Earthquake & Tsunami :: How You Can Help

As of this writing, the tsunami death toll in south and southeast Asia tops 76,700. Presbyterian Disaster Assistance (PDA) has already mobilized money and people to support our church partners in southeast Asia and their relief organizations.

If you wish to donate directly to this specific relief effort, you can do so via an account PDA has established online (link updated--click on the "give" button). You may also make cash, check, or money order contributions via the address you'll find on PDA's donation page (please identify the donation for Asia #DR000167).

If you are not familiar with the work of PDA, you might wish to visit its homepage at http://www.pcusa.org/pda/index.htm. There, you'll find links to information on its mission, its current efforts, etc. Its Frequently Asked Questions page is particularly useful.

Newest Member of God's Family

Sierra Faith Pribyl was baptized in church on Sunday, 26 December 2004.

Sierra is the infant daughter of Lisa and Doug Pribyl and the granddaughter of Rod and Jackie Payne.

The Second Day of Christmas

Galatians 4:4-7
Hebrews 2:10-18

"What Happens Next?"

For the service on 26 December 2004, Mr. Hunter posed a series of questions to the congregation, which I represent below:

Why do we celebrate Christmas?

»to remind us »Jesus's birthday »Santa Claus »custom »family time »light & hope in the dead of winter

What are your plans today?

»bingo »sales »sleep »making Christmas candy »cleaning »ball games »family

What about the day after tomorrow?

»ball games »thank you notes »everything not done in time for Christmas (cards, Christmas letter, wrapping gifts, etc.)

How about next Wednesday?

»82nd birthday of Ray Nott »back to routines

And in two weeks from Wednesday (January 12)?

»finals »back to normal »drive to Arizona »Wednesday night dinners and classes resume

We have, Mr. Hunter said, patterns and rhythms to our lives which allow us to predict what we'll be doing in the future. The big question, however, is this: How will our celebration of Christmas still affect us two weeks from Wednesday?

Mr. Hunter further visited with the congregation about what we know of Christ's childhood. From Luke, we know he was circumcised, named, dedicated at the temple, went to live in Nazareth, traveled to Jerusalem each year for Passover, and grew up. We know this not only from Luke, but also from the fact that Mary and Joseph were faithful people who raised Jesus according to religious tradition.

We don't know what lies ahead of us, but our Christian traditions and faith guide us through our lives. We can live with uncertainties because God is with us to guide us.

Christmas Eve :: Love Came Down

There are those who do, those who watch, and those who have no idea what just happened. On Christmas Eve, Mr. Hunter reminded us that the same is true of Christmas: we spend a lot of time "watching" and "making" Christmas happen, yet most of us don't understand it.

Consider the start of John: "And the Word became flesh and dwelt among us" (John 1:14). Christ's Incarnation is the essence of Christmas. God's love for us is a love that involves action--the Incarnation is the supreme expression of God's love.

Soren Kierkegaard tells the parable of a King who falls in love with a peasant girl and wishes to marry her. But he faces a dilemma on how to approach her. If he issues a decree, she may feel she is forced to marry him. If he appears as himself, she might marry him for his wealth and power. He wants the peasant girl to love him for himself. Finally, he decides to appear as a peasant--as such, he successfully wins her heart (Kierkegaard, Philosophical Fragments, 1844). Kierkegaard uses the parable to illustrate how God approaches humans in the guise of another human: Christ's Incarnation.

As we search for the true Christ of Christmas, we must reject all of the false images of Christ presented to us:

• The Santa Claus Christ, who gives and gives and gives but asks nothing of us in return.
• The magic potion Christ, who magically solves all of our problems for us.
• The passport Christ, who offers us quick escape from trials.
• The middle class Christ, who encourages us to stay within our comfortable status quo.

The true Jesus of the Incarnation is God's Christmas gift to us:

For to us a child is born, to us a son is given; and the government will be upon his shoulder, and his name will be called "Wonderful Counselor, Mighty God, Everlasting Father, Prince of Peace." (Isaiah 9:6)

Fourth Sunday in Advent :: Let It Be

Now as Christ's arrival nears, we are reminded of Mary's words, "Let it be." It is not up to us to dictate to God how Christ will come into our world and lives, for God continually surprises us. Let God's will be done in each of us.

Luke 1:26-38
Matthew 1:18-25

On the fourth Sunday in Advent, Rev. Hunter preached on "Surrender." As Mr. Hunter reminded us, our society finds words such as surrender, submission, and broken distasteful. Ours is a competitive society that focuses upon winning and success. Our culture tends to believe that wealth + power + self-determination = success.

Yet surrender is at the heart of discipleship and worship.

Rev. Lloyd Ogilvie writes,

“Our need to be in charge of ourselves, others, and situations often makes our relationship with Christ life's biggest power struggle. We are reluctant to relinquish our control and allow Him to run our lives. We may believe in Him and be active in the church and Christian causes, but trusting Him as Lord of everything in life can be scary.

Even though we pray about our challenges and problems, all too often what we really want is strength to accomplish what we've already decided is best for ourselves and others. Meanwhile we press on with our own priorities and plans. We remain the script writer, casting director, choreographer, and producer of the drama of our own lives, in which we are the star performer.”

The problem with being in charge of our own lives is that we can never anticipate what God has in plan for us. Our perspective on what's important in life may be short-sighted in light of God's vision of eternity. We must submit to the will of God.

Mary's response to the angel Gabriel when he announced the Incarnation is a wonderful example of submission--an act of faith. Even though Mary was deeply troubled at Gabriel's news, her response is trust, surrender, and a resultant song of worship.

Joseph offers another example of surrender to God's will. He accepted Mary and Jesus and fled to Egypt with his family upon the angel's command. Yet he seems to have been a quiet, behind-the-scenes kind of guy. An ordinary person who followed God's will and, as a result, did extraordinary things.

Jesus, however, is the ultimate example of surrendering to God's will. His temptation in the Wilderness and his night of anguish in the Garden of Gethsemane show that surrender to God's will did not come easily.

Mr. Hunter concluded by asking if we had completely surrendered ourselves to God's will. Giving ourselves to God is what He wants for Christmas.

Keep Your Computer Safe :: Spyware on the Rise

The Register-Guard (Oregon) reports that infections of spyware and malware (malicious spyware) are on the rise. The article provides a good overview of the problem, but the most useful part may be the list of suggestions at the end of article from the Federal Trade Commission:

Signs that indicate your computer is infected

• A barrage of pop-up ads
• A hijacked browser
• A sudden or repeated change in your home page
• New and unexpected toolbars
• New and unexpected icons on your computer screen
• Keys that don't work
• Random error messages
• Sluggish or downright slow performance

Tips on how to keep spyware off your hard drive

• Update your operating system and browser: Your OS may offer free software "patches" to fix vulnerabilities that spyware exploits.
• Download only from trusted sites: Beware that some "free" software applications, such as games and file-sharing programs, come bundled with other software, including spyware.
• Don't install any software without knowing what it is: Read the small-print user agreement before downloading. If it's hard to find or understand, think twice about installing it.
• Minimize "drive-by" downloads: Make sure your browser security setting is high enough to stop unauthorized downloads, at least the "medium" setting on Internet Explorer.
• Don't click on links in pop-ups: It could install spyware on your computer. Instead, close pop-up windows by clicking on the "X" icon in the title bar.
• Don't click on links in spam offering anti-spyware downloads: Some software offered in spam actually installs spyware.
• Install a firewall and trusted anti-spyware program: Two widely used spyware programs are Spybot (www.safer-networking.org) and Ad-Aware (www.lavasoftusa.com).

Advent Devotionals

Presbyterians Today is offering a free online Advent calendar called The Time Is Near: A Musical Journey through Advent.

The calendar's web site says,

There are lovely Advent hymns that often get pushed aside in the rush to get to the more familiar [Christmas] carols. This Advent Calendar takes four of these Advent hymns (and one Christmas hymn for Christmas Eve and Christmas Day) as a focus for daily devotion and prayer. Readers are invited to read and sing the hymns as part of the daily devotions.

You can visit the web site at http://www.pcusa.org/2004advent/.

Q & A on The Apostles' Creed

Isaiah 2:1-5
Matthew 24:36-44

On Sunday, 28 November 2004, Rev. Hunter shared the floor with Rev. Clark Fisher (retired) to field questions from the congregation on The Apostles’ Creed. Designed as the conclusion to Mr. Hunter’s fall sermon series on The Apostles’ Creed, the session gave the congregation a chance to quiz the two pastors on the creed. Here's what people asked:

Question: Why does the creed include the language "descending into hell"?

CF (Clark Fisher): The phrase refers to Sheol--an afterlife which is a shadowy lack of existence, presumably where people from the Old Testament would wander. When Christ descended into hell, He met these people and gave them the opportunity for salvation.

DH (David Hunter): The descent into hell represents several things. It shows Jesus was really dead; God did not spare Christ the pangs of death. It represents the way Jesus experienced God's judgment on our behalf and paid for our sins by going to hell. It represents the separation from God which is caused by sin. And, finally, it fulfills two mysterious scripture references where Christ breaks down the gates of Hell and releases souls from Sheol.

Question: Why do we say we believe in the "holy catholic church"?

DH: We do not have protestant and Catholic versions of The Apostles' Creed; instead, the creed represents beliefs of Christ's one church here on earth, in all its variations of denominations. "Catholic" means "universal." What we affirm is belief in the "universal church" of Jesus Christ.

CF: Our belief in Jesus Christ as Lord and Savior binds all of us Christians into one body that belong to Christ.

Question: How often and when do Presbyterian congregations recite The Apostles' Creed?

DH: Some Presbyterian congregations recite it weekly. At the very least, we all recite The Apostles' Creed when we celebrate the church's sacraments.

CF: From the 2nd to 6th centuries AD, the creed grew and developed in response to theological questions that were posed by society to the young religion. The creed is a condensed version of the essential tenants of our faith.

Question: In the creed, Christ descends into hell, arises, and ascends into heaven; why doesn't the creed mention Christ's time on earth between his resurrection and the Ascension?

DH: The mention of the resurrection shows that Christ spent time on earth. The Apostles' Creed is such a condensed and abbreviated version of our tenets that the writers probably assumed it didn't need any more elaboration.

CF: Our faith places its emphasis on the idea that a resurrected Christ rules in our lives right now. The creed emphasizes the essential, controversial points at the time it was written.

Question: The creed says we believe in "Jesus Christ his only Son our Lord." Why does it includes the word only?

DH: Only points to Christ's uniqueness. While we are all "children of God," only Jesus is part of the godhead--He's different. Since the creed was written, some heresies have arisen which suggest we all have God within us and that Jesus is only one of many.

CF: I read something just recently which is worth musing upon. It suggests that Christ's virgin birth broke the male line of descent (Joseph) by which human sinfulness strains us all.

Question: Jesus was without sin, yet he was fully human. Isn't that a contradiction? Isn't any human prone to sin?

CF: Christ was sinless, which shows there was no separation between Him and God. His divine nature is without sin--that divine nature separates itself from his human nature.

DH: We know Christ was tempted, even as we are, but He was blameless. Christ's life is an example of what can happen if we depend upon God. We always should ask What would Jesus do?

The Forgiveness of Sins: A Blessing & Challenge

Acts 10:34-43
Matthew 18:21-35

On Sunday, 14 November 2004, Mr. Hunter continued his series on the Apostles' Creed by meditating upon the phrase: "I believe . . . in the forgiveness of sins." He began with this story:

[Author] James Harnish tells the story of a friend who owned a small farm in the hills of Tennessee. At one time his friend developed a problem with his drinking water. Although his well normally provided clean, sweet, fresh water from a mountain spring, he said the water suddenly tasted terrible.

His friend went down to the spring house, dug up all the weeds, cleared away the accumulated dirt and trash, and even painted the outside of the structure. It looked better, but the water still horrible. Finally, his friend called a repairman, who was able to reach all the way down to the bottom of the well where he found the decaying carcass of a huge bullfrog that had fallen into the well and died. The point of his story was that it doesn't matter how much you clean up the spring house until you get the bullfrog out of the well.

Sin, Mr. Hunter said, pollutes our relationships and leaves a foul taste in our mouths. Forgiveness, however, is the cleansing that heals our souls.

[8] If we say we have no sin, we deceive ourselves, and the truth is not in us. [9] If we confess our sins, he is faithful and just, and will forgive our sins and cleanse us from all unrighteousness. (1 John 1:8-9 RSV)

The Bible is full of evidence that God wants to forgive us, with the preeminent evidence being the death of Jesus Christ upon the Cross as reparation for our sins. There are three things the Bible teaches us about forgiveness:

1. We cannot earn forgiveness;
2. Forgiveness is not for sale; and
3. If we accept Christ, we already have been forgiven.

Then Mr. Hunter turned to the flip side of being forgiven: the moral and religious duty to forgive others, even as we have been forgiven. Pondering whether God's grace has limits, Mr. Hunter concluded that we must actively forgive those who have wronged us in order to rebuild our broken relationships with them and with God.

"Everyone says forgiveness is a lovely idea until they have something to forgive, as we had during the war [WWII]. And then to mention the subject at all is to be greeted with howls of anger. It is not that people think this too high and difficult a virtue: it is that they think it hateful and contemptible." --C. S. Lewis, The Joyful Christian

As hard as it may be for us to imagine, Mr. Hunter concluded, when we have been grievously wronged, we must forgo striking back, replace our anger and resentment with good will, and take concrete steps to restore good relations with those who have injured us. To do so is to initiate a circle of healing that begins with our confession, results in God forgiving us, continues with us forgiving others in turn, and concludes with the restoration of our brokenness.

Congregational Meeting :: 21 November 2004

The fall Congregational Meeting of Union Presbyterian Church will be held immediately after worship on Sunday, 21 November 2004, in the sanctuary. The purposes of the meeting are to elect Deacons and Elders for the Class of 2007 and to elect a new Nominating Committee for 2005.

The Nominating Committee (2004) places the following names in nomination:

Elders--Sandy Hatch, Buzz Larson, Chime Moore, Karolyn Rood, and Shelby Wetzel.

Deacons--Caiti Barski, Bethany Hunter, Carol Johnston, Polly Orbin, and Anita Robirds.

As usual, the congregation will accept nominations from the floor before the election, but a nominee must have previously indicated his/her willingness to serve.

Pending approval by the Session at it next meeting (18 November 2004), the Congregation may also hear a recommendation to amend its By-Laws at the January 2005 Congregational Meeting to reduce the number of Elders and Deacons elected to each class from five to four, thereby reducing the number of seats on the Session and the Board of Deacons from 15 to 12.

All Saints' Day Pumpkin

A Reformed Church, Always Reforming

As an introduction to the Reformation Sunday service on creeds, the Rev. Bill Hassler shared his understanding of what creeds mean to the Presbyterian Church (USA):

The Presbyterian Church in the United States of America is a reformed church always reforming, which differs from creedal churches such as the Episcopalian denomination. We Presbyterians believe that the interpretation of the Bible must be updated to meet certain crisis periods in the history of our country. Creedal churches refer to the Nicene and Apostles' Creed for biblical interpretation. While our Bible is the authoritative Word of God, second to it, and subordinate to it only, are our creeds and confessions.

In 1967, Bill Hassler was at the General Assembly of our church when the Confession of 1967 was adopted. It was adopted after several years of preparation and a detailed judicial process. It deals with racial reconciliation; reconciliation of nations "even at the risk of national security," a phrase debated long and hard.

The Nicene Creed was hammered out in the mid-fourth century at the demand of the first Christian Emperor. This creed deals with such issues as the Trinity, the Holy Spirit, and resurrection of the dead. It was necessary because early Christianity was not united. There were all kinds of sects, many of whom believed in the necessity of a second baptism, depending on gnosis or special knowledge after the first baptism.

For many of us, the latest Brief Statement of Faith is the most meaningful and beautifully expressed description for our present day world. It too was hammered out after much discussion. It must be noted that none of the above were handed down from on high. Rather, our creeds and confessions come from our brothers and sisters in the faith. We Presbyterians are governed by a representative democracy. There is no "we" versus "they" in any of our policy decisions.

New Banner :: Reformation Sunday

On 1 November 2004, Union Presbyterian celebrated Reformation Sunday with a special service featuring music, creeds, and banners.

Tom Bibbey (right) provided trumpet music to accompany a procession of banners, each of which represents one of the Presbyterian Church (USA)'s creeds (click on each creed's name to see the banner): Nicene Creed, Apostles' Creed, Scots Confession, Heidelberg Catechism, Second Helvetic Confession, Westminster Confession, Theological Declaration of Barmen, Confession of 1967, and Brief Statement of Faith.

The Brief Statement of Faith (1983) was accepted as part of The Book of Confessions in 1991, long after a couple of church members had designed the previous eight banners which the church has widely accepted. In celebration of this Reformation Sunday, Mary Liz Beaver--with help from Barb Fagerberg and theological suggestions from Bill & Claudia Hassler--created a new banner to symbolize the Brief Statement of Faith.

Shirley Smith explains the symbolism of the banner this way: "This banner does not stand alone or apart from all the other confessional banners or creeds. It is not complete alone. It celebrates our rediscovery that although diverse, we are bound by our common faith and common task.

"The sun rising over our familiar mountain is symbolic of the resurrection and our liberation from sin.

"The white triangle at the center of the banner stands for the trinity, and the symbols of the dove, the hand reaching down, and the Greek symbol for Christ emphasizes the Father, Son, and Holy Spirit. Again, these symbols are repeated from the Nicene Creed.

"The black flames and the red burning cross are repeated from the Barmen Confession and symbolizes sin.

"The double white swirl represents both the omnipotence of omnipresence of God.

"The familiar church building symbolizes the church universal while the multitude of small crosses represents the fellowship of believers."

The full text of the Brief Statement of Faith is available online from the Presbyterian Church (USA).

PC (USA) Threatened with Arson

The Presbyterian Church (USA) office in Louisville recently received an anonymous, hand-written letter postmarked from Queens, NY, which threatens arson against individual Presbyterian Churches for "your anti-Israel and anti-Jewish attitudes."

In a 12 November 2004 news release, officials at the Presbyterian Center say the letter twice mentions a November 15 deadline for the church to "reverse" its Middle East policies "or else."

The church is taking the threat seriously, although General Assembly Stated Clerk Clifton Kirkpatrick says, "The overwhelming majority of these kinds of threats never come to fruition." Kirkpatrick immediately notified PC(USA) governing bodies in New York and later expanded the message to all denominational offices. His letter includes a number of extra safety precautions churches and other offices can take.

The threatening letter appears to be in reaction to a position the Presbyterian Church (USA) took in July 2004 at the 216th General Assembly, which directed the Mission Responsibility Through Investment Committee (MRTI) "to initiate a process of phased selective divestment in multinational corporations operating in Israel, in accordance to General Assembly policy on social investing, and to make appropriate recommendations to the General Assembly Council for action."

Online resources for this issue:

• Original November 12 news release from Presbyterian Church (USA)
  


• PC(USA)'s story on Israeli divestment: Assembly Endorses Israel Divestment (from 216th General Assembly, 2 July 2004)
  


• Resolution passed by the GA (includes divestment language): Resolution on Israel and Palestine (2004) [Background document which includes rationale: Item 12-01 -- Overture 04-32 On Supporting the Geneva Accord, Urging Israel and Palestine to Implement the Accord.]
  


• Resolution passed by the GA on the Wall: Resolution on Calling for an End to the Construction of a Wall by the State of Israel [Background document which includes rationale: Item 12-02 -- Overture 04-33 On Calling for an End to the Construction of a Wall by the State of Israel.]
  


• Resolution passed by the GA on Christian Zionism: Resolution on Confronting Christian Zionism [Background document which includes rationale: Item 12-03 -- Overture 04-34 On Confronting Christian Zionism.]
  


• Study materials: Toward an Understanding of the Conflict between Israelis and Palestinians
  


• PC(USA) background new stories: Israel and Jewish Relations (includes numerous links to related stories)
  


• News story: "Criteria set for Israeli divestment targets: Specific companies should be identified by spring 2005"
  


• PC(USA)'s Ecumenical Partnerships: The Middle East Office
  

The world says,"Hate your enemies."
Jesus says, "Love those who hate you."
The world says, "Get even."
Jesus says, "Forgive, just as you have been forgiven."
The world says, "Look out for yourself."
Jesus says, "Look out for those who can't look out for themselves."
In this time of worship open youselves that God may equip you to love, to forgive, and to give.
We seek to respond to God through worship and by loving as we wish to be loved.

I Believe in the Holy Ghost

1 Corinthians 12:1-13
John 15:26-27, 16: 4b-15

On Sunday, 24 October 2004, Pastor Hunter turned his attention to the clause "I believe in the Holy Ghost," as he continued his fall series on The Apostles' Creed. Mr. Hunter began by noting that the presence of the Holy Spirit is often neglected in non-charismatic denominations, such as the Presbyterian Church (USA), except on Pentecostal Sunday. Nonetheless, the Holy Spirit underpins our lives as Christians.

As a parallel, he said, consider that the term "Holy Spirit" doesn't appear in the Old Testament, yet in Genesis it is the Holy Spirit--the breath of God--that brings order out of chaos and breathes life into the first human.

The Genesis story points to the first essential functions of the Holy Spirit: breathing new life, making all things new, and bringing order out of chaos. The Holy Spirit can bring order to the chaos of our lives by healing our broken relationships. As Paul's passage in Corinthians points out, the spirit manifests itself in difference ways in our lives. Yet if we are Christians, we have the spirit.

The Holy Spirit also works in our lives to reveal the truth of Christ to us and to guide our actions. Here, Mr. Hunter parsed the Greek word Paraclete, which is a New Testament word used to refer to the Holy Spirit. Rich in meanings, the word carries definitions such as such as advocate, comforter, counselor, and--from Greek military history--a fighting companion who protects your back.

By bringing us into a new relationship with God, the Holy Spirit reveals another essential function, one which is typified by the word Abba (i.e., "Daddy") for God. The Holy Spirit binds us into a new family. Any talent or gift that we use to build up this family, is a spiritual gift--a gift from God to helps us build up the Church and strengthen our whole faith family.

Finally, the Holy Spirit guides our prayers. The Holy Spirit is not exactly synonymous with our consciences, Mr. Hunter explained, but it is the way God guides us, prompting us during prayer to remember and tend to those things we have neglected, avoided, or suppressed.

Mr. Hunter concluded the sermon by directing our thoughts to the way the relatively recent Brief Statement of Faith (1983) treats the topic of the Holy Spirit:

We trust in God the Holy Spirit,
everywhere the giver and renewer of life.

The Spirit justifies us by grace through faith,
sets us free to accept ourselves and to love God and neighbor,
and binds us together with all believers
in the one body of Christ, the church.

The same Spirit
who inspired the prophets and apostles
rules our faith and life in Christ through Scripture,
engages us through the Word proclaimed,
claims us in the waters of baptism,
feeds us with the bread of life and the cup of salvation,
and calls women and men to all ministries of the church.

In a broken and fearful world
the Spirit gives us courage
to pray without ceasing,
to witness among all peoples to Christ as Lord and Savior,
to unmask idolatries in church and culture,
to hear the voices of peoples long silenced,
and to work with others for justice, freedom, and peace.

In gratitude to God, empowered by the Spirit,
we strive to serve Christ in our daily tasks
and to live holy and joyful lives,
even as we watch for God's new heaven and new earth,
praying, Come, Lord Jesus!

Christian & Citizen

As citizens of the United States we are given the chance to apply our Christian faith in one of the most worldly settings possible: the operation of American partisan politics. When we cast our votes for candidates and policies, we have the opportunity to practice the demanding and difficult discipline of spiritual discernment. --Kris Haig

While the Presbyterian Church (USA) certainly does not tells its members how to vote, it takes our political life seriously and provides thoughtful study guides, advice, and resources to help a person make prayerful choices when voting.

Here are some resources you might find useful:

• The Kris Haig quotation above comes from an article in the October 2004 issue of Presbyterians Today titled "Spiritual Fitness."
• The PCUSA Washington Office offers a study guide called Christian & Citizen, which explores a number of current issues from the position of Reformed thought. The team that put the guide together particularly recommends the short essay at the start of the study guide by Rev. Dr. Cynthia M. Campbell, entitled "Answering the Challenge of Political Life"” (PDF document, 3-page essay begins on p. 5).
• The Washington Office also offers a whole list of online resources on issues and approaches.
• Finally, the same source has a webpage called Theology, which includes a number of thoughtful articles that offer leading Presbyterians' perspectives concerning the church and politics, such as "Why Should People of Faith Be Engaged in Political Action?" by Bill Moyers and Joseph C. Hough. (Note: The list includes an article by Peter Pizor, former member of the Cody Presbyterian Church and Northwest College faculty member.)

Help Wanted :: Administrative Assistant

Position Opening: Administrative Assistant for Union Presbyterian Church. Responsible for church record keeping, correspondence, scheduling of facilities, and receptionist duties among other responsibilities. The ability to work with people, particularly those in crisis, and the keeping of confidentiality is of high priority.

Qualifications: Preference given to individuals with administrative and computer experience. Requires secretarial and receptionist skills including typing, filing, operation of business machines, and a knowledge of or willingness to learn Presbyterian polity. Person accepted must be bondable.

Salary: Dependent upon qualifications and experience.

Application Procedure: Resumes may be submitted to The Personnel Committee, Union Presbyterian Church, P.O. Box 906, Powell, WY 82435. Deadline for Applications is October 29, 2004.

Here Comes the Judge!

[Thanks to Cathy Marine for the sermon notes that formed this blog.]

Acts 1:1-11
Matthew 25:31-46

On Sunday, 17 October 2004, Mr. Hunter continued his series on The Apostles' Creed by examining the phrase ". . . he ascended into heaven, and sitteth on the right hand of God the Father Almighty; from thence he shall come to judge the quick and the dead."

The Ascension, Mr. Hunter explained, is a natural and comforting conclusion to the story of Christ's dwelling on earth. Although Christ descended into humanity at birth and experienced humanity's sorrow, suffering, and loneliness, the Ascension reverses the motion--returning Christ to wholeness through union with the godhead. In other words, the Ascension affirms that Christ is Lord and King, sitting at the right hand of God.

Mr. Hunter then turned his attention to the latter part of the phrase--"from thence he shall come to judge the quick and the dead"--and matters of the final judgment.

Contained in this phrase is the promise that Christ will return, but we don't know when. In fact, when considering Christ's return, how and when are not as important as why, and that why pertains to Christ's judgment of believers and unbelievers.

We know from scripture that believers are saved through their faith in Christ. Salvation is God's gift of grace, but it is not cheap grace. We must confess Jesus Christ with our lives and not just with our lips; accepting grace is accepting a life of faithfulness and obedience.

And what will be Christ's judgment of unbelievers? While reminding us this short sermon doesn't allow full examination of the issue, Mr. Hunter affirmed that salvation requires acceptance of Christ, saying, "I believe God will still require acceptance and faith on the part of the recipient even if God allows that acceptance to take place on the other side of the grave."

All of us, of course, have the free will to reject Christ and his gift of grace, but denial of Christ leads to hell, a "separation from God--a separation that begins when we reject God's love."

Although we are unsure of when and who Christ will save, we must, Mr. Hunter concluded, live our lives wisely and in the promise that Christ will forgive and save us.

Sr. Highs Sell Christmas Greenery

The Senior High Youth Fellowship is selling holiday wreaths and other decorative greenery as a fund raiser.

You can pre-order garlands, wreaths, centerpieces, swags, and do-it-yourself kits from any member of the youth group. Prices start as low as $6 (for half a pound of English holly). The 22" mixed greens wreath pictured above runs $25 (item no. W4).

All of the evergreens come from Sherwood Forest Farms, which is celebrating its 50th year of providing the "highest quality holiday decorations for not-for-profit organizations to use for fundraising." You can find the story of this 100-year-old family business on their web site. (Be sure to check out the historic photographs at the bottom of the page.)

Not only can you order your holiday greens now for delivery by the Youth Fellowship, but you also can send evergreens to friends as gifts. Sherwood Forest Farms has a "direct delivery" program that allows you to send their products anywhere in the United States.

To order your holiday evergreens, contact any member of the Youth Fellowship or call Stacy Wheeler at 754.7094.

Suffered, Crucified, Descended and Rose

Colossians 1:15-23
1 Corinthians 15:1-8a, 12-20

On Sunday, 10 October 2004, Pastor Hunter continued his series on The Apostles' Creed by focusing upon the central message of the Epistles: "[Christ] suffered under Pontius Pilate, was crucified, dead, and buried; he descended into hell; the third day he rose again from the dead . . .."

One of the interesting aspects of The Apostles' Creed, Mr. Hunter noted, is that it doesn't mention Christ's ministry but instead focuses upon the central message of the early church, which is distilled into the four words suffered, crucified, descended, and rose.

Suffered shows that God took no shortcuts as a human. Christ suffered all the emotional, psychological, and physical pains of our human life--God understood and accepted that life. As Isaiah predicted:

[3] He was despised and rejected by men; a man of sorrows, and acquainted with grief; and as one from whom men hide their faces he was despised, and we esteemed him not. [4] Surely he has borne our griefs and carried our sorrows; yet we esteemed him stricken, smitten by God, and afflicted. (Isaiah 53:3-4)

Crucified emphasizes Christ's sacrificial death to pay for our sinful nature. We must never forget, Mr. Hunter said, that our sin resulted in Christ's death, because God is a just God for whom grace is not free. It's a costly gift from Christ.

Within our church tradition, we have typified Christ's crucifixion in four different ways: reconciliation (Christ's self-sacrificing love brings us to God), justification (Christ has pleaded our case with God), sacrifice (Christ's perfect sacrifice atones for our sins), and redemption (Christ ransoms us from sin).

Descended into hell--a phrase upon which we frequently stumble--serves to remind us that Christ really died, experienced God's judgment, and was alienated from God during his crucifixion when He felt God had forgotten Him. Most importantly for Christians, however, Christ's descent into death prepared the way for the resurrection.

Rose from the dead is the essence of our Easter story and our life as an Easter people.

It is our faith in Christ's passion which leads us to righteousness.

William Tyndale, Thomas More and the English Bible

"On this day in 1535 the first complete English Bible was printed, using translations by William Tyndale and his disciple, Miles Coverdale. Only Coverdale saw the first copies roll off the press in Europe: having been run to ground by those who opposed his Bible and his example, Tyndale was in confinement, on his way to the sort of death he had, for a decade, expected and resourcefully dodged."

To read the rest of the article, visit Today in Literature: William Tyndale, Thomas More and the English Bible.

Third Graders Receive Bibles

Quin Wetzel, Megan Rathburn, and Dylan Rood use the study Bibles they just received from their church to follow along on Mr. Hunter's lectionary reading.

Peace Starts Here

Isaiah 2:1-4
Luke 6:27-36

Pastor Hunter interrupted his sermon series on The Apostles' Creed to celebrate Peacemaking and Worldwide Communion Sunday on 3 October 2004, with a sermon on how to start making peace.

"Have you," Mr. Hunter asked, "ever imagined what real world peace would be like?" Peace is difficult to recognize because we are so far from that goal. Hate crimes in Billings, Montana, and crystal meth gang-related crimes in Cody and Powell show us how close violence is to us all.

Much violence, Mr. Hunter said, results from fear and anger——the kind of fear and anger that we each experience in our hearts all the time. For instance, our fear of strangers——xenophobia——causes us to exist in a state of nervous fear much of the time.

The antidote to this kind of fear, anger, and violence is to pray for world peace, but God's peace needs to start right here . . . in our own hearts.

Christ gave us a new model for relationships in the passage in Luke 6:27-31:

[27] "But I say to you that hear, Love your enemies, do good to those who hate you, [28] bless those who curse you, pray for those who abuse you. [29] To him who strikes you on the cheek, offer the other also; and from him who takes away your coat do not withhold even your shirt. [30] Give to every one who begs from you; and of him who takes away your goods do not ask them again. [31] And as you wish that men would do to you, do so to them. "

Remarkable things can happen, Mr. Hunter says, if we follow Christ's directive:

• If we bless those who curse us, we get back what we give, amplified.
• If we pray for those who abuse us, our view of those people changes because hate leaves our hearts.
  
• If we do unto others as we would have them do to us, how can violence not leave the world?

Mr. Hunter concluded by saying,

We can confront our fears by seeking those who are strangers and making them friends. We also need to confront the anger in us, forgive those who have wronged us, and seek to practice the steps of active love that Jesus prescribed.

Mr. Hunter's entire sermon is available online. See Peace Starts Here (PDF).

UPDATE Jodi Emigh :: A Face to Go with the Name

Jodi Emigh
Administrative Assistant
Union Presbyterian Church
Powell, WY

Update (17Oct04): Sadly, Jodi has left the employ of Union Presbyterian, and the Personnel Committee is searching for a new Administrative Assistant. Jodi, we hardly knew ye.

Israel Divestiture Spurs Clash (washingtonpost.com)

[You can read the entire Washington Post article that is the basis for this blog entry by clicking on the title above. The Post requires free registration.]

Last July, the Presbyterian Church's General Assembly voted 431 to 62 to "initiate a process of phased selective divestment in multinational corporations operating in Israel."

According to Clifton Kirkpatrick, the stated clerk, the church doesn't plan a blanket divestment of its $7 billion dollar holdings, but it does plan to "target businesses that it believes bear particular responsibility for the suffering of Palestinians and will give them a chance to change their behavior before selling their shares." An example would be Caterpillar, Inc., which manufactures the bulldozers Israel buys to raze Palestinian homes.

Yesterday (28Sep04) in New York, Presbyterian officials met with leaders of the Reform and Conservative branches of Judaism to discuss the issue. Reportedly, it was a polite but strained meeting, in which neither side gave any ground.

You can read more about the Presbyterian Church (USA) and its peacemaking efforts in the Middle East by going to The Presbyterian Washington Office home page on the Middle East.

Update: The Presbyterian Church (USA) has messages from both the Moderator and the Stated Clerk on this troubling issue. See Israel & Jewish Relations.

2004 Peacemaking Offering—03Oct04

On 3 October 2004 we celebrate both Peacemaking Sunday and World Communion Sunday.

Peacemaking Sunday is the day when churches throughout the Presbyterian Church (USA) take up a special offering that is used to promote peace around the world. Our Peacemaking offering will be used in the following ways:

• (25%) Park County's Crisis Intervention Service in Powell
• (25%) Synod of the Rocky Mountains for peacemaking activities
• (50%) General Assembly for global peacemaking efforts.

Missions Committee Chair Wes Learned points out the importance of allocating 25% of our offering to our local peacemaking effort——The Crisis Intervention Service, which urgently needs financial support:

The Crisis Intervention Service (CIS) is located at 335 N. Gilbert in Powell, Although the main office is in Cody, there is a full-time person at the Powell facility along with three other staff members and a number of volunteers.

The Safehouse is located in this building. There are four bedrooms, a large living room, a kitchen and a laundry. The Safehouse is for any person or family who needs to leave their home due to domestic violence. They are provided a place to say, food and necessities for ten days. They also receive counseling and are assisted in making plans for when they leave the shelter.

Last June there were seventeen people that stayed at the Safehouse. Some stayed between 7 to 10 days.

You might enjoy learning more about peacemaking by exploring the following links:

• Presbyterian Peacemaking Program
• Peacemaking Offering
• Decade to Overcome Violence
• Peacemaking :: Iraqi Resources
• Peacemaking :: Young Adult Network
• Presbyterian Women :: Peace and Justice
• Peacemaking :: Web-based Resources

The Apostles' Creed: Real Humanity

". . . born of the Virgin Mary, suffered under Pontius Pilate, was crucified, died, and was buried."

Acts 10:34-43
Hebrews 4:14 - 5:10

On Sunday, 26 September 2004, Mr. Hunter continued his series of sermons on The Apostles' Creed by focusing upon the humanity of Jesus Christ. As Pastor Hunter explained, some early thought in the Christian church denied Christ's divinity, in particular the Gnostics, who believed Christ was fully human, and Docetism, which claimed Christ was fully spirit that only seemed to appear in human form. It was in reaction to this kind of thought that the Apostles' Creed insists Jesus Christ is fully divine and fully human. The Creed emphasizes human experience with the verbs born, suffered, and died.

Mr. Hunter focused upon three reasons why Christ's human nature is important to our theology. First, the Incarnation——thanks to Christ's Incarnation, God knows what it is to be human. Christ experienced the full range of human experience, and so God understands His human creation completely. In comparison, Mr. Hunter referred to Data (pictured at right), the beloved android character from the TV show Star Trek: The Next Generation. Although superior to humans and computers in innumerable ways, Data was keenly aware of his lack of humanity. He never, for instance, could have a spontaneous, unstudied reaction to situational humor. Because he was not human, Data never fully understood human begins. Thanks to the Incarnation, God understands the nature of humanity completely.

Secondly, Christ's willingness to assume human flesh reveals the depths of God's love for commitment to us, His creation. Christ became our link to God, the one whose human life helps lead us to God. To illustrate this concept, Mr. Hunter retold the Parable of the Birds, in which a farmer wishes he could become a bird in order to lead some pitiful, freezing birds to safety. So God became human to lead us to Him.

Finally, a fully human Christ functions as the best possible example for us fellow humans in our troubles. When Christ experienced hunger, thirst, exhaustion, and depression during His 40 days in the wilderness, his temptation represents genuine human suffering which he overcame using his human resources. Christ's example shows us that we, too, can overcome temptation, with God's help.

The Newest Member of God's Family

On Sunday, 19 September 2004, Union Presbyterian Church had the joy of witnessing the baptism of Payten Lynn Feller, daughter of Robert and Elizabeth Feller. Payten's big brother and sister—Tyler and Kortny—assisted in the ceremony, which was attended by many members of Payten's immediate family . . . and all of God's family.


Payten Lynn Feller and her parents, Rob and Elizabeth Payten

Meet Jodi Emigh

Here's a little of our new Administrative Assistant's history, in her own words:

I was born in Thermopolis and raised on a cattle ranch in Colorado, but I have roots here in Powell from 1929. My mother, JoAnn Brown, graduated from Powell High. My grandmother, Leota Brown, and grandfather, Joe Brown (he was the drilling superintendent for Dyer Drilling and drilled most of the oil wells in the Basin), lived in Powell for many years. Some of you may have known the rest of my family. My Uncle Buck, Aunt Nita, Joyce and Pat Burke lived in Powell all of my life. Uncle Flynn, Aunt Dana, Sue, Denny, Judy and Linda Brown lived in Frannie then moved to Powell. My three children, Sheli, Matthew and Staci Shallenberger, and I lived in Riverton. I worked for the police department there then was offered a position here in Powell for the police department. I have lived in Powell since 1988.

I am so honored to be here serving you in the Union Presbyterian Church. Please come by and talk with me anytime.

—Jodi Emigh

I Believe . . . In Jesus Christ (Part I :: Christ's Divinity)

Philippians 2:5-11
John 1:1-5, 9-18

On Sunday, 19 September 2004, Mr. Hunter continued his series on The Apostles' Creed by considering the divinity of Christ: ". . . And in Jesus Christ his only Son our Lord . . .." (The sermon for 26 September 2004 will focus upon Christ's humanity.)

Pastor Hunter's goal in the sermon was to affirm Christ's fully divine nature. Providing some historical background, he explained how The Apostles' Creed contains the early Christians' understanding of Christ's divine nature.

Quoting several passages of scripture, Mr. Hunter showed how the earliest confessions of the disciples acknowledge Christ's divinity. The first of these confessions is Peter's:

[13] Now when Jesus came into the district of Caesare'a Philip'pi, he asked his disciples, "Who do men say that the Son of man is?" [14] And they said, "Some say John the Baptist, others say Eli'jah, and others Jeremiah or one of the prophets." [15] He said to them, "But who do you say that I am?" [16] Simon Peter replied, "You are the Christ, the Son of the living God." (Mat 16:13-16)

One of the earliest symbols for the Christian church was the fish, which represented Christ. In later centuries, the Greek word for the fish (Ichthys) was used as an acronym that affirms Christ's divinity:

ΙΧΘΥΣ = Jesus Christ, God's Son, Savior

The divine nature of Christ, concluded Mr. Hunter, sets him apart from other great men, prophets, moral leaders, and teachers through the ages, such as Buddha. When one believes in the divinity of Christ, then Christ's miracles in the Gospels present no logical impediments: what cannot God accomplish?

When Christ says to us--as he said to Thomas--". . . do not be faithless, but believing," may we answer as Thomas did, "My Lord and my God!" (John 20:27-28).

I Believe . . .

Genesis 1 (Creation story)
Luke 15:11-32 (Prodigal Son)

On Sunday, September 12, Pastor Dave Hunter began a new fall sermon series on The Apostles' Creed by focusing upon the need for creeds and confessions in contemporary society. According to the findings of the Barna Group's "Third Millennium Teen" survey,

"63 percent of churched youth don't believe that Jesus is the Son of the one true God, 58 percent believe all faiths teach equally valid truths, and 51 percent don't believe Jesus rose from the dead." (My emphasis, McDowell and Luce; for more teen statistics, see the Barna Group topic "Teenagers.")

Consequently, says Mr. Hunter, the beginning of The Apostles' Creed with "I believe" is significant. The Apostles' Creed began as an oral document, deliberately not written down in order to protect the infant faith and its adherents from persecution. Over the years, the confession developed further as a statement of our faith's tenets.

Many of the statements in the early confession helped distinguish the nascent Christian faith from the older, more established Eastern religions which surrounded it. The words "in God the Father"--although the product of a patriarchal society--were not meant to establish the superiority of males but to help illustrate and emphasize a close, personal relationship with God and God's creation. The image of God as a parent helps establish our position in the universe as God's children and as brothers and sisters of each other.

The adjective "Almighty" points to our belief that God is in charge and expresses our assurance that--despite our limited understanding of God's will--God's love and power will prevail in the universe.

The phrase "Maker of Heaven and Earth" expresses two fundamental beliefs:

1. As the Genesis story concludes, "And God saw everything that he had made, and behold, it was very good" (Genesis 1:31). Creation is good. We need not transcend and deny the material world. It is God's creation. It is good.
2. The earth still belongs to the Lord. While we humans may have dominion of the world, it is God's and we must keep the world in good shape through good stewardship.

Church Celebrates 95th Birthday

On Sunday, 12 September 2004, Union Presbyterian Church celebrated its 95th anniversary. While the actual founding of the church dates 14 February 1909, the church delayed the celebration to augment Rally Day and the start of a new year of Christian Education and worship activities.

The anniversary service followed an earlier order of worship, and planners encouraged members to dress in the spirit of the day. The choir pulled out old black choir robes, Mr. Hunter wore a robe that "dated back to Moses," and many in the congregation put together costumes from an earlier era.

In the spirit of the day, Nancianna Nott (left) models garb from an earlier era. She holds a needle-point muff she made for her mother-in-law years ago, from a pattern published in Ladies' Home Journal. "My mother-in-law didn't need it much in Tulsa," she said, "but she always carried it to church and lay it in the pew."

After the service, Congregational Life treated everyone to a traditional chicken dinner, with members of the congregation carrying in salads and desserts.

A member of the Congregational Life Committee, Mickey Ferren (right) donned a poke bonnet to serve up the anniversary chicken dinner.

Everyone--including the youth members pictured below--enjoyed the traditional Sunday dinner and each other's company in Ferren Hall.

New Computer Projection System

Union Presbyterian Church has installed a computer projection system to augment Sunday worship and other church gatherings. A new large screen hangs behind the left-hand pulpit in a catty-corner position. Using a laptop and projector from the front pews, multimedia shines up on the screen--enlarged for the congregation's viewing pleasure.

During Sunday's service, the system projected early images of Union Presbyterian's buildings and congregations, hymn lyrics, images for the sermon, and The Apostles' Creed.


Pastor David Hunter uses the new computer projection screen to illustrate his sermon on the first phrase of The Apostles' Creed: "I believe in God the Father Almighty, Maker of Heaven and Earth."


Tim Hunter provides his dad with PowerPoint support from the pews as the church inaugurates the new computer projection system.


Hymn leader Claudia Fisher uses the new computer projection screen to project the lyrics of hymns, during the pre-service hymn sing.

We Believe :: New Sermon Series

Confessional Banner of the Presbyterian Church for the Apostles' Creed

Starting Sunday, September 12, Mr. Hunter will preach a series of sermons on the Apostles' Creed. His first sermon will cover the clause, "I believe in God the Father Almighty, Maker of heaven and earth."

The confessional banner pictured here (and which you sometimes see hanging in our sanctuary) was created by Richard K. Avery, pastor, and Donald S. Marsh, choir director, of the Port Jarvis, New York, Presbyterian Church when the Book of Confessions was adopted by the church as part of our Constitution.

One of our most ancient creeds, the Apostles' Creed (ca. AD 180-750) was developed as a baptismal creed for new Christians, and it is the most popular creed used in worship by Western Christians. Although it was not written by the Apostles, it represents the theological underpinnings of the first century church.

According to The Book of Confessions (PDF) , the Apostles' Creed developed over several centuries in response to challenges the early church faced. After its initial formulation around 180 AD,

The Apostles’ Creed underwent further development. In response to the question of readmitting those who had denied the faith during the persecutions of the second and third centuries, the church added, “I believe in the forgiveness of sins.” In the fourth and fifth centuries, North African Christians debated the question of whether the church was an exclusive sect composed of the heroic few or an inclusive church of all who confessed Jesus Christ, leading to the addition of “holy” (belonging to God) and “catholic” (universal). In Gaul, in the fifth century, the phrase “he descended into hell” came into the creed. By the eighth century, the creed had attained its present form.

For a nice discussion of why the Presbyterian Church uses creeds, see "Why Do We 'Confess' Our Faith?" , a 1996 article written by Perky Daniel from Presbyterians Today Online.

Hello Goodbye :: Changing Faces in Church Office

Goodbye and Godspeed to Elizabeth Hinton who has been our Administrative Assistant. In addition to working in the office, Liz has been active on the Congregational Life Committee and the Chancel Choir. Unfortunately, she leaves us on September 11th to return to Colorado. Thank you, Liz, and God bless you.

The Personnel Committee is pleased to announce the hiring of a new Administrative Assistant, Jodi Emigh (pronounced like amy). Jodi starts Tuesday, September 7, so stop by to say hello.

"Greet your neighbors"

How Many, Lord?

Genesis 18:20-33 (click for RSV scripture)
Luke 15:1-10 (click for RSV scripture)

Mr. Hunter's sermon on Sunday was engendered by the question "How many people does it take to make it worth doing?", with it being replaced by the church activity of your choice.

The scripture lessons for today combined two familiar Bible stories:

1. Abraham bargaining with God to save Sodom if only ten righteous people could be found in the city (Genesis), and
2. Jesus's parables of the shepherd who leaves 99 sheep to find one lost lamb and of the woman who searches her house for one lost silver coin of ten (Luke).
   

By examining these two stories, Mr. Hunter concludes that God's answer to the question "How many?" is "Only a few are needed to make mercy and compassion worthwhile." As Jesus's parables illustrate, every individual is worthwhile.

Mr. Hunter concluded with two lessons from pondering the question "How many"?

• Every person is important to God, and
• We shouldn't measure our church programs by numbers but by the impact our programs may have on one life.
  

Strange . . . But No Longer Strangers

Logo for 2004 Presbyterian Youth Triennium

This Sunday, our seven youth delegates to the 2004 Presbyterian Youth Triennium led worship, recreating a taste of their experience with 6,000 other youths for the congregation of Union Presbyterian.

Triennium was held on the campus of Purdue University during the muggy days of July 20-25. The theme for the 2004 Triennium was "No Longer Strangers" from Ephesians 2:14-19. The theme was developed throughout the week through daily presentations, worship, workshops, recreation, and small groups.


Under the guidance of Judy Showalter and Stacy Wheeler, Union Presbyterian raised enough money to send Caiti Barski, Bethany Hunter, Everett Koelling, Cassaundra Lynn, Alisa Rice, Breanne Robirds, Rachel Williams, and Anita Robirds (chaperon, right).

The service started with an energizer to warm-up the congregation, followed by the Call to Worship by Cassaundra Lynn.

Everett Koelling led the congregation in Asking God for Forgiveness. Rachel Williams read the scripture lessons for the day: Genesis 33:1-4 and Ephesians 2:12-17. The Genesis story of the reunion between Jacob and Esau provided Rachel with the theme for her Time for Young Disciples--the theme of healing broken relationships.


Instead of a sermon, four of the group shared their personal impressions of Triennium. Caussandra talked about the three themes of Triennium:

1. No longer strangers,
2. Healing brokenness in the world, and
3. Breaking down the walls that divide us.

Alisa Rice spoke about her progress through the week, where she moved from scary encounters with people who didn't believe exactly as she did to spontaneous and passionate discussions with "complete strangers."

Breanne Robirds's focus was upon her learning experience. During the week, she learned four crucial lessons:

1. Keep an open mind and listen to others;
2. Sometimes God seems silent in times of hardship, but it may be a way to build our spiritual strength;
3. When scripture becomes diluted to our eyes, we need to "step back" and look at it freshly, which can be difficult; and
4. What you put in to an experience determines the value you'll take out of it.

Ending the presentation, Caiti Barski described how she loved the sermon she heard by Mark Lomax of Georgia (left), whose fired-up testimony seemed like "more of a Baptist than a Presbyterian." She described the dramatic climax to another of the group's worship services, a piece of theatre where a wall was broken down to reveal the crucified body of Christ. We must, she said, get past the walls we've set up between us.

Throughout the service, Bethany Hunter encouraged and led the congregation in some of the new songs the group loved to sing at Triennium.