I think some of the most beautiful and evocative passages in the Bible are contained in Romans 8. I remember a teacher suggesting that this passage points to the Fall, when not only humanity but all of Creation was broken, so we humans are not alone in yearning for God’s salvation. This chapter inspires us through its assertion that God’s love in Jesus Christ is greater than any kind of trouble we may face. Even the mention of labor pains reminds us of the Fall, when childbirth was cursed with great pain, yet we also know that the pain yields to the joy of new life.

A common perspective is that God gave humankind dominion over the Creation, reflecting the Western Enlightenment view of humanity as standing just below God, separate and above the earth. Our brokenness as humans leads us to mistreat the earth which God has entrusted to our use and care.

I remember a class in seminary when this was discussed, and it was then that I realized that my Christian faith has a distinctive Japanese flavor to it. I never considered humanity to be above Creation, but simply part of it-and if you’ve seen Japanese landscape paintings, humans are tiny in proportion to the vastness of the rest of Creation.

Now that doesn’t mean humans are powerless. My sense of our place as part of Creation is similar to what we used to say when I worked in a battered women’s agency-that the man is part of the family and may not be more emotionally hurtful than a woman, but due to his physical and economic strength, he has a special responsibility to manage his power for the good of the whole family, and to control his anger.

Likewise, humans are but part of Creation, yet we have the capability of helping or hurting the rest of Creation-so it is our responsibility to choose the way of life and nurture.

I am writing this column early, so that Twila can take a much-deserved long weekend, and today has been focused on the withdrawal of the United States from the Paris Agreement on climate change. This has been anticipated and confronted with much controversy, and a response by several states including California, committing to the goals of the Agreement whether or not they are supported by the nation as a whole.

In the classic, Christ and Culture, H. Richard Niebuhr offers different models for how we as Christians are to interact with the culture at large. As a nation that was rooted in Christendom, Americans often confuse being American with being Christian. Even many immigrants convert to Christianity in an effort to assimilate to American culture. Yet the Bible repeatedly highlights the corruption of human principalities and powers, and Paul reminds us in Romans 12:2, “Do not be conformed to this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your minds, so that you may discern what is the will of God-what is good and acceptable and perfect.”

H. Richard Niebuhr

As Christian North Americans, it is important to remember that our Christian faith can often be countercultural, and even as laws change, we still have the freedom­ and responsibility-to follow God’s will. Too often we look to external regulations, even secular regulations, as guides for the Christian life. I noticed when the Book of Order Form of Government was rewritten and reduced, many Presbyterians became anxious because of the lack of specific rules for the ordering of church life. They even interpreted the lack of mention in the new

Book of Order with prohibition. In fact, the reverse was intended. When not mentioned, it is left to individual church sessions or other councils of the church to decide what is best for their context.

We American Christians do have the freedom–and the responsibility–to go beyond simple adherence to secular law, but to transcend it with greater mercy and justice than civil law requires. This is not just a response to environmental law. For example, churches are largely exempt from labor laws that regulate all other types of employers in the United States. But too often this is used by churches to take advantage of their employees. Having minimum guidelines–or being exempted from them–does not restrict us down to those minimums; we can choose to do better.

So again, do not be conformed to this world, but be transformed and discern what is the will of God, that individually and as Christ’s church, we may be that beacon of light and hope for a hurting world.

Trusting in the love of God in Jesus Christ,

Wendy

When I read the Bible, I often consider it to be the story of God’s relationship with God’s people, and I consider these people to be our ancestors in faith. Likewise, there are countless individuals whose lives reflect and inform our identity as Presbyterians. Who do you remember as ancestors in the Presbyterian family tree?

Some of us are quietly proud of the Presbyterian heritage in the United States. We often point to John Witherspoon, the only clergy to sign the Declaration of Independence (it isn’t coincidence that there are striking similarities between the representative form of government of the United States and that of the Presbyterian Church). But there are others, more or less famous, who have strong ties with the Presbyterian Church (USA), and I love hearing stories of fellow Presby’s.

Katie Cannon

First African-American Woman
My personal favorite was sitting with Rev. Dr. Katie Cannon, the first African-American woman ordained as a Teaching Elder in the PC(USA). She is a formidable scholar and teacher, with a great wit. I laughed as she reminisced her critique of the Euro-centric doctoral requirements of her Ph.D. program at Union Theological Seminary in New York, asking “Why do I need to learn German in order to write about poor Black women in the South?” She also told uproarious stories of the Cannon family as they entered the life of the rich and famous when her nephew Nick Cannon married singer Mariah Carey.

Last week I traveled to Fort Worth, Texas, for the organizing meeting of the search committee for the new Executive Director of the Presbyterian Mission Agency. San Gabriel Presbytery has two close connections to this important position-the current interim Executive Director, Ruling Elder Tony de la Rosa, grew up at Calvary Presbyterian in South Pasadena, and two of the seven members of the search committee are from our presbytery (Bong Bringas and myself).

On the flight home, I got to watch the film “Hidden Figures”-which I wholeheartedly recommend, by the way. I was delighted to see multiple scenes reflecting the faith of the main character, Katherine Johnson, and the connection between Ms. Johnson and then astronaut John Glenn, because I knew them both to be devoted ruling elders of the PC(USA).

Awarded the Presidential Medal of Freedom
You may remember that Katherine Johnson was honored at the Academy Awards this year, and she received the Presidential Medal of Freedom in 2015, at the age of 97. But we Presby’s know that for over 50 years, she has been a member of Carver Memorial Presbyterian Church in Newport News, Virginia, where she has served as choir member, Ruling Elder, and Finance Chair. In 1975 she was a Ruling Elder Commissioner of the 187th General Assembly, where she led as chair of the Finance Committee. I can only imagine the consideration of Elder Johnson, one of the most prodigious mathematicians in US history, as Finance Chair!

John Glenn signs his autograph for a young girl outside the Riverside Presbyterian Church in Cocoa Beach, Florida, January 1962

Sen. John Glenn grew up in Westminster Presbyterian Church in New Concord, Ohio, where his mother was the first female Ruling Elder ordained in the congregation, and his father was also a Ruling Elder. After his historic career as an astronaut, Glenn became a U.S. Senator for the state of Ohio, serving from 1974 until 1999. During his time in Washington D.C., he attended National Presbyterian Church, where he served on the Session.

Our Chief Storyteller
Consider the Presbyterian family members you know. Many are nowhere near as heroic as these elders, and some have quite a complicated image in our minds. Marj Carpenter led the Presbyterian News Service for many years, and became the Moderator of the 207th General Assembly in 1995. She fully enjoyed her role as chief storyteller for the denomination. She recalled once speaking at a church, where she recounted how Presbyterians walked in solidarity with native Americans as they were forcibly relocated on the “Trail of Tears.” After worship she was confronted by a family who were descendants of George Custer, whose very mixed relationship with and against native Americans ended in his defeat at Little Bighorn. Elder Carpenter worried that they may have been offended when the family mentioned that Gen. Custer was an elder in his Presbyterian church. Then they told a wry story that reflected our Presbyterian fear of change, saying that Gen. Custer was on Session when he left for Little Bighorn. “He said, ‘Don’t do anything until I come back-and we haven’t.”

Marj Carpenter

We could spend countless hours discussing many noted Presbyterians, and how or if their Presbyterian faith impacted their historic achievements. Currently we confess to the white privilege of this denomination, and we are aware of the relative wealth of Presbyterians (we and Episcopalians alternate as Christians with the highest per capita incomes). But we also can point to the dedication to serve God and serve others in the world, and we continue to believe in the power of education to lift people from all circumstances. It is not coincidence that Dr. Cannon was empowered through her historically Black Presbyterian college and seminary before going to Union for doctoral work, and I first heard of Sen. Glenn’s faith on a visit to his alma mater, Presbyterian Muskingum College in Ohio.

Let us give thanks to the many people of God, Presbyterian and otherwise, who have helped us to know and follow Jesus, love and trust in God our Creator, and be bonded across time and space with this cloud of witnesses through the power of the Holy Spirit. And let us humbly acknowledge the gifts we receive as members of the Presbyterian family.

Giving thanks for the ways you are today’s witnesses to Jesus Christ,

Wendy