Every week the worship bulletin of my home church listed the missionaries our congregation supported. I'm not sure that I ever saw any of them, although they might have come to visit our church when they were back in the states. But I often heard about them. We prayed for them regularly and the pastor would frequently give us updates about their work in Egypt and in Pakistan. They always seemed heroic, willing to sacrifice their own comfort in order to share the gospel. 

At some point we started referring to missionaries as mission coworkers. The change in terminology was significant. It recognized that there were already Christians in the countries where our missionaries were working and that these Christians had already organized Presbyterian churches and established their own Presbyterian denominations. Rather than working with the heathen, they were working with denominations that had their own priorities and with pastors that had their own churches.

Our mission coworkers weren't bringing the gospel to these people. They already had the gospel. Instead our mission coworkers were helping these pastors and these churches to proclaim the gospel to their own people.

I don't mean to criticize those who were missionaries. They made many sacrifices, living in dangerous situations and sometimes even sacrificing their lives. But some of them had an attitude. 

Some of them looked down on the people they came to help. Sometimes they saw these people as inferior and they saw themselves as bringing "enlightenment" as well as the gospel to the "heathen".

Sometimes pastors - as well as presbytery executives - see themselves as missionaries. They think they know more than the people they have come to serve. They believe they have been called to bring "enlightenment" and to teach people how to do church the right way.

The reality is the people we are called to serve are already Christians. The reality is they already know how to do church. The reality is they have as much - or more - to teach us than we have to teach them. That doesn't mean we can't be helpful or encouraging. It doesn't mean that we don't have some insights or skills that might be helpful. It does mean we have to keep our attitude in check.

Rather than missionaries, it may be helpful to think of ourselves as anthropologists. Rather than telling people what to do, we need to be asking questions, trying to understand why they're doing things and seeking to discover what they're trying to accomplish.

At least that's what I'm trying to do. Each day I have more questions. There is so much that I don't understand, so much that seems to have changed since 2007 when I left for Kansas. I don't have all the answers. But I do believe God is - and has been - at work here. I believe God is with us now. I believe there are people out there who need the gospel. I believe these people are driving by and even walking by our churches every day. I believe we can help each other and learn from each other. We have the gospel. We have opportunities. We have our work cut out for us.

Let's keep looking for ways that we can work together. Let's keep listening to one another and listening for the Spirit. Let's keep asking questions. Maybe we won't figure it all out but maybe we can find ways to help one another other be faithful and joyful as we share God's good news.

Session Records Review events will take place throughout the Presbytery in the coming months. Clerks are invited to attend any of the Session Record Review gatherings in order to complete the Minutes Review requirement (G-3.0108a). A complete checklist is available here:  Session Records Review Checklist 2016.

• Huntington & Teays Valley Clusters - 03/20/16 at Kuhn Memorial Presbyterian, Barboursville, WV
• Charleston Cluster - 04/02/16 at Festival of Faith, First Presbyterian, Charleston, WV
• Clarksburg Cluster - 04/03/16 at Glenville Presbyterian, Glenville, WV 
• Mountain Valley Cluster - 04/10/16; location TBA
• Parkersburg Cluster - 04/17/16 at Beulah Humble Presbyterian Church, Elizabeth, WV
• Beckley Cluster - 04/24/16; location TBA
• Greenbrier Valley Cluster - 05/01/16; location TBA

You've heard of Maundy Thursday and Good Friday, but what about "Money Changer Monday?" When Jesus ripped through the temple on Monday of Passion Week it set in motion events that led to his Resurrection. Eleanor Presbyterian Church will begin Passion Week by recognizing the importance of this event with a FREE concert by the group "Bluegrass Harmony" on Monday, March 21, at 7:00 PM at the church. Formed in 2002, "Bluegrass Harmony" plays traditional and gospel music. Attendees are asked to bring canned food items to support the Five Loaves and Two Fish Food Pantry. 

Pastor John Yeager said, "Palm Sunday was a day of praise and honor, but after the temple was torn up the chief priests, teachers, and leaders of the people began to plot against Jesus. This is a week of deep sorrow and great elation for Christians." 

"Bluegrass Harmony" has performed on the radio show; "Music from the Mountains", at the Mountaineer Opry in Milton, WV, and at The Purple Fiddle in Thomas, WV.

Yeager said, "Each of the days of Passion Week is significant," He further explained, "We might call Tuesday, "Tricky Tuesday" because the chief priests asked Jesus questions to try to trap him. And Wednesday is "Spy Wednesday" because that is the day Judas secretly betrays Jesus for 30 pieces of silver."

Eleanor Presbyterian Church will also celebrate Maundy Thursday with a symbolic Seder Meal. This event will begin at 7:00 PM on March 24. The church is located at 205 Eleanor Circle, Eleanor, West Virginia. For more information contact Pastor John Yeager at 304-360-1198.

The Prayer Vision Initiative is a ministry of the Relations Committee with the goal of promoting prayerful vision to discern the Spirit's direction and to provide encouragement for churches and ministries within the Presbytery of West Virginia. "Spirit-Listening Times" will be offered in each cluster throughout 2016.  The next gathering will be in the Teays Valley Cluster at 7 PM on Monday, March 14, at First Presbyterian, St. Albans.

These gatherings will include intentional times for prayer, scripture, contemplation, music, and community. Together, clusters will seek and listen to the Holy Spirit as the Body of Christ for the Body of Christ, build relationships between churches and ministries of the Presbytery, and bear one another's burdens and encourage one another.  

Each church is asked to send at least two representatives to the prayer event in their cluster.  Churches and participants are asked to prepare in three ways: (1) session and/or the congregation may pray over those who will attend, (2) participants and others may pray for wisdom and insight for at least three days prior to the gathering, and (3) participants are asked to contemplate Luke 18:40-41 for three days prior to the gathering.

For more information, please contact Nancy Didway at [email protected].  

Does your church have good news to share? Let us all celebrate with you! Maybe it's a milestone anniversary for the congregation or one of its members, or a celebration of a new ministry, or maybe you've experienced God's glory in new ways.  Share it with us so the whole Presbytery can rejoice! In God's economy, no news is too small to celebrate!  Send your Good News tidbit (a sentence or two) to [email protected] so we can include it in the newsletter.

So try it! Try Enacting the Word and see what happens.

 

You can find more information about the conference at:

• Presbyterian Disaster Assistance
• Presbyterian Hunger Program
• Self Development of People
• One Great Hour of Sharing Financials