Yesterday was Presbyterian Heritage Sunday, and the entire service, including Jeannie's sermon, was centered around our history in Scotland and America, and how that heritage is still with us today. As the bagpipes filled our bodies with sound and the congregation stood at solemn attention, tartan ties and sashes proudly puffed out against our chests, it was very moving to me that the past could be so alive this very day.
I myself am descended of the Lindsay Clan and the McCarty Clan, and I married into the Whites; we take our heritage from Ireland and Scotland very seriously in our home (although we often pay more homage to our Italian ancestors in our cooking).
In the Lindsay Clan our motto is "endure fort" or "suffer boldly," which might seem rather depressing, but for me and my family history, it is a point of pride and encouragement.
I was especially inspired in Jeannie's sermon as she described Presbyterian men and women in America who have made an enormous difference in the lives of others. These men and women clung to the roots of their past and applied their values to the situation of the day. As Jeannie described the woman who saved young Chinese girls from sexual slavery in the early twentieth century, it was uncomfortable to hear about. It displayed a dark chapter of our American history when we as Americans treated those of a different ethnic heritage differently than others. Sadly, this behavior is still a reality in our country. I'm sure that the woman doing this work received several raised eyebrows from fellow church workers and lots of criticism from the community for her actions, but she believed, based on the traditions of her heritage and the values she held dear that her actions were not only right but inspired by God.
I found this story to be inspiring: what could God be calling us to do today? How can we, as Unity Presbyterian Church, balance between the reverence of our heritage and the continuation of our values into the future of the church? These questions require us to be in prayer and discernment; they have big implications on a macro-level of who our church is and how we relate to the world. They also have big implications on each of us individually, and I want to call our attention to ways that God, who is the same yesterday, today and forever, is moving in our world today in unique ways, and just might be calling you to join him.
1001 New Worshiping Communities
A few years ago, the PCUSA launched an initiative to create 1001 new worshiping communities in the world over a 10 year span. This initiative started partly in response to the decline in traditional church membership (in mainline denominations), partly in response to the success of new church developments happening in pockets throughout the country and the world, and partly in response to the growing number of unchurched and dechurched people in the United States. 1001 New Worshiping Communities has worked very hard to create or find communities of people and see what the Holy Spirit can, is, and will do in these communities. These communities are meeting the spiritual needs of thousands of people who possibly couldn't find satisfaction for their spiritual yearning in conventional church models. These communities meet these needs in a unique way, sometimes meeting for dinner or in coffee shops; meeting with homeless folks and artists and college students and families; utilizing all kinds of music and art but connecting liturgy to the roots of our church.
One of the greatest worship experiences I was ever a part of was at a new worshiping community located in the bar/party district of Pittsburgh. On St. Patrick's Day, in the heart of the party, we met and said ancient prayers that St. Patrick wrote for the people of Ireland. We then went into the community and did mission to the community surrounding us. There was no rock band, no fancy screens, no altar call. Just old prayers and mission work. We had probably 50 people come out that day to help, and people still talk about that day because it was special and meaningful. It connected us to the past while inspiring us to the Holy Spirit's work in the present.
Slavery in today's context
Perhaps Jeannie's example of the woman saving Chinese girls from slavery in the early twentieth century rang so true for me simply because the problem of sexual slavery continues to pose enormous threats in our world today. One of my dearest friends taught me about the problem of sexual slavery in America as she did work during our time in seminary. Often we think of little girls being sold into slavery in other countries, and it is true that Thailand has a terrible reputation of child sexual slavery. However, the problem is actually very common in America as well, and the clients who sexually exploit the child slaves in other countries are often Americans. The information on human trafficking is staggering, unnerving, and painful to watch, and we would much prefer not to think about it. It seems like it would be impossible for us to make much of an impact on such a large underground problem.
There are lots of organizations in America who are making a difference in the human trafficking industry. Here are some examples:
The A-21 Campaign provides information and resources to people about human trafficking. They also provide information for prevention, and work with legal services for prosecution of those who gain from human trafficking.
Living In Liberty is an organization in Pennsylvania that helps to rescue young men and women who are being trafficked along the highway system. They provide for them with safe-houses, legal support, and counseling services. Living in Liberty raises funds for these services through a Thrift Store called RePurposed.
Our very own PCUSA has taken a stand against human trafficking by partnering with other agencies, praying, raising funds, and providing education.
Stewardship Campaign
Unity Presbyterian Church is a pillar of this community in Fort Mill, and as the community expands, so do we. We have people coming by the hundreds in all walks of life to utilize our resources and be a part of the ministry of our church. We do a lot at our church, and that requires us a lot of time, talent, and treasure.
As we heard on Sunday, our stewardship campaign has left us about $70,000 short of reaching our goal in financing the ministry of the church. As a result of this, all of the ministry teams had to make some cuts to our budgets in order to to meet the need, but that in and of itself won't be enough. It is up to our congregation to do two things: first, pray and evaluate whether we can contribute differently financially in the year to come so that our ministries can be realized. And second, consider our church: what are its priorities? What should we be spending more money to do? What should we consider spending less money to do?
In addition to money, our church requires a lot of time and talents to keep our ministries afloat. Even if I wanted to, I could not at all keep a ministry to nearly 70 youth weekly up and running by my own individual strength. I want to encourage you to consider how you might give of your time and of your talents in the 2016-2017 school year. You can do this, by going to our website at www.unityfortmill.org.
Then click the link at the top of the page called "Member Login." If you've already created a log-in for yourself, go ahead and log in; if you have not, it takes just a moment to create yourself a log in and you can do it right there.
Once you are logged in, you can go into "I want to view available serving opportunities" and view a list of available options. It might take some time to sort through and think about the descriptions of the available options, but that's okay. This is an ongoing process. Once you've decided you might like to do something, you'll click "Interested" on the right hand side. Then you'll be contacted by the leader of that team for any training or additional information needed; if you decide you're not interested anymore, we can adjust that later and you can find something else.
God is calling us to be the church that is rooted in our heritage but living in the world today. How will you respond?
Blessed are those who trust in the Lord,
whose trust is the Lord.
They shall be like a tree planted by water,
sending out its roots by the stream.
It shall not fear when the heat comes,
and its leaves shall stay green;
in the year of drought it is not anxious,
and it does not cease to bear fruit.
-Jeremiah 17.7-8
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