August 7, 2006

The Prophetic Voice

There are times I regret not having a pulpit from which to speak the Word spoken to me by the Spirit. These are such times.

Our nation’s leadership believes that the way to confront evil is to take up the sword and that peace will emerge out of violence. I get a very different story when I read the Bible. I am told to turn the other cheek. Jesus rebuked the disciple who sought to protect him with his sword saying, “Put your sword back into its place; for all who take the sword will perish by the sword.”

I long ago stopped counting how many people have expressed their frustration that no voices have been raised to challenge the thinking of our nation’s leadership. It is a frustration that I share. But we are complicit in this silence.

I have not been out of the pulpit so long that I have forgotten the reasons for this complicity. When I dared to preach a sermon that considered the possible invasion of Iraq in light of the Just War Theory, I received a firestorm of response. People have been taught to fear the future more than to hope for tomorrow. Those who question current policy have their character, faith, and personhood challenged rather than their ideas.

But where is the moral and ethical voice of the Church? Are we talking about these things in adult study? Have we accepted the burden of the prophetic voice that is part of the ministry to which Christ has called us? Should worship on Sunday morning ignore – in its prayers and preaching – the horrors that we hear every other hour of the week and which overwhelm millions of people in the Middle East? If we accept the mantle of Elijah and the yoke of Christ, are we not called to be among the first voices that speak the Word of God? Will this not embolden others to lift their voices as well?

Will the Lord rise up a prophet for this day?

Blessings,

Peter Nord

Inside this issue

This week’s events:

§ PUP Implications Task Force: August 9, 1:00pm

Presbytery Offices

Take Note/Act Now

§ Mission Money Available

§ Mission Surveys

§ Gulf Coast Hurr. Relief Trips

§ Renewal Efforts Event

§ Pastoral Care Gathering

§ Transformational Conf.

§ Multicultural Institute

§ Youth Triennium 2007

§ Seminarian Medical Plan

Prayer Concerns

Next Generation Project

Grove PC

People

Pray for Donna Lea’s (New Imani) sister, Loretta, a non-smoker with lung cancer who is currently hospitalized for a third week. Pray that appropriate follow-up care arrangements can be made.

Sarah Diehl will leave Towson PC on August 20^th to begin a Chaplain residency at Johns Hopkins University Hospital.

Prayer Concerns

The Next Generation Project

asks for prayers:

· That they may find a good space to rent in Baltimore City for the right price and in the right location

· For Tim and Saranell as they offer relationship counsel

· That they may expand their circle of contacts

· For the beginning of fundraising efforts

Grove PC

asks for prayers:

· For their new evening Adult Bible Fellowship beginning this fall

· For God’s guidance in developing a new youth ministry

· For unity and vision working with 10 or more churches to develop the Aberdeen Outreach Ministry to serve the poor

· For clarity and vision from the Holy Spirit as they prepare for the influx of 5,000 new families to their area as a result of the Base Realignment

Take Note/Act Now

Baltimore Presbytery Items

Money available for Mission: read about two sources of mission funding that are available now to your congregations (read more).

Mission Survey message from Deb Milcarek: “Thanks!” to all of those congregations who have returned their Mission Surveys. This data will be published in a resource that will be a useful tool for your mission committees. You will be surprised to see how many mission efforts we all have in common! In order for your information to be included, please return the survey immediately. If you cannot locate one, contact the Presbytery office and we’ll dash one out to you.

Get Connected: Gulf Coast Hurricane Relief Trips. Using information from recent church mission surveys and newsletters, we’ve assembled a chart of trip dates, past and future, for various churches in the Presbytery of Baltimore. Would your church like to send a group to the gulf coast, but would like more info from those who have already gone? Want to team up with another church to travel and work? Check the chart on our homepage, listed after our main story.

The Presbytery has been asked to publicize an event that will explore renewal efforts within the denomination. It will take place on August 22^nd at Christ Our King PC in Bel Air. The Presbytery will be represented.

Synod and GA items

The Presbytery Pastoral Care Network presents their 7^th Annual National Gathering on September 25-28, 2006 at Columbia Theological Seminary in Atlanta, Georgia. The theme is “Hurricanes, Earthquakes and Traumas in the Pastorate: Caring for Clergy in Times of Crisis,” with keynote speaker Dr. Katrina Cochran. Learn more.

Doing Church in the 21^st Century, the PC(USA)’s transformational conference, will be held on October 19-22, 2006 in Las Vegas, NV. Learn more from brochures and a blog on the event website.

The Third Annual Multicultural Church Institute will take place on October 23-27, 2006 in Stony Point, NY. The institute is open to clergy and laity and includes a wide variety of workshops on incorporating multiculturalism into all areas of church life. More.

Youth Leaders: The 2007 Presbyterian Youth Triennium will be held at Purdue U. from July 17-22, 2007. The gathering is open to high school youth in the PC(USA) and the Cumberland Presbyterian Church, ages 15-19. For more information, see the info sheet for the event or go to www.presbyterianyouthtriennium.org.

Seminary Students may apply for participation in the Board of Pensions medical plan between Aug. 1 and Sept. 30. If interested, go to www.pensions.org.

Also on our website

Don’t miss all the new Local Church Announcements at: http://www.baltimorepresbytery.org/announcements.html Presbytery Yearly Calendar

Past Issues of Tidings are available at: http://www.baltimorepresbytery.org/midweekmail.html.

Peter Nord, Executive Presbyter

pnord@baltimorepresbytery.org

Bill Millen, Associate Executive

bmillen@baltimorepresbytery.org

Deb Milcarek

Associate of Mission and Justice

dmilcarek@baltimorepresbytery.org

Charles Forbes, Stated Clerk

cforbes@baltimorepresbytery.org