Our General Assembly

A lot of you may not realize it, but our denomination just completed it's 224th General Assembly. The Assembly, which meets every two years, met electronically using a combination of Zoom and PC Biz. The agenda was limited to items that needed immediate attention, though as Presbyterians like to do there was a good deal of arguing over what needed immediate attention and what didn't!

If you want to see everything the GA did you can go to www.pcusa.org or www.pres-outlook.org. However, I would like to lift up one item that was approved by the assembly for your reading. It's a special statement from the assembly entitled Responding to the Sin of Racism and a Call to Action. You can read it here. (A small warning: this was just approved and hasn't been "cleaned up" yet. So the underlined bold parts were added to the original motion as an amendment and any lined out parts were deleted from the original as an amendment. This is the reason for the different fonts.)

Mostly I would like to share a poem that was included in the statement. The General Assembly commended it "to the entirety of the PC(USA), its members, congregation, presbyteries, synods, and the GA entities...for reading, reflection, and meditation.

A knee on a neck

laying bare for all to see

the evil of

callous

soulless

entitled

power

choking the life from

God's beloved

just because.

We know what must change.

Will we, church?

We have written many

true, significant,

sometimes even sincere

words.

We have confessed:

Belhar, C'67, Barmen...

Enough words?

Never enough witness.

We know we must change.

Will we, church?

Grace and peace...

PT

Whatever Happened to Being Considerate?

Be considerate of others. It is one of the earliest lessons I remember learning as a child. I learned it from my parents and grandparents, my Sunday School teachers, my pastor, the lovely saints of Gallatin First Presbyterian Church, my mentors, and my teachers at school. Some of them said it out loud, but mostly I learned from watching them and how they acted. Maybe I'm looking back through rose colored lenses. Maybe people in my family and church and community weren't as considerate as I remember. But I had to learn it somewhere, right? Who else would it have been?

To be considerate is to be kind and thoughtful of others. It means putting others before yourself. It can be as simple as holding a door open, letting someone go before you in line, or leaving the last bite of sweet potatoes for someone else. It's simply being aware that other human beings exist and understanding they have thoughts and feelings and desires and fears, just like you.

Being considerate is part of what it means to be a Christian. Jesus summed up being considerate in one special rule, "In everything, treat other people the way you would want to be treated." Paul argues for the ethic in his letters to the Corinthians and the Philippians. "Treat others as if they were better than you" and "Seek the welfare of others" is how he puts it. This second one is language he borrows from Jeremiah who urges the Israelites in Exile to "seek the welfare of the city" to which they have been exiled. "For in its welfare," he continues, "you will find your welfare."

It isn't just Christians who value this ethic of putting others first. All the major religions of the world have some form of the "Golden Rule" as it is called. It's one of the things that unites people of every faith. It's also just part of being a human being, according to two interesting sources. 

Charles Darwin (we all know who he is) argued that our instinct to be considerate is even stronger than our instinct to be self-serving. Research conducted by Dr. Dacher Keltner (professor of psychology at UC Berkeley and host of the podcast The Science of Happiness) showed that our brains react exactly the same when we see other people in pain as when we experience pain ourselves. Watching someone else experience pain also activates the structure deep inside the brain that's responsible for nurturing behavior, called the peraqueductal gray. He also showed that when we are considerate of others, the brain's reward center is triggered, which elevates the feel-good chemicals dopamine, oxytocin, and endogenous opioids. This gives you a great feeling, similar to what is known as "runner's high," plus all that oxytocin is good for your heart.

To recap - that's Christianity, every other major religion, Charles Darwin, a hero of atheists, and a psychology professor from liberal bastion UC Berkely, a favorite of secularists, ALL in agreement that part of being human is being considerate of others. So here's my question: What is wrong with us?

Is something wrong with our brain chemistry? Are we all infected with some disease that blocks those feel-good chemicals in the brain when we are considerate? Are Confucius, Buddha, Jeremiah, Jesus, Paul, Mohammed, and Charles Darwin ALL wrong???

Also - what are our children learning? This is perhaps the source of my greatest concern. If I learned to be considerate from watching the adults in my community growing up, what are the children of today learning from watching us, the adults in their community and on television?

Here's just a quick glance at the top stories today:

- An older man (I can't call him a gentleman) in Florida who didn't want to wear a mask pushed his way into a Wal-Mart, knocking over the greeter that tried to stop him because Wal-Mart has a policy that customers must wear masks.

- A noose was left in the garage stall of Bubba Wallace, the only African-American NASCAR driver and outspoken supporter of Black Lives Matter who pushed for a ban of the Confederate Flag at NASCAR events, at the Talladega 500.

- Protesters at said Talladega 500 insisted on their right to display the Confederate Flag as a matter of pride in their heritage, despite being told by African-Americans that the flag is painful to them. (And in spite of it being the flag of a country that took up arms against the United States of America.)

- The President called peaceful protesters a disgrace to our country.

- A person who tested positive for Covid-19 was so angry at the health department for being placed in quarantine that they posted on social media that their civil liberties had been violated, and then posted the name, address, and phone number of the public health official that had called them. The health official received threatening phone calls and letters from around the country.

This is just the last few days. If you have watched any news over the last several years you will know, this is the rule, not the exception, when it comes to our behavior these days. Just in the last month I personally have witnessed people yelling at each other in stores, calling each other names, expressing an unbelievable amount of anger towards one another. One of our neighbors told my wife that their friendship was over and to never speak to her again after my wife told her, lovingly, that she didn't agree with something she had said.

Civil discourse has been replaced with uncivil discourse - not just in the local grocery store but in our neighborhoods, over our television and radio airwaves, in our schools, in our homes, and even in our churches.

Given what's at stake, wouldn't it be nice if people started being more considerate? Wouldn't it be nice if we put our energy into being kind and thoughtful of others? Wouldn't it be nice if people actually lived according to the teachings of whichever belief system they fall into - either one of the major religions in the world or atheism or secularism?

Wouldn't it be nice if we could treat each other with civility? Civility means the exercise of patience, integrity, humility, and mutual respect, especially with those with whom we disagree. Civility doesn't mean we retreat from our convictions, it means being a decent human being who treats other people as human beings. Our politics is almost devoid of civility these days, and I think the lack of consideration is one of the by-products. 

The virtues of civility - patience, integrity, humility, patience - are not just political values, they are theological ones, as well. We who are Christian call them the "fruits of the Spirit". When applied to our public conduct, they can infuse our conversations and interactions with grace. And I think more than anything, we need more grace in our conversations and interactions.

I realize that I may just be "a bored pastor that can't determine how to spend his time other than producing pontifical meanderings to the congregation," as one anonymous, inconsiderate person quite hurtfully said on our reopening survey a few weeks ago. But I truly think this is important. After all, if we Christians can't be considerate of one another in the church, if we can't be civil to those whom we are supposed to love, what hope is there for our society?

Grace and peace...

PT

Energizer Fun

The high school youth and I are supposed to be at the Montreat Youth Conference this week, so in the spirit of all things Presbyterian youth conference, I thought this might be the perfect opportunity to share an energizer with our church family.

For those that are not familiar with Presbyterian youth conference culture, our days often start with what we call “energizers”. These are silly dances that are meant to get everyone loosened up, energized, and ready for the day; and generally speaking, you either love them or hate them. I am on team ‘love energizers’. You’ll have to ask each of our youth their feelings about energizers when you see them!

Here’s the one I’ll share with you today. It’s to the song, “Ordinary Day” by Great Big Sea; and if you’re like me and you’ve been sitting too much during quarantine, here’s your opportunity to get up and “dance like no one is watching”!

Click here for a video of one of the counselors at Massanetta explaining the moves and here for a mediocre video of participants at a Montreat Youth Conference doing the energizer. And finally, here’s a link to the song, so you can try it for yourself if you think you’ve got it from watching those two videos, or if you want to make it up as you go!

Also, in case it’s helpful, here are the ‘instructions’ for the energizer, naming the moves and the order in which they occur. Though if you don’t already know the moves, it’ll just be up to your best guess what each of them is until you watch the instructional video.

Ordinary Day

Morse Code

Casting fishing pole and reel it in

Throw out net and pull it in

Sunshine

(hands over head in sun bursts)

Bob around in the water

Mop the deck

Wash the windows

Look left and right

Half row a boat, half blink like a lighthouse, then switch (repeat)

Deck party!

I told you they were silly! J Let’s see what you’ve got!

What We Can Do

Greetings friends,

In the virtual coffee hour yesterday following worship the conversation was about what we could do to support the Black Lives Matter movement and to work for racial justice. I also received a number of texts and emails yesterday asking the same thing. So I'd like to offer a couple of places to start.

First, I'd like to remind you of the sermon I preached on Pentecost. Often out of our great need and desire to do something, we rush past asking, "What does this mean?" Action is important, but reflection must come first if we want our action to be helpful and appropriate. 

The most important thing we can do right now is listen. We need to hear what our brothers and sisters of color are actually saying. We can't do that if we are talking. It may make us uncomfortable. We may feel a bit defensive. We may want to say, "That doesn't apply to me." We need to set those feelings aside so that we can really listen to what is being said. 

Here is an excellent article from a couple of years ago with some really great suggestions for how white people can work for racial justice. This is a great place to start thinking about what we can do to make a difference.

Here is a more recent article from the last few weeks that also offers helpful suggestions. It references the previous article and it also offers a great reading list to help white people gain a better understanding of the issue racial injustice. I think it would be great if a group of people wanted to read one (or some or all) of these books together in a discussion group.

Two other books that are not on the list that I have found to be helpful are:

Why Are All the Black Kids Sitting Together in the Cafeteria? by Dr. Beverly Tatum If you would like to hear her discuss the book you can do so here.

Waking Up White, and Finding Myself in the Story of Race by Debby Irving. The UKirk students are reading this book this summer. So if you read it, too, you can discuss it with them when they return in the fall.

If you like to listen to podcasts, I have been listening to a podcast called Code Switch for the last couple of years. It has really opened my eyes to a number of things I had never considered before and it has made me way more sensitive to how I speak and the things I say to my friends of color. You can get it wherever you get your favorite podcasts, or listen on your computer at the link I gave you above. I highly recommend listening to the first one, Can We Talk About Whiteness? After that, just pick whichever ones appeal to you. Even better, pick the title that make you uncomfortable and listen to those!

I also recommend reading Ibram X. Kendi's article from The Atlantic, "A House Still Divided." It will help you understand the important difference between being "not racist" and "anti-racist".

If you are a parent of young children, here is a great resource for talking to your children about race. 

(Just as a personal aside, when Tuesday and I were going through adoption classes 16 years ago, an African-American professor from Vanderbilt came to speak with us about issues of race and trans-racial adoption. One of our classmates said, "I don't think we should talk with children about race. They should only see people, not color." The professor responded, "Only a white person would be able to say such a thing." She went on to say that children of color don't have the luxury of ignoring the issue of race. They get called names on the playground and in society from a very young age. So black parents raise their children to be very aware of the issue. I'll never forget what she said, "The first time your child hears the N-word, it better be from you." That was an eye-opening moment for me. And as the parent of a child of color, it saddens me to tell you that what the professor said is absolutely true.)

Okay, so that's a lot of reading - but it's a good start. Of course, nothing is better than having relationships with people of different races and backgrounds. If you have these kinds of relationships, invite someone you know to lunch and ask them how they are feeling about the recent events. Don't talk. Listen. Just listen. Ask them if there is anything they would like you to know. Ask them what, if anything, you can do. Ask them if you have ever said anything that they found to be offensive and why. The most important thing is to listen. Even if what you hear makes you defensive, don't be. Seek understanding. Seek to put yourself in another person's shoes.

And if you don't have these kinds of relationships, ask yourself why. Then begin to look for ways to develop those relationships. Not as a person of privilege offering help or charity, but as a human being seeking to connect with another human being.

Finally, we must remember that we at Second Presbyterian Church, and those we call friends, have privilege and connections and power and access to power in this community that a lot of other people don't. We have used that power to raise millions of dollars for the symphony, the VMC, the Helen Ross-McNabb Center, the Junior League, for scholarships, the opera, the Emerald Youth Foundation, and any number of other worthy causes. What if we used those same connections, that same power, to advocate for policies that promote racial equality and end racial injustice? What if we no longer saw black and brown people as people needing our help, but as our brothers and sisters for whom we are called to fight? What would we do if a member of our family was being treated unjustly? Would we stand by and say that's a shame? Or would we move heaven and earth to see they are treated the way we know they deserve to be treated, not stopping, not resting until we know they are taken care of?

One of my favorite quotes ever is from a comic book. Peter Parker's Uncle Ben, who doesn't know his nephew is Spider-Man, says to Peter, "With great power comes great responsibility." It's a good reminder for us.

How will we use our power? Responsibly or irresponsibly? To get ours without worrying about everyone else? Or, as Scripture says over and over, to seek the welfare of others?

We have a great responsibility. It's no longer enough to say that we don't agree with how things are. The times are demanding that we listen and act. As Sarah Morgan said in her sermon last week, "Don't just talk about it, be about it!"

Grace and peace...

PT

On Eagle's Wings

I have a devotional book that follows the Revised Common Lectionary cycle – the same cycle that Pastor Tim and I have been following in our preaching since the beginning of Advent. This devotional book takes one of the week’s texts each day and offers a reflection, and opportunity to respond (usually a question of some sort that might prompt a journal entry or maybe just give you something to think about during the day), and a prayer. 

Today’s text is Exodus 19:2-8a.

² They had journeyed from Rephidim, entered the wilderness of Sinai, and camped in the wilderness; Israel camped there in front of the mountain. ³ Then Moses went up to God; the Lord called to him from the mountain, saying, “Thus you shall say to the house of Jacob, and tell the Israelites: ⁴ You have seen what I did to the Egyptians, and how I bore you on eagles’ wings and brought you to myself. ⁵ Now therefore, if you obey my voice and keep my covenant, you shall be my treasured possession out of all the peoples. Indeed, the whole earth is mine, ⁶ but you shall be for me a priestly kingdom and a holy nation. These are the words that you shall speak to the Israelites.”

⁷ So Moses came, summoned the elders of the people, and set before them all these words that the Lord had commanded him. ⁸ The people all answered as one: “Everything that the Lord has spoken we will do.”

And today’s reflection consisted of three questions that “confront us” from this text, one of which was this: “If we wax eloquent about the ways we are carried by the wings of God, do we acknowledge that those wings carry us not only to vistas of splendor but also to points of great need?”

Over and over again I am amazed at how the Holy Spirit works in and through the lectionary texts. Almost always, it seems that there in something in them that is so fitting for the times you would think that it had been selected specifically for that day in time.

In this passage from Exodus, the Lord reminds the Israelites that they might “wax eloquent about the ways [they have been] carried by the wings of God.” The wings of God have carried them out of Egypt, out of bondage, and into freedom. The wings of God have been their protectors through their wandering. 

But, God tells them, that is not the end. This is not a one-sided relationship. Israel is to be for God “a priestly kingdom and a holy nation.” There are some requirements that come along with their ‘choseness,’ not in exchange for God’s protection and provision, but in thanksgiving for it.

To this the Israelites respond, “Everything that the Lord has spoken we will do.” Their response to being carried on eagle’s wings is a commitment to God’s larger purpose in the world – a commitment to respond to God’s care and protection by getting their hands dirty and carrying out God’s mission in the world. Their response is an open-ended commitment to ‘be about’ (to borrow some phrasing from my sermon on Sunday) whatever God is about from that day on.

The question that today’s devotion asks is whether or not we continue to make that same commitment, as people of God who easily lift up the ways that God has been faithful to us. Do we, in equal measure, pay attention when the wings of God carry us to uncomfortable situations where we have the opportunity to turn and run or respond to God’s loving care by committing to being a part of God’s larger purpose in the world? 

Friends, the wings of God have carried us to a “point of great need” in our country. Will we turn and run? Will we shrink back and hide until the dust settles? Or will we commit ourselves, as people of God, to getting our hands dirty, to speaking out, to risking our comfort to carry out God’s mission in the world?

Prayer: 

I am both comforted and challenged by your wings, O God. Amen.

Standing Together

Greetings everyone,

I am sure that, like me, you have been watching the developments of the last week with a mixture of pain, helplessness, outrage, grief, righteous indignation, bewilderment, hope, and probably too many other emotions to name. As you are no doubt aware, different organizations have issued statements in the last week regarding the recent events. Our own Stated Clerk of the PC(USA), Rev. Dr. J. Herbert Nelson, posted a powerful and emotional video calling for change. I encourage you to watch it here:

https://www.pcusa.org/news/2020/5/29/stated-clerk-remembers-recent-victims-racial-viole/

The most powerful statement I have read, however, comes from the Young Life organization. If you aren't familiar with Young Life, it is an evangelical organization dedicated to introducing young people to Christ and nourishing them in their discipleship. Young Life is quite active in the Knoxville area, but they are engaged in ministry all over the world. I have several close friends who work for the organization. One of them shared their statement with me. It is one of the most well-written, thoughtful, prayerful, and Biblically-based that I have seen. It is lengthy but well worth your time and I commend it to your reading. I have pasted it below but you can also read it on their website here:

https://www.younglife.org/Documents/To%20Young%20Life%20Friends%20Everywhere.pdf

Grace and peace,

PT

June 3, 2020 

To Young Life Friends Everywhere: 

We write with heavy hearts that are burdened with the trials of this ministry season and how they have impacted the work we do to reach and teach kids about Jesus. We ask that you pray with us as we cry aloud to the Lord for His wisdom and His justice. 

Tragedies like the death of George Floyd and others who have lost their lives due to racial hostility — Latino children imprisoned in cages on the Mexican border, Asian Americans targeted and bullied due to the coronavirus, and an increasing number of mass shootings in public spaces have shown a spotlight on cultural/social divisions that persist within U.S. society. Globally, terrorism, the challenges of refugees escaping war-torn communities, genocides, the crisis of human trafficking and more intersect with and infringe upon the work of Young Life in countless countries. 

As individuals, as leaders, as an organization, we cry out against suffering that comes because of injustice and sin. We cry out against problems in our society that persist and seem impossible to solve. We cry out in solidarity with those in pain. We cry out, "How long, oh Lord," (Psalm 13) trusting and believing by faith that our God hears us, is moved and will continue the healing, redemptive and restorative work that began at the cross. 

Indeed, the past few weeks have been hard. While we all carried the burden of enduring and leading through a global pandemic, circumstances have regrettably asked some in our community to hold the added trauma of loss, grief, exhaustion and pain that others have had the privilege to escape. 

Let us be clear. To our African American and African Diaspora brothers and sisters ... We see you. We care for you. And we stand with you. 

We also lament that the hate at the root of these sins extends far beyond race/ethnicity and perpetuates suffering in every space of our society. The words of Dr. Martin Luther King Jr., written while imprisoned in a Birmingham jail cell, ring true today:

“Injustice anywhere is a threat to justice everywhere. We are caught in an inescapable network of mutuality, tied in a single garment of destiny. Whatever affects one directly, affects all indirectly." 

As Christians, God calls us to lean into these moments, to be the hands and feet of Jesus that help a broken world to experience the ongoing, not-yet-finished, reconciling work that Christ made possible through His death and resurrection on the cross. And yet, the loudest voice is the silence of many — especially the hush heard in parts of the Christian community. But that is not us. Not now. We will not be silent. 

We will be the peacemakers in the lives of kids and for each other. 

Moving forward, you can expect several things. First and foremost, we will remain true to who we are as Young Life — keeping our focus on introducing kids to Jesus and helping them grow in their faith. However, in pursuing this mission, we must both acknowledge and work to equip our teams to overcome systemic barriers (e.g., racism, sexism, ableism, etc.) that prevent us from helping EVERY kid experience Christ’s love. 

Secondly, we will confront hatred in all its forms as it impacts our community. As a body of believers, we will engage in intentional, constructive and healing discipleship and fellowship. More precisely, as a first step, we are working in the near-term to create a forum (e.g., virtual town hall, solemn assembly, etc.) where our staff can process the persistent evils our community faces TOGETHER in healthy and constructive ways. 

As Young Life’s senior leadership team, we will model what this looks like while simultaneously working to provide staff with the tools to lead in the communities we serve compassionately. 

This step will not be the last thing we do, and we will continue to engage where members of our community suffer. Because this is what God calls us to do as Christians: 

“But he’s already made it plain how to live, what to do, what God is looking for in men and women. It’s quite simple: Do what is fair and just to your neighbor, be compassionate and loyal in your love, and don’t take yourself too seriously— take God seriously.” (Micah 6:8, The Message) 

In closing, please join us in praying Psalm 139. 

Lord, truly, we invite you to search us and know our hearts. Help us to see and appreciate the marvelous ways in which You created each of us. Burden us to move toward those who are vulnerable and often go unseen around us. And, Jesus, give us the courage we will need in the days ahead to be the salt and light our world needs. In your name, we pray. Amen.

In Christ,

The Young Life Mission Lead Team

Wild World

Drew Holcomb is one of my favorite singer/songwriters. He also happens to be a good ol’ Tennessee boy and a UT grad. He wrote a song a few years ago that has been swirling around in my head for the last week with all that has been going on across our country. It's called Wild World, and I thought I’d share it with you all. Click here to listen to the song. And here are the lyrics, because sometimes it helps us to listen more intently if we read along.

I don't know about you, but I like to tell the truth.
But the truth seems to change every Tuesday.
When I watch the news, man, it just gives me the blues.
No one listens, just on a mission to hear their own voice.

It's a wild world we're all trying to find our place in it.
It's a wild world and no one seems to understand it.
But there ain't no way I'm gonna quit it.
Love is all we got to give away.

Some folks ain't got a dollar to their name, others got their own jet planes.
We all got the same blood running through our veins.
Whether or not you pray, black or white, straight or gay,
You still deserve the love of your neighbor.

It's a wild world we're all trying to find our place in it.
It's a wild world and no one seems to understand it.
But there ain't no way I'm gonna quit it.
Love is all we got to give away.

Try a little tenderness, maybe some benefit of the doubt.
Another person's point of view, try to listen not to shout.
Hold your opinions loosely maybe you're not always right.
Show a little mercy, and hold on to love real tight.

It's a wild world we're all trying to find our place in it.
It's a wild world and no one seems to understand it.
But there ain't no way I'm gonna quit it.
Love is all we got to give away.
Love is all we got to give away.
Love is all we got to give away.