bible, theology, confessions, and past policies to current challenges.

Sounds fun right? Think of having the grand assignment and scope of superwoman or superman fighting injustices and evil in this world, but instead of having special powers to fly and stop bullets we use words, research, and our biblical and theological texts to combat such evils like gun violence, domestic violence, usury, discrimination, oppression, immigration detention abuse, sex trafficking, torture, and pretty much any evil you can think of. I was lucky enough to observe and work with ACSWP during this year’s 219th General Assembly and also helped them get some of their policies and papers passed. Papers like: Loving Our Neighbors: Equity and Quality in Public Education; Becoming an HIV and AIDS Competent Church; Gun Violence and Gospel Values (a paper on gun violence prevention); Living Through Economic Crisis: The Church’s Witness in Troubled Times; Human Rights Report 2010.

Other awesome social justice papers, policies and resolutions that were passed by different ministries at GA include: Amending ordination standards which allows all people to serve the church no matter their sexual preference; Directing the PC(USA) Board of Pensions to Extend benefits to the same-gender spouses and domestic partners; Approval of a study group to study violence against women and children on the Mexico-US Border; Approval of refraining from holding PC(USA) national meetings at non-PC(USA) establishments in Arizona; Recommendations for the PC(USA) to work with local communities and the families affected by the Deep Water Horizon Oil disaster with finances and resources from the church; Directing the PC(USA) to call on the US Government to end military aid to Israel; Directing the PC(USA) to call on the US Government to impose a national moratorium on the imposition of the death penalty; the Belhar Confession to be included in the Book of Confessions; and many more pieces of legislation.

However, there were also papers, policies, and resolutions that were not passed by the GA or parts of the document were passed, but the main parts left out. Some of these include: Calling on the PC(USA) to divest from the Caterpillar Co. because their vehicles are being used by Israelis to bulldoze Palestinian homes; On amending the definition of marriage in the PC(USA) book of worship (which then would have included LGBTQ people); On Living a Human Life Before God study paper, which provides a well-reasoned base for churches to engage in moral discourse regarding life and death issues; and a key recommendation of Neither Poverty Nor Riches: Equity, Compensation and the Unity of the Church report, which would have prevented top salaries in the General Assembly Mission Council of the PC(USA) from being more than 5 times higher than those of the lowest paid, was removed from the document. These and several other papers, policies, and resolutions would have allowed the PC(USA) to have more of a prophetic voice in this world by more fully backing words with deeds.

Looking back at all the resolutions adopted, the church can be rightly proud, but again at what pace is the PC(USA) church to be even more prophetic in this world? I look to the prophet Micah as being a voice and example who can lead us in the right direction -- out of the corruption of power so visible in a lot of today’s society. It is a voice, which states, “And what does the LORD require of you? To act justly and to love mercy and to walk humbly with your God,” Micah 6:8. This is a prophetic voice that can lead us out of fear and into hope.

Yes, I am disappointed in the PC(USA) for not having been as prophetic as I would have liked; however, I do have hope for what our church did accomplish at this year’s assembly. Throughout my life I will continue to advocate for the church being a prophetic witness to the world. I will push the pace of policies, resolutions, and papers so that those who are being oppressed will be oppressed no more. I will live in the light of hope even if sometimes that light seems to fade only to a peep hole. I will keep running the race and will sprint when necessary, and will continue to help others sprint to the finish along with me in order to help bring God’s kingdom closer everyday. It is our job as prophetic Christians in this word to help push one another to run and sprint to the makings of a just and peaceful world!

What do I want the church to be? A joyful chorus of prophetic voices, that comes together to end oppression, evil, greed, hate, and violence in this world.

Tina DeYoe is a seminary student at Princeton Theological Seminary and an intern for the Advisory Committee for Social Witness Policy (ACSWP) of the PC(USA). She is also - generally speaking - awesome.

Photographs courtesy Danny Bolin and the PC(USA).

The Water Dichotomy

I can't help but share in the excitement. The Church is Alive Water Project has met it's goal. Seriously. As of Thursday night, and because of the incomprehensible generosity of this community, you've raised over five thousand dollars to change the the lives of those in a community in need. On behalf of the Church is Alive, thank you.

A few weekends ago, I visited my brother in Nashville, Tennessee. We had a great time seeing the sights, going out on the town, and catching up with some old and new friends. The very next weekend, Nashville and the surrounding area saw over a foot of rainfall in a two-day period. The Cumberland river, which flows through downtown Nashville, crested at nearly 52 feet. The damage done has been horrific, and our hearts go out to those who lost cars, homes, and loved ones. The flooding also put one of the city's water treatment plants out of service, prompting a water conservation effort to ensure that all have access to clean water.

Nashville is at risk of not having enough clean water to go around. The same weekend, Boston had a similar misfortune. The water crisis doesn't have to be in a third-world country. The water crisis affects all of humanity.

Water is a necessity of life. One to be respected, both for it's destructive potential and our dependence on it to sustain life. You. Us. We. We're sustaining life. We're now making it possible for a community in need to have access to clean water. Pause and think about that, and perhaps offer a prayer to those to whom water now represents grief and loss.


Image courtesy of Leslie Rodriguez Photography. Video from Michael Deppisch.

Wade in the Water

(Image from nicoleseitz.com)
Wade in the water.
Wade in the water, children.
Wade in the water.
God's gonna trouble the water.

Well, who are these children all dressed in red?
God's a-gonna trouble the water
Must be the children that Moses led
God's a-gonna trouble the water.

Who's that young girl dressed in white
Wade in the Water
Must be the Children of Israelites
God's gonna trouble the Water.

Jordan's water is chilly and cold.
God's gonna trouble the water.
It chills the body, but not the soul.
God's gonna trouble the water.

If you get there before I do.
God's gonna trouble the water.
Tell all of my friends I'm coming too.
God's gonna trouble the water.

Water is so many things. It is a path to escape and a landmark to follow back home. It is a source of life through its consumption as well as a source of laughter and fun through rock-hopping and sprinkler time.

When was the last time we viewed water as something God "troubled"? What exactly is troubled water? The intentional images that flash through my head look like tidal waves and tsunamis, but that doesn't sound like the type of water the singers of this spiritual were wanting their children to be wading in.

I think the kind of trouble God is creating for these waters is the trouble that comes with radical movements or change. In my opinion, this is good trouble. The best kind of trouble there can be. Trouble that creates change through destruction.

I have personally witnessed this kind of water-made trouble. A couple of years ago when I was on a school trip to the US/Mexico border. We were walking along in the desert (with our water bottles close at hand) and we came to a part of the fence that was being rebuilt. We of course asked why and our guide pointed down the path where the strewn pieces of the old part of the wall were.

The path we had been walking on and the fence had been in the way of was a riverbed. During the rainy season, the river seems to come out of no where and become such a force that cement and wood and hundreds of hours of labor can just be washed away. It seems to me that God troubled that water.

Stand in the water. Play in the water. Drink the water. Share the water. Wade in the water. God's gonna trouble that water.

(Image from lindalesperance.com)

* * * *

Beth is graduating from Presbyterian College in May with a BS in Early Childhood Education and a BA in Christian Education. In August, she will be moving to Nashville, TN to work with the Young Adult Volunteer Program.

The Presbyterian Coffee Project

I was a curious kid. I'd ask my parents all sorts of random questions that would float into my head: Why is the sky blue? How do birds fly? Who gets to make up words? Why does coffee smell good and taste bad? The answer my parents provided to that last question never satisfied me... "Well, I don't think it tastes bad honey." I promptly filed it away next to vanilla extract in my brain.

But like many college freshmen, I came to know and love coffee quite well. It was able to provide a few extra hours of "studying" and even if I only thought the taste was tolerable, it got the job done.

Fast forward to today (it's only like, five years), and I've become something of a coffee/tea junkie. I make it every morning, have it at work, and sometimes get carried away with how much I drink (this is known as "Jittery Josh"). I recently watched the documentary "Black Gold" which looks at the coffee industry, and specifically, how little coffee farmers are being paid for their commodity.

Enter the Presbyterian Coffee Project, which works with Equal Exchange to provide an easy, convenient way to get fair trade coffee into churches. Purchasing fairly traded coffee supports farmers all over the globe by allowing them to sell coffee beans at a fair price, giving them the ability to pay their workers fair wages and grow the local infrastructure. Rather than relying on charity and foreign aide, these communities are able to create a robust, sustainable economy. Learn more about fair trade practices here.

The Church is Alive. I'm encouraged by how in touch the PC(USA) seems to be with many of the larger social issues in the world today. The Presbyterian Coffee Project. Who'd have thought? I encourage everyone to make the effort to purchase fair trade coffee (and tea, sugar, chocolate, and nuts) at home and in their Church. It's not too expensive, and you'll know you're supporting a sustainable environment in a place that needs it most.




PS: Vanilla extract is not good by itself.

[Update] There has been some discussion concerning fair-trade coffee through the Presbyterian Coffee Project and through Starbucks.Starbucks has been selling fair-trade coffee products for a few years, and are to be commended for it. Equal Exchange offers great prices through the Presbyterian Coffee Project: Less than six bucks/bag when purchased in a case of six!

Martin Luther King Jr.

Today, we celebrate an American hero, pastor, and prophet. MLK stood up in the face of oppression with a fierce conviction that all children of God are equal and loved.

Facebook statuses have been booming with quotes from Martin Luther King Jr.'s ministry. It's exciting to see how so many people continue to be touched by the powerful and prophetic words spoken and written by Dr. King, however, it's unfortunate that such words NEED to be said and heard even now, 30 years later.

What words/quotes/ideas of Dr. King have touched you? What messages still need to be heard in our day and time?

PLEASE SHARE! Post your quotes/thoughts in the comments!

Prayers for Haiti in Word and Deed the World Over

Yesterday a horrible earthquake struck Haiti, leaving perhaps hundreds of thousands dead and far more wounded and homeless. In response, the Church is ALIVE team asks for your prayers - regardless of your religious beliefs - of word and deed. Below are two prayers of word offered up during this troubled time - one from the Presbyterian Church USA and one from Father Jean Jadotte, a Catholic priest of Miami's Notre Dame D'Haiti parish.

Below these prayers of Word are ways that you can pray for Haiti through deed and monetary donation. As mentioned yesterday, the PC(USA) has their own system of donation for the cause, but here is an incomplete made-on-the-fly list of different faith-based service organizations. They hail from a variety of religious traditions, and we have included their individual concerns about the disaster and links to their respective relief efforts.

NOTE: We have NOT individually verified all of these service organizations/relief efforts, so donate with caution. If you feel more comfortable, you can always hit up the Red Cross or UNICEF.

Finally, if you have any prayers of your OWN to share, please do so in the comments section below.

The PC(USA) Prayer for Haiti

Brothers and Sisters in Christ,

As the eyes of the world turn to Haiti, let us join our hearts in prayer:

God of compassion


Please watch over the people of Haiti,


And weave out of these terrible happenings


wonders of goodness and grace.


Surround those who have been affected by tragedy


With a sense of your present love,


And hold them in faith.


Though they are lost in grief,


May they find you and be comforted;


Guide us as a church 


To find ways of providing assistance


that heals wounds and provides hope


Help us to remember that when one of your children suffer


We all suffer


Through Jesus Christ who was dead, but lives


and rules this world with you.

Amen. 
(Adapted from Book of Common Worship)

-Bruce Reyes-Chow, Gradye Parsons and Linda Valentine

‘Lord Hear Our Prayers' - a Prayer for Catholic Relief Services by Father Jean Jadotte, associate pastor of Miami's Notre Dame D'Haiti parish.

-We are praying for hope despite this situation, that even as we face darkness, people may see a pinpoint of light.

-Praying for families.

-Pray for a greater conscience among everyone not just in Haiti but all over that we must do something [to help].

-Pray for a spirit of thanksgiving for international agencies for their good heart and good faith.

-Pray for relief workers to have a spirit of patience and perseverance.

-For those who at this time are in search of meaning in their lives and peace.

An Incomplete List (as much as I could find in an hour) of Faith-Based Assistance/Donation Services:

The United Methodist Church is expressing concerns over missing missionaries, and is allowing for relief donations through the United Methodist Committee on Relief.

The Evangelical Lutheran Church in America is allowing for donations through the ELCA International Disaster Response.

Catholic Relief Services has their own system of donation.

The Episcopal Church, which suffered heavy damage to their Diocese, allows for donations through Episcopal Relief and Development.


The Unitarian Universalist Association is joining forces with the Unitarian Universalist Service Committee to set up their own donations site.

The Church of Jesus Christ of Later-Day Saints has their own system of donation for Haiti.

Tzu Chi Foundation (a large service organization of the Chinese Buddhist tradition) doesn’t have an online donation page as of yet, but has set up a relief center that will be updated in the future.

Haiti Response

In response to the catastrophic earthquake that devastated Haiti and especially Haiti’s densely populated capital Port-au-Prince yesterday, we wanted to make a special post to remind everyone that The Church is ALIVE in humanitarian aid in many different forms.

You can donate money on the Presbyterian Disaster Relief website here.

If you are not able to give a monetary donation, or in addition to monetary assistance, Haiti is in great need of all of our prayers and I know the Church is Alive and capable of keeping Haiti in our constant thoughts and prayers. There is no shortage of news sites that can keep you up-to-date on Haiti’s situation. The Lede Blog on NYT.com is being continuously updated and includes several additional sites where you can obtain information.

L'Union Fait La Force!

Montreat College Conference: Interfaith Dialogue

Eboo Patel took the stage like so many before him have done. He spoke words of reconciliation, peace, justice, and interfaith dialogue. Eboo Patel is Muslim, and if there has been another time in Montreat’s history that a Muslim person took the stage for keynote, I am not aware of such time.

Eboo stated that over the next thirty years interfaith dialogue will be one of the most important issues facing this country and the world. The morning after his keynote, the above picture was on the front page of the New York Times. Quite prophetic.

His Keynote address focused greatly on Martin Luther King Jr.’s work as a result of studying Gandhi. Specifically he told Kings story of hearing about an Indian man, and his philosophy of satyagraha “truth force”, a philosophy of nonviolent protest. King heard this and knew he believed in these same ideals: love, justice, peace for all people. How can we as people of faith - who hold the same ideals - learn from one another? Eboo went on to talk about how King became the leader of the Civil Right’s movement, and how interfaith dialogue played directly into the movement.

If we are to be people of faith that hold fast to justice, peace, and love, we have to learn how to be people who can respect others religions. We have to be a people who intentionally learn about other faiths, and that means more than just which book particular faiths consider holy. We have to know what those books say. It struck a deep chord in me as I sat in the pew that morning, knowing that Eboo had studied Christianity and the Bible. He was speaking our "language". He was able to look to our scriptures and then reflect on the the Qur’an and see how our faiths are similar. If we are to be a people who seek to be faithful, “to do justice, love kindness and walk humbly with our God”, we are called to love all people, and to seek how to work in partnership. Our doctrines may be different, our understanding of who the Christ to be may be different, but imagine what we could do together.

In his closing, Eboo posed the question: “What if as people of faith, Christians, Muslims, Buddhist, Jainist, Jews, made it a point to end malaria? We know that in order for people not to contract Malaria they need a mosquito net over their bed at night. If they do contract it, they need a shot. What if as a people of faith we made it our point to end the injustices of this world, instead of fighting against one another? What if we did that?”

His words resonated within me, inspired me, and frankly led me to a place that I felt I could take on the world. With tears in her eyes, the person next to me in the pew embraced me after the eruption of applause subsided. We could speak few words, but in the embrace we knew no words were needed. We wanted to take on the world.

I leave you with this quote, “We need to get busy building the world we want to live in.” - Eboo Patel

Thoughts?

Check below for a little bit about Eboo Patel.

Grace and Peace- Matthew Ruffner

* * * *

About Dr. Eboo Patel (the SUBJECT of this post, not the author): Named by US News & World Report as one of America’s Best Leaders of 2009, Eboo Patel is the founder and Executive Director of Interfaith Youth Core (IFYC), a Chicago-based institution building the global interfaith youth movement. Author of the award-winning book Acts of Faith: The Story of an American Muslim, the Struggle for the Soul of a Generation, Eboo is also a regular contributor to the Washington Post, National Public Radio and CNN. He is a member of President Obama’s Advisory Council of the White House Office of Faith Based and Neighborhood Partnerships, and holds a doctorate in the sociology of religion from Oxford University, where he studied on a Rhodes scholarship.

Montreat College Conference: 'God Without Borders'

Part of the Church is Alive team is in Montreat for the 2010 College Conference. We will be bringing you articles from all the happenings of the conference. Be sure to check back this week for the articles and maybe even a bit of video! Also, if you attended the conference we would love to hear from you!

We hope you all had a great Christmas season!

Grace and Peace!

I'm Really Very Fond...

Here’s part of a poem from Alice Walker, which, if nothing else, should be a good reminder about the dangers of dating, or, more precisely, breaking up with, poets.

I'm Really Very Fond

I'm really very fond of you,
he said.

I don't like fond.
It sounds like something
you would tell a dog.
Give me love
or nothing.

Throw your fond in a pond,
I said...
I love that line, “Throw your fond in a pond!” Now that’s poetry!

“Tolerant” is a word like “fond”. They’re lukewarm words, and anyone who’s read Revelations 3 knows that things didn’t turn out so well for the lukewarm church in Laodicea.

“Tolerant” is one of those words that make gay, lesbian, bisexual, and transgender members of the church a little squirmy. We say that we’re looking for acceptance not tolerance. Tolerance makes us feel as if we were some rash on the ecclesial body which the church is pondering whether to treat or simply endure. But lately I’ve been reconsidering …

To me, the newest generation of church leadership – those born after 1980, say – have redeemed the word “tolerant.” It’s a generation that’s comfortable with difference – that grew up with diversity, not as an ideal, but as a way of life. It’s a generation that has by dint of circumstance, come to understand the world as a complex place, and where disagreement doesn’t equal separation.

Several recent studies, for instance, show that even among Christians who identify as evangelical, there has been a significant shift toward greater support among those under 30 for marriage equality and for expansion of employment nondiscrimination and hate crimes protections to cover sexual orientation and gender identity. I think what’s going on here is more about a change of values than a change of beliefs. It’s not so much that beliefs about “homosexuality” have changed for these younger evangelicals, as it is that they value a healthy respect for difference. What’s more, they are more interested in the kind of advocacy that can unite people –tackling the environmental crisis, facing racism, ending poverty; in a certain sense, the next generation of Evangelical Christians is less interested in ideological positions, and more interested in practical transformation.

I could live with that kind of tolerance. I can imagine a healthy church that isn’t susceptible to constant fracture along ideological fault lines. I can imagine a church that gives fair consideration to all who are called to serve as officers regardless of sexual orientation and gender identity, and still allows for the full range of ideological perspectives. I can imagine a church that has moved on from the debate about the place of glbt persons in its life and ministry – a debate that keeps our attention focused inward; I can imagine a church where people who hold vastly divergent theological views come together to get stuff done; I can imagine a church that can not only come together to talk deeply and wisely about racism, poverty and the environment, but that can also head out the door and make a constructive difference.

In our red-state/blue-state nation where it’s nearly impossible for a member of one party to cross-over and vote with the other party, and legislation with bi-partisan sponsorship is almost unheard of, maybe the example of a thriving, vital, creative, engaged Church made up of members from disparate, even opposing theological points of view could point the way to a new way of confronting big and serious issues that affect all of us.

“Forbearance” might be the dressed up theological word for tolerance. Even so, right now, I’m rather fond of “tolerance”.

* * * *

Lisa Larges is the coordinator for That All May Freely Serve, a grassroots organization advocating on behalf of all who are disenfranchised in the Presbyterian Church, especially lgbt members. She's a 1989 grad of San Francisco Theological Seminary, a member of Noe Valley Ministry, a Presbyterian More Light Congregation in San Francisco, and likes cheese!

Waiting on the Past: Advent's Hope in the Midst of Unspeakable Loss

A little while ago, my friend Matthew asked me if I’d be up for writing about how I’ve encountered the Church as truly alive. Naturally, my first instinct was to write about campus ministry, about how we have all of these vibrant college students within and outside of our denomination (the PCUSA) who tackle faith and the questions it poses. But then I thought that might be a bit narrow-minded of me. I mean, how cliché is it for a campus minister to write about campus ministry?

There’s so much going on within the Body, I thought. Why not venture outside of your little bubble, your little world of ivory towers and Crimson Tide football, and consider what else is happening in the ecclesiastical world?

Unfortunately, this line of thinking led me down a road I did not altogether expect. Not that I should be surprised, since I’ve discovered that, when it comes to deciphering what God may be up to, there is no such thing as a foregone conclusion. But in my quest to find a living, breathing Church, I was stymied by a lack of inspiration. I just wasn’t feeling it. And how the heck was I going to write about the Church being alive when I wasn’t sure what that looked like?

Now, please don’t misunderstand me. I’m not saying that campus ministry is the only place where things are kickin’. And I’m certainly not implying that God needs to branch out a bit. To say that might render me vulnerable to not-so-random strikes of lightning from on high or, perhaps worse, trial by PJC (Permanent Judicial Commission). What I am saying is that the proverbial rub starts and ends with me, a victim of my own narcissistic tendencies and campus ministry tunnel vision. Or, put another way, I’ve just been too dang focused upon what’s going on in my own pastoral world to even consider what’s happening elsewhere.

Something tells me I’m not the only one who has experienced this. I believe we pastors are by our very nature a narcissistic bunch, which seems counter-intuitive when you consider the “selfless” nature of our calling. It’s easy to obsess over “the perfect sermon” or to allow other people’s opinions to haunt us at night or to believe that the fate of the Church rests solely upon our shoulders. And it’s tempting to think that whatever happens within the walls of the steeple centers around us.

Of course, to believe that is to buy into a lie. And, unfortunately, it often takes something “big” to jar us out of our selfishness... which is precisely what happened to me.

First Sunday of Advent. We’re supposed to be anticipating the birth of a child, not mourning the loss of one. Yet that’s exactly what was happening in our congregation, as we sat there, dressed in black and gray, remembering all of the ups and downs of this little child, thinking about what was and what could have been. Nothing seemed right with this picture. Nothing at all.

Except...

Story after story was told about how the congregation—no, the Church—had been with this family. People they didn’t know asking about them. Flowers being sent. Visits being made. Emails asking for prayers. On and on and on.

And, on this Sunday afternoon, mere hours after we had lit a candle of hope, the pews were filled by doctors, church members, nurses, old friends, extended and immediate family, hospital staff, young and old alike. The great Body of Christ in action, responding to a call to love one another, to comfort the grieving, to reach out and offer a hand to those who could not stand on their own.

It didn’t happen the way I expected or the way I wanted, but, on that Sunday, I was reminded that the Church isn’t about one person or one family or one group or one congregation. It involves a lot more than that. And, precisely because of that, the Church is very much alive.

I know this to be true because there, amidst the sadness and grief that Sunday, was a people waiting on the past, waiting on something that once was to happen yet again in ways we cannot even comprehend, waiting on a time when we can celebrate alongside the people we mourn, waiting on a space in which we no longer have to think about what could have been.

We wait because we hope, which, on that first Sunday of Advent, seemed mysteriously providential...

* * * *

James Goodlet is the Presbyterian Campus Minister at the University of Alabama and author of Presbytide.wordpress.com

Lady Church, You Are Alive

Those paths that once made the way so clear, the seminarian-to-associate-to-head-of-staff paths have begun to crack (some might even say crumble.) As those seminarians step from the classroom they’re finding other trails – some muddy, some hidden, some that haven’t even been revealed yet. They lead to counseling centers where clients cry out for the Spirit and to taverns where friends fellowship at tables over bread & beverages... sound familiar? These ministers are finding it necessary to supplement their ministerial incomes by brewing coffee or substitute teaching or even returning to the careers they swore they had abandoned – all for the chance to supply preach at the fifteen member church forty-five minutes away. They don’t have to. But they do. Why, you ask? Because they are called. Lady Church lives among them and she smiles at their freedom. Yes, the Church is alive.

Think what you will, say what you want – it appears as though Lady Church has given us every reason to believe that she dying. Just weeks ago as seminary presidents and elected church representatives gathered for the November meeting of the PC(USA) Committee on Theological Education, the statistics spoke a clear picture:

“Half of PC(USA) congregations are no longer served by fulltime theologically trained ministers.”

“Two-thirds of the congregations in my home presbytery cannot afford full time pastoral ministers.”

At this very moment, 2156 ministers are seeking a call, while there are only 559 open positions for them to fill.

It did not take long for our committee to arrive at the obvious question: for what kind of church are we preparing our seminarians? If the simple laws of supply and demand are shouting: “TOO MANY PASTORS!!! NOT ENOUGH CHURCHES!!!” then why do we continue to admit, financially support, and educate people young and old who claim that God has placed a call upon their lives to the Ministry of Word and Sacrament.

Because, friends – God has placed a call upon their lives to the Ministry of Word and Sacrament. It just doesn’t look like it used to. The Church is alive; she’s just rearranging the furniture a little. While the paths from seminary were once laid in solid rows from classroom to pulpit, recently they’ve begun to wind a bit more – and Lady Church has decided to seek opportunity outside the stained glass windows. Forget the wood paneled walls and the antique desk lamp, Lady Church is not always found in her office anymore. In fact, she’s taken to spending her mornings at the coffee shop: Calvin on her Kindle and Indigo Girls on her IPOD. Jesus told her life was more interesting on the road.


Not all of the straight paths to the pulpit are gone – not at all. There are places where the fulltime, theologically trained, well paid pastor continues to thrive – and Lady Church tips her hat. However, she must admit that these new places and faces bring her such a particular joy. Perhaps it’s because they bring God joy and it is because they bring God joy they must not be ignored.

Lady Church is alive – alive with God’s mysterious Spirit that inspires her to open the doors and repaint the walls and breathe in the life that is going on because of her or in spite of her. Therefore, we owe it to Lady Church to pay attention to her life as we train the ministers who will soon step out onto those paths. Technology, diversity, creativity and ingenuity are all steps along the way. As theological institutions learn to walk the line between tradition and change, Lady Church is with them – her Blackberry in one hand and her Bible in the other.

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Kathy Wolf Reed is a member of the PC(USA) Committee on Theological Education. She is currently serving as a resident Chaplain at St. Thomas Hospital in Nashville, TN..

The Politics of Jesus…

Recently I have been rereading one of my favorite books, Jesus for President: Politics for Ordinary Radicals, by Shane Claiborne. Throughout the body of this book it consistently reminds me as a follower of Christ that I am called to adhere to a radical politics of love and justice. Indeed, Micah 6:8 continually reminds us as God’s people “to do justice, love kindness, and to walk humbly with our God.” And somehow in our society today it is difficult to remember and live out that call. We become so focused on ourselves (checking everything off the to-do list and wading through the day-to-day) that we forget the weak and oppressed in society.

Several days a week I try to live out that call in a unique way when I get off the D.C. Metro near Capitol Hill, walk by the Russell and Hart Congressional buildings and into the Presbyterian Church (U.S.A.) Washington Office which sits directly across from the Capitol building and next door to the Supreme Court. The Washington Office is the public policy information and advocacy office of General Assembly and therefore advocates on behalf of social witness perspectives and policies of GA. Through the work of the Washington Office, the voice of the Church is heard on Capitol Hill and by our legislators, as we continue to call for justice in the world. From sign-on letters, to hill visits and constituent briefings the Washington Office works hard to let Capitol Hill know where the Presbyterian faith community stands on a variety of issues as they are determined by General Assembly through intensive scriptural based study.

Through this office I am able to live out the radical call of Christians: to show love and compassion to all while working for justice throughout the world. This work reminds me of a Derek Webb song, “King and a Kingdom” which says,

my first allegiance is not to a flag, a country, or a man
my first allegiance is not to democracy or blood
it’s to a King & a Kingdom

Indeed, my first allegiance is to God and to the clear call of Jesus Christ to “love my neighbor as myself” and to “care for the least of these”. Therefore, I urge each of you to show that the church is still alive by being an advocate, a Presbyterian advocate calling for justice in the world. Get involved in work to bring about justice for all, as Representative and great Civil Rights leader John Lewis said in his book Walking with the Wind that we should be like children attempting to hold down the corners of the house being lifted up by the wind. “You and I. Children holding hands, walking with the wind. That is America…not just the movement for civil rights but the endless struggle to respond with decency, dignity, and a sense of brotherhood to all challenges that face the nation, as a whole.” So let us go forth and be children, holding hands, and walking with the winds—children walking with the winds to hold down the four corners of justice.

For more information of how to be an advocate within the Presbyterian Church (U.S.A.) please visit the Washington Office Webpage.

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Nan Arnold is a 2009 religion and history graduate of Presbyterian College in SC. She is currently the intern at the Presbyterian Church (U.S.A.) Washington office and seeks a future within the church.

Generations of Christ - Carol Howard-Merritt

One of our elders, a twenty-something law student, explained recently, “Living in D.C. as a young woman, I could live my whole life and never talk to someone who is older.” She went on to tell us that the reason why she attends Western Presbyterian Church is because she has a chance to be with people from all different generations.

And it is wonderful to see—we have Christmas Pageants with responsible college students working as stage director, making sure that the costumes stay on. We have Easter hunts, with young professionals stuffing eggs. And all throughout the year, recent graduates learn from young parents, how to juggle the challenges of careers and raising children. Men and women who are getting their first “real” job have a chance to talk to retiring people, and learn what they need to negotiate now, in order to be prepared for the future.

An Open Question: Who Are We? No, Seriously, Who?

A few days ago a Divinity school friend and I were strolling down a dusty, red-bricked sidewalk. As the greens, golds and maroon-browns of fall spiraled down from the trees around us, we started commiserating about a church service we had just attended. Naturally, we - being Presbyterians - jokingly hyper-analyzed the sermon and highlighted the theological conundrums brought up by the pastor. I had enjoyed the service, but my friend felt otherwise - she just “wasn’t a fan.” She explained that it had been a “somewhat unorthodox” Presbyterian service, complete with boisterous musical numbers (Johnny Cash) and a slightly-less-than-organized order of worship (I still have no idea what happened during the Children’s Sermon). As such, she seemed displeased and uncomfortable with the overall feel of the service. Given that I, admittedly, really like organic approaches to worship, I started to press my friend for a specific reason for discomfort.