[et_pb_section bb_built=”1″ admin_label=”section” transparent_background=”off” allow_player_pause=”off” inner_shadow=”off” parallax=”off” parallax_method=”on” make_fullwidth=”off” use_custom_width=”off” width_unit=”on” make_equal=”off” use_custom_gutter=”off” prev_background_color=”#000000″ next_background_color=”#000000″][et_pb_row admin_label=”row” make_fullwidth=”off” use_custom_width=”on” width_unit=”on” use_custom_gutter=”off” allow_player_pause=”off” parallax=”off” parallax_method=”on” make_equal=”off” parallax_1=”off” parallax_method_1=”off” custom_width_px=”750px” background_position=”top_left” background_repeat=”repeat” background_size=”initial”][et_pb_column type=”4_4″][et_pb_button url_new_window=”off” button_alignment=”right” background_layout=”dark” custom_button=”on” button_text_color=”#e09900″ button_letter_spacing=”0″ button_use_icon=”default” button_icon_placement=”right” button_on_hover=”on” button_letter_spacing_hover=”0″ button_url=”http:\/\/sangabpres.org\/?page_id=3027″ button_text=”Return to Reflections” button_text_size=”14″ button_border_color=”#e09900″ button_text_size__hover_enabled=”off” button_text_size__hover=”null” button_one_text_size__hover_enabled=”off” button_one_text_size__hover=”null” button_two_text_size__hover_enabled=”off” button_two_text_size__hover=”null” button_text_color__hover_enabled=”off” button_text_color__hover=”null” button_one_text_color__hover_enabled=”off” button_one_text_color__hover=”null” button_two_text_color__hover_enabled=”off” button_two_text_color__hover=”null” button_border_width__hover_enabled=”off” button_border_width__hover=”null” button_one_border_width__hover_enabled=”off” button_one_border_width__hover=”null” button_two_border_width__hover_enabled=”off” button_two_border_width__hover=”null” button_border_color__hover_enabled=”off” button_border_color__hover=”null” button_one_border_color__hover_enabled=”off” button_one_border_color__hover=”null” button_two_border_color__hover_enabled=”off” button_two_border_color__hover=”null” button_border_radius__hover_enabled=”off” button_border_radius__hover=”null” button_one_border_radius__hover_enabled=”off” button_one_border_radius__hover=”null” button_two_border_radius__hover_enabled=”off” button_two_border_radius__hover=”null” button_letter_spacing__hover_enabled=”on” button_letter_spacing__hover=”0″ button_one_letter_spacing__hover_enabled=”off” button_one_letter_spacing__hover=”null” button_two_letter_spacing__hover_enabled=”off” button_two_letter_spacing__hover=”null” button_bg_color__hover_enabled=”off” button_bg_color__hover=”null” button_one_bg_color__hover_enabled=”off” button_one_bg_color__hover=”null” button_two_bg_color__hover_enabled=”off” button_two_bg_color__hover=”null” \/][et_pb_post_title title=”on” meta=”on” author=”on” date=”on” categories=”off” comments=”off” featured_image=”on” featured_placement=”below” parallax_effect=”off” parallax_method=”off” text_orientation=”left” text_color=”dark” text_background=”off” text_bg_color=”rgba(255,255,255,0.9)” use_border_color=”off” border_color=”#ffffff” border_style=”solid” parallax=”off” \/][et_pb_divider color=”#ffffff” show_divider=”off” divider_style=”solid” divider_position=”top” hide_on_mobile=”on” height=”4″ disabled_on=”on|on|off” _builder_version=”3.2″ \/][et_pb_text text_orientation=”justified” use_border_color=”off” max_width=”750px” header_font=”|on|||” header_font_size=”66px” header_line_height=”1.7em” _builder_version=”3.17.4″]<\/p>\n
A friend of mine who teaches at Yale Divinity School said, \u201cJoy is a work of resistance against despair. This work involves more than feeling an emotion.\u201d\u00a0 Within San Gabriel Presbytery I see lots of places and ways we are involved in this type of work.\u00a0 I want to highlight just a few joyful opportunities that are coming up.<\/p>\n
If you are concerned about or feel despair about the health and well-being of people near and far, we have a few connections for you to plug into coming right up.\u00a0<\/p>\n
Our Living Waters for the World team is bringing clean water to various communities in Peru, which equates to better health and less worry for families.\u00a0 This is an extremely joy-filled ministry of our presbytery and you are welcome to join the team!\u00a0 To learn more about the current reality and work in Peru we are blessed to have coming to our presbytery mission co-workers Sara Armstrong and Rusty Edmondson from Nov. 9-13.\u00a0 They will share with us at the Presbytery Meeting on Nov. 10, but they will also be speaking at a number of churches within the presbytery.\u00a0 For more information or to schedule time with Sara and Rusty contact Rev. Cyndie Crowell at cwcrowell1001@gmail.com<\/a>.<\/p>\n Connecting with organizations working to better the health and well-being of people nearer to home is something many of our churches are doing pretty well.\u00a0 We have the opportunity to support one such organization at the Nov. Presbytery Meeting.\u00a0 Inland Valley Hope Partners (IVHP) will be the recipient of the special offering collected at that meeting.\u00a0 IVHP is addressing homelessness and hunger issues by offering food security programs, housing programs, and healthy living programs to those in need in conjunction with local faith communities, businesses, individuals, and groups.\u00a0 Joyfully I am able to report that we have a few churches directly involved with the work of IVHP.\u00a0 More church partners are always welcome.<\/p>\n If you are concerned about or feel despair about the treatment and\/or situation of immigrants, here are some ways that might help you work your way out of that place.<\/p>\n At the November Presbytery Meeting everyone will have the opportunity to write a message of support to unaccompanied minors seeking asylum.\u00a0 We will have postcards available on a table so you can express to kids who are waiting for their day in court that they are in your thoughts and prayers.\u00a0 The cards will be distributed at various locations around Los Angeles through organizations working with unaccompanied minors.<\/p>\n On Nov. 17 Puente de Esperanza Presbyterian Church is holding an immigration workshop.\u00a0 In conjunction with Clergy and Laity United for Economic Justice (CLUE) and other organizations they will offer free consultations with immigration lawyers and a Know Your Rights informational session.\u00a0 CLUE is always looking for churches who can host immigration workshops for immigrants in our neighborhoods.\u00a0 Might your church be willing to provide this service in the future to our immigrant brothers and sisters?\u00a0 If so, let me know at gist.wendy@gmail.com<\/a>.<\/p>\n If you are concerned about or feel despair about the lack of peace in our world, there\u2019s a conference coming up in a few months that you should attend.<\/p>\n \u201cPeace-ing It Together\u201d will be held on Feb. 23, 2019 at Knox Presbyterian Church in Pasadena.\u00a0 This one-day conference will explore various topics of violence and peace and offer specific ideas for peacemaking activities for churches and communities.\u00a0 Featured speakers will include Sara Lisherness and Rev. Denise Anderson from the Presbyterian Mission Agency and Rev. Emily Brewer from Presbyterian Peace Fellowship.\u00a0 For more information contact me at gist.wendy@gmail.com<\/a>.<\/p>\n There are a number of situations that I despair over in the world today, but taking steps to counter those things which bring me down helps not only me, but the situation itself.\u00a0 I pray that we all find work that brings us joy and also makes this world more like the kingdom of God on Earth.<\/p>\n [\/et_pb_text][et_pb_post_nav in_same_term=”off” hide_prev=”off” hide_next=”off” use_border_color=”off” border_color=”#ffffff” border_style=”solid” show_prev=”on” show_next=”on” \/][\/et_pb_column][\/et_pb_row][\/et_pb_section]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":" You see, then, that it is by our actions that we are put right with God, and not by our faith alone.James 2:24A friend of mine who teaches at Yale Divinity School said, \u201cJoy is a work of resistance against despair. This work involves more than feeling an emotion.\u201d\u00a0 Within San Gabriel Presbytery I see […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":52,"featured_media":0,"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\/23003"}],"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\/52"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/sangabpres.org\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=23003"}],"version-history":[{"count":1,"href":"https:\/\/sangabpres.org\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/23003\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":27744,"href":"https:\/\/sangabpres.org\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/23003\/revisions\/27744"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/sangabpres.org\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=23003"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/sangabpres.org\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=23003"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/sangabpres.org\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=23003"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}