October 22, 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.

In the cycle of prayer our Presbytery, please pray for these congregations, faith communities,and individuals: First, Cazenovia; First, Chittenango; United Church of Collamer; Pebble Hill, DeWitt; First United Church of East Syracuse

Hello, Cayuga-Syracuse!

 

When my usually sweet cat's whiskers move forward, and the shape of his muzzle becomes square I know he's had enough play and our next interaction may involve something sharp. Our interspecies communication isn't at Dr. Doolittle levels ... but it works for us. Mostly. We don't share a common vocabulary, but we do have a language of sorts.

 

Language is such a remarkable tool. With words we can express emotions, describe beauty, build each other up and tear injustice down. Words help us to inspire, comfort and sometimes amuse. I'm the sort that appreciates not only a good turn of phrase but also feels that puns are an art form (your mileage may vary).

 

Of course, words are only part of our communication toolkit. We convey our thoughts using body language and grimaces, and pitch and tone have a place here as well. We also communicate with silence -- from that meaningful quiet that occurs between grieving friends to the "silent treatment" offered to those who have tread on our last nerve.

 

Language can fail us for a variety of reasons. Sometimes there is a dissonance between what we are communicating verbally and our actions. I've thought for some time now that it would be helpful to have a dictionary that provided definitions alongside appropriate behaviors. A church that describes itself as friendly on the website but ignores the folks that have been visiting for weeks is a potent example reminiscent of one of the great lines in the "Princess Bride" when Vizzini says "inconceivable" for the nth time and Inigo responds: "You keep using that word. I do not think it means what you think it means."

 

Sometimes language fails because we choose to not to hear. Language only seems to work when there's a willingness to hear and understand, and I have learned that I ignore my cat's communication of his annoyance with great peril.

 

In this season, it is all too easy to pay attention to presidential debates and Facebook pages that are teeming with miscommunications. I wonder what would happen if we focused instead on the conversations happening just outside the walls of our churches. What are the deep fears and concerns (and joys!) spoken about around the dinner table, or at the conference table of the office on the corner? Where are hearts breaking ... and does the church have the capacity and the desire to hear those stories? Do we have the words (or the Word?) to respond?

 

Let those who have ears to hear...

 

Blessings -

 

Karen

 

 

When: 7 to 8 p.m. on Thursday, October 22

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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

Email office@westminsterauburn.org, with "security system info" in the memo line.

Worship in a pandemic world: no singing, no problem

Give your worship a boost by discovering other ways to engage the senses 

If you are gathering for a masked and socially distant in-person worship during the Advent season, it's obviously going to be very different. Advent without singing? Without our responsive liturgies? Will it even feel like Advent?

Even though we are called the "frozen chosen" for good reason, this season is an excellent time to introduce some movement into worship. Consider adopting a different prayer posture for each Sunday of Advent. Worship leaders can choose postures that best suit their particular congregation and context, but here are some suggestions:

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Did you know there's probably a lot you don't know about voting?

Presbyterian Voting Campaign uses social media to highlight challenges to marginalized  communities 

LEXINGTON, Kentucky - To many United States citizens, voting has been a fairly easy proposition. They take some time on Election Day to go to a polling place near their home, maybe stand in line for a while, cast their vote and get a sticker.

That's the way it should be. Right?

But for millions of Americans, voting is not so easy, which is why part of the Presbyterian Voting Campaign has been offering a steady stream of "Did You Know" posts on the church's social media channels, including Facebook and Instagram, describing challenges many voters face in the U.S., particularly people in marginalized communities.

"This moment is critical because of the two pandemics that are happening in our country, with COVID and the racial uprising," said the Rev. Shanea D. Leonard, Associate for Gender & Racial Justice in the Presbyterian Mission Agency's Racial Equity & Women's Intercultural Ministries. "Folks need to realize that racism continues to happen in covert and overt ways. And one of the ways we really can challenge the status quo is to shed light on injustice. When people in the suburbs see what's really happening on their televisions, like they did in the civil rights movement and subsequent uprisings, is when people who are directly affected begin to help shift the narrative."