New Bible Study--Fair Trade: Using our Purchasing Power for Justice and Hope

People of faith seek both definition and guidance from God as we make choices in our lives. But how can we make the connections between our faith and the vast economic web that affects our own daily lives and all too often puts too much economic risk onto farmers and craftspeople in poor nations—those least able to bear it? Probably not by using the index of your study Bible!

Partners for Just Trade is a new organization that grew out of the Presbyterian Hunger Program’s Joining Hands initiative in Peru. As they learned more about Fair Trade, they saw the convergence of its nine basic Key Principles with the Judeo-Christian teachings about justice and became excited about the idea of creating a Bible Study to help all of us understand and be actively involved in God’s vision for the well-being of all of creation.

Fair Trade: Using Our Purchasing Power for Justice and Hope walks the reader through the principles of Fair Trade through personal narration, Bible passages, questions for reflection, and challenges to engage the reader in learning about Fair Trade.

You can do the 6-part study alone or with a group. It can take as much or as little time as you have. Even a quick study will bring new ideas about how important our lifestyles are to the well-being of people we don’t even know; or deeper study may take you to the university for classes, the library for books, or the internet to find some websites.

For more information, contact Partners for Just Trade at 314-707-2831 or visit them on the web.

Invitation to a Church-wide Fast

I recently received an invitation to a Denomination-wide Fast. It says, "At the behest of the 218th General Assembly, the Presbyterian Church (U.S.A.) is inviting its congregations to engage in a monthly church-wide fast to discern faithful responses to the global food crisis, in a world where more than 845 million people go hungry. As many as 100 million more may be driven into extreme poverty due to the food crisis, while others live with plenty to spare." Download the document.

How do you feel about fasting? I must admit that the idea scares me, mostly because I'm not sure I can do it and I really hate failing. And, as a lifelong member of churches in the Reformed tradition, it's not part of my repertoire (even though John Calvin called for fasting as part of the Public and Mutual Practice of Penance.) But I have decided it's time to give it a try--for a year, and one month at a time.

For one thing, as a musician, I know how deadly it can be to never change your tunes.

It sounds like fasting is a spiritually (and socially) transforming and life-giving practice. Noelle Damico, Coordinator of the PC(USA) campaign for Fair Food, notes that “a central purpose is that of reconciliation—to God and to one’s neighbor” which can sharpen our vision to see God’s vision for our world more clearly, strengthen our resolve to live with integrity, and prepare us to act with God to transform ourselves and our world. And—not the least for people like me who too often are overfed—it “brings lasting insights into the physical needs of the body and the daily struggles of those who are hungry and poor.” (You can find much more at www.pcusa.org/hunger/foodcrisis.) I can’t even begin to imagine how God could use our denomination in new ways if just two people in every congregation would become part of this!

I will also be in good company. Fasting used to be a common thing "back in the day" for Jews and Christians, too--which means that I would be joining giants of the faith like Moses, King David, Queen Esther, the prophets Isaiah and Joel, the people of Nineveh, and Jesus--just to name a few. And then there are John Calvin, Mahatma Gandhi, Cesar Chavez, and Martin Luther King Jr. Closer to home, I already have connections to 453 Presbyterians (several from Monmouth Presbytery) who have joined the new Facebook group "Presbyterians Respond to Global Food Crisis"--and there's plenty of room for more.

Finally, there's more than one way to be part of this. Congregations can commit to the fast as a body, and individuals and smaller groups may also participate. And, for those who are physically unable to fast, there is the alternative of simpler meals.

Are you ready to sign on? The first of the monthly fasts begins on Friday evening, October 3. And break the fast with Holy Communion on Sunday if your place of worship does Communion then. Fittingly, October 5 is World Communion Sunday!

If it's October, it's time for a CROP Hunger Walk

What is a CROP Hunger Walk? Communities Responding to Overcome Poverty. Neighbors walking together to take a stand against hunger in our world. Together we raise awareness and funds for international relief and development, as well as local hunger-fighting. Read more»

Since 1969, CROP WALKS and Walkers have been putting a lot of soul into the fight against hunger, but there are still steps we need to take together. Join in a CROP Hunger Walk near you to help raise awareness and funds to fight hunger--around the block and around the world. Or, if there isn't one in your community -- contact Church World Service NJ office to volunteer to help start one!

Following are the NJ CROP walks taking place in our Presbytery:

• October 5 - Tuckerton
• October 19 - Bordentown, Freehold, Hightstown, Long Branch, Ocean County North, and Red Bank
  
• October 26 - Allentown

Bread for the World Sunday - October 19 and other Sundays this fall

Note: the following info is from Bread for the World's website.

Bread for the World Sunday is an opportunity for churches to renew their commitment to overcoming hunger and poverty in God's world. On October 19 and other Sundays this fall, worshipping communities across the country will join together in lifting up their voices on behalf of hungry people. Order your free worship resources below.

This year's observance of Bread for the World Sunday takes place at a time when soaring prices for food and fuel have created an urgent hunger crisis – both in our own country and overseas. An additional 100 million people have fallen into poverty and are at risk of hunger and starvation.

In the midst of this global hunger crisis, our nation is electing a new president and new Congress. Living in God's grace in Jesus Christ, we have received a great inheritance: the gift of citizenship – a resource to use on behalf of those in need. As citizens, we have the privilege to elect our nation's leaders as well as the responsibility to use our country's abundant resources to make sure people have enough to eat – and the opportunity to make a living and feed their families.

The Bible study by Pastor Heidi Neumark found in this year's Reflection Resource offers insights that will be useful for both sermons and adult education forums. The Parable of the Prodigal Son calls us to repent of our own squandering of our inheritance of God's grace – and invites us to return to our gracious Father and place our faith in the Faithful Son who creates an abundant feast for all in need. These themes of repentance and return, faith and abundance can be found in many of the different Gospel readings used throughout the fall worship season.

Join with churches and worshipping communities across the country as we rededicate ourselves to ending hunger in God's world.

Read ideas on how to celebrate Bread for the World Sunday at your church.

Trade Week of Action on the Right to Food

Just Trade Resources
To download files onto your computer, highlight, right-click, 'Save Target As...' and save

Trade Week of Action: Right to Food Booklet
Just published in August 2008, this revised Trade Week booklet introduces the Trade Week of Action on the Right to Food at a time when food prices are pushing millions more into poverty. The guide explores the interactions between trade, agriculture, food and human rights. It considers what the Bible has to say about trade and food, and tells the stories of real people affected by free trade policies. The guide offers action ideas, liturgy and other worship resources.
Download the booklet now - 1.14MB

All the educational and workshop materials you need can be found on the Trade Week of Action Web site, developed by the Ecumenical Advocacy Alliance, a partner organization of the PC(USA):

• more about the week
• worship materials (adaptable Word documents!)
• stories of people impacted by unjust trade
• campaign tools (such as posters, banners, T-shirt designs, bulletin covers and logos)
• background about what's wrong with current trade rules

• activity ideas and much more.

The wonders of creation exceed imagination!

Thanks to Jamie Pharr, who sent this to me!

It's been said that God first separated the salt water from the fresh, made dry land, planted a garden, made animals and fish... all before making a human. He made and provided what we'd need before we were born. These are best and more powerful when eaten raw.

God left us a great clue as to what foods help what part of our body! God's Pharmacy! Amazing!

A sliced Carrot looks like the human eye. The pupil, iris and radiating lines look just like the human eye... and YES, science now shows carrots greatly enhance blood flow to and function of the eyes.

A Tomato has four chambers and is red. The heart has four chambers and is red. All of the research shows tomatoes are loaded with lycopine and are indeed pure heart and blood food.

Grapes hang in a cluster that has the shape of the heart. Each grape looks like a blood cell and all of the research today shows grapes are also profound heart and blood vitalizing food.

A Walnut looks like a little brain, a left and right hemisphere, upper cerebrums and lower cerebellums. Even the wrinkles or folds on the nut are just like the neo-cortex. We now know walnuts help develop more than three (3) dozen neuron-transmitters for brain function.

Kidney Beans actually heal and help maintain kidney function and yes, they look exactly like the human kidneys.

Celery, Bok Choy, Rhubarb and many more look just like bones. These foods specifically target bone strength. Bones are 23% sodium and these foods are 23% sodium. If you don't have enough sodium in your diet, the body pulls it from the bones, thus making them weak These foods replenish the skeletal needs of the body.

Avocados, Eggplant and Pears target the health and function of the womb and cervix of the female - they look just like these organs. Today's research shows that when a woman eats one avocado a week, it balances hormones, sheds unwanted birth weight, and prevents cervical cancers. And how profound is this? It takes exactly nine (9) months to grow an avocado from blossom to ripened fruit. There are over 14,000 photolytic chemical constituents of nutrition in each one of these foods (modern science has only studied and named about 141 of them).

Figs are full of seeds and hang in twos when they grow. Figs increase the mobility of male sperm and increase the numbers of Sperm as well to overcome male sterility.

Sweet Potatoes look like the pancreas and actually balance the glycemic index of diabetics.

Olives assist the health and function of the ovaries.

Oranges, Grapefruits, and other Citrus fruits look just like the mammary glands of the female and actually assist the health of the breasts and the movement of lymph in and out of the breasts.

Onions look like the body's cells. Today's research shows onions help clear waste materials from all of the body cells. They even produce tears which wash the epithelial layers of the eyes. A working companion, Garlic, also helps eliminate waste materials and dangerous free radicals from the body.

A new take on eating out.

On Friday night Paul and I decided to go to a local restaurant for dinner. We were tired of chain restaurants, we find the food is always too salty and we wanted some variety. So we headed out with Italian in mind. After some suggestions from my sister we found a nice Italian place that was family owned in Point Pleasant. It was an amazing experience. Our waitress I believe was one of the owners of the place. Everything including the salad dressing was homemade. That was very refreshing and some of the best salad dressing I have had in a long time. Salad for me was followed by some of the best stuffed shrimp I have ever had, there was nothing frozen about them and there was actually real crab meat in them nothing imitation. Paul went with chicken Parmesan which he thoroughly enjoyed. We ended with a homemade Cannoli. The waitress warned us there was no processed cream in it and we may not like the texture because it was made from real ricotta cheese. It was delightfully refreshing and not as heavy as your typical cream filled dessert. The waitress was so kind she even told us how to make them at home.

To be honest it reminded me of eating at my Grandma’s house. Everything was fresh and homemade and the waitress made us feel like we were family. She even pointed out the weekly specials for what we ordered so we could come back again and save money. Paul and I decided not only would we go back again but that from now on our dinners out will not be at chain food services. We had much better food and service. I am the daughter of a long time small business owner so it made me feel good to patronize someone local. I even remarked to Paul that we should use small local businesses more often. So I guess you can say this is day that I wrote off the big chain restaurants for dinner and replaced them with smaller places and better food and service.

~Becca