September 24, 2020

Welcome to this week's edition of our e-letter, Presbytery Matters. Our goal is to highlight things going on throughout the Church: within our Presbytery, in our congregations, as well as in the Synod of the Northeast and across the Presbyterian Church (U.S.A.). We hope that these are things that will be helpful, informative, challenging, encouraging and supportive. In other words, we hope that these things will matter. Your input is valued, and your comments are always welcomed.

 

Dear friends,

 

Smoke and mirrors, fog and eerie green light. A voice booms from the visage in front of the intrepid group. "I am the GREAT AND TERRIBLE OZ". All tremble, save the "little dog too" who scampers forward and pulls aside the curtain, revealing an unremarkable man pulling levers as he also pulls legs.

 

L. Frank Baum, the creator of the Wizard of Oz (and native of nearby Chittenango!) spun a tale of dreams and nightmares into something iconic. In the movie version, the group of adventurers sees a large floating head. In the book version, each member of the cohort sees something different -- Dorothy sees the giant head we are familiar with, but the Scarecrow sees a gorgeous woman and the Tin Man sees a monster, whereas the Lion witnesses a huge ball of flames.

 

Toto sees a man behind a curtain and unveils the truth.

 

So much truth is being unveiled these days. Oh, there are smoke and mirrors, and folks who should be insignificant folks who are pulling all sorts of levers, but there are also large broken systems being laid bare and corrupt values being exposed. It's downright apocalyptic.

 

Apocalypse, in the original sense of the Greek, referred to a disclosure of that which was previously unknown, and which could not have been known without being unveiled. In other words, Toto is a canine agent of the apocalypse, exposing what was previously hidden.

 

What's being uncovered in this time of multiple pandemics? Churches are discovering what is really meaningful. Clergy are learning what they value about their Calling. Communities are seeing (finally?) the inequities and injustices and that are seemingly baked into our systems.

 

It's not all bad. Churches are discerning new ways of creative mission. Families are discovering strength based on deep love. Leaders are finding new courage. The pulling back of the veil has caused many individuals and organizations to re-evaluate our lives and our purpose.

 

I'm not sure if it matters if we are in "THE" apocalypse. Certainly, we are in apocalyptic times. What matters is whether we choose to pay attention.

 

Karen

Mike Kirk, General Counsel for the PCUSA has written a paper outlining some issues regarding reopening our churches for live worship, as well as some helpful guidelines: READ HERE

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Thinking of doing Interim Work? The Center for Healthy Churches has developed an online version of their S.T.E.P. interim training and is offering it both in October and November. Contact Karen for more information.

Did you know that Sexual harassment prevention training is required for all employees of churches (from pastors to day care workers and sextons and all in between) in NYS on an annual basis? We're grateful that our new partnership with the PRC means access to their webinar on this topic which fulfills NYS's mandates.

To register, click on the date below.  For people watching as a group only one registration is needed. Send a list of those in your group to charlaine@prcli.org 

Our Resource Presbyter, the Rev. Karen Chamis, will be holding virtual office hours from 9 a.m. to 12 p.m. Wednesdays.

Karen will be available for drop-in conversations on Zoom. Come say hello, share concerns or learn a bit on how to use this important tool.  

November 14    Presbytery Stated Meeting, TBA

Nelson urges elected leaders to be thorough in seeking replacement

As the nation mourns the passing of Supreme Court Justice Ruth Bader Ginsburg, the Stated Clerk of the General Assembly of the Presbyterian Church (U.S.A.) is calling on national leaders to be thorough and not rush to fill the new vacancy. The Reverend Dr. J. Herbert Nelson, II, urges Capitol Hill to consider waiting until after the presidential election.

Senate Republican leaders have indicated plans to move quickly to get a nominee approved.

"We are not in a place right now where we are pressed with some type of decisions that have to be made. The reality is we ought to take our time and see who the next president of the United States might be and offer that person, whoever it might be, the opportunity to put forth a nominee," said Nelson. "To have a nation that is teetering on the edge of transition, it seems unfair to the electoral process."

Prior to his current role, Nelson served as the director of the PC(USA) Office of Public Witness in Washington, D.C., which is located next to the Supreme Court building. He says Ginsburg was the spirit of the Supreme Court.

"One of the significant things about Ginsburg's work that probably stands out the most was her interest in the younger generation who, in some degree, had lost some sense of respect and understanding of government across the board," he said. "She revived integrity within the Court and also showed a willingness to fight for fairness."

Nelson says Ginsburg was not just a judge, but an advocate for justice.

"There's so much that could be said about her commitment to civil rights and still pressing for civil rights in this period of history, recognizing that the ongoing work of the Court was more than just making decisions," he said. "There was something inherently different about the way she brought the Supreme Court to the country as opposed to the cases coming to her. She was out in front of much of what she believed. I don't know we've seen, since Thurgood Marshall, this kind of active engagement. It was the very reason they joined the Court in the first place."

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'Prophets for peace'