Exploring Religion, Youth, and Sexuality: A Study

A team of researchers in Nottingham, England recently conducted a study to discover how young adults think about religion and sexuality. The team interviewed young adults from a variety of religious traditions: Buddhism, Christianity, Hinduism, Islam, Judaism, and Sikhism. They interviewed young adults who come from backgrounds of mixed-faith as well.

Results and trends from the study were published on Scienceblog.com. And more details on the study can be found on the Nottingham website. We encourage you to learn about this study and to ask many of these questions alongside the researchers.

Prayers of the People

This is a beautiful prayer of St. Paul's Episcopal Church in Fayetteville, Arkansas. It can also be found on the church's website.

Sing for joy, O heavens, and exult, O earth for our Gracious God looks upon us with steadfast love and compassion: Preserve us from faithless fears and worthless anxieties, O Gracious One, as we bring our needs before you in faith, saying: For God has comforted the people, and will have compassion on those who suffer.

.

Litanist: Empower your Church as servants of Christ and stewards of God’s mysteries, that we may strive first for the kingdom of God and your righteousness, O Holy One. For God has comforted the people,

and will have compassion on those who suffer.

Guide our leaders and all in authority throughout the world to bring forth your justice as trustworthy stewards, O Mighty One, that they may establish the lands in equity, so that none may hunger or thirst, or live with worry and anxiety. For God has comforted the people,

and will have compassion on those who suffer.

Like a nursing mother, you cannot forget us or fail to show your children compassion, O Loving One: Still our souls to be quiet, like a child upon its mother’s breast, that we may wait upon God, from this time forth, for evermore. For God has comforted the people,

and will have compassion on those who suffer.

Hear the cry of all who call to you, and in a time of favor, answer them, that every person may be fed as the birds of the air and clothed in radiance as the grass of the field. For God has comforted the people,

and will have compassion on those who suffer.

With childlike trust we offer to you in prayer those for whom we make intercession.

We give thanks to you for your blessing and providence, offering our gratitude.

We entrust to your never-failing arms those who have died.

For God has comforted the people,

and will have compassion on those who suffer.

You have inscribed your people on the palms of your hands, our Creator, and you care for us with your eternal loving kindness: Bless all humanity with your grace, that no clouds of this mortal life may hide us from the light of that love that is immortal, and given to us through Jesus Christ, who with you and the Holy Spirit, lives and reigns, one God, for ever and ever. Amen.

A Poem: The Guest House

This being human is a guest house. Every morning a new arrival.

A joy, a depression, a meanness, some momentary awareness comes as an unexpected visitor.

Welcome and entertain them all! Even if they're a crowd of sorrows, who violently sweep your house empty of its furniture, still, treat each guest honorably. He may be clearing you out for some new delight.

The dark thought, the shame, the malice, meet them at the door laughing, and invite them in.

Be grateful for whoever comes, because each has been sent as a guide from beyond.

~ Rumi ~

Spotlight on Service: Pasadena Mental Health Center

At Pasadena Presbyterian Church, we aim to be a "sacred space for the city," and for that reason, we desire to learn about opportunities for service in Pasadena and to support and celebrate what non-profits, ministries, and charities are doing right in our midst.

And so. . . this week we honor the Pasadena Mental Health Center!

The Pasadena Mental Health Center has been a part of our local community for many years, offering services to individuals and families in Pasadena since 1965. Their mission is to "provide affordable, accessible, and appropriate mental health services for individuals, families, and children in the diverse Pasadena area and surrounding communities who have no other resources for such care."

The Pasadena Mental Health Center offers services for low-income individuals and families who are uninsured and do not qualify for Medi-Cal. Most individuals and families who receive services are uninsured or under-insured, and for 70% of these individuals and families, annual income is below $19,000. More than 1000 people receive counseling services every year.

In partnership with the Pasadena Police Department, the Pasadena Mental Health Center provides the Youth Accountability Program. This program works with juveniles who have committed a minor first criminal offense. Individual and family therapy is offered along with parenting classes.

The Pasadena Mental Health Center has also partnered with schools in the Pasadena Unified School District to provide counseling to students who otherwise would not be eligible for services.

They have also initiated the United to Nurture Individuals Program, focusing on youth in Pasadena and Altadena who are at risk to join gangs. The mission of the program is to help vulnerable children and adolescents so that they might make healthy, positive life choices and avoid gang activity.

There are many ways to help the Pasadena Mental Health Center. Members of the community can volunteer, make a financial contribution, or donate goods and services. We can also advocate for this important non-profit organization and let others know about the services they provide.

We are grateful for all that the Pasadena Mental Health Center is doing in our city. Thank you!

Prayers for Libya

Our thoughts and prayers are with the people of Libya this week as they live in the midst of political upheaval and violence. An army unit attacked people in a mosque today with automatic weapons inside the city of Zawiya. The people inside the mosque were gathered to protest the leadership of Colonel Moammar Gadhafi and his regime, calling for his resignation. They had been camping at the mosque for days. At least 10 have died and approximately 150 people have been injured.

After the attack, thousands marched to Martyr's Square inside the city, chanting, "Leave! Leave!"

Later in the day, Moammar Gadhafi responded in a speech on Al-Jazeera, attributing the political revolt to the influence of Osama bin Laden and Al-Qaida.

"Fight for Libya Edges Closer to Tripoli and Gadhafi" by NPR Staff and Wires contains recent updates on the today's violence in Libya.

You Are Included

Luke 15:1-3, 11-32

But while he was still far off, his father saw him and was filled with compassion; he ran and put his arms around him and kissed him.

He did a very, very offensive thing. . . The younger son in this familiar passage certainly offended all the customs and conventions of his day. He stepped outside of the norms, crossed over the lines, and acted in ways that were shocking and shameful – shocking and shameful to himself, his family, and his neighbors.

Perhaps he had considered his plans for a while. Maybe he practiced how he might ask the question, how he might make the demand. “How should I word this exactly. . .?” he may have asked. Or perhaps his plans were simply made on the spur of the moment. Perhaps the desire for immediate gratification overcame him, and he didn’t really consider how his words might hurt or wound those around him.

“Father, give me the share of the land that will belong to me.” That wasn’t really a question at all. It seemed to be a demand, an expectation, and entitlement. And did you catch that? That word ‘will?’ “Father, give me the share of the land that will belong to me.” He’s asking to translate ‘will’ into now.

He did a very, very offensive thing. . . Because under all conventional standards of the day, the younger son would not have gained this inheritance now. The ‘will’ of it all – “Father, give me the share of the land that will belong to me” – hinged on one thing: the death of his father. In other words, as we translate this demand into the cultural language of the day, the younger son is in effect saying, “Father, be dead to me. I can’t wait for your death. I want my share of the inheritance now.” That was a very, very offensive request to make.

And he receives that inheritance. But he doesn’t use it to care for himself and his father. He doesn’t use it for the good of others, or again, even for the good of himself. Instead, he runs off to a distant country and squanders the entire inheritance on dissolute living. He asked for his father to be dead to himself. And then, he became dead to himself – dead to the person he was called to be.

And yet, thank God, there is grace. Yes, thank God that grace can come even in the rock bottom moment. A famine comes, and though the younger son may have assumed that his inheritance was abundant enough to last forever, like all things that are perishable – money, food, and worldly sustenance – his monetary inheritance hit rock bottom. And so did he. He was so poor and so in need, that he did something else that would have seemed wildly offensive to anyone he grew up with back at home. He hired himself out to be a swineherd, to tend to pigs which were unclean under Jewish law. And his rock bottom moment comes when he is so hungry that he envies those pigs. They have sustenance even in that slop, and that’s more than he can say for himself. The scripture says that there was grace even in this filthy moment of needy destitution. The text says that, “He came to himself.”

Isn’t that an interesting phrase? He came to himself? His monetary inheritance had run out, but he was on the verge of discovering there's an inheritance that is not perishable, an inheritance that cannot be squandered under any circumstances, an inheritance that has to do with identity through love.

There was grace in a glimmer of understanding. And yet, he underestimated it for what it really was. He began to dream of return – return to his father, return to himself – but he underestimated it. “Father, I have sinned against heaven and before you; I am no longer worthy to be called your son; treat me like one of your hired hands.” He set off to return, to be less than the one he was called to be.

He did a very, very offensive thing. . . He stepped outside the norms, crossed over lines, and acted in ways that were culturally shocking and shameful. Yes, the father did a very offensive thing, culturally speaking. Though shamed by his son and treated as though he were dead, the father continually sought after he son. He did not avert his eyes, constantly looking in love, dreaming for the wellbeing of his treasured son. He broke every standard, every expectation, and looked like a fool to his neighbors. In love, perhaps beyond what we can imagine, he did an offensive thing. . . Like a fool, he ran with open arms to greet the one who had disowned him and wronged him. He kissed his son. He did not let his son finish this speech, this tainted version of who he was in his father’s eyes. “Father, I have sinned against heaven and before you; I am no longer worthy to be called your son.” He had spoken the truth, yet there would be no talk of acting as a hired hand. This was his beloved child, and he had returned. He had come to live as the one he is. “Bring the robe – the best one! Oh, bring the best sandals and a ring to place on his finger. My child! My child! My child has come home! My child! Kill the fatted calf! We will eat and celebrate, for this child of mine was dead and is alive again! He was lost, and he was found!”

The younger son may have treated his father as though he were dead. But there is nothing he could do – no distance that he could travel – that could render his father’s love dead. This love was alive, and for that reason, he named his son as the one he had always been, who he would always be: This fully alive, beloved child. The father welcomed him in love and threw a lavish party to celebrate that deep, rich, love – love which was wildly offensive in the world’s eyes – deep, rich, unconditional love toward this child who had returned.

And. . . he too, did a very, very offensive thing. . . The older brother was hurt by this lavishness. Perhaps he felt as though this feast – this abundance – was being squandered too. His younger brother had not only shamed himself. He had shamed everyone! He had left more work, more labor for his older brother, because he was not here to do it himself. He had literally demanded his share of the land, and then he squandered the proceeds it provided him. And because his father was still alive – and thank God he was still alive! (He didn’t want his father dead like somebody else!) – the older brother had to take care of his father with a smaller pool of resources than they had before. His younger brother had tarnished his family’s name, and for what? For a lavish party! Since when had his father done anything like this for him? He had stayed here. He had toiled. He had been faithful. Where was his party? There was no fatted calf! There wasn’t even a goat. And he did an offensive thing. He refused to enter the party. He chose to be alone. Self-righteous, yes, but also alone. Somehow, self-righteousness can make hermits out of us. . . And he stood there, scowling, sulking, he himself distant from his father.

And again, unconditional love can look so downright foolish. It’s offensive really. The father’s deep, rich, unconditional love was offensive in the way that it was willing to enter even the most offensive of places. Again, the father stepped outside the norms, crossed the lines, and acted in ways that were culturally shocking and shameful. He did what no host would do it his culture: He left his guests, and he went out to meet his older son. The older son made his complaints. He expressed his frustrations. It’s easy to empathize with him, but it’s also easy to forget the same thing the older son had forgotten about himself. His father listens, but he also lavishes his son with abundant love, “Son, you are always with me. You cannot truly be distant from my love for you. All that is mine, is yours.” And then the challenge: “This brother of yours was dead and has come to life. He was lost and has been found.” Yes, the challenge. “He is mine. Will you let him be yours? Will you come in, where my love is big enough for the both of you?”

What a story. How offensive. How challenging. How profound.

Do you know who you are? Do you know it? Do you know Whose you are? Do you know who and Whose you were created to be?

The first epistle of John says it so well: “See what love the Father has given us, that we should be called children of God; and that is what we are.” “God is love, and those who abide in love abide in God, and God abides in them.” Beautiful words. True words. And then, these words which are true and rich with challenge, “Beloved, since God loved us so much, we also ought to love one another. . . if we love one another, God lives in us, and his love is perfected in us.”

Hear the good news of God’s love for you. You are included in God’s love. Wake up to it! Live like it’s actually real and true! And hear the good news of God’s love for the world. The world is included in God’s love. God’s love for you is so big, that it can include the world – those you love, those known unto you, those unknown to you, those you can’t stand. . . – without ever diminishing God’s deep, rich, unconditional for you. God’s love for the world is so big that it can really and truly include you – yes, even you! - without diminishing any of that love for the world. This love is endless and boundless.

So what are you waiting for? Won’t you go into that party and celebrate?

You may feel as though you have wandered so far away from God, that God has stopped waiting for your return. You may feel as though God would never run after you with open arms. It may seem as though you’ve squandered it all, and you might as well indulge in pig slop. Well, the good news for you today is that you are not pig slop, and you were never made for pig slop! God is looking. God is watching. God is loving with open arms. There is nothing you can do to nullify that love. You can’t un-beloved child yourself. And because that’s true, here’s the challenge. If you don’t know that love, or you’re not living as if that love is real, you are missing something. Turn around. Come to yourself – your true self, you true beloved self. Leave that distant country – whatever it is; addiction, rage, pettiness, pride, self-loathing, isolation, greed, hoarding, competition, gossip; whatever it is – and come home. Come home. There is a Love so deep that it’s offensively running after you. It’s on the offensive! Run in the direction toward the One who runs after you.

Or you may feel as though you’re standing outside these days. Perhaps you’re resentful. Perhaps there are people you’d rather God not love. Perhaps you define them as outsiders, and yet, you are the one refusing to enter God’s deep love. Or perhaps you feel ostracized yourself. Remember that God’s love for them cannot nullify God’s love for you. And God’s love for you cannot nullify God’s love for them. If all that is God’s is lovingly yours, your neighbors and your enemies are yours to love. Embrace them. Run after them as God runs after them. Or allow yourself to be loved by them. Enter that lavish party. You are included. There is a Love so deep that it’s offensively coming into your isolation. Enter that celebration. You were born to be included and to include others.

Know that God’s love this day – and this moment! – is here, for you, and for the world. Won’t you come in?

Renee Roederer
PPC L.I.F.T.
Pasadena Presbyterian Church

Company of New Pastors!

Greetings!

This week is an exciting one for me because I have a great opportunity for continuing education right here in Pasadena. I am a participant in an exciting initiative of the PC(USA) called the Company of New Pastors. As a seminary student, I was grouped together with a cohort of peers from Austin Presbyterian Theological Seminary - some older, some younger (all with a variety of life experience!) - to discuss our transition to ministry and to engage in spiritual practices together. Once seminary graduates move toward positions in the church, the Office of Theology and Worship places us in geographical cohorts. This week I'm meeting with my West Coast Cohort for the first time. We're having a retreat at Fuller Theological Seminary.

I have enjoyed meeting the people in my group. They all bring vibrant personalities, life experiences, and a variety of ministry contexts to our discussions. Though we have different backgrounds, we are all relatively new to ministry vocations. We are benefiting greatly from the wisdom and experience of two mentors who are with us as well. They will be an integral part of our time together over the next few years. Our cohort will be meeting annually for four years.

You can learn more about the Company of New Pastors on the PC(USA) website. This initiative assists new pastors as they transition to ministry vocations, providing community and a nurturing environment to ask questions and be supported.

I am grateful for this opportunity!

Peace,
Renee

Young Adults Face Unemployment Difficulties in the Middle East and North Africa

As we hear about the protests and political unrest in various nations in the Middle East and North Africa, we are aware that youth and young adults are very active in voicing their concerns and organizing demonstrations. For many, unemployment is a prevalent issue.

Many young adults in this region are highly educated but face a shortage of jobs in their nations. A story from NPR's Morning Edition explores the experience of young adults seeking employment and gives statistics about the "Youth Bulge" in the Middle East and North Africa. "In Arab Conflicts, the Young are the Restless" by Alan Greenblatt is a good introduction to these concerns.

Prayers of the People

Loving God,

On this day, we sit before you in concern - concern for one another, for our very lives, and for the life of the world. Help us to pray from this place of concern, to be called in our prayers, that we might be a part of the very prayers we make.

We give you thanks for your constant love - for your care and concern for creation, for the all ways you are present to our lives. We thank you for delicious food, for rain, and laughter in the eyes and voices of children. Turn us toward these gifts - these delights - that we might live in the present moment, to give you thanks and to live as the persons you have created in your image.

We come to you to ask for help that your grace, mercy, and love might be made known to us in an even deeper way right in the pain of our own struggles. We pray for those who are struggling financially - those of us, those we know, and those we hear about - who are on the verge of foreclosure, who have lost jobs, who don't know where their next meal will come from. We pray for children who are ravaged by these realities but can barely affect what is so strongly affecting them. Help us to be a part of the prayers we make today.

We pray for those who are struggling with sickness and death -those of us, those we know, and those we hear about - who are living and dying in hospitals, who are on the battlefield, who are bedridden at home, perhaps in isolation. We pray for people who are living what is true for us all - an awareness of human fragility. Yet even in our fragility, we are more powerful than we know in your love. Turn our meager resources into a great abundance, that we might be a part of the prayers we make today - that we might share your love with those who are suffering.

We pray for a turbulent world, for nations where promise, violence, and confusion all intermingle. Today we especially pray for the Middle East and for North Africa, where people are protesting en masse, longing for justice and for fragility to be empowered. We pray for Egypt and the decisions that lie ahead, for Bahrain and Libya where protesters have met strong violence this week, for Yemen, for Tunisia, for Iran, for Jordan, and for Iraq and Afghanistan. Though it may feel that the people there are a world away, they are our brothers and sisters. Help us to love them and to stand alongside them. Help us to be a part of the very prayers we make.

We are your people, O God. Though we are fragile and finite, we are people made in your image and likeness. We are your beloved people who live in a beloved world. So now as your children, we are bold to pray the prayer that Jesus taught us, saying. . .

Our Father, who art in heaven,

Hallowed be thy name.

Thy kingdom come,

Thy will be done on earth as it is in heaven.

Give us this day our daily bread.

And forgive us our debts as we forgive our debtors.

And lead us not into temptation but deliver us from evil.

For thine is the kingdom, the power, and the glory forever.

Amen.

-A Prayer of Pasadena Presbyterian Church

Growing Interest in Farmers Markets

Spotlight on Service: San Gabriel Habitat For Humanity!

At Pasadena Presbyterian Church, we aim to be a "sacred space for the city," and for that reason, we desire to learn about opportunities for service in Pasadena and to support and celebrate what non-profits, ministries, and charities are doing right in our midst.

And so. . . this week we honor San Gabriel Habitat for Humanity!

San Gabriel Habitat for Humanity has been a part of our local community since 1990 as an independent affiliate of Habitat for Humanity International, and with the help of many volunteers, the organization has built more than 50 homes and provided permanent affordable housing for more than 300 men, women, and children.

In 2011, San Gabriel Habitat for Humanity is launching its Geneva Campaign, which will provide five "green" homes on Geneva Street in Glendale. San Gabriel Habitat for Humanity also tithes on the unrestricted contributions it receives, and through giving, the organization has helped build more than 70 homes around the world. These days, tithed funds are designated for Habitat Homes in Nepal.

San Gabriel Habitat for Humanity is always in need of assistance from our community. They offer many opportunities to contribute to their mission. Here is a statement from their webpage:

"San Gabriel Valley Habitat for Humanity (SGVHFH) engages the community to volunteer time, talent, money and donated materials to build affordable housing. This builds stronger communities, better neighborhoods, stable families and relationships that will last for years to come. All areas of society — individuals, houses of worship, businesses and other agencies — can get involved. Habitat for Humanity is a catalyst for positive change in the San Gabriel Valley and we invite you to join us!"

San Gabriel Habitat Humanity also benefits from financial contributions. If you would like to learn more information about donating, you learn more on their webpage.

News Concerning SFTS Southern California

As many of you know, the Board of Trustees of San Francisco Theological Seminary has voted to close its Southern California campus out of economic concerns. SFTS Southern California has been a great partner in ministry for the last 20 years in Pasadena, and the campus meets in our building at Pasadena Presbyterian Church.

Our prayers are with students, staff, and faculty who are feeling a great deal of grief this week. We pray that they might find meaningful opportunities for study, work, and vocation.

And our prayers are also with our congregation as we lose this important partner in ministry. We trust that many of the relationships we have built with individuals and the SFTS community will continue.

Here are some news stories concerning the decision to close the campus.

1. From the SFTS website:

SFTS Board of Trustees Announces Closure of its Southern California Campus

2. From the PC(USA) website:

SFTS Closes its Southern Campus

The End Justifies the Means

Matthew 5:38-48

But I say to you, Do not resist an evildoer. But if anyone strikes you on your right cheek, turn the other also; and if anyone wants to sue you and take your coat, give your cloak as well; and if anyone forces you to go one mile, go also the second mile. . . .

What a rich text. . . What a challenging text. . . Isn’t it a difficult one? There’s so much to think about here. . . Turn the other cheek. . .Give the cloak as well. . .Go the second mile. . . Love your enemies. These are some of Jesus’ most challenging teachings. But like the other parts of the Sermon on the Mount that we’ve studied in recent weeks, this passage is life-giving too. And it’s life-transforming as well.

You know, this passage has had a big impact historically. This text has been foundational for a lot of Christian pacifist movements throughout the centuries. And certain Christian communities have been created out of these pacifist movements – movements that have taught that violence should never be used.

The Anabaptists were one group who operated this way. The Anabaptists lived during the time of the Reformation when cities, towns, and villages in Europe were being torn apart in conflict – not only verbal conflict or theological conflict, but in the physical conflict of religious war. These conflicts were happening as individuals and government leaders and larger communities were breaking away from some of the teachings and practices of the Roman Church. The Anabaptists were persecuted for their beliefs and practices and often killed for them. They believed that they should not resist the persecution that came their way – at least, not with physical violence in return. From the Anabaptists, we get the modern Hutterites, the Mennonites, and the Amish – all pacifist groups that live in various places in the world today.

We also have the Quakers, another Pacifist group. Maybe when you hear that name, the first thing that comes to your mind is the Quaker Oats guy!

(And you know what? I found a picture of William Penn online, the Quaker who founded Pennsylvania after he was pushed out his home because of religious persecution. And you know what? William Penn really does look like the Quaker Oats guy! At least in that picture.)

But Quakers are known for much, much more than oatmeal! The official name of the Quakers today is the Society of Friends, and they’re strongly against using any force – personal violence or violence through war. And they’re a witness to all of us, reminding us that Christians are called to peace.

And then, we’re a bit more familiar with some of the non-violent movements that have happened in the last forty years. Not too long ago, the Civil Rights movement of the 1960s was pushing forward, but not without resistance from others. It was meeting all kinds of violence and hatred. Many of the Civil Rights advocates were actually using that violence and hatred to advance the cause for freedom and equality. Black men and women – many of them very young – were doing sit-ins, protesting racial segregation and Jim Crow laws in the South by refusing to give up their seats in public restaurants that only served whites. They were beaten, spit upon, mocked, and dehumanized. But they didn’t return the violence. And in their non-violent resistance, they put the violence and hatred of others on public television sets. Many of these scenes – these real life brutalities – were responsible for a national conversation on race, and they led to legislation like the Civil Rights Act of 1964. More than 40 years later, we still have a long way to go when it comes to the issue of racism in America, but without these young people – many of them, the same age as PPC's young adults – we certainly wouldn’t be where we are today.

Members of all these groups have looked to Jesus’ teachings from our passage, and their interpretations have reminded us that we are called to peace – to love our neighbor, and yes, to love our enemy even when it isn’t convenient, perhaps, when it’s incredibly inconvenient.

And so I wonder, what other interpretations of this text have impacted others? What have other people had to say? And what might we say – not just in these written words, but in the ways we choose to live because we’ve heard Jesus speak to us?

I wish I could say that Christian interpretation of this passage has always been sweetness and light, but there have also been some dangerous interpretations of this text throughout history.

Imagine this scenario: You’re a pastor, and a woman walks into your office. She’s in her forties, and you’ve known her for about two months. She and her husband and their three kids are relatively new to the church that you serve, and you’ve really enjoyed getting to know them. In fact, you felt that you really hit it off with them. And so, maybe it’s no surprise that this woman feels she can trust you. She can come to you when things get difficult. But there's a terrible surprise: When she comes in your office on a normal, run-of-the-mill afternoon, she’s bruised all over. You’re startled. And when you sit down, you learn something you would have never expected. Her husband beats her. Regularly. But as she tells you, this time was worse than it's ever been before. She wants to know what you think. What should she do? Retaliate? Leave him?

Well. . . she has the answer. She seems to want to impress you with her theological convictions. Or maybe. . she might be talking like this to convince herself that her convictions really are true – that they must be followed. Or maybe she’s testing you out to see what you have to say. After all, you’re a pastor and you’re supposed have authority on Jesus’ teachings, right?

She goes on to tell you what she plans to do. She tells you what other religious people have told her during her twenty years of marriage. “I made a commitment to my husband,” she says. “More importantly, I made a commitment to God. I know he shouldn’t hit me like this. But my job is to turn the other cheek. That’s what Jesus teaches me. My job is to continue loving him, and if loving him means that I have to take it, I will. But I do pray that he’ll stop this. Will you pray for that too?”

She goes on to tell you that her pastors and many of her Christian friends have sent her right back into this situation, quoting Jesus all along the way.

Difficult, isn’t it? But I think we all have a gut reaction that serves us well. This woman should not be abused, and we shouldn’t send her back in to take even more, additionally slapping some gospel label on it. So what is Jesus saying here? Just grin and bear it? Put on a smile and offer your other cheek for the hitting? Be a doormat?

I suppose if we just stayed on the surface level here, it might sound like Jesus is encouraging us to be doormats when we encounter all kinds of wrongs and persecution and abuse. “Just take it!” But if we dig deeper, we’ll be strengthened with deeper meaning as well.

Let’s think about these situations for a moment. . . turning the other cheek. . . giving the cloak as well. . . walking the second mile. They might sound ‘doormat’-like on the surface, but they don’t have to be that way at all! In fact, if we think a bit more deeply, they’re all pretty defiant! When an enemy strikes your cheek and you turn the other one calmly without hitting back, in a way, you are saying, “What can you do to me, really? You may think you’re powerful – that you can oppress me – but I can show you that you can’t destroy me. You’re no oppressor if I refuse to be oppressed!” In the spirit of this passage then, perhaps surprisingly, for the woman we’ve spoken about, turning the other cheek would mean that she stops taking the abuse – that she refuses to be oppressed, removing herself and her children from that situation. And we need to do all we can to support her.

Or if someone sues you for your coat in an attempt to have something from you, and then a few days later, you wrap up your cloak and send it the mail as a gift, there’s something defiant about that. In a way, you’re saying, “What can you do to me really? You can’t oppress me! Here’s my cloak. It’s on me, pal! You haven’t taken a thing, have you?”

Or if someone forces you to walk one mile and then you respond by going two miles, again, you are saying, “Look! Watch me! You may try to oppress me, but you can’t. If I go two miles, you haven’t forced me to do a thing, have you?”

These teachings aren’t really ‘doormat’ at all. All of them call us to walk the higher road – to respond to our enemies in a way that highlights grace and love – love for the enemy and love for ourselves, love that respects our worth and theirs. Jesus isn’t teaching us to just sit around and take it. No, not at all! He is telling us to defy it! To resist it! But how do we do that? We overcome it with love!

And also, with little spunk. Let’s look at Jesus’ own context to see what he might be saying in this sermon. Think about this: If you were to strike someone on the right cheek, how would you do that exactly? Go ahead. Put out your hand like you’re going to slap someone. (Don’t really do it! This is all hypothetical!) Unless you’re left handed – you would have to back-hand someone to hit the person on the right side of the face. Now in Jesus’ day, if a person backhanded you, he wasn’t only being violent. He was conveying that to you that you weren’t an equal. So when Jesus tells us to turn the other cheek, he’s not only teaching us to be non-violent in love (though that is true). He’s also teaching us to say, “Hey, wait a minute! I won’t stand for that. I am not going to be oppressed by you. I am your equal. And as your equal, I will walk the high road in all of this. I will refuse to be backhanded.”

And then, there’s this: In Jesus’ day, people wore a coat and a cloak – basically an undergarment and an over-garment. If someone were to sue you for that undergarment, and then you were to give them your cloak – your over-garment as well – you’d basically be standing there naked! Weird, right? And in Jesus’ day and culture, nakedness wasn’t ultimately shameful to the one who unclothed – it was extremely shameful for the one who had to see it. And so again, Jesus is telling us to resist evil with love and with a little spunk. Now I’m not telling any of you to take a stand by getting naked! But I am trying to show you that if someone shames you, Jesus teaches us to lovely resist that shame with love by standing up for ourselves, and who knows? Maybe we'll even with a sense of humor.

And then, there’s this too: In Jesus’ context, the Jewish people were living under the occupation of Rome. There was a custom – an unfortunate one – that a Roman soldier could coerce any person to carry his pack for mile no matter how inconvenient or oppressive it may have been. Can you imagine walking outside for a simple stroll and having some soldier stop you to carry his stuff for a mile? Jesus is telling his disciples to walk the high road of love. If a soldier forces you to go one mile, go two. That way you teach yourself and the soldier that you can’t be oppressed. Don’t retaliate in violence. And don’t just sit around and take it either. Show kindness to that solider, that enemy. Show kindness to yourself. Value your humanity so much that you won’t allow yourself to be oppressed.

Aren’t these teachings incredibly profound? In studying them this week, I feel that I’ve learned so much. In fact, I discovered a little detail that really energized me. In the NRSV translation, verse 39 says, “But I say to you, do not resist an evildoer.” Wow. On the surface, that sounds pretty doormat to me. But then I fell upon something really interesting in the Greek text.

Okay, quick grammar lesson: Have any of you studied Latin or German? Both of those languages have cases. That means that words have certain endings to tell you what grammatical role they are playing in the sentence. Greek has cases too. And when a word is a direct object, it's in the accusative case. The word has a certain ending on it to tell you that it’s the direct object. And so, our sentence here is: Do not resist an evildoer – or it could even be, Do not resist evil. Again, pretty doormat sounding, right? In that sentence, ‘evil’ is the direct object. Do not resist – what? Evil. So we should find the word ‘evil’ in the accusative case with a direct-object type ending.

Well, guess what? We don’t. ‘Evil’ is the direct object, but it has a dative ending! And if that’s a foreign word to you – or if all of this sounds like grammar gobbily-gook, that’s okay. But it’s incredibly significant as we think about the passage. In Greek, there is a thing called ‘A Dative of Means.’ When a direct object is in the dative, it tells you the means by which something is done. So actually, what this text may be saying is this: Do not resist with evil – or – Do not resist by evil. Well, that really changes things, doesn’t it?

So Jesus isn’t telling us to be doormats when it comes to evil! Jesus is telling us that we should resist it! That we should oppose it! That we should withstand it! But here’s the thing: We do it with love. And if the end is love – if the goal is love – in the Christian faith, as it is, then the end ought to justify the means by which we act. If the goal is love, we are called to fight evil, persecution, and abuse with love – love of self, love of neighbor, and yes, love of enemy. The end justifies the means. Love is the end. Love is the means.

How will you practice that this week?

Renee Roederer

Director of Young Adult Ministries

PPC L.I.F.T.

Prayers for the Middle East. . .

In the wake of Egypt's recent political protests, citizens of other nations in the Middle East are protesting their governments as well. Each situation is unique in the demands of the protesters, but some protesters have been killed and injured today in the push-back from these governments.

Protesters went to the streets in Iran today, and they were met with tear gas.

Protesters went to the streets in Bahrain today, and they were met with tear gas, rubber bullets, and birdshot pellets.

Protesters went to the streets in Yemen today - more than 1000 people - to protest and demand political reforms for the fourth day.

A highly organized opposition group in Kuwait is planning various gatherings on March 8th to demand a change in cabinet officials.

And other nations are experiencing pressures for various reforms as well. Let's continue to pray for those who are living in the Middle East, that justice may emerge strongly and that peace may exist in the lives of people who live in the region.

"Egypt Echoes Across Region: Iran, Bahrain, Yemen" by the Associated Press gives details about each of these movements.

Help For Parents!

NPR ran two interesting stories on Morning Edition about parenting today. Both stories dealt with the importance of fostering an atmosphere where children can learn self-control.

Have you ever had trouble getting your child to eat his vegetables? Have you ever been at a loss to motivate your child drink her milk? Is your child a picky eater? "To Win Toddler Food Battles, Try Softer Approach" by Sarah Varney consults experts to help wean her son away from his "I only want macaroni" diet.

Self-control is important as children grow and develop. Psychological studies are demonstrating that self-control and a sense of delayed-gratification are important tools that help us accomplish goals and socialize well with others. "For Kids, Self-Control Factors Into Future Success" by Nancy Shute discusses these ideas.

At PPC, we can also provide support for parents of young children and adolescents. Parents need rest and a place where they and their children are accepted and fully welcomed. Let's continue to pray for parents and children who are a part of our congregation.

A Prayer For Sunday

My Lord God,

I have no idea where I am going. I do not see the road ahead of me. I cannot know for certain where it will end.

Nor do I really know myself, and the fact that I think I am following your will does not mean that I am actually doing so. But I believe that the desire to please you does in fact please you. And I hope that I have that desire in all that I am doing. I hope that I will never do anything apart from that desire.

And I know that if I do this you will lead me by the right road though I may know nothing about it. Therefore will I trust you always though I may seem to be lost and in the shadow of death. I will not fear, for you are ever with me, and will never leave me to face my perils alone.

Amen.

-Thomas Merton

SOX Place Denver

SOX Place is a ministry in Denver working with vulnerable youth and young adults. The ministry was begun by Doyle Robinson, otherwise known as "Sox." It's amazing how far love can reach when we invite young people into our lives!

Spotlight on Service: The Bad Weather Shelter

At Pasadena Presbyterian Church, we aim to be a "sacred space for the city," and for that reason, we desire to learn about opportunities for service in Pasadena and to support and celebrate what non-profits, ministries, and charities are doing right in our midst.

And so. . . this week we honor the Pasadena Bad Weather Shelter.

The Pasadena Bad Weather Shelter is a ministry of the Ecumenical Council/Friends in Deed, an organization that seeks to improve the lives of those who are experiencing homelessness, hunger, and poverty in our city. The Bad Weather Shelter provides a warm place to stay the night along with an evening meal.

The Bad Weather Shelter is open every night during January and February. This year, families are registering and eating meals at Pasadena Covenant Church, and from there, they are transported to Altadena Community Church or Messiah Lutheran Church to stay the night, depending on the particular night of the week. We are grateful for all three houses of worship that are providing their space to meet the needs of others.

In addition to daily openings in January and February, the Bad Weather Shelter is activated on other evenings as well. When the temperature is 40 or below or if there is a 40% chance of rain overnight, the shelter is additionally opened on evenings from the day after Thanksgiving to the end of December and from March 1 through March 15.

All individuals and families facing homelessness are welcome. There is no discrimination based upon race, sexual orientation, gender, ancestry, national origin, legal status, or disabilities.

If you are curious to know if the shelter is open during the weather active season, you can call the Hotline at 1-888-915-8111. Again, the shelter is open every night in January and February. For all other questions, please call 626-797-2402.

Pasadena Presbyterian Church is serving at the Pasadena Bad Weather Shelter this evening! We'll set up cots and serve a meal. All are invited to participate. Hope to see you there!

Responses to the Open Letter

As many of you know, a group of 45 Presbyterian Clergy sent an Open Letter to the PC(USA) last week, urging us consider several proposals - among other considerations, to adopt a clear and concise core of that it means to be theologically Reformed and to move toward a minimalist form of government.

If you would like to read the letter in its entirety you can find it in the post "This Week: An Open Letter to the PC(USA)".

In this post, we could like to provide access to several responses to the letter. To begin, here is an article from the Presbyterian News Service called "Ferment" written by Jerry Van Marter.

And here are some other responses. What are your thoughts?

1. The Future of the Church: GA Leaders Invite All Presbyterians to Join in Conversation by Cynthia Bolbach, Gradye Parsons, and Linda Valentine

2. About Your Invitation. . . (an Exegetical RSVP to the "Deathly Ill" Summons) by Rev. Dr. Margaret Aymer Oget

3. From the Voice of a Young (And Proud) Presbyterian by Krista @ Rooted in Faith

4. Response to the "Deathly Ill" Church Letter by Katie Mulligan

5. For Such a Time as These by Sean Chow

6. Further Thoughts on the Fellowship PC(USA) by Stephen Salyards

Gehenna and the Kingdom

Matthew 5:21-37

A member of a congregation I served once told a story that’s endearing and powerful at the same time. This person knew a teacher who lived in Colorado. The teacher taught 4th grade, and she had just finished a unit on The Lion, the Witch, and the Wardrobe. As many of you may know, this book is a classic children’s story by C.S. Lewis - the most popular and well-known book in his Narnia series. Lewis wrote a series of seven books about a mythical land called Narnia, and the books have become famous as allegories for the Christian life. The teacher had just finished the unit on the book, and the kids loved it. And to top it off, the movie of The Lion, The Witch, and the Wardrobe was just coming out. So now it was time to give the kids a chance to enter the story for themselves. . .

The 4th grade teacher created a world for her young students. She found a refrigerator box and decorated it to look like a wardrobe. She was setting up the scene for Narnia. She placed the “wardrobe” in a classroom that was connected to the school library. When the children arrived, she told them that she had a surprise for them: “I’m going to take you to Narnia today,” she said. She took them from their classroom, down the hallway, through the library, and into the adjoining room which would become their world for a while. It was empty, except for that special box.

Little by little, a few kids at a time entered that cardboard wardrobe, and they were transformed. It didn’t take long for them to lose themselves in their wonderful world of play. Now they were Lucy and Peter and centaurs and elves. . .

It didn’t take long for the world of play to become fully alive, and along with fully alive, it became fully loud too! The librarian was next door and was gradually becoming more and more irritated at the noise. Eventually, she couldn’t take it any more. She marched into that room and disciplined the kids. “The noise level in this room is inappropriate! I want it quiet in here! Don’t you know where you are?!?”

She was looking for the obvious answer. She wanted to hear, “We’re in a library,” and obviously libraries are meant to be quiet places. But instead, a sweet 4th grade girl, poked her head around the refrigerator-box-turned-wardrobe and innocently replied, “We’re in Narnia.”

It was so matter of fact. We’re in Narnia! Of course, we’re going to act differently! Of course, we’re going to feel differently! Of course, we’re going to play differently! Narnia – this is a different world – a world of dreams, and myths, and joys, and transformation. And that world – Narnia - was breaking into their world – into a simple library. These kids were in a refrigerator box. But they were also in Narnia.

And as we study the Sermon on the Mount in the upcoming weeks, we have an opportunity to enter a world too. And we won’t be leaving this world to get there. In fact, we’ll be entering this world more deeply – more richly. We’ll sit at Jesus’ feet on that holy mountain, listening to him, and we’ll learn that God’s kingdom is continuously breaking into this world – right here! And we’ll live differently as a result. Some may begin to ask us, “Don’t you know where you are?!?” And from this church and this neighborhood and this city, we will peek around and joyfully proclaim with our very lives, “We’re in the Kingdom of God!”

And maybe that framework will help us enter this scripture passage. As Jesus continues in this Sermon on the Mount, he shows us that he’s not talking about another world “out there somewhere,” but he’s talking about this reality. His feet are firmly planted on the ground; he’s living fully in this world – in this world where he teaches that a Kingdom reality is breaking forth, calling us to live differently.

Jesus is living fully in his context. And this may seem obvious, but it’s an important and wonderful thing to mention: Jesus was a particular human being.

He lived in 1st century Palestine. He lived under the occupation of the Roman Empire. He was Jewish through and through. So when we hear him saying, “You have heard such and such, but I say to you. . .” Jesus isn’t being non-Jewish - as in “Well, the law says this but I am standing over-and-against the law telling you something else. . .” No, Jesus is being fully Jewish. He’s living and acting as a Rabbi. He's teaching what he believes to be the true spirit of the law, and he’s calling us to act in particular ways – again, calling us to enter this world more deeply by living according to God’s reign which is breaking into this world. That’s quite a call. That’s quite an opportunity.

And what sort of things does he have to say? Well they aren’t easy. But sometimes, the most difficult teachings are the most profound opportunities, aren’t they? Jesus teaches about anger. Jesus teaches about lust. Jesus teaches about marriage and divorce. And Jesus teaches about vows.

All of these human experiences were swirling about in Jesus’ day just as they’re swirling about in our day. As God made flesh – as a particular human being - Jesus had witnessed anger. I don’t think this passage is telling us that we should never be angry. Anger is very real human emotion, and at times, our scriptures tell us we should be angry; there is such a thing as righteous indignation when we witness or experience injustice or abuse. And Jesus felt anger too. It made him angry when he saw human suffering. He was angry when he overturned those tables in the temple, watching people abuse a house of worship for personal gain. Jesus felt anger just like we did. He was human like us.

But I imagine this passage shows us that Jesus had also observed others using anger differently. Maybe he had personally witnessed how anger can eat a person alive. It can also cut people down. When we’re angry indefinitely to the point that we hold grudges – when we’re angry to the point that we act abusively toward others, we often find ways to dehumanize them. We don’t recognize others as the children of God they are; and in our anger, we murder their spirits. That’s strong language, but it can happen in so many ways. We gossip. Oh wow, do we gossip! We say horrible things about people sometimes. And when we do that in our anger, in a certain sense, we’re kind of murdering in a way – we’re cutting people down in the eyes of others. And when the gossiped hear about our words, they often feel dehumanized. And maybe we’ve felt that way before too when we’ve been gossiped about. Perhaps we could say that reputations have been murdered.

And think about what ongoing, unhealthy anger does to us! When we hold grudges to the point that we act abusively, we destroy ourselves! We dehumanize ourselves with our own anger! Anger is a healthy and human emotion, but when it’s used destructively, it seems to destroy everyone involved. I’m sure that Jesus had witnessed this in his own context.

And there’s more. I imagine that Jesus had watched how people were objectified in his culture. And he had something to say about that: Adultery? You might let yourself off the hook if you haven’t gone that far. But where does adultery begin? And even if lust doesn’t lead to all-out adultery, how much do you harm another person by objectifying her for your own purposes? How do you harm a person by objectifying him for your own purposes? Our objectifying lusts can be so much like adultery. With our eyes, we begin to think we own people as property or as our own possessions.

Jesus saw this happening to the women around him. It seems that he observed how lust can destroy both the person being objectified and the person doing the objectifying. In both cases, people are not being treated as the children of God they are. One is being reduced to a sexual possession, and the other is hurting himself or hurting herself by living outside the call to love our neighbors for who they really are – people of infinite worth who cannot be reduced to sex objects. I’m sure that Jesus witnessed this in his own context.

And the same is true with marriage. The topic of divorce should be discussed here with care. Some of us have experienced divorces. Others have experienced divorce through the lives of family members or friends. Sometimes divorce is a sad necessity, and I firmly believe that God’s grace continues with those who have experienced divorce and also with those who have remarried. It’s important to say that. Keeping these things in mind, maybe it helps to continue to look at Jesus’ context.

In 1st century Palestine, Jesus was watching how frivolously men were divorcing their wives. The Mosaic Law said that they could do this, but often men were doing it simply because they were displeased with their wives or simply tired of them. And in a patriarchal culture, women had little access to financial resources apart from their relationships to men - their husbands or their male family members. To send a wife away for any reason – simply because it was legal – was to send a woman out into the world with no financial protection. Her options were to remarry, to return to family (if they would have her), or to live as a prostitute. Just because something is legal doesn’t make it ethical. I’m sure Jesus witnessed this in his own context.

And finally, the same is true with vows. I’m sure Jesus witnessed the damage people can do when they make promises they can’t keep – or sometimes, promises they don’t intend to keep. And then, they invoke God’s name in the process. Jesus tells us to simply let our ‘yes be yes’ and our ‘no be no’ – to be someone who can be counted on. Don’t make promises that you can’t keep, and certainly don’t run God’s name through the mud in the process. You can’t even make your hairs white or black. Why do you make extravagant promises when you don’t know if you even have the power to keep them? Just because we make promises, doesn’t mean that you and I are consistent or trustworthy. I’m sure Jesus witnessed this in his own context.

So as we hear about Jesus’ context, it’s not hard to see how all of these teachings apply to us too. And as our own Teacher, how is Jesus calling us away from these realities into the deeper reality that is right here breaking into our world – a reality that doesn’t dehumanize people but showers them with love, a reality that sweeps them up into the very life of God? How is Jesus calling us away from objectification toward recognizing the infinite worth of others? How is Jesus teaching us to uphold the needs of others? How is Jesus calling us into this Kingdom?

The Kingdom is right here breaking into our world. And we can pray that God gives us eyes to see it. Jesus says something pretty difficult in this passage: If your eye causes you to sin, tear it out and throw it away. Better to lose one part of yourself than to fully land in hell. Wow. When we hear that, we might start to picture flamey lakes of fire and brimstone. We might start to imagine devilish pitchforks. But apart from any caricatures, maybe we feel afraid. . .

Actually, what Jesus says is this: It is better to lose one of your members to be thrown into Gehenna. That’s the Greek word that’s used in this passage.

Well what’s Gehenna? It’s an interesting word because Gehenna is the Valley of Hinnom – a real place, an earthly place. This valley was just on the outskirts of Jerusalem. It had a sordid history and a real foulness in Jesus’ time. During the time of the Israelite kings, Gehenna was a place where Israelites worshipped a foreign god named Molech by sacrificing their own children in the fires that were burned there. And because of this sordid history, Gehenna became the garbage heap of Jerusalem and everything unclean. It was a horrible place filled with all kinds of rot and decay – not only garbage but also the bodies of criminals and the carcasses of animals. Can you imagine that sight? Can you imagine the smell? This was a literal place - an earthly, visible reminder of everything that was unclean, rotting, and decaying. Gehenna was not a reality you wanted.

And so Jesus tells his disciples, when we don’t love – when we don’t value humanity – when we don’t treat others with respect as the claimed children of God, we are creating hell – not only for those we hurt but also for ourselves! So often, we create and participate in earthly forms of hell. We might as well be throwing ourselves right into the depths of Gehenna – that garbage heap on the outskirts of Jerusalem.

And so we have choices about the reality we choose to see. We have choices about the reality we live in. Like Narnia breaking into a school library, God’s Kingdom is breaking into this world. Perhaps like scripture, we could call it the new, holy Jerusalem – and we can live into its fullness! Or. . . we can live our lives in Gehenna, a garbage heap.

And we often find ourselves living toward one reality or the other. I know that I do. My life is often sadly divided between Kingdom-living and Gehenna-living. I’m sure the same is true for you.

But here is some good news: When we find ourselves in that burning heap of trash-like living, we are not lost! We have been claimed. We are loved with a love that we can’t throw into the trash heap if we tried! There’s nothing we can do to un-do that love and that claim upon our lives! But the question is this: Will we open our eyes to it and let it affect us? Will we let it sweep up our reality in our daily lives? Let’s continue to practice saying yes – to practice living yes. We’ll keep doing that in response to this Sermon on the Mount. Amen.

-Renee Roederer

Director of Young Adult Ministries

PPC L.I.F.T.