[et_pb_section fb_built=”1″ admin_label=”section” _builder_version=”3.0.47″ transparent_background=”off”][et_pb_row use_custom_width=”on” custom_width_px=”750px” parallax_method_1=”off” admin_label=”row” _builder_version=”3.0.47″ background_size=”initial” background_position=”top_left” background_repeat=”repeat”][et_pb_column type=”4_4″ _builder_version=”3.0.47″ parallax=”off” parallax_method=”off”][et_pb_button button_url=”http:\/\/sangabpres.org\/?page_id=3027″ button_text=”Return to Reflections” button_alignment=”right” _builder_version=”3.0.47″ custom_button=”on” button_text_size=”14″ button_text_color=”#e09900″ button_border_color=”#e09900″ button_use_icon=”default” background_layout=”dark”][\/et_pb_button][et_pb_post_title categories=”off” comments=”off” _builder_version=”3.0.47″ use_border_color=”off” border_color=”#ffffff” border_style=”solid” parallax_effect=”off”][\/et_pb_post_title][et_pb_divider show_divider=”off” height=”4″ disabled_on=”on|on|off” _builder_version=”3.2″ hide_on_mobile=”on”][\/et_pb_divider][et_pb_text _builder_version=”3.5″ header_font=”|on|||” header_font_size=”66px” header_line_height=”1.7em” text_orientation=”justified” max_width=”750px” use_border_color=”off”]<\/p>\n
This week there are so many pivot points in the histories of everything: from the\u00a0global geopolitical drama in the West and in the Korean peninsula, to the start of the\u00a0223rd General Assembly of the Presbyterian Church (USA) and the start of the\u00a0tenure of Diane Givens-Moffett as President and Executive Director of the\u00a0Presbyterian Mission Agency, to several of our churches preparing to welcome new\u00a0pastors. Another church, Grace Taiwanese Presbyterian Church, will be celebrating\u00a0their 25th anniversary this Sunday. And, of course, this Sunday is Father’s Day, and\u00a0for some this will be their first Father’s Day, with all the joy and new awareness and\u00a0love and responsibility that comes with fatherhood.<\/p>\n
It’s a little dizzying to consider all that may be happening, and the potential in these\u00a0events. After a meeting of leading Western nations where the United States\u00a0seemed to challenge the relationships with our long-time allies, we are now on the\u00a0brink of a historic meeting with North Korea. There are indications that North Korea,\u00a0which has seemed more focused on nuclear arms than the lives of their people, is\u00a0now looking ahead to economic development, more normalized relations with the\u00a0rest of the world, and peace and even reunification of the Korean people.<\/p>\n
After three starts, the Presbyterian Mission Agency found an ideal candidate for\u00a0their new leader, showing yet again God’s gracious control over our lives. The new\u00a0PMA Director, Diane Givens-Moffett, was not available for the first two starts of the\u00a0search, so perhaps God stopped our first two attempts in order to make us wait for\u00a0Diane’s availability. Diane represents so much of what the church has been calling\u00a0for in the PMA Director-a mission-minded, inspiring, culturally proficient, faith-led,\u00a0forward-thinking leader who has already done much of what we are trying to get the\u00a0church to look at into the future. She has been a force for reconciliation and\u00a0collaboration between races, she has provided support for immigrants, she started\u00a0a new worshiping community, and her ministry has always connected her churches\u00a0with their communities. She starts her work today, and will be presented to the\u00a0General Assembly, which begins this Saturday.<\/p>\n
Yes, there is another GA coming up, with several different issues at hand. There will\u00a0be an added emphasis on being present in the host community, this time St. Louis,\u00a0with opportunities to connect with local churches, serve the community, and voice\u00a0our concerns for migrants. There is also some controversy over issues at the\u00a0national level of the PC(USA) regarding its structure, which was developed when the\u00a0denomination was more than double the size we are now. I would ask your prayers\u00a0for our contingent: Young Adult Advisory Delegate Sophia Alecci, Ruling Elder\u00a0Commissioner Deborah Owens, and Teaching Elder Commissioner Bear Ride.\u00a0Sophia will be leaving Thursday, Stated Clerk Diane Frasher will be joining us a\u00a0week from Tuesday, and the rest of us will be out Friday, June 15, through Saturday,\u00a0June 23.<\/p>\n
More locally, several of our churches are in the process of calling new pastors. The\u00a0calls have not been finalized yet, but I anticipate that come this September 15\u00a0Presbytery meeting, we will be receiving at least four and maybe a couple more new\u00a0minister members! Two of these will not be pastoring congregations, though they\u00a0are all connected with congregations-for instance, Tod Bolsinger has been active\u00a0with Knox in Pasadena, even as he is extremely busy as Vice President of Fuller\u00a0Theological Seminary. Tod is even busier with the broad acceptance of his highly\u00a0recommended book Canoeing the Mountains: Christian Leadership in uncharted\u00a0Territory-and most recently, the announcement that Fuller will be moving to Pomona\u00a0in three years! I am very impressed with our new members-to-be, and with the\u00a0churches who are embracing new leadership. I ask your prayers for all our churches\u00a0and pastors in transition.<\/p>\n
Last but certainly not least, I ask that God bless all of you who are fathers or who act\u00a0as fathers for those in need of support, and guidance, and care. Lately I’ve been\u00a0seeing the great impact that one individual can do in the lives of others, and\u00a0certainly fathers can change the world as they raise their children. May we all see\u00a0glimpses of God our Heavenly Father in the love of our human fathers.<\/p>\n
As we consider all the possibilities of change and new adventures in our midst, I\u00a0have been encouraged by a poem, “Beloved is Where We Begin,” by Jan\u00a0Richardson:<\/p>\n
If you would enter into the wilderness,
\nDo not begin without a blessing.<\/p>\n
Do not leave without hearing who you are:
\nBeloved,<\/p>\n
Named by the one who has traveled this path
\nBefore you.<\/p>\n
Do not go without letting it echo in your ears,
\nand if you find it is hard to let it into your heart,
\nDo not despair……..<\/p>\n
I cannot promise this blessing will free you from danger, from fear,
\nFrom hunger or thirst, from scorching of sun or the fall of night.<\/p>\n
But I can tell you that on this path there will be help.<\/p>\n
I can tell you that on this way there will be rest.<\/p>\n
I can tell you that you will know the strange graces
\nThat come to our aid only on a road such as this,
\nThat fly to meet us bearing comfort and strength,
\nThat come alongside us for no other cause
\nThan to lean themselves
\nToward our ear
\nAnd with their
\nCurious insistence
\nWhisper:<\/p>\n
Beloved.
\nBeloved.
\nBeloved.<\/p>\n
May you hear these whispers of grace every day,<\/p>\n
Wendy<\/p>\n
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This week there are so many pivot points in the histories of everything: from the\u00a0global geopolitical drama in the West and in the Korean peninsula, to the start of the\u00a0223rd General Assembly of the Presbyterian Church (USA) and the start of the\u00a0tenure of Diane Givens-Moffett as President and Executive Director of the\u00a0Presbyterian Mission Agency, to […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":50,"featured_media":22637,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_et_pb_use_builder":"on","_et_pb_old_content":"","_et_gb_content_width":"","footnotes":""},"categories":[12],"tags":[],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/sangabpres.org\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/22633"}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/sangabpres.org\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/sangabpres.org\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/sangabpres.org\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/50"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/sangabpres.org\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=22633"}],"version-history":[{"count":1,"href":"https:\/\/sangabpres.org\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/22633\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":27767,"href":"https:\/\/sangabpres.org\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/22633\/revisions\/27767"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/sangabpres.org\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/22637"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/sangabpres.org\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=22633"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/sangabpres.org\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=22633"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/sangabpres.org\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=22633"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}