The Weekly Word at Western Boulevard Presbyterian Church

Thursday, July 21, 2022

The True Meaning of the Good Samaritan

On Sunday evening, my daughter, Heather, and I were driving to Washington, DC, for an appointment she had on Monday morning to apply for her student visa for study abroad in France this fall. She turned to me in the car and said, “Daddy, there’s been a shooting at the Greenwood Park Mall.” I looked at her in disbelief. “Really?” That was a mall we would frequent regularly when we lived in Indianapolis. We got family pictures taken there multiple times through the years. We would go to shops that were only in that mall when we had specific needs. Multiple people killed and injured, in a place that was very familiar to us as a family.

And then we learned that the gunman was killed by another member of the public who was at the mall. That individual was carrying a handgun – legally, according to Indiana state law, but against the mall’s marked safety regulations – and shot the gunman soon after he had begun shooting. The threat was neutralized, and while local police and government leaders said all the same things we’ve heard after such mass shootings, one thing really got under my skin. The man who killed the shooter was being called “a Good Samaritan.”

I recognize that the man took extraordinary actions to prevent more death in that mall food court. But the parable of the Good Samaritan is not about meeting violence with more violence. It is about compassion and care being shown to the most downtrodden of the world. It is about showing mercy as the mark of being one’s neighbor.

I watched a story on the NBC Nightly News this week which showed what it was like in a trauma center in downtown Baltimore. They said that it is a rare occasion when they do not have a gun-shot victim coming into their ER. The head of the trauma center put it bluntly and simply: “All of these deaths are totally unnecessary. It is madness.”

How are we called to address this pandemic of gun violence in our country and community? How are we called to show our world what is the true meaning of the Good Samaritan? How are we called to live out our faith so that swords will be beaten into plowshares, through the mighty power of the Lord our God?

With a full and grateful heart,

Frank

THIS SUNDAY AT WBPC

Worship Service – 10:30am – Click HERE for the bulletin.

@The Table Worship – There will not be a live @The Table Service this week. Instead, we have prerecorded the service for this week, which you can access by clicking HERE. We will be back to our normal schedule next Sunday, July 31.

No Sunday School until Fall – Sunday school and Children’s Chapel are on summer hiatus.

WBPC T-SHIRTS STILL AVAILABLE!

The WBPC youth are a bit short of their fundraising goal and have extra t-shirts to sell! Claim your desired sizes on the Sign-Up Genius link HERE.

There is a $20 minimum donation per t-shirt. Payment can be made via check or online. Checks can be made out to WBPC with "Granny's Purse - T-shirts" in the subject line. Please mail checks to the church with Anna's name in the attention line OR place them in her mailbox in the church office.

There are several options for pick up. You're welcome to pick up your t-shirts during office hours (Monday - Friday, 9am - 2pm), pick them up after worship service on Sunday, July 24 or arrange for a porch drop off.

Email youth@wbpresbyterian.org if you have any questions!

Montreat Youth Conference Next Week

We are excited for Lydia Smith, William Winslow, and Jack Brewer, who will be attending the Montreat Youth Conference next week. Anna Richardson Raab and Suzanne Smith will be accompanying them, and our group will be sharing housing and meals with a group from Huguenot Memorial Church from New York. Please keep them in your prayers as they gather with youth and adults from all over the country for this special week!

MISSION OUTREACH: WELCOMING OUR NEIGHBORS

The Shams family moved into our neighborhood this month after escaping Afghanistan with the US military in September. The family has been in Raleigh for a few months and we are excited that they now have a house for their family of 7. Because of the father's work with the US Army, they fled on a 60 hour journey from Kabul to New Mexico where they stayed for two months in a camp. They are adapting to life in a new country while they speak little English and have had to move a few times already.

Four of the children will attend AB Combs in the fall and the father is working at a printing company. They are working with Lutheran Family Services for support in many areas. There are certainly needs that WBPC and our neighborhood can assist with. As we determine those needs we will be reaching out to anyone interested in helping out.

We had a lovely gathering of neighbors and church members who came last Saturday to meet and welcome the Shams to our community. Thank you to all who came! If you'd like to learn more about them and how we might be able to support them, please email Kevin Fischer at wkfischer1@gmail.com.

BIBLICAL JUSTICE FORUM – JULY 25

On July 25, BJF class will continue with The Restoration Bible Study from NEXT Church. You may access the curriculum HERE. If you want to view the curriculum and cannot access it, email Sandy Irving (s-dirving@earthlink.net). On July 25 we will study session 4 entitled Restoration as the Whole Truth and Millicent Fauntleroy (from Davie St PC and BJF participant) will lead us.

You may join our discussion on Monday at 12pm noon via Zoom. Click HERE for participating in Monday's meeting.

STAFF VACATION PLANS

Frank Mansell will be on vacation July 22-26 – He will be moving his daughter, Erin, to Washington, DC, and then visiting his mother in West Virginia. During this time, please contact John Bayne (919-954-2076) or one of the Deacons or Stephen Ministers in case of a pastoral emergency.

RECAP OF THE 225TH GENERAL ASSEMBLY OF THE PCUSA

The General Assembly completed its work on July 9, after meeting in a hybrid manner over more than two weeks. Click HERE to read a summary of their work as compiled by the Presbyterian Outlook. You can also visit ga-pcusa.org for more detailed information.

DIVORCE CARE

If you are considering separation or divorce, don’t try to go through it alone. Connect with a DivorceCare group either in person or online. You’ll find caring people who understand the issues you face and practical counsel for decision making and managing stress. Contact DivorceCare HERE or speak with a Deacon or Elder for a list of several groups that meet in The Triangle area, churches or online.

PRAYER CHAIN REQUESTS

If you have a prayer concern, please contact Frank Mansell (frank@wbpresbyterian.org), Marcia Bennett (sen1969@hotmail.com), or Betty Dean (betdean@nc.rr.com) and request that it be added to the Prayer Chain. Please note that any confidential prayer requests will not be added to the Prayer Chain.

RESERVATIONS, PICTURES AND ANNOUNCEMENTS

Please refer to the Calendar if you have questions about meetings. If you want to reserve a room, please email admin@wbpresbyterian.org. If you have photos from Church events this year, please share them with us. You may upload your pictures directly to our shared Church album by clicking HERE.

If you would like your birthday included on the monthly birthday list, please update your personal information on Realm or contact the church office.

WE'RE HIRING! WBPC is seeking an Administrative Assistant AND a Director of Christian Education & Community Engagement. If you or someone you know is interested, please click HERE for more information.

As we search for a new Administrative Assistant, please send any announcements for the bulletin or Weekly Word to both admin@wbpresbyterian.org and frank@wbpresbyterian.org. Thank you!

Click HERE for July birthdays!

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