A message to the PC(USA) from the vice-moderator

by Elder Robert E. Wilson
PC(USA) General Assembly vice-moderator

Do we need Black History Month? Yes.

But we need to get back to the original intent of the celebration.

Black History Month began as a yearlong study and discussion of African-American history, with the month of
February as the kickoff. Many say Black History Month is necessary until textbooks more completely and accurately portray the contributions Blacks have made.

We need to make sure books and curricula are upgraded so that schools and churches can teach Black History the whole year, rather than one month. Black students, as well as Asians, Native American, Hispanic/Latino and White students need to know more about African American culture than just the history associated with slave owners.

The main thing they need to know is about the people who were willing to make that ultimate sacrifice for freedom.

Did you know, for example, that in 1801 the General Assembly of the Presbyterian church appointed John Chavis (ca. 1763−1838) as the first Presbyterian missionary to African-American slaves? A free Black, Chavis preached to slaves and mixed audiences. He served as a missionary, teacher, and minister in Virginia from 1801−1807 and in North Carolina from 1807−1832.

We yearn for the time when African-American History is just known as history.

The PC(USA) professes that racism in all its forms is contrary to the gospel of Jesus Christ? It also acknowledges that racism is a reality in both church and society. The church is committed to spiritually confronting the ideology of racism and racial oppression and working to overcome racism with prayer, discernment and worship-based action.

Last month, on Race Relations Sunday, we affirmed that Jesus calls us to love in a world of challenges. God makes us live together. We are not made for separation; we are made for each other. We are not made for individuality; we are made for community. We are not made for division; we are made for love.

Unfortunately, every day we confess our complicity in creating and maintaining love of race throughout life,
including within the church. At the same time, though, we celebrate God’s vision of life together. We commit to confronting the love of race, and we renew our intention to live according to God’s vision. And, ultimately, it is God’s vision that will come to fruition.

It is time to join in God’s vision. Are you ready? Is your church ready?

This story may also be seen here:
http://www.pcusa.org/pcnews/2008/08133.htm

submitted by Hailee Barnes

Does something have to be fact to be true? Can something be true in my life and faith without
being fact?

These questions were raised in my campus group this Sunday as we are following a series titled “Living the Questions.” Last night’s discussion was based on the topic of “Thinking Theologically.”

We were asked the questions: What is the character of your God? How does your church worship God in a way that fits with God’s character? And a few other questions that I cannot remember. There was a good discussion, but there were so many questions and thoughts presented that it was hard to leave and turn off those wheels long enough to get some homework done.

I feel a little too overwhelmed by the questions right now to discuss them so I am going to leave it at that and see if maybe these questions lead you anywhere or spark more questions.

Hailee is a student at the University of Montana in Missoula, MT. She is the incoming co-moderator of NNPCW's Coordinating Committee.

by Jennifer Ross

For me, my faith and service work have always been inextricably connected. I believe serving others is my call as a Christian. We are told over and over again throughout the Bible to build community with others, to serve others. This summer, I will be traveling to Tanzania, Africa to build community with my brothers and sisters in Christ, teaching English to the Maasai people. This trip has been on my mind a lot lately and I mention it as a segue into a more general musing about why I think service is important.

I try to live my life by the Gospel lessons. Jesus came to earth to save us from our sins and commanded us to love our God and to love our neighbors as ourselves. In this globalized world, I think we often forget the love our neighbors as ourselves part. Jesus did not mean, love your friends and family, love the people who think and act like you, love those of a similar economic status, love those who have received the same amount of education as you or love yourself alone. No, Jesus tells us to love everyone. Everyone. The homeless, the working poor, the Republicans, the Democrats, the drug addicts, those in prison, anyone who is oppressed or an outcast of society in addition to the people that society deems easy to love.

Jesus lays it all out there for us, tells and shows us what we are supposed to do; all we have to do is follow it. Jesus ate with the tax collector, talked with the Samaritan woman, healed the lepers—defied social norms! How radical! Jesus shows us and now we have got to go out and do the same. That is what life is about for me. Serving, being in community with all of my brothers and sisters in Christ. Think about it, the most radical thing we can do, is to choose to love each other.

And so that is what I am going to do. I am going to make community with, to love, my brothers and sisters in Africa, in the hopes of doing something to lighten their load, sharing their burden and they in turn will share mine. That is the great thing about community—sharing. If I am open to it, their hopes, fears, burdens will become my hopes and fears and burden and my hopes, fears and burdens will become their hopes and fears and burdens. One thing that never ceases to amaze me is human beings’ capacity to love. In the face of the worst possible trial or tribulation, we never loose our ability to love.

Love is all you need.

I realize how silly and idealistic it seems, how one could say, "oh you young college student, you. You don't know the ways of the world!" But think about it! What can love not do? Love can bring food and water to those who don't have any, love can stop fighting, love can teach children how to read. Love can do all of these things because Love died on a cross to save us. When we love each other, we are realizing and affirming one another's humanity.

So go out in the world today and love someone. Because, as the old hymn says, “they will know we are Christians by our love, by our love…”

Jennifer is a senior at Rhodes College in Memphis, TN. She is also on NNPCW's Coordinating Committee.