This coming week is the beginning of Lent.  You probably know that traditionally, Lent was a season of preparation for people before they are baptized on Easter Sunday.  A big part of that preparation was self-examination, as we reflect on the sins we’ve committed for which we confess and give up to God’s mercy.  Nowadays Christians use the season of Lent to practice some form of spiritual discipline, including prayer and fasting, as a way of recommitting to God.

We Presbyterians are rooted theologically in the Reformed tradition of Protestant Christianity, especially as defined by John Calvin.  In his Institutes of Christian Religion, Calvin begins with the following statement, which comes back to me on a regular basis:

Our wisdom, insofar as it ought to be deemed true and solid Wisdom, consists almost entirely of two parts:  the knowledge of God and of ourselves.

Now we know that we can never fully know God, though we can get glimpses through reading the Bible and our own witness to God’s actions.  But even as we try to know ourselves, I sometimes think there’s a paradox:  are we worthless creatures, dead in spirit and helplessly caught up in sin, or are we heroes in the world and even the divine agents of God’s power and will?

It seems that the Bible speaks about us both ways.  It’s funny that I looked back and found that the last two years, I have referenced this passage from Isaiah on the Monday prior to Ash Wednesday, the beginning of Lent.  (It is an alternate reading in the Ash Wednesday lectionary, along with Joel 2:1-2, 12-17; Psalm 51:1-17; 2 Corinthians 5:20b-6:10; and Matthew 6:1-6, 16-21.)

Apparently there’s part of me that yearns for this passage to describe our role in God’s world as one of high responsibility and positive impact.  It also happens to be the scripture that is guiding our theme of reconciliation throughout our Presbytery meetings this year.

But how does that fit with our tradition of lamenting our sinful and worthless nature during Lent?

I wouldn’t presume to claim wisdom about who we are as worthy or worthless beings, but it’s apparent to me that we are both.  We are created and loved by God, and so have the imprint of God’s glory in us, and the inheritance of doing our Father’s will, as led by God’s beloved Jesus Christ. Yet we are deeply flawed, with a tendency towards attempting to claim dominance over our lives, which turns us away from God, the source of life and righteousness.  Like ancient myths of Icarus and Venus/Lucifer, we are powerful enough to think we can come too close to God (or the sun), and suffer grave consequences for striving to replace God with ourselves.

However, if we are clear about our role as servants of God, gifted and entrusted by God to do God’s mighty works, then we can do great things, as God works through us.  As agents of God, we can rebuild the ruins of our lives, we can raise up our families and communities, we can facilitate reconciliation and care for those trapped in poverty and despair.  But when we confuse these God-directed miracles for our own, we do great damage, not only to ourselves and as an offense to God, but to those who are misled to think it’s us, and not God, who are to be trusted.

Unfortunately we have a tendency to repeat this mistake in our own churches.  We put too much emphasis on the pastor as having the power of God’s grace in his or her own person—or we attribute every bad thing that has happened in the church to the failure of the pastor.  We tend to reduce individuals to saints or sinners, when in fact we are both:  we are ALL sinners, yet because Christ has claimed and saved us, we are saints, not for what we do or what we’ve earned, but simply because we acknowledge that we are loved by God, and we try to love God and God’s children.

So as we enter into the season of Lent, let us be clear-eyed in our self-examination, and see that we—and our siblings—are both blessed and empowered to do the work of the Kingdom, yet imperfect and helpless to do good without the guidance and Spirit of our Lord.  Let us be humble enough to always turn to God for direction, and humble enough to do what God tells us, even if it seems more than we can safely do on our own.

In faith,

Wendy

I am reminded that February is Black History Month, and I’ve wanted to recognize it in a column before the month runs out!  Wikipedia gave some background, including the reason for February.  The historian Carter G. Woodson introduced its precursor, Negro History Week, in 1926 for the second week of February.  That is the week that marks the birthdays of Abraham Lincoln (February 12) and Frederick Douglass (February 14).  Dr. Woodson noted that African-Americans and their contributions were not recognized in the history curricula of our schools, and he hoped that African-Americans could gain strength as they learned more about their history.

The reason I’ve been reminded about Black History Month this year is the sad irony that the pervasiveness and deep roots of anti-Black racism have shown up so vividly these days.  The issue has shown itself most recently with the violent hatred of a Coast Guard officer who proudly calls himself a “white nationalist,” and the self-hatred that is demonstrated in the possible staged hate crime where a Black man reportedly chose to use a noose in his hoax.  This last action reflects conflict with a tragic element of Black history, that of lynching. 

Another conflict with history has been demonstrated by too many political leaders who have perpetuated demeaning stereotypes through blackface, seemingly ignorant of the pain this causes African-Americans who know how effectively blackface taught America the negative stereotypes that haunt our nation through unconscious bias.  This bias is so insidious that it has led to the abhorrent frequency of innocent African-Americans being reported to the police for simply living their lives, or by those who think “I don’t see color” is the solution to racism.  I guess they think it’s a compliment to not acknowledge one’s race.  But this is no more a compliment than if they say they can’t tell that you are a woman.   

Perhaps you might think it’s a step up to pretend not to see the color of one’s skin.  But that implies that color must mean something negative.  The fact is, people of color are not ashamed of our color, or feel disabled because of our skin color.  We just wish others could see our color and have a positive response, with some appreciation for the cultural gifts, traditions, values, experiences, wisdom, music, food, and so many other offerings different cultures bring to God’s big table in the church.  And that’s why Black History Month is important to me—it’s the annual reminder that there is more I can learn about why I’m glad that African-Americans are, and continue to be, and continue to grow, in influence, in the United States—and in the Christian church.

I am so happy that our presbytery is joining with the National Black Presbyterian Caucus Southern California Chapter (NBPC-SC) to explore a new ministry in our neighborhood, a possible new church that welcomes all but celebrates and utilizes the gifts and traditions of the Black church to communicate the love of Christ and the power of the Gospel.  Our Vision and Strategy Team will be focusing their efforts on this, and I ask your prayers as we take steps to deepen and broaden Christ’s mission through this work.  VST Chair Jonathan Hughes and I participated in NBPC-SC’s annual meeting last week, and presented this project idea, which was received well by the members.

As we go forward with this new ministry, we give thanks for the legacy of South Hills Presbyterian Church, which will provide the seed funding for this work.  I would also ask for your prayers for Char and Don Sevesind, who were long-time leaders of South Hills.  Char is struggling to recover from the first of two planned surgeries, and Don has been a great support, as he has been in many ways for our presbytery.  And speaking of great support, please continue to pray for Twila French, who is away this week for a long-planned time away, a week after her mother’s passing.

There is much that we can learn about each other, to our benefit and growth in faith.  Perhaps we can take a moment or two before February 28 to learn about Blacks, including their history in the Presbyterian Church and the moments when we Presbyterians stood with our African-American sisters and brothers.  And perhaps we can go on through the year and learn about our varied histories and cultures, called together by Christ.

And on a day-to-day basis, I ask that you see yourself, and each other, and every person you meet, for who God made in you—each of you, for all that you are.  A while ago I came across this covenant, and occasionally use it for church members to offer to each other.  The last time I used it I tried to find a source so I could properly cite it—the only source I found was, coincidentally, as the covenant of the national organization of Blacks in Government (www.bignet.org).  Yet another reason to give thanks, and to share in the wisdom and love that God offers for and through all of us.

A Covenant for All God’s Children

I regard myself and you
As being created in the image of God

I see your beauty, I sense your power
I celebrate your potential

I support your prerogative to sing your song
I share your pursuit of the high quality of life

I will tell you the truth, and I will have your trust
I will listen to you with my heart
And I shall speak to you with my smile

I shall care enough to confront you
And to comfort you

In you I see God, and in God I see you
You are my friend, and I love you.

Blessings,

Wendy

This Saturday is a great opportunity to hear about key issues in our world, and to hear from our own sisters and brothers how they are responding.  The event is called “Peace-ing It Together: How Individuals and Congregations Can Bring More PEACE Into Our World” and is being held at:

Saturday, Feb. 23, 2019
8:30 am registration, 8:50 a.m.—4 p.m.
Lunch included at no cost
Knox Presbyterian Church
225 S. Hill Ave., Pasadena 91106
RSVP at PeaceConfSoCal2019@gmail.com

The event begins with worship at 8:50 a.m., with the phenomenal Rev. T. Denise Anderson preaching.  Denise just completed her term as co-moderator of the General Assembly, and is now Coordinator for Racial and Intercultural Justice of the Presbyterian Mission Agency.  She is a dynamic and inspiring leader in our denomination, and if you ever wonder whether there’s a future for the PC(USA), you should meet Denise.  Even her experience in the denomination gives us a clue as to where we are as a church:  she did not grow up Presbyterian (like more than half of all PC(USA) members), and was in seminary at Howard University when she met Presbyterian faculty.  It was their openness and humility in responding to her questions, not with pat answers but with openness and respect, that drew her to the PC(USA).  While preparing for ministry, she served as Pastoral Assistant at Taiwanese Presbyterian Church of Washington, DC, leading their English ministry.  A woman of many talents and experiences!

Another speaker is Sara Lisherness, Senior Director for Compassion, Peace & Justice.  Sara comes out of San Fernando Presbytery, and her mission area includes Presbyterian Disaster Assistance, the Presbyterian offices of Public Witness in Washington, DC, and at the UN in New York City, and the Presbyterian Hunger Program (which helps to fund our own Mission Advocate, Wendy Gist).

The day includes workshops focusing on violence, interfaith relations, supporting immigrants, homelessness and housing, and confronting racism.  Each workshop includes not only leaders in the community, but also members of churches throughout the Synod who are working on that particular issue.  So, for instance, Nasimi Aghayev (Consul General of Azerbaijan) is present to discuss his country, which is mostly Muslim but whose constitution guarantees religious freedom.  But local Presbyterians include Christa Wallis from First Presbyterian in San Bernardino, who will speak on responding to local violence, as this church has responded actively to the 2015 killing of 14 people at the Inland Regional Center as well as other problems with violence in the San Bernardino community.  The panel on homelessness includes Amie Quigley, who leads the Lord’s Lighthouse, the homeless ministry at Hollywood Presbyterian, who is in fact a leader in the care for homeless people throughout Hollywood.

We at San Gabriel Presbytery are not only a co-sponsor of the event, but also through Knox we are host presbytery.  Even aside from the convenience factor, I urge you to attend this important event, as so many of our churches have expressed interest in connecting with their communities.  You will be inspired and educated, but also you will hear how churches like yours have made commitments to be a beacon of hope in their community in these areas.  And if that isn’t enough, there is even a quilt commissioned for the event, which will be given to some fortunate participant!

See below for the detailed schedule for the conference.  See you there!

Peace,
Wendy

Conference Program

8:30 –  8:50 Coffee and Registration
8:50 –  9:30 Opening Worship – reflection by Rev. Denise Anderson & music by Zehnder
9:30 -10:00 “When Did We See You?” based on Matthew 25 – Sara Lisherness

10:00 -10:10 Break

10:10 -11:10 Interfaith Peacemaking: Panel of different approaches
Nasimi Aghayev – Consul General of Azerbaijan in Los Angeles
Lisa Patriquin, Tahil Sharma, and Samia Bano – The Guibord Center
Carole Wheeler – First Presbyterian Church, Newhall
Jamshed Yazdani – Newhall Unity Center

11:10 -12:10 “Dismantling and Re-building: The Church Confronting Racism” – Denise Anderson

12:10 -12:50 Lunch

12:45 –  1:00 Music by Zehnder to bring us back together

Breakout groups

This is your chance to go more in depth with speakers on the topic that most interests you.

1:00 – 2:00 Breakout Session #1 (please choose one)

A.Addressing Violence – in the Sanctuary
Engaging Congregations in Preventing All Forms of Gun Violence: Virginia Classick (Gun Violence Prevention Task Force, Episcopal Diocese of LA)
Churches Responding to Local Violence: Kyle Joachim (Silverlake Pres) and Christa Wallis (First Pres, San Bernardino)

B. Addressing Immigration Issues – in the Atrium
Matthew 25 Ministries: Matthew Colwell (Knox)
From Detainee Visitation to Post-Release Assistance: Merilie Robertson (Woodland Hills Pres) & Beryl Smith (St. Mark Pres, Newport Beach)

C. Housing and Homelessness Issues – in the North House Dining Room
Jill Shook, Lori Gay, Walter Contreras (San Gabriel), and Amie Quigley (Hollywood Pres)

D. Modeling Religious Tolerance & Peaceful Coexistence – in North House Lounge
Nasimi Aghayev (Consul General of Azerbaijan)E.

E. Interfaith Dialogue – in the North House meeting room
The Guibord Center’s Dinner and Dialogue Program: Lisa Patriquin, Tahil Sharma, Samia Bano
Muslim-Christian Study Groups: Carole Wheeler (First Pres Newhall) & Jamshed Yazdani

2:00 – 2:15 Break

2:15 – 3:15 Breakout Session #2 (please choose one)

A. Addressing Violence – in the Sanctuary
Engaging Congregations in Preventing All Forms of Gun Violence: Virginia Classick
Churches Responding to Local Violence: Kyle Joachim and Christa Wallis

B. Addressing Immigration Issues – in the Atrium
Matthew 25 Ministries: Matthew Colwell
From Detainee Visitation to Post-Release Assistance: Merilie Robertson & Beryl Smith

C. Housing and Homelessness Issues – in the North House Dining Room
Jill Shook, Lori Gay, Walter Contreras, and Amie Quigley

D. The Church Confronting Racism – North House meeting room
Denise Anderson

3:20 – 4:00 “Trimming the Wicks: Ready to Act” – Rev. Emily Brewer, Presbyterian Peace Fellowship

I noticed that last week I boasted of the joys of serving San Gabriel Presbytery.  While I have been so grateful for the great things happening in many of our churches and in the life of the Presbytery, there was a little voice in the back of my mind worrying that I was starting to think we were causing the good things to happen—and what does that mean to those who are facing challenges?

As it happens, I had the opportunity to do some good soul work last week.  In meeting with the leaders of one church, I became aware of how vulnerable I am to a particular sore spot for me, the pain of rejection.  This awareness came around the same time that I was walking with another colleague dealing with their particular sore spot. 

You know what I mean by sore spot—we all have particular places of woundedness, and many of us live our lives making sure to protect them.  But since we like to be seen as strong and whole, we often hide our wounds, so others aren’t aware.  I’ve seen that some of the biggest blow-ups in churches happen when those wounds are unwittingly opened, and rather than speak to our hurt, we react, often with a response that is less sacred but less real, which leads to further misunderstanding.  Unlike just about any institution in our lives beyond our own family, church is a place where we are most vulnerable, where more of our personal lives and families are known, where we are encouraged to confess our sins and weaknesses, and where we seek the ultimate spiritual connection with our God and with each other.  I believe this is the reason that abusive behavior in the church is so damaging—and I would suggest that not only pastors, but all church leaders should be aware of the great responsibility we have to treat each other with care.

Now my guess is that we all have at least one sore spot.  We may have several places of woundedness, but some are worse than others, so much so that it impacts our life decisions.  I have always believed that an essential part of my sense of ministry is the fact that I’ve always felt like an outsider, not being totally and exclusively committed to any one group.  Honestly, my work in the church is the only time I have felt so committed, but even so I am—we are—in a church tradition that allows for openness of thought and connection with the world.  But even more honestly, I might have chosen to put myself on the margin rather than risk having others push me out there.

Another tendency I have, which I think I share with many if not most Presbyterians, is the “fix it” attitude we take to any challenge we face.  Because we Presbyterians like to proclaim the gospel in deed as well as word, and we have been and tend to be leaders by personality, we are prone to believe we can take on whatever comes up in our lives and our churches.  In fact, we have to remind ourselves that the mission God calls us to is not what is feasible or reasonably doable by ourselves; we are called to let ourselves be used by God, who can do much more than we can imagine.

So why all the true confessions?  I found myself in a situation where it seemed that some church leaders were finding much more excitement and support from outside the Presbytery, and I felt like I should be doing something to compete, but any attempts wouldn’t work.  So my attempts to fix it fell short, and I anticipated a day when we—or I—would be rejected.  How do I deal with this?

There will always be times when we feel helpless to make things work the way we want, and sometimes we can’t even understand why things are happening the way they do.  As uncomfortable as it feels, the answer to these situations is not to simply turn away, or reduce the issue to something we can easily fix.  Perhaps we need to live in the brokenness, and remember that we are not in fact in charge . . . and pray.  Let us live in humility, and take those reminders that while God has given us much in resources and responsibility, we are but wounded servants.  We are not able to do all by ourselves, yet under God we are able to do and experience great things

I think you can tell this is not an easy topic for me to discuss.  My guess is I’m not the only one to struggle with confronting our limitations.  We as Presbyterians live in the tension of having a strong sense of purpose in God’s world, while having to remind ourselves that we are helpless without God.  So we live in total gratitude that God is with us, and goes to great lengths to show us grace every day.

Peace,

Wendy

Once in a while I am overwhelmed with gratitude for the blessing I have in serving San Gabriel Presbytery.  This weekend was such a time.

Saturday was WinterFest, our annual training day.  Captained by Rev. Ally Lee of Knox Pasadena, and coordinated by the Education Committee of the Presbytery, this day was a source of inspiration, education, and empowerment.  I have heard from several of the participants appreciation and immediate application of what they learned from plenary speaker Rev. Alexia Salvatierra and all the workshops, especially the large interactive afternoon on “Mobilizing Your Church to Serve,” led by Rev. Jennifer Ackerman and Sophia Alecci.  We will be receiving the PowerPoint presentations from Rev. Salvatierra, so let us know if you want them and we’ll send them to you.  And if you want to get more involved in the Matthew 25 movement, you can talk with Knox Presbyterian, who is a member church, or go to https://www.matthew25socal.org/.

We were also blessed to have Rev. Samuel Son, Manager for Diversity and Reconciliation with the Presbyterian Mission Agency, who led two workshops on diversity as a gospel issue.  As I experienced this WinterFest, I realized that I as Executive Presbyter had virtually nothing to contribute to the event, and the host church, Northminster Presbyterian, did a phenomenal job creating a comfortable and welcoming home, even while they are without a pastor and their usual al fresco lifestyle had to adjust to the pouring rain.  So in deed as well as in word, WinterFest showed us much of what we dream for the church—the priesthood of all believers, gathered in the name of Jesus Christ to work for Christ’s mission in the world—and those believers include young leaders, people of all races, lay people and clergy alike.  Thank you to everyone who prepared, served, and participated.

I wanted to connect more with Samuel Son, who came all the way out from Louisville just to be with us.  He preached and led adult education at Pasadena Presbyterian Church on Sunday, so I went there.  I regretted missing West Covina’s worship service, as they were honoring Rev. Don Maddox, who has been a faithful preacher and moderator of session during their trailblazing transition to being a Presbytery fellowship.  As Revs. Mary Ellen Azada and Jennifer Ackerman begin their ministry at West Covina next Sunday, Don is now helping with St. Andrew’s Presbyterian in La Puente, along with Rev. Charles Castles.  They were asked to help since Rev. Ken Tracy had to complete his ministry due to severe neck and back pain.  I continue to be so grateful for our incredible corps of retired pastors who serve and lead in so many ways in this Presbytery.  Thanks to Don, Charlie, and Ken, and we pray for the doctors to find a way to alleviate Ken’s back pain.I ended up staying at PPC until 9:30 pm on Sunday.  Here’s a brief outline of my day:

10 am   Worship in English (concurrent with Spanish-language worship)

11:30    Adult ed in English

12:30    hang out with some of the Latino leaders, eating posole (during the Korean-language worship)

1:30      lunch with the Korean ministry

2:20      Adult ed in Korean and English

4:00      visit with Revs. Samuel Son, Dongwoo Lee, and ShinHwa Park (during Japanese-language worship, a partner ministry of PPC’s Korean ministry)

7:00      Concert of Korale, an all-Korea choir of college singers, in the sanctuary (during the evening worship in Gamble Lounge that welcomes all, including people who are sleeping on the streets of Pasadena).

Whew!  I should mention that other than the choir concert, this is pretty much the schedule for every Sunday at PPC—and that doesn’t include church school for the kids, choir rehearsals, and other meetings!  So even as they are continuing to work for the transformation of their church, the people of PPC continue to be a beacon of light for many people from multiple backgrounds and circumstances, and they are rapidly becoming a model of intercultural ministry for the whole denomination, as folks enjoy each other’s gifts, as folks attend multiple events across ministries.  May God continue to bless PPC, especially as they are starting to put together a Pastor Nominating Committee for their installed head of staff.  And thank God for the amazing leadership of interim pastor Rev. Ann Oglesby-Edwards and all the leaders and staff of PPC.

As Sam and I parted, he kept mentioning how much he learned from this brief time with San Gabriel Presbytery.  While I told Sam how some of our mission work is rooted in connections through our immigrant churches, I didn’t mention how some of our members are also are struggling with the powers of the world themselves.  Among them are Ricardo Moreno, whose hearing in Venezuela was postponed yet again.  While we continue to pray for him, I am reminded that here in the United States we require asylum-seekers to come repeatedly to court, sometimes while being held in detention in a jail-like facility.  We also pray for Betty, a key leader of one of our churches, who has become the administrator for two other of our churches—so this extremely diligent and talented young woman of faith is now crucial to the ministry of three of our churches!  She is also a DACA recipient, and is up for renewal this year.  I am grateful that our Justice Peacemaking and Mission Committee voted to support her renewal application (which requires a $495 fee), and that by refusing to hear the case on DACA, the Supreme Court has allowed DACA to continue for at least another year, which I am hoping means that our leader’s renewal will be granted.  Let us pray for all the Dreamers who are contributing in so many ways to this nation, including our own San Gabriel Presbytery.

And the wide-ranging ministry of San Gabriel Presbytery continues.  Today, Rev. Rob Crowell, Elder Pat Martinez-Miller, and staff Wendy Gist go to Peru, to attend a Living Waters for the World conference (Rob is Vice Moderator of the LWW Peru Network Coordinating Team), check on existing installations, and plan for a new installation in Lima.  Prayers for their safe journey.  And please remember the “Peace-ing It Together” conference on Saturday, Feb. 23, hosted by Knox Presbyterian in Pasadena.  Please see below for more information.  

Do you feel blessed for being part of the ministry of San Gabriel Presbytery?  I do!

Peace,
Wendy

I remember several years ago the first time I felt old.  I was at a coffee shop, and saw a large number of young people gathering.  This was in Los Altos, in the northern end of Silicon Valley, a very high-rent district.  The young people were Caucasian, not making trouble, but they were all dressed in black leather and spikes, their hair stringy and unkempt.  I watched them carefully and realized that if they got rid of all the Goth makeup and cleaned up a little, they would be very attractive young people.  Why were they purposefully making themselves look so ugly?

That’s when I realized I was old—that generation’s idea of beauty and style was so alien to me that I could not understand or accept their choices, and I withheld my positive evaluation of their lifestyle until they conformed to my values.  As I look back, I can add that of course they couldn’t care less what I thought—they were living their lives fine without my acceptance.

I think this is happening in our church.  A growing number of people live not attending church, and we churchgoers, who like church the way it has been, keep wondering when those young or new people will wake up and come back to us.  But the young people now—who, by the way, are starting to outnumber us Baby Boomers—never went to church, so they aren’t coming back at all.  For them, to step into our churches is to step into foreign territory.

Now we assume that the way church worked for us should work for everyone else, and so we keep waiting for the day when the world will come back to what is now foreign land.  We are like American tourists speaking English in France—perhaps if we just talk louder and slower, they’ll get it.  But the reality is, French speakers in their homeland don’t appreciate being yelled at in a foreign language.  We church goers are no longer the norm; we are the minority, so we can’t assume people need to learn our language.

This is really painful for many of us, because we just can’t understand how something as precious and life-giving as our church might not be the same for those who live outside our church.  Everywhere I’ve gone, people say that if they can just keep doing church the way they do it, the world will wake up and come to them.  I remember 15 years ago in Hawaii, with native Hawaiian elders who spoke passionately about reaching out to their young people.  They knew that if they could reach them and make them memorize the Ten Commandments, they’d stop taking drugs.  Some of us remember the best moments of our youth group and think if we repeat the activities of our youth group days, young people will swarm into the church. 

But we are getting tactics confused with the essence of our faith.  There is no one path towards salvation; we come to know God in different ways; that’s why there are so many Christian faith traditions.  It’s not that we should keep trying to find the one way that everyone should follow; it’s that we take different paths to find God.  Now of course we Presbyterians have our own ways—we learn about God, and about Jesus Christ, by trusting what the Bible tells us; we tend to grow our faith through learned preaching rather than through ecstatic spiritual experience; we would prefer living out our faith in the world rather than shutting ourselves away from it. But that doesn’t mean we have to stick to all our practices.  Indeed, if we prioritize the Bible’s teaching, then we have to consider the repeated messages that in Christ, all is made new.  We as followers of Christ are not called to stay still and preserve our traditions, we are called to allow lives to be changed not in our image but in Christ’s—and we have to remember that Jesus Christ’s way often offended the church leaders of his day.

So what do we do?  Do we hold on to what we have, waiting for the world to come to their senses and come back to us?  Or do we throw out everything that has been precious to us?

We have to be gentle with ourselves and with others.  We appreciate that when everything changes around us, the comfort we received from familiarity is being replaced with an unknowable future.  This is true in our nation and in our church.  But just as we live into that future, we come to realize that it’s survivable, even kind of exciting, and question those who yearn to Make America Great Again.  My prayer is that as we live into the future church, we don’t yearn to Make Our Church Great Again, but instead remember that our comfort, our confidence, our strength, our very future comes in Jesus Christ, not in the traditions we have developed to worship Christ, or even in the people who learned about Christ with us. 

And again, let us have the mind of Christ as we care for each other as we live into this strange future.  Who knows?  God may bless us in ways we could not anticipate.  This is coming true at West Covina, where the session and congregation chose to become a fellowship of the Presbytery, giving up their own control of their ministry and their property.  After six months of letting go and struggling through the transition of this unknown territory (because there isn’t really precedent for a chartered congregation to go back to fellowship status), West Covina is ready to receive Mary Ellen Azada and Jennifer Ackerman as their new co-pastors.  Who would’ve thunk—two gifted, vibrant and experienced pastoral leaders coming after the people effectively closed their church.

As we look ahead to the future, we know that change can be painful and jarring.  Some change is temporary, as we learn new behaviors and let go of what we know and love.  Even if the ultimate outcome is better, the transition is uncertain and sometimes even violent.  As we hear of the turmoil in Venezuela, as we pray for a more peaceable and just future for that nation, we also pray for our brother Ricardo Moreno, who has lived for the last two years under unjust accusations and has had to report to court on a monthly basis.  He has yet another hearing this January 30^th, where he may be brought to trial or exonerated.  Let us pray that he is freed, that he may commit all his energies to the ministry of reconciliation to which he has been called.  Ricardo is thankful for all prayers and offers of help, especially from Pasadena Presbyterian Church, where he served as CRE pastor for the Spanish Language Ministry.  We thank God for keeping him safe but also pray for his freedom, and the resources for his life and future ministry.

Finally, remember two great events coming up in February—WinterFest this Saturday, and the conference on Peacemaking called “Peace-ing It Together.”  Scroll down for more information on these events being hosted by our own Presbytery.  As we meet together, and worship, and learn, may we feel the upbuilding of the kingdom in our midst.

Peace,

Wendy