Prayers for Haiti

I had intended to use the first post of the New Year to tell you why I am still blogging here and where I am going with this blog… That will have to wait a week.  After the major earthquake hit Haiti on Tuesday I decided to focus on that and the denomination’s response.

The leadership of the PC(USA) has issued a Prayer for Haiti:

Brothers and Sisters in Christ,

As the eyes of the world turn to Haiti, let us join our hearts in prayer:

God of compassion
please watch over the people of Haiti,
and weave out of these terrible happenings
wonders of goodness and grace.
Surround those who have been affected by tragedy
with a sense of your present love,
and hold them in faith.
Though they are lost in grief,
may they find you and be comforted.
Guide us as a church
to find ways of providing assistance
that heal wounds and provide hope.
Help us to remember that when one of your children suffers
we all suffer;
through Jesus Christ who was dead, but lives
and rules this world with you. Amen.
(Adapted from Book of Common Worship)

—Bruce Reyes-Chow, Gradye Parsons and Linda Valentine

The Presbyterian News Service has issued an article on the response to the disaster.  And of course, Presbyterian Disaster Assistance is collecting and coordinating donations for Haiti.  Please pray for the people of that area, the mission workers in the country, and the safety and secure return of several mission teams that were visiting when the earthquake hit.

Hymn writer Carolyn Winfrey Gillette has authored a new hymn, “In Haiti there is Anguish,” to help us remember those affected.  You can read more about it through the World Alliance of Reformed Churches web site.

Finally, I have elsewhere made comments about the geology and seismic hazard of Haiti as well as having some earlier thoughts about the theology of natural disasters.

While praying for the people of Haiti, I would also encourage you to keep our own congregations in mind.  I will once again try to provide a list of churches to pray for each week.

Praying for our Churches
Hanmi:  Antelope Valley Korean Presbyterian Church, Lancaster
Los Ranchos: Canyon Hills Presbyterian Church, Anaheim
Pacific: Iglesia Agape NCD, Wilmington
Riverside: Church of the Valley, Apple Valley
San Diego: Christ Presbyterian Church, Carlsbad
San Fernando: Community Presbyterian Church, Acton
San Gabriel: Alhambra True Light Presbyterian Church, Alhambra; Arcadia Presbyterian Church, Arcadia
Santa Barbara: Taiwanese-American Presbyterian Church in Ventura County, Camarillo

As The Year Draws To A Close…

As 2009 draws to a close so does my moderatorial year. While I passed the moderator’s cross to Jane at the installation service at the conclusion of the Synod Assembly meeting our by-laws set the term of office as the calendar year.

It has been an honor, a privilege, and a true gift to have served in this position at this time.  For the opportunity to serve the Synod in this capacity I thank all of you and am grateful for your help and support.

While I would like to say that I got everything accomplished that I wanted to this year, the pressures of time did not allow me to do some of what I hoped.  Maybe more on that another time – tonight is simply one to give thanks for the opportunity I have had and to remember all those other faithful servants who work so hard to make the Synod run.

If I had to boil the year down to one thing it is the perspective I have had to see how truly complex the role and operation of the Synod is.  Having now learned this my task next year, as the leader of the Synod Council, will be to help guide our governing body in the coming year.

But for now, I again thank you for this unique experience, I ask you to support Jane Smith with your prayers and encouragement as she becomes the new Moderator, and I pray that in the New Year you may find yourselves “blessed and highly favored.”

Best wishes Jane, it’s all yours now.  And as for me, stay tuned for more thoughts next week.

The Lord bless you and keep you;
The Lord make his face to shine upon you, and be gracious to you;
The Lord lift up his countenance upon you, and give you peace.
Amen!

A Joyous Christmas

Yesterday I made the “mistake” of going Christmas shopping.

Now, the shopping itself was not a mistake, after all I still have a few people I need to get gifts for.  Going yesterday, this late in the holiday season was the mistake.  But it was one of those things – I didn’t get out looking for gifts for these people earlier, and it is too late to purchase on-line.

The shopping was not 100% successful but it was an interesting afternoon of people-watching.  I had to dodge the cars in the parking lot as people in a hurry tried to find good parking spaces.  I had to dodge shopping carts in the stores, especially from one shopper that had just checked out, was leaving their cart behind, and after looking at me coming left it parked across my aisle and path of travel anyway.  And I had to make decisions about what to buy, and try to find gifts that match people.

While I was not totally successful I did get the highest priority items bought, and at a good price thanks to pre-holiday sales ( and that’s why I shop so late in the season… yah, that’s my story and I’m sticking to it.   ), and I got some stuff for myself off a clearance rack.

In case you were wondering – yes, I did drop out of writing this blog for a while.  Where did that jump come from?  Yesterday as I was moving around the stores it was clear to me that each of us have certain priorities, certain habits, and approach life from our own vantage point.   Yesterday it seemed that others were in a hurry to get to the shopping, get it done, and get out of there.  Focus was not on the “reason for the season” but on the mechanics of getting through the season.

Similarly, this fall my life was filled with other priorities and I fell out of the habit and routine of writing this blog.  It began when I went on vacation in August.  When I got back I had about a month of intense work on writing for the GA Special Committee that I am on.  By that point, my routine was broken and it was really easy to disregard this blog and say I’ll do it later.

Well, it is later and I’m trying to pick it up as I finish out my moderatorial year.

But in our spiritual lives there is so much that we can get out of the habit of, that we can place at a lower priority, that we can say “I’ll get back to that later.”  Sometimes these are secondary parts of our lives and can be placed on hold.  But sometimes, we let the “tyranny of the urgent” get in the way of our more important spiritual focus.

I pray that in this week we all may focus on the miracle of the Incarnation that we celebrate in a few days, and understand how that changes our lives so that we don’t live them only in the urgency of the moment, but in the sweep of the eternal.

Have a Joyous Christmas knowing that we celebrate “God With Us,” Emmanuel.

Post Script

Hat tip to First Presbyterian Church of Santa Barbara which is the PC(USA) Featured Church right now.

Having broken my pattern and intention of praying for all of the churches in our Synod I won’t resume my list this late in the year, but I would encourage you to pray for the professional leadership and staff of our eight Presbyteries this week.

Convergence of History

Less spiritual this week, but this week has a couple of ties to my formative years growing up.

As you might guess, one of these formative influences is the U.S. space program, and the Apollo program in particular.  Yes, for about a week back in July of 1969 I was glued to the television and the newspapers trying to catch every moment I could of the first moon landing.  No 24/7 news cycle then like now. No Internet for on-demand updates.  Just what you could get from the press and the TV updates.  And I tried to get every piece of information I could.

For me, it was probably the first big news story that caught my attention.  I had the timetable, I tried to get every bit of news I could, I got to stay up late to watch the big moments on TV.  Which brings me to the second current news story…

And that would be the death of Walter Cronkite.  From my television viewing of those events his voice will forever be linked with the events of the space program.  It is an interesting coincidence that he should die the same week that we are remembering the 40th anniversary of the events he brought into my house.

But there is actually a spiritual message in this and it is the concept of vocation.  For Cronkite, he did what he did because he loved doing it.  That is the heart of vocation.  God blesses and uses us in all that we are called to do.  The clergy has no monopoly on serving God but by faithfully doing whatever it is we do, each of us can serve God in our daily lives as well.  It is my daily prayer that what I do each day may be done “for His glory and in His name.”  And while I entered another profession that I enjoyed I always had the dream of participating in the space program some day.  And a few years ago God honored that interest and gave me the opportunity to work on a Mars mission for about a year and a half.  Thanks to God for that opportunity.

Praying for our Churches
Hanmi: Hanmi Presbyterian Church, Mililani, Hawai’i
Los Ranchos: Community Presbyterian Church, Long Beach
Pacific: Korean Presbyterian Church of South Bay, Gardena
Riverside: Little Church of the Desert, Twentynine Palms
San Diego: Solana Beach Presbyterian Church, Solana Beach
San Fernando: Sherman Oaks Presbyterian Church, Sherman Oaks
San Gabriel: Palabra de Fe Fellowship, Monrovia
Santa Barbara: Santa Ynez Valley Presbyterian Church, Solvang

And this past week Hanmi Presbytery was the featured Presbytery on the PC(USA) web site.

A Week To Rest

With summer here this week I am taking John Muir’s advice — “Go to the mountains and get their good tidings.”

May you also have a blessed week and I’ll be back next week.

But keep praying…

Praying for our Churches
Hanmi: Eden Presbyterian Church, Honolulu, Hawai’i
Los Ranchos: Christ Presbyterian Church, Lakewood
Pacific: Korean Presbyterian Church, Honolulu, Hawai’i
Riverside: Temecula Valley Presbyterian Church, Wildomar
San Diego: Rancho Bernardo Community Presbyterian Church, San Diego
San Fernando: Kirk O’The Valley Presbyterian Church, Reseda
San Gabriel: First Presbyterian Church, Monrovia
Santa Barbara: Simi Valley Presbyterian Church, Simi Valley

Happy Birthday John Calvin

In case you had not heard today, July 10, is the 500th birthday of John Calvin.

While in no way wanting to diminish his place as one of the framers of Reformed theology and “movers and shakers” of the Protestant Reformation, I do find it interesting the degree to which our image of him is shaped by the last 450 years.

He was a native of France who is now almost synonymous with Geneva, Switzerland, which was his home and work place for much of his life.

We now view his theology mostly through the lens of a church council that formulated what we know as the “Five points of Calvinism” as a specific response to a theological dispute.

His formal training was in law but he began working on theology at his first academic appointment.

His first residency in Geneva was short-lived at close to two years but was invited back after an absence of three years and he returned and spent the remaining 23 years of his life there.

Much of his most famous work on sin and election can be traced back to ideas advocated by Augustine over a thousand years earlier.

While we as Presbyterians can trace our congregational structure and church officers back to Calvin much of our connectional heritage comes from the work of John Knox fleshing Presbyterianism out in Scotland.

Calvin first published his Institutes of the Christian Religion in 1535 at the beginning of his theological career but it was always a “work in progress” as he revised it throughout his life.

Calvin’s goal was to reform Christianity in place, recovering the “primitive” (that is original) form of the New Testament Church rather than create a division with the Roman church.  (Few reformers start out to create a new religion but rather try to open the eyes of the existing institution to the errors they perceive.)

What we can attribute to John Calvin is an immense body of work that includes commentaries on nearly the whole Bible (but famously not Revelation) as well as his monumental Institutes of the Christian Religion which runs almost 700,000 words in my English translation.  He also gave us a tradition, passed on and refined by his successors, that acknowledges God as Sovereign over all, Jesus as Head of the Church, and Scripture the ultimate rule of life.  It is a tradition where God has given the church and scripture to all the believers, those God has called, to manage on his behalf with the guidance of the Holy Spirit.

So to our spiritual ancestor, Happy Birthday and thank you John Calvin.

Praying for our Churches
Hanmi: Young Nak Presbyterian Church, San Diego
Los Ranchos: Laguna Niguel Presbyterian Church, Laguna Niguel
Pacific: Knox Presbyterian Church, Los Angeles
Riverside: Grace Presbyterian Church, Temecula
San Diego: Point Loma Community Presbyterian Church, San Diego
San Fernando: The Staff and Leadership of San Fernando Presbytery
San Gabriel: Arabic Evangelical Church, Arcadia
Santa Barbara: First Presbyterian Church, Santa Paula

Independence and Inter-dependence

“When in the Course of human events…”

When you think about it the Declaration of Independence is a really bold and audacious document.  It sets out the theory and specific reasons why thirteen colonies should break ties with their mother country and govern themselves.  As the lead character in the movie National Treasure says when proposing a toast to the Declaration — “To high treason.”

And it is a shame that most people only remember two selected phrases out of a longer sentence –  “all men are created equal” and they are endowed with “certain unalienable Rights, that among these are Life, Liberty and the pursuit of Happiness.”  Now there is nothing wrong with these concepts, but rather that they are taken out of the context of the document.

First, between these two phrases comes the reminder that as all humans are created equal they are endowed “by their Creator” with the rights.

Second, the next line says “That to secure these rights, Governments are instituted among Men, deriving their just powers from the consent of the governed”

And so, while the Declaration is frequently thought of as a document that secures my personal right to happiness, it is actually a document that sets forth the role of God, the government, and the community in providing and securing that happiness for us as a society.  Yes, the Declaration of Independence is not so much about me as it is about us.

When was the last time that you read the Declaration of Independence?  Outside of the opening and closing it gets a bit less interesting.  The majority of the document is the enumeration of the “repeated injuries and usurpations” that had been inflicted on the colonies.  Have a look.

And after all the “whereases” comes one concluding paragraph:

We, therefore, the Representatives of the united States of America, in General Congress, Assembled, appealing to the Supreme Judge of the world for the rectitude of our intentions, do, in the Name, and by Authority of the good People of these Colonies, solemnly publish and declare, That these united Colonies are, and of Right ought to be Free and Independent States, that they are Absolved from all Allegiance to the British Crown, and that all political connection between them and the State of Great Britain, is and ought to be totally dissolved; and that as Free and Independent States, they have full Power to levy War, conclude Peace, contract Alliances, establish Commerce, and to do all other Acts and Things which Independent States may of right do. — And for the support of this Declaration, with a firm reliance on the protection of Divine Providence, we mutually pledge to each other our Lives, our Fortunes, and our sacred Honor. (emphasis added)

The Declaration concludes as it began, with reliance on God and a mutual pledge to the community on their sacred honor.

This was not about any one individually.  This was not safe and easy as Benjamin Franklin is quoted pointing out at the signing of the Declaration – “We must all hang together, or assuredly we shall all hang separately.”  And this example holds for the faith community as well as general society.

Now I will let John Adams have the final word.  On July 3, 1776 he wrote to his wife Abigail -

But the Day is past. The Second Day of July 1776, will be the most memorable Epocha, in the History of America.  I am apt to believe that it will be celebrated, by succeeding Generations, as the great anniversary Festival. It ought to be commemorated, as the Day of Deliverance by solemn Acts of Devotion to God Almighty. It ought to be solemnized with Pomp and Parade, with Shews, Games, Sports, Guns, Bells, Bonfires and Illuminations from one End of this Continent to the other from this Time forward forever more.

You will think me transported with Enthusiasm but I am not. — I am well aware of the Toil and Blood and Treasure, that it will cost Us to maintain this Declaration, and support and defend these States. — Yet through all the Gloom I can see the Rays of ravishing Light and Glory. I can see that the End is more than worth all the Means. And that Posterity will tryumph in that Days Transaction, even altho We should rue it, which I trust in God We shall not.

Have a great holiday weekend.

(Note: In a rare action I am cross-posting this on both my Everything in Moderation and The GA Junkie blogs.)

Praying for our Churches
Hanmi: Korean Presbyterian Church, Palm Springs
Los Ranchos: Geneva Presbyterian Church, Laguna Hills
Pacific: Immanuel Presbyterian Church, Los Angeles
Riverside: Good Shepard Presbyterian Church, San Bernardino
San Diego: Palisades Presbyterian Church, San Diego
San Fernando: Quartz Hill Presbyterian Church, Quartz Hill
San Gabriel: Occidental Presbyterian Church, Los Angeles
Santa Barbara: Santa Maria Presbyterian Church, Santa Maria

What Is An Elder To Do?

If you are noticing that I am finally getting around to posting this on Saturday afternoon you may have figured out what is going on.  Summer session began at UCLA this past week and I have been consumed with the teaching sprint that is Summer Session A.  Not quite the 100 meter dash that is an intensive class, but along those same lines.

The time that I needed to focus on my professional duties reminded me of the balance, and sometimes the tension, that we have as Presbyterians.  The main part of that tension is that we are governed jointly, and in higher governing bodies equally, by clergy and elders.  But often this leads to a scheduling tension between younger elders and pastors.  If a younger elder is to serve on a presbytery or synod committee they usually need to do it evenings or weekends.  Clergy, particularly those pastoring a congregation, prefer daytime committee meetings to leave evenings available for meetings at church or for family.  I can not count the times that these two interests have come into conflict when I have been trying to schedule a meeting.

In my own journey with higher governing bodies I have always been fortunate to have a flexible work schedule, an understanding boss, and available vacation time.  But on one of the first committees I served on I was also blessed with a committee that was willing to compromise so I could participate.  They previously had met at 1 PM on a weekday and while I could make the meetings it would regularly conflict with my work schedule.  Having them a bit later in the afternoon was much better for me.  The rest of the committee showed some flexibility and we moved the meetings to 2:30 PM.

I bring this up because we as a denomination seem to wonder aloud how to keep younger people in the church.  In particular, as Presbyterians, are there things we can be doing that will make it easier for younger elders, who have work and family commitments to work around, to be active in the work of higher governing bodies?  I am not asking that we adjust the presbytery schedule to them, although some would appreciate that.  I am asking, like the committee accommodated me, are there places that compromises could be made on each side?  Everyone gives a little and everyone gets a little.

I just ask you to think about ways that presbyteries could structure their work to get elders involved in the work of the presbytery at a younger age.  Thanks for doing that.

Praying for our Churches
Hanmi: Southern California Antioch Church, Santa Ana
Los Ranchos: Laguna Presbyterian Church, Laguna Beach
Pacific: Fuente de Vida, Hollywood
Riverside: First Presbyterian Church, San Bernardino
San Diego: Pacific Beach Presbyterian Church, San Diego
San Fernando: Panorama Presbyterian Church, Panorama City
San Gabriel: Grace Presbyterian Church, Los Angeles
Santa Barbara: St. Andrew’s Presbyterian Church, Santa Barbara

Church On A Mission

This past Sunday I had the honor and pleasure of representing the Synod of Southern California and Hawaii at one congregation’s Mission Sunday.  OK, so it was my own church, but it was still a joy presenting the mission of the Synod and meeting many more individuals and groups with ties to the Synod.

The preaching for worship (thanks Ruth) was based on Jesus’ sending out the disciples in Acts, specifically

So when they had come together, they asked him, ‘Lord, is this the time when you will restore the kingdom to Israel?’ ⁷He replied, ‘It is not for you to know the times or periods that the Father has set by his own authority. ⁸But you will receive power when the Holy Spirit has come upon you; and you will be my witnesses in Jerusalem, in all Judea and Samaria, and to the ends of the earth.’ [Acts 1:6-8]

One of the important points is that in this passage Jesus sends them, just as the word “mission” come from the Latin “to be sent,” not “to go.”

So — Mission Connections to the Synod.  Where has the Synod “been sent?”  One of the important ones for my church is that it was established as a new church development by the Synod.  Almost 50 years ago, when this then-distant suburb of Los Angeles was still mostly orange groves the Synod invested in the land and provided loan funds to get our congregation going.  Now, I am pleased that our congregation is “repaying” the debt (the loans have been paid off for a few years) by regularly contributing to the Racial Ethnic Pastoral Leadership Program.

But looking around at the other mission organizations present it was great to see others with Synod connections.  The La Casa Community Center which, like our church, began as a mission of the Synod.  Westminster Gardens retirement center where many retired church workers with ties to the Synod live.  And Angel Interfaith Network, a ministry that also has roots with the Synod and whose executive director, Don Smith, was a long-time employee of the Synod.

And that is just one little corner of the Synod.  I’m sure that throughout our eight presbyteries we could find numerous examples of where God has sent the Synod of Southern California and Hawaii.

Praying for our Churches
Hanmi: Holy Faith Presbyterian Church, Cypress
Los Ranchos: Village Presbyterian Church, Ladera Ranch
Pacific: Formosan Presbyterian Church, Los Angeles
Riverside: Victoria Presbyterian Church, Riverside
San Diego: Northminster Presbyterian Church, San Diego
San Fernando: Horizon Community Church, Palmdale
San Gabriel: Filipino Community Presbyterian Church, Los Angeles
Santa Barbara: First Presbyterian Church, Santa Barbara

Bloggers Throughout The Synod

In past weeks I have highlighted some of the things going on with the “new media” or Web 2.0 as it is sometimes called.  So this week I want to mention a few others around our Synod who are writing some interesting blogs.  I am picking a sample of blogs so I apologize to anyone who I don’t mention.  But if you are in the Synod of Southern California and Hawaii and have a blog related to the church, religion, or something similar leave a comment with a link.

Tod Bolsinger, pastor of San Clemente Presbyterian Church in Los Ranchos Presbytery, writes a blog titled “It Takes A Church.”  He has been known to muse on pastoral leadership, the influence of technology, and the design of the church for current times.

While Tod’s blog is a personal one and not specifically associated with his pastoral duties (although there can be a fine line), there are a couple of examples of churches that have blogs to which multiple members of the pastoral staff contribute.  One of these is the Bel Air Presbyterian Church Pastors’ blog from Bel Air Presbyterian Church in Pacific Presbytery.  Similarly there is the APC Blog from Arcadia Presbyterian Church in San Gabriel Presbytery.  Both of these feature a mix of news and reflection from the pastoral staff.

I would also highlight the Monthly EP Missives that Jan Armstrong, the EP of Santa Barbara Presbytery publishes on the Presbytery Web Site.  And for feed readers, the Presbytery has them on their RSS feed.

And San Diego’s EP, Clark Cowden, has been one of multiple contributors to at least two blogs, The Missional Journey and recently PGF Outbox.

Finally, I would mention a member of our Synod, Eric Hoey, who is serving the General Assembly Council as the Director of Evangelism and Church Growth.  He has his official blog “Reclaiming the Gospel.”

Happy reading and once again please add others via the comments.

Praying for our Churches
Hanmi: Young-Eun Korean Presbyterian Church, Whittier
Los Ranchos: Community Presbyterian Church, La Mirada
Pacific: First Presbyterian Church, Santa Monica
Riverside: Magnolia Presbyterian Church, Riverside
San Diego: Mount Soledad Presbyterian Church, La Jolla
San Fernando: Valley Hankook Presbyterian Church, Northridge
San Gabriel: Eagle Rock Presbyterian Church, Los Angeles
Santa Barbara: El Montecito Presbyterian Church, Santa Barbara