Presbyterian College in South Carolina packs meals

Students at Presbyterian College in South Carolina just packed 20,000 meals that will be sent to countries like Haiti, the Dominican Republic and Nicaragua through the nonprofit group Rise Against Hunger.

Each box holds 216 meals and has a shelf life of about two years. 

“Each meal is designed to feed six people. The meal contains rice, a protein packet, and a packet of vitamins and nutrients," said Ron Zimmerman, a professor at the college. 

One in nine people across the world do not have enough food to live, and millions die from starvation every year.

Many of the meals will go to schools and orphanages.

“During my time abroad in Guatemala and the Dominican Republic, I saw many children and many people without food," said student Anna Johnson. "I definitely felt like this project correlated to that and I saw the need to give back.”

article by Abigail Elise

National Curator article by Elise

Rise Against Hunger

Presbyterian College

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Easter 2B John 20:19-31 "Thomas, Doubt, and a Call to Ministry?"

Jesus Appears to the Disciples

19 When it was evening on that day, the first day of the week, and the doors of the house where the disciples had met were locked for fear of the Jews, Jesus came and stood among them and said, “Peace be with you.” 20 After he said this, he showed them his hands and his side. Then the disciples rejoiced when they saw the Lord. 21 Jesus said to them again, “Peace be with you. As the Father has sent me, so I send you.” 22 When he had said this, he breathed on them and said to them, “Receive the Holy Spirit. 23 If you forgive the sins of any, they are forgiven them; if you retain the sins of any, they are retained.”

Jesus and Thomas

24 But Thomas (who was called the Twin[a]), one of the twelve, was not with them when Jesus came. 25 So the other disciples told him, “We have seen the Lord.” But he said to them, “Unless I see the mark of the nails in his hands, and put my finger in the mark of the nails and my hand in his side, I will not believe.”

26 A week later his disciples were again in the house, and Thomas was with them. Although the doors were shut, Jesus came and stood among them and said, “Peace be with you.” 27 Then he said to Thomas, “Put your finger here and see my hands. Reach out your hand and put it in my side. Do not doubt but believe.” 28 Thomas answered him, “My Lord and my God!” 29 Jesus said to him, “Have you believed because you have seen me? Blessed are those who have not seen and yet have come to believe.”

Exactly what just happened?

More happened at Easter than we often realize.  This passage that is well known for the story of doubting Thomas is an important story not just because it deals with Thomas' skepticism and faith, but because it is another part of scripture where the church is being established as the new people of God, and the authority of ministry coming from Jesus to the church is taking shape. 

The ordaining of the holy offices of the church

There are three passages in particular, that are narrative and that express Jesus authorization of the church office of ordained ministry; in Matt 16, when Peter confesses Jesus as Messiah, at the upper room when Jesus washes the feet of his disciples and in this passage after Easter, when Jesus first appears to the twelve.   Different denominations call the ordained ministry by different names; whether it is holy orders, or the holy office of the keys, or in our Presbyterian church, "ordered ministries", all of these express that position of spiritual leadership in the church that is ecclesiastical.  In Reformed circles there are three, pastor's, elders and deacons.  Minister's of Word and Sacrament also called teaching elders, along with ruling elders are both called 'presbyters'.  We in the Presbyterian church are quick to point out that ruling elders are not called such because they 'lord' it over the church, but because we are called to a position of service and governance.  It is to the measuring the work of the church and overseeing the progress of the gospel in the life of the church.  Every Christian is called to a common ministry of sharing the gospel of Jesus Christ.  We are all empowered as disciples of Jesus to share with others our experience of seeing the living Christ.  The task to proclaim the forgiveness of sins is given to the church, in the name of Christ.  This does not come from any authority that Thomas or the others had in themselves, but only from the authority derived by Jesus.

When Jesus came to the disciples, he calls them, he gives them his peace, he gives them the Spirit, and he commissions them to proclaim the forgiveness fo sins.   He "ordains" them to their work, the proclamation of God's forgiveness of sins to the world.   From this perspective, Thomas may not have believed because he saw Jesus's wounds, but because the Spirit gave him the gift of faith through his encounter with Jesus.  He was called and commissioned to be among those to carry the message of God's forgiveness to the world. For all Christians, and for those in ordered ministries, it is in the power of the Spirit alone, and from the authority that stems from Christ alone that we minister in service to the world.  

The rest of the story of Thomas

Oral tradition says that indeed Thomas did just that.  Going to India and maybe even as far as Indonesia, Thomas spread the gospel of Jesus baptizing Christians and is said to be the founders of the Thomas Christians of India.  He is said to have died a martyr, but importantly is how he lived, in the faith and peace of the Spirit and faithful to his commission by Jesus.  This is an opportunity for all Christian leaders in the church to reflect on our calling.  Whether we were ready for the call or not, when we took up the task of being an ordained leader in the church of Jesus we were not just taking a volunteer position or a chair on a board, rectory, or council.  We were not just signing up to do visits or acts of charity although all those are aspects of the call.  We were called to bring the living Christ into the lives of others, and into our own lives, to represent Christ on this earth, and through his power and his authority alone, proclaim God's love, forgiveness and mercy to a hurting world.  That is just the beginning of the message of Easter. 

#We Choose Welcome

We choose welcome is an awareness campaign of the PC(USA) which expresses the personal as well as church commitment to welcome refugees, asylum seekers, and immigrants into our communities.  Former Stated Clerk Grady Parsons first used the phrase "Choose welcome, not fear" to express this desire.   "We Choose Welcome" stands for the following:

In the midst of...

• fear of terrorism and radicalism we choose to welcome those who flee from terror and tyranny.
• in the midst of hate speech and hate crimes we choose to welcome those who are rejected because of their skin color or foreign dress.
• in the midst of anxiety about economic prosperity we choose to welcome those from distant lands into our work force
• in the midst of political debates which seek to divine us between those born in our country and those who are not, we choose welcome...

This is the season of Easter.   Easter is about the miraculous resurrection of Jesus from the grave in which God declared him to be the Lord and Christ.  The work of God in this world reached a pivotal and cosmic juncture in that event.  The resurrection of Jesus was also just the beginning of the new creation and the in-breaking of God into the world in a new and powerful way.  In the words of NT Wright, God..."has done something in Jesus which gives new shape to world history and a new meaning to human life." (The Uncomfortable Truth about Easter). This includes a respect for human life both born and unborn.  NT Wright goes on to both raise awareness about the dangers of human cloning, but also concern about the treatment of people from other countries.   Easter is not just about an "Easter faith" it is about living in a new way, and seeing Easter as the beginning of God's putting "to rights of all things."  (http://ntwrightpage.com/2016/03/30/the-uncomfortable-truth-of-easter/)

Easter changes everything.  For Christians, this is the beginning of the expansion of the people of God to include a global and universal family.   In the church, all barriers of social, economic and nationalistic status are broken down.  Therefore, it is crucial for us to understand the implications, not only because Jesus himself was an asylum seeker with his family when they fled to Egypt, but in Easter we are reminded that the church must remind the rulers of this world, that they will be held to account one day by God for what they did with justice and mercy, and how they treated the 'least of these.'

Along with this, in the United States, there is also the very troubling "Muslim Ban".  The Stated Clerk of the PCUSA has recently joined an interfaith amicus brief opposing Trump's travel ban.  Presbyterians along with many other Christians have long advocated refugee resettlement and immigrant welcome. Now more than ever, we need to assist the millions that are fleeing dire circumstances around the world.  There are several places where our beliefs interest.  First, there are Christian sisters and brothers in Syria that are facing persecution, as well as deplorable conditions of war.  Those that are asylum seekers should be considered.  As a citizen of the United States, I am concerned that our international obligations are being ignored, and that just from a humanitarian concern we are making a mistake in this policy.  The ban affects everyone from the countries on the list including Christians.   Second, as a Christian, our concern for their plight should move us to do our part to assist in this international crisis.  There is an opportunity here for Christian charity.

May we allow the God's Spirit to move in such a way that we have the courage to stand for those that are in great need. 

Stated Clerk joins amicus brief opposing Trump’s travel ban

Nelson backs interfaith effort of 44 groups, citing First Amendment rights

April 6, 2018

Office of the General Assembly Communications

Jerry Van Marter

LOUISVILLE

The Reverend J. Herbert Nelson, II, Stated Clerk of the General Assembly of the Presbyterian Church (U.S.A.), has joined an interfaith amicus brief opposing the Trump Administration’s third executive order, which deals with restricting travel to the United States.
The brief—in the case of Trump v. State of Hawaii—was filed at the U.S. Supreme Court on March 30.

The case, originally filed in the Ninth Circuit by the State of Hawaii; Ismail Elshikh, Ph.D.; two John Doe individuals, and the Muslim Association of Hawaii, sought an injunction to stop the Federal government from implementing the third of the executive orders issued in 2017 restricting travel to the U.S. The court agreed with the plaintiffs and stopped the government from implementing its travel ban on October 20, 2017.

The third travel ban, which is the subject of the court’s ruling in this case, indefinitely suspended the entry of nationals from seven countries, and restricted certain types of visas for nationals from eight additional countries.

The Stated Clerk joined the amicus (“friend of the court”) brief, along with forty-four other groups. In the brief they stated they are “standing for the right of all believers to practice their religions, as guaranteed by the First Amendment.”

Christian, Muslim, Jewish, and Sikh communities were among those who signed, including the American Baptists Churches—USA, United Church of Christ, Unitarian Universalists, Leadership Conference of Women Religious, United Sikhs, Islamic Circle of North America, and the National Council of Jewish Women.

The PC(USA) Advisory Committee on Litigation reviewed the brief and the history of General Assembly policy on due process and immigration and advised the Stated Clerk to join as a friend of the court in the brief.

Nelson said: “Presbyterians have advocated for and been the hands and feet of refugee resettlement and immigrant welcome since World War II—not out of political correctness, rather, we know from whom we came. We are the children of a wandering Aramean and it was nothing less than the hand of God that guided us to the places we now call home.”

He continued: “God has shown us, for decades, our roles in carrying out that providence for the next generation of newcomers and so we strive now to protect the paths that will lead this generation and the ones who follow to their new home.”

In their amicus brief, the faith groups point out that the legislative branch—not the executive branch—has authority to make laws governing admission to the U.S. of those from other countries, dating back to the 1960s when such discriminatory laws as the Chinese Exclusion Act of 1893 and the Emergency Quota Act of 1921 (barring southern and eastern Europeans) were overturned.
Teresa Waggener, immigration attorney in the Office of Immigration Issues of the Office of the General Assembly, explained: “At the same time Congress was writing the Civil Rights Act and the Voting Rights Act, they were also changing the Immigration and Nationality Act (INA) to correct a history of race-based quotas in our immigration system. These crucial changes made in the 1960s changed the way our government applied its immigration laws and policies. Discrimination based on nationality became prohibited under law.”

The amicus brief questions the president’s power to indefinitely exclude entire nations of people given the explicit prohibition against discrimination based on nationality that is now a part of the INA. The brief states: “This long-overdue [INA] measure was also supported by a number of faith groups that recognized the fundamental injustice of nationality-based exclusions and restrictions.
The brief filers also ask the Supreme Court to consider the intent of the executive order, which they believe targets those of Islamic faith. The brief points to a history of statements made by President Trump as a candidate and after entering office about his intent to impose a “Muslim ban” and conflating Muslim immigrants with “foreign terrorists.”

The race and faith biases present in all four versions of the executive orders on travel “are precisely what Presbyterians, at the General Assembly, have prayed to end for 125 years,” said Amanda Craft, manager of advocacy in the Office of Immigration Issues

“In 1893, our General Assembly opposed the Chinese Exclusion Act. In 1990, we pledged to ‘combat vigorously any expression of racism either in policies or implementation’ in our immigration system and in 2008 the General Assembly encouraged congregations to advocate for a haven for Iraqi refugees, ‘regardless of the religious faith,’” she said.

The Supreme Court will hear oral argument in this case on Wednesday, April 25, 2018.

(Reprinted by permission) Original article link below.

Office of the General Assembly Stated Clerk:

PC(USA) News

What is the gospel? NT Wright

I remember as a college teacher in a New Testament course beginning my class with the question of "What is the gospel?"  At first, it would seem rather obvious that most Christians taking a college level course would be able to answer that questions fairly quickly.  Yet it is surprisingly not the case, some answer that it is about justification by grace, others answer that it is about God's love, others insisted that Jesus came to die on the cross, all agreed that it is "Good News."  What exactly is the nature of this Good News?   Is it correct to reduce the gospel message down to a simple formula?  In this short video, NT Wright gives an introduction to the question of what is the gospel and deals with a number of questions such as how to communicate the gospel in a few minutes, is repentance part of the gospel, and how important is the life of Jesus to the gospel?  This is a good discussion starter on beginning to think about the Good News of Jesus and how that can impact our lives and the lives of others.

Presbyterian Church (U.S.A.) to take part in anti-racism event in Washington

April 2, 2018

Three-day event to mark 50th anniversary of Martin Luther King assassination

By Rick Jones | Presbyterian News Service

LOUISVILLE – The Presbyterian Church (U.S.A.) is partnering with the National Council of the Churches of Christ in the U.S.A. for a truth and racial justice initiative. A three-day gathering called “Unite to End Racism” will be held Tuesday through Thursday in Washington, D.C. The event marks the 50th anniversary of Dr. Martin Luther King Jr.’s assassination in Memphis.

“It’s a come one, come all opportunity. Children, students, elders, Presbyterians, anyone who wants to address racism in this country,” said Nora Leccese, associate for domestic poverty and environmental issues with the Office of Public Witness. “We are hopeful for a good turnout.”
The event begins Tuesday with an ecumenical worship service in the Orthodox Tradition at St. Sophia Greek Orthodox Cathedral, followed on Wednesday by the “ACT to End Racism” rally on the National Mall. It concludes Thursday with a national day of advocacy and action.
“Ecumenism has been waning in Christian circles over the past few years and I think the National Council of Churches wants to bring it to the forefront so people will talk about how Christian churches can combine efforts to make a difference in the world,” said the Rev. Jimmie Hawkins, OPW director. “I think another goal is to demonstrate leadership in the D.C. area, especially with all of the political disjointedness and political wrangling going on and to show some unity and focus on justice issues.”

Reflecting on King’s assassination, Hawkins believes a lot of progress has been made in civil rights since 1968, especially in education.“There was a time when African-Americans attended historically black colleges in order to get a good college education. But now they’re getting degrees at major universities,” he said. “The culture has changed radically. It is no longer considered a good thing to be labeled a white supremacist. When I grew up, people didn’t have a problem saying they were racists. Culture has shifted its attitude towards race.”

Despite the progress, both Hawkins and Leccese say more needs to be done.
“It’s been 50 years but the call to end racism is even more urgent today. I think our failure to complete the vision of the civil rights movement is an ongoing mandate for those of us organizing now for equality and justice,” said Leccese. “There is some deep urgency with the 50th anniversary of Dr. King’s death that we have still not completed the dream.”
Organizers are hoping for a large turnout this week.

“Within Presbyterian circles in the D.C. area, churches are aware of the activities and I believe we will have a sizable presence at this event,” said Hawkins. “We are a part of National Council of Churches and Presbyterians are devoted to ecumenism and a have long history of engagement.”


Click here for more information on the D.C. event.

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Rushing to the Tomb

This beautiful painting tells the story of John and Peter running to the tomb.  Watch the painting unfold as the story of the resurrection is retold in a powerful spiritual reflection.  Let the joy of the resurrection enter into your heart as you listen.  To listen to more meditations click on the link below at Arts and Faith.

Arts and Faith at Loyola Press