No matter who you are . . .

Palm Sunday - Scene 2

The following essay is by Peter Sawtell, Executive Director of Eco-Justice Ministries. I put it up on the blog last year and decided to repeat it this year. It really is "food for thought"!

"Palm Sunday is that occasion in the church year when we try and get ourselves into a really joyous mood, so that we can experience the full roller coaster effect of Holy Week.

"In many churches this weekend, the members of the Sunday School will be drafted to form a palm-waving procession through the sanctuary. Some lucky child may even get to play the part of Jesus, and ride the wooden donkey, the same one used by Mary in the Christmas pageant. Meanwhile, in the pews, well-dressed adults will sing All Glory, Laud and Honor and look very self-conscious about waving their fronds.

"Through it all, we make a noble attempt to capture the genuine spirit of celebration that is part and parcel of Jesus' entry into Jerusalem. We try to claim the hope and excitement of the Messiah's arrival in the capitol city. And we set aside the awareness of what comes later in this Holy Week -- the agonizing times of betrayal and death, and the astounding joy of resurrection.

"The Christian liturgical tradition packs a lot into Holy Week. We observe Palm Sunday, Maundy Thursday, Good Friday, the Easter Vigil, and Easter itself.

"And yet, as I re-read the Palm Sunday account in the gospels, I'm struck by what our liturgies skip over. The tradition of the triumphal entry is truncated. Scene 2 is skipped.

"Picture this in your church's observation of the day: The bathrobe-clad Jesus rides the wheeled donkey down the aisle, while the congregation sings familiar hymns of praise and wave their palm branches. Then, as the music comes to a close, Jesus strides to the chancel, sweeps the silver communionware onto the floor, and shouts, "It is written, 'My house shall be called a house of prayer', but you are making it a den of robbers."

What do you think? Is this true? Read the rest of the article

The painting is undated by Solomon Raj. Asian Christian Art Association

The sculpture of Christ cleansing the Temple is by Brian Burgess.

Making it all count

In C. S. Lewis’s “Chronicles of Narnia” Aslan the Lion takes Lucy, Edmund, Peter and everyone to the New Narnia—we might call it “heaven” or the New Creation. It’s a place of astonishing light and beauty; a place where every blade of grass seems to mean more and where every creature sings for the sheer joy of the Creator. It is a place where everything is just so real in depth and color that the mere sight of a daisy takes your breath away and makes you weep for the sheer beauty of the thing.

But there, in the midst of all that beauty, they see a group of dwarfs huddled together—convinced that they are living in the rank stench of a barn. Lucy—upset that they aren’t enjoying the New Narnia—begs Aslan to help them, and he tells her, “I will show you what I can and cannot do.”

Aslan shakes his golden mane and a sumptuous banquet appears. But when the dwarfs dive in, they start gagging and complaining. “Doesn’t this beat all,” they lament. “Not only are we in this stinking stable but now we’ve got to eat hay and dried cow dung as well!”

The dwarves, Aslan goes on to say, had chosen suspicion instead of trust and love. They were prisoners of their own minds. They could not see Aslan’s gift of the New Narnia for they would not see it. Aslan can but leave them alone to the hell of their own devising.

Living now, in a time of economic crisis and uncertainty, it’s easy to feel anxious—a lot like those dwarfs. It happens to people, it happens to congregations and presbyteries, too. The temptation is to hunker down and hold on tightly to what we have. But now, I think, is a good time to remember and claim God’s promise of abundant life by opening ourselves up even more to the glorious bounty that is all around and to choose trust and love. It’s also a good time to see that everything we do really counts. Give to One Great Hour of Sharing and other Presbyterian mission; spend your money on fair trade items that are beautiful and help the communities that make them.

Remember your treasure isn’t in your IRA or your building. Spend your precious time building relationships—with God, with God’s creation, and with yourselves. And enjoy the abundance!

Where is your treasure? One Great Hour of Sharing: Sharing Resources, Changing Lives

The financial crisis that began here has now touched all corners of the world. Here including many in our congregations) and around the world poor people are wondering, "Can I feed my family today?" Now, more than ever, those who are most vulnerable are looking to us; now, more than ever, we need to ask ourselves how much greater our capacity for sharing might be.

There are very few things you can do in a given week that will impact lasting change around the world. Here is one: take time this week to promote the offering with congregations, groups, and individuals in your circle of influence.

• forward this post to people you know;
• visit the One Great Hour of sharing website;
• find tools that help congregations promote the offering including ads for newsletters, the video posted below, minutes for mission, and more;
• make sure your congregation has received their offering materials and contact Alan Krome in Louisville or Phyllis Zoon at the Presbytery Center if you haven't;
• consider how you might contribute to the offering through your congregation - or if you will not be present when your local congregation receives the offering - give online now.
  

Moderator Bruce Reyes-Chow has put a challenge before our churches to double their offering this year in celebration of the 60th anniversary of the One Great Hour of Sharing, and because now more than ever those who are most vulnerable in our communities and around the world are counting on us to help them make a difference in their lives.

Most congregations receive the One Great Hour of Sharing on Palm Sunday or Easter and use the season of Lent to promote the offering. So, please take a moment now to help ensure a successful offering this year.



Together we can change the world...

Growing Deep and Wide in Jacksonville

The following article was written by Bill Jordan and will appear in the 2010 Mission Yearbook for Prayer and Study.

Take one second career minister who is a lifetime outdoorsman and has an undergraduate degree in biology and put him with a small church that dates back to 1871 in a community with rural roots and a growing suburban population, and see what happens. The Jacksonville Church is engaged in the mission: “To serve Jesus Christ by caring for God’s creation and its people.”

Pastor Dana Eglinton was a contractor who built energy efficient houses. Before he heard God’s call to ordained ministry he believed that a Christian is responsible for the care of God’s earth. In worship, Bible study and retreats the church explored many avenues of service and discipleship related to the care of the earth. Eglinton discovered that there were already people in the congregation who were concerned about environmental issues. Together, pastor and people developed the Jacksonville Presbyterian Church Earthcare Ministry.

The Earthcare Ministry reached out to the neighbors of the congregation members with the distribution of compact fluorescent bulbs and an invitation to join the congregation in caring for creation. Other projects include working with the High School Science Club in building bird houses on property that is void of trees. Members of the congregation are involved with a watershed project that monitors chemicals in creeks and streamsas well as in clean-up projects in their township. All ages enjoy canoe and camping trips, and outings where the emphasis is on enjoying the earth and caring for God’s creation and all of God’s creatures.

Make social and environmental justice part of your congregation's Palm Sunday celebration

Palm Sunday is April 5, 2009

The Eco-Palm Project
Jesus' entrance into Jerusalem, accented by the jubilant waving of palm branches, is re-enacted each Palm Sunday in Presbyterian and other Christian congregations worldwide as Holy Week observances begin. Unfortunately for the communities where these palms are harvested, palm fronds do not always represent the same jubilation they do for us.

In 2007 the PC(USA) teamed up with Lutheran World Relief, Catholic Relief Services and the University of Minnesota to offer congregations the option of purchasing responsibly harvested eco-palm branches for Palm Sunday. The palms come from communities in Mexico and Guatamala where workers are paid fairly and engage in sustainable harvesting in order to protect the local ecosystem. Learn more about the benefits of Eco-Palms.

Online ordering new for 2009! Orders are due by March 9 if paying by credit card (March 2 if paying by check). Learn about pricing, ordering options and more.

Read the Presbyterian News Service article about Eco-Palms.

Young Adult Eco-Stewards Sought

Applications are being sought for the Eco-Stewards program of the Presbyterian Conservation Corps (PCC), a Christian community responding to God's call through applied eco-stewardship. The PPC is looking for Eco-Steward applicants from ages 18-24 years old who demonstrate interest in church, camp, and environmental concerns. The application deadline is May 1, 2009. To download the application, go to http://www.presbyterianconservationcorps.org/2009.html.

Each program will comprise of two components at different sites: 1. Eco-Stewards Training (3-4 days) and 2. Eco-Stewards Hand-On Program (3-4 days). The two programs are as follows: West: July 5-12 at Highlands Camp in Allenspark, CO and Greenwood Farm in Hardin, MT and Midwest: August 2-9 at Stronghold Retreat Center in Oregon, IL and Chicago, IL. PCC will transport participants between each site, but participants are responsible for travel to the training, and from the program component.
A joint program of Presbyterian Conservation Corps and Presbyterian Church Camp and Conference Association, the Eco-Stewards program seeks to train and inspire young adults in the ways of eco-stewardship within the wider context of our Christian faith. The overarching goal of this new initiative is to help inspire Presbyterian Church, USA churches and their members to become better caretakers of planet earth, our God given island home.