What's new?

"What's new?" "Anything new with you?" "What new thing is going on in your life these days?" These are among the greetings I sometimes hear people say upon seeing someone they know that they might not have seen in awhile. Shopping around Christmastime, browsing at post-holiday bargains, going to the theater, visiting a museum, or maybe stopping by the gas station and/or convenience store, we may inevitably encounter friendly acquaintances with whom we've not caught up recently and utter a query along these lines.

 

Indeed, what is new with you? I'm interested to know. But why? I wonder... Is it natural curiosity? Am I being nosy for some reason? Is it interrogatory hubris, hidden arrogance under a façade of compassion on my part? Do I really care? I suppose some, if one were to probe inwardly, honestly, may not, really. It's just something to say for the moment in order to eventually pass the time on to the next thing that you're actually on the way to do. Each wants to only briefly acknowledge the momentary interruption, yielding instead, to the presiding purpose of our predetermined progression for the time at hand. And so we might humor one another with surface conversations for the sake of exchanging niceties and exercising customary manners.

 

Then again, what if there truly is something in us yearning to discover something fresh and new that would enliven things a bit? What if there was even a remote possibility that something radical, however small it may seem at first, was happening in another person's life that could come to mean the world to us? Could it be that some of us, if not all of us, deep down inside are looking to find a new event—a new experience—that brings fresh joy and fills our hearts anew to overflowing? Not merely a distraction, but a welcome intrusion is instead wanting, waiting to be embraced by us in our very presence. Is it just coincidence, or might there be an underlying theme—an ongoing current throughout humanity's existence which resonates with a deeper truth about who we are and who we are becoming along life's journey? Perhaps in the process, we are being given the opportunity to receive the very precious gift of having a companion along the way to share, if but for a moment, that we are not alone on the road of life and that we are blessed to be able to experience mutual encouragement on the way.

 

As we enter into and embark upon a new year of proclaiming hope, peace, joy, love and life in the light of Advent shining through the ages, our sensibilities and notions of living out our lives in faith are challenged once again to break forth from the drudgingly dreary doldrums, yet also beautifully cheery snows of winter, toward the ensuing, burgeoning brightness of spring. The experience of Revelation as relayed by John through his writing down of the last book in the Bible has one verse that echoes, in my mind, throughout time and space: "Behold, I AM making everything, all things new!" (Revelation 21:5)

 

Upon all of creation's history, these words from The Word reverberate with resounding resonance through the millennia, impacting our continuance and condition in the here and now of the new millennium. Our state of being, whether we are aware of it or not, is greatly affected by the truth of this continually occurring event in the perpetual providence of divinity. The apostle alludes to this in somewhat similar vein when the Pauline writer addresses the saints in Colossae regarding Christ's supremacy that in Him all things are being held together up to this very moment and beyond. (Colossians 1:17) Nothing happens apart from the goodness and steadfast faithfulness of the One Who is holding all of this and every one of us together. As Paul also wrote to the saints in Rome, we know that in all things God works for the good of those who love him, who have been called according to his purpose. (Romans 8:28) Likewise, the prophet in Isaiah (43:19a) tells us, "See, I AM doing a new thing! Now it springs up! Do you not perceive it?" Be alert, be present. I'm about to do something brand-new. It's bursting out! Don't you see it? There it is!

 

Ancient words, eternal words from the everlasting Word give us glimpse of eternity. Whether we are reading the daily news or encountering neighborly conversation, the normal, regular routines of our lives can afford us the opportunity to gaze upon the glory of God in Christ through our current circumstance or present situation. Cultivating an awareness of the very holy presence of God, even and maybe especially in seemingly ordinary, mundane activities can help us, like a little child, enter into the wonder of the heavenly realms. Thy will be done, Thy kingdom come, here on earth, as it is, in heaven.

 

The next time you come upon a friendly encounter in which you find yourself saying, "What's new?" you might consider, as you may be prompted in spirit, that you are in the midst of a holy occurrence—a precious moment in sacred space as you willingly engage in the gift of conversation with mutual encouragement for the journey ahead. Indeed, beloved ones, may you and yours experience such blessings upon Christmastide through Epiphany and beyond for the New Year at hand.

 

With the Wind of the Spirit,

Pastor Rex Espiritu

 

P.S. And, oh, say, by the way, what's new with you? :)

 

The Rev. Rex Espiritu serves as senior pastor at First Presbyterian Church, New Castle, Indiana

A Feast for Souls on Occasions of Community Celebration in Spirit

Dear friends, it was wonderful to be part of celebrating a Thanksgiving meal in our family of faith as many in our congregation sat at tables together this past Sunday at First Presbyterian Church, New Castle, Indiana. We have such beloved folks with big hearts for serving one another in the Lord that I have to say, I am filled to overflowing…. My tendered heart is full from such magnanimous generosity poured out among and upon us that I feel remiss in not having more said about it.

 
 

Some may be familiar with The 5 Love Languages from the New York Times bestselling book by Dr. Gary Chapman that speaks to how we may have love shown, one to another. Among five key categories found from his research, Dr. Chapman espouses the following to be universal and comprehensive. We all may primarily identify with one of these: Words of Affirmation, Quality Time, Receiving Gifts, Acts of Service, and Physical Touch.

 
 

I have found that for me personally, at times, I seem to have differing love languages for showing as compared to receiving love. For example, I may tend to give gifts as a way of showing love to a loved one, but not necessarily experience it as much in receiving gifts for myself. What speaks love to one, may not be primarily taken as love by another. My late beloved wife, Melissa's primary love language was, without a doubt, Acts of Service. And if I didn't know any better, I would suggest another sub-category for our congregation to have as a primary love language to be that of Serving Meals.

 
 

Our recent efforts over the past year of providing meals as gifts to serve and enjoy being together with people in our larger community is telling and worth sharing. While ministers may converse regarding what they sometimes refer to as the discerning and development of one's pastoral identity, I might identify and relate this conversation piece as speaking to a particular church group's congregational identity. In this vein, I would name Serving Meals as evidenced fruit borne of an apparent, distinctive attribute of our identity in the body of Christ in Henry County. This, I believe, is part of our love language with, in, to, for and through community. It is certainly worthy of further exploration and possibly increased validation with words of affirmation as well as in quality time spent together in dialogue and conversation over meals served unto one another in love.

 
 

In such settings over meals together at table with others, with respect to and of one another's stories… There is power in the telling. There is comfort in the sharing. There is relief in the giving. There is healing in the receiving. These are among what I consider to be fundamental outflows of God's love made manifest in, through and among us in this fellowship of faith. Even as it's said that the family that prays together stays together, we could say the same of the church that serves and fellowships over meals together staying together.

 
 

Here I am reminded of a verse from the Psalms (68:6a) in which the Psalmist proclaims, "God sets the lonely in families..."

 
 

One tradition that Melissa encouraged us to adopt early on in our family life, which I must confess has not been observed as much in some recent times, was to seek intentionally to invite someone outside of our family into our home for a holiday meal. As I recall, we started this practice some time prior to one New Year's Eve early on in our marriage. We would pray to God for the Holy Spirit to lay upon our heart and place in our mind a person or persons whom the Lord would be pleased to have us celebrate and share a meal together with that might not necessarily, ordinarily have other plans at the time. We would always find our Lord faithful to answer that prayer with such affirmation and confirmation in the process that it became a hope-filled, mutually fulfilling endeavor for all present in the set apart occasion.

 
 

As we reflected upon the ministry, proclamation and celebration of Word and Sacrament with Holy Communion on Sunday prior, I am encouraged to exhort us, beloved, to renew our devotion in the Lord together concerning these things as we contemplate further the Lord's leading into the near and better future God has in mind for us. Might the Lord our God have you and me, our families in this season together celebrate along with others over a shared meal in our homes sometime during the holidays? Someone, or some ones, possibly outside our conventional circle of friends, whom the Lord may be pleased for us to share in the blessing of God's grace….

 
 

May the Lord add to our number those who are being drawn by His Spirit to fellowship with us and help us rediscover and grow in the knowledge of who we are and Whose we are, becoming ever more so

 
 

In Christ,

Pastor Rex

Passages Along the Journey in Faith

"When I thought of an art gallery…" he said, "…I imagined a world where life and death existed together. My hope is that the world might look a little different after entering and re-emerging from this space." --Lee Ufan, a Korean-born, Japan student, Europe worker, world artist whose museum in Naoshima opened this year and whose works can be seen in harmony with architecture and nature

 
 

Upon re-reading these words above quoted in an article I read from an inflight magazine en route to Seoul this summer, it occurs to me that I myself have been in a sense through a gallery of sorts in which life and death exist together and by which we are re-emerging in time and space with re-formed perspectives. My view of the world is looking different now than it ever has before. Words appropriated from Scripture come to mind: "Love is stronger than death!" and echoing from the first question and answer in the Heidelberg Catechism found in our Book of Confessions: "Our sole comfort in life and in death is that we belong wholly to the Lord our God." With Word and Spirit in, through and upon us, we persevere in prayer to the glory of God.

 
 

A number of folks in our congregation have endearingly asked, not just how I am doing these days following my father's and my wife's passing over the past year, but how my family's faring, and specifically, how are the children. For the most part, considering how much we've endured, my children are doing remarkably well, academically and otherwise. Each has moments when waves of emotion may come and go, though overall, we continue to feel and know God's grace carrying us through. We are thankful to have my mom (their "Lola") with us in the aftermath of our loss. The love and care we have experienced together as a family of faith in compassionate community has been very heartening for us, even especially now in hindsight of the last several months. It is with a deeply grateful heart that I write to you in these weeks leading up to the end of the church's liturgical year.

 
 

As I type, we approach the end of a fourteen hour flight from Chicago to Abu Dhabi en route to points of interest in India where I and eighteen other fellow pastors in the Wabash Pastoral Leadership Program are embarking on the culminating study tour of our inaugural fellowship sponsored by the Lilly Endowment. These are among the same ministers who have sojourned with us in the midst of a very challenging ordeal, providing gratis pulpit supply, prayers and much support during such trying times. Along with other clergy spouses during our voyage to Mexico a year ago, Melissa and I bonded with these treasured colleagues in ministry. While I was not entirely sure just a few months prior whether the Lord would have me go on this trip that had been planned over two years ago (given what my family has been going through in the nine months leading up to it), I believe that in honoring the covenant we made with one another in our fellowship, this will be yet another transformative experience for us, much like my family's pilgrimage to the Philippines this summer was spiritually. As such, in my absence, I am pleased to once again welcome to preach for our Sunday worship services at the end of this month the Rev. Dr. Bob Hunter and the Rev. Dr. Rose Niles through the generosity of Lilly Endowment, Inc.

 
 

The fact that I am led of the Lord to travel apart from my family at this time serves as indication concerning where we are in the journey of God's healing grace through the ongoing process of grief. Though we may have come far to this point, we have yet a ways to go. I have informed church leadership in recent months of a number of counseling opportunities afforded to me and my family in this season of ministry. We are currently on a waiting list with Brooke's Place in Indianapolis. This is an organization that provides grief support groups for families with children, free of charge. There is much high regard and good reports about the work of this organization. Their philosophy of care resonates with respect to carefully directed attention tailored especially for children. In addition, I have begun the first of six free sessions over the next six months with a licensed counselor as part of the benefits for ministers of Word and Sacrament in the Presbyterian Church (USA). While this benefit is also available to my college-aged dependents, they also have counseling available to them on campus.

 
 

It is remarkable for me to try to comprehend what the Lord has done in our ministry together at First Presbyterian Church, New Castle, Indiana. I am experiencing now a greater freedom in the Lord to venture anew in fresh, renewing ways for the mission and ministry we have been called to accomplish together here. Please keep on keeping on praying more and more increasingly so for God's revelation and for the Lord's revival among us yet to be and already being manifested in our midst. I know this is not me, but the Holy Spirit working all things for good. May we all be lifted up in the Lord's presence to greater heights for God's glory.

 
 

In Christ,

Pastor Rex

A Debt of Gratitude in the Light of God’s Grace

When something or someone dear and precious is taken from us, especially with regard to a significant and abiding relationship, a deep and profound sense of loss can be experienced that influences and affects the lens through which we see, perceive or comprehend our current circumstances. We cannot help but to not have any situation we might encounter from that point on become somehow understood in the wake of such an event as seminal as that in our life's journey.

Even, and maybe especially, events leading up to and prior to our experience of loss can be seen in a new light. It is as if blinders that we had not been aware of previously had been suddenly removed and the scales from one's eyes taken away. Not unlike Saul's experience on the road to Damascus in Acts 9, a "Come to Jesus" moment ensues upon us and we hear the Lord speaking to our heart and soul with renewed clarity and strength of conviction.

An opportunity for reflection and introspection occurs to us and, if welcomingly received, submitted and surrendered to, and taken advantage of by being given ample time to process through, can allow us to listen well to the voice of the spirit within us. Our interactions, focus and perspectives are then exposed to new light shed upon us in the Lord under the severe mercy and greater grace of a sovereign God.

Such has been my own experience over the past year. There has been at once a deeply profound remorse and regret at my own failings before the Lord and others such that at times in the recent past, I could not bear the weight of guilt, grief, shame, brokenness and sadness apart from sensing, knowing and experiencing the love, prayers, encouragement and support of many upholding us in the Spirit.

It is a terrible thing to face the Lord Who truly sees us and meets us in the presence of one another, speaking the truth in love, presenting an opportunity to fess up, be real, and come clean over and over again, and as the apostle Paul reminds us, to "work out our salvation with fear and trembling." It can be, as one of my late, well-loved and much appreciated seminary professors might say, "a deeply humbling, transforming moment."

All this is to share a perspective with you that from this moment on, I am pursuing the Lord and seeking to serve God's people in this time and place with a passion and purpose that I am not sure I have ever experienced before. If the enemy of our souls had thought that by taking away my most precious beloved we would be deterred from rising above our situation and beholding the Lord sustaining and lifting us up further for God's glory, he's got another thing coming. Out of these ashes, beauty will indeed most assuredly arise! Watch out as the Lion of Judah moves us with a fresh fire in the fervor of the Spirit of the Lord. As it says in the Scriptures, the zeal of the Lord of Hosts shall accomplish this!

Thank you to all of you who are embarking on the journey together with one another anew as evidenced by many who attended this past Rally Day Sunday's activities. It is with a deep sense of gratitude and awe that I pledge to serve alongside with you as the Lord equips us to serve one another in love. May the joy of the Lord be our strength as we seek in partnership to rebuild our community through Christ, renew our fellowship in the Spirit, and transform people by God's grace. To this end, I remain and continue

Prayerfully yours, and His

Pastor Rex

A Year in the Life: Recounted with Thanksgiving for God’s Faithfulness through Many

It has been a record year in the life of the Espiritu household at New Castle, Indiana. Much has gone on in our lives together as a family that is worthy of time spent for shared reflection in retrospect toward preparing and propelling us forward in faith with renewed zeal, fervor and vision for the glory of the Lord our God in Christ.

 

On 9/11, 2010 marked the passing of my father Mariano G. Espiritu. Six months later on March 13, following an intense bout with cancer, my wife Melissa would go on to be at home in eternity with the Lord. On what would have been Melissa's 50^th birthday weekend in July our family celebrated our youngest child Sara Joy's 7^th birthday near the Golden Gate Bridge in the San Francisco Bay area where Melissa and I had spent some wonderful times together early on in our marriage. And on the 23^rd anniversary of our wedding in August afterward, our six daughters and I remembered their mother upon our arrival in the capital of the Philippines where I was born. These are among the milestones and memory markers we have been enduring through our shared journeys of faith over the past year.

 

During our time this month in the land of my birth, we visited a museum honoring some recent martyrs for the cause of liberty and justice through peaceful democratic reforms opposing a previous dictatorial regime's human rights abuses. One of the names listed on the memorial stone wall there was that of my mother's older brother. My uncle Francisco, an outspoken leader for freedom in his township, had been tortured and killed when abducted by some henchmen of one of the Marcos regime's political cronies on the eve of the snap election(s) that had been apparently rigged in favor of the incumbent dictatorship a few decades ago. It was at this place of honored remembrance that we found another, for us, notable name recorded among the earlier vocal leaders speaking out against the then emerging dictator's crimes against humanity. At a time when other ecclesiastical leaders among the clergy in the Philippines were silent, the Rev. Cirilo A. Rigos voiced opposition against the oppression of what would later manifest as martial law.

 

Before Melissa and I ever met, this Presbyterian pastor who ministered to my sister and me and our parents during my early childhood in Manila had also ministered with Melissa, her parents and sisters while having had his training in ministry at their childhood church in Rochester, New York. Upon reading of his justice work in the plight of the Filipino people, we so very much sensed the Lord's Providence in our lives together through the generations as God's will continues to be worked out for the good of those who love Him and are called according to His purpose.

 

Not unlike I would imagine the greatest generation's remembrances of seminal events in the North Atlantic theater of World War II might be along the beaches of Normandy and elsewhere in Europe, our family spent significant times toward the end of our last week along the shores of Subic Bay and the island of Corregidor remembering the remarkable events of WWII in the theater of the South Pacific among the waters between Asia and Australia. After touring an old lighthouse and presiding over a brief memorial service at an old Spanish mission's island chapel, it was there by the dock at the end of the pier on the south side beach of Corregidor that we were blessed to share in solemn solitude the spreading of my father's ashes upon the wind over the waters at the mouth of Manila Bay near the South China Sea. It was more heartening for me than I had expected or could ever dream for us to experience honoring the memory of my father and his service during WWII in this way at this time and place. We were blessed with such good weather and people with us on that special day among all the days of our travels.

 

Thank you, Beloved, for your prayers and support of our family in the work of grief and faith this year. In the words of General Douglas MacArthur, not only "I shall return," but we are glad to have returned home. In God's Grace and Peace, with you and yours, together we continue

Pastor Rex

A Celebration of Women: an evening in honor of Melissa Espiritu | Facebook

A Celebration of Women: an evening in honor of Melissa Espiritu

Type:	Party - Dinner Party
Date:		Monday, May 10, 2010
Time:		5:00pm - 7:00pm
Location:		First Presbyterian Church
Street:		1202 Church St
City/Town:		New Castle, IN
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Description

A Celebration of Women

an evening dedicated to the life of

Melissa Espiritu

 
 

All mothers, daughters, sisters, friends

please join us!

 
 

First Presbyterian Church, New Castle, IN

Monday, May 10, 2010 at 5:00 p.m.

 
 

Salad pitch-in with chocolate fountain of goodies provided for dessert!

Music by John Lansinger

Speaker: Annette Goggin

 
 

For reservations, please contact the church

office@NewCastleFPC.org

              765.529.3703         765.529.3703

 
 

http://NewCastleFPC.org

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Order of Service of Witness to the Resurrection – Melissa Q. Espiritu

A Service of Witness to

Celebrate the Resurrection and the Life in memory of

Melissa Q. Espiritu

July 10, 1960 - March 13, 2010

 

 

 

 

Organ Prelude    Trumpet Voluntary    Jeremiah Clark

Andrea Hughes

 

Musical Offering    My Tribute/God is So Good

Ed Dimangondayao

His Eye is on the Sparrow

Sophie and Daniel Buchanon

 

Opening Words    Pastor Bob Maravalli

Prayer of Invocation

 

*Songs of Praise    Awesome God

Blessed Be Your Name

Amazing Grace/My Chains Are Gone

 

Old Testament Lesson    Psalm 118    Pastor Rose Niles

 

Personal Reflections    Carmen Cash

 

*Song of Thanksgiving    Great Is Thy Faithfulness

 

New Testament Lessons

John 14:1-6    Pastor Clark Hobbey

2 Corinthians 4:15-5:7        Pastor Jeff Gramza

*Hymn    It Is Well With My Soul

Romans 8:18-39

 

Musical Offering    With Hope    Steven Curtis Chapman

Levi Velasco    

Meditation    "Is There Life After Life?"    Pastor Bob

 

Prayer and The Lord's Prayer

 

Offering of Music    You Raise Me Up

Levi and Diane Velasco

Ed Dimangondayao

Andrea and Bryan Hughes

 

Charge

Benediction

 

*Song of Assurance    In Christ Alone

Keith Getty and Stuart Townsend

 

*Declaration of Victory over Death

 

*Postlude    Tocatta    Widor

 

 

* Please stand as you are able.

with hope….

 
 

This is not at all… how

We thought it was supposed to be

We had so many plans for you

We had so many dreams

And now you've gone away

And left us with the memories of your smile

And nothing we can say

And nothing we can do

Can take away the pain

The pain of losing you, but ...

 
 

We can cry with hope

We can say goodbye with hope

'Cause we know our goodbye is not the end, oh no

And we can grieve with hope

'Cause we believe with hope

There's a place where we'll see your face again

We'll see your face again

 
 

And never have I known

Anything so hard to understand

And never have I questioned more

The wisdom of God's plan

But through the cloud of tears

I see the Father's smile and say well done

And I imagine you

Where you wanted most to be

Seeing all your dreams come true

'Cause now you're home

And now you're free, and ...

 
 

We can cry with hope

We can say goodbye with hope

'Cause we know our goodbye is not the end, oh no

And we can grieve with hope

'Cause we believe with hope

There's a place where we'll see your face again

We'll see your face again

We'll see your face again

 
 

We have this hope as an anchor

'Cause we believe that everything

God promised us is true, so ...

 
 

We can cry with hope

We can say goodbye with hope

'Cause we know our goodbye is not the end, oh no

And we can grieve with hope

'Cause we believe with hope

There's a place by God's grace

There's a place where we'll see your face again

We'll see your face again

 
 

We can cry with hope, say goodbye with hope

 
 

We wait with hope

And we ache with hope

We hold on with hope

We let go with hope

 
 

(by Steven Curtis Chapman)

 
 

1 Thessalonians 4:13-14 / Hebrews 6:9, 10:23

 
 

The Courier Times - New Castle, IN | Melissa Q. Espiritu

Monday, March 15, 2010     Melissa Q. Espiritu     Monday, March 15, 2010         Melissa Q. Espiritu, 49, of New Castle, went on to be with the Lord on Saturday, March 13, 2010. She was born July 10, 1960 in Rochester, NY, a daughter of Hiram and Donna (Hamilton) Quine.      Born and raised in New York state, Melissa attended James Madison High School in Rochester, NY, graduating as class valedictorian in 1978. She also graduated from the State University of New York (SUNY) at Buffalo, with a Bachelor's of Science Degree in Physical Therapy in 1982. As a young physical therapist, she served and ministered care for the health and wholeness of patients at Mount Vernon Hospital, New York and Westchester County Medical Center, Valhalla, NY in the oncology and trauma units. An avid swimmer, she loved to cheer for swimming and other sports teams very enthusiastically.      Melissa was an ordained elder in the Presbyterian Church (USA), was a living example of faith, dedicated wife and mother, loved her husband into wholeness and prayed him into power for ministry. She was involved in the children's ministry at PCUSA churches in Pittsburgh, PA, Medford, NJ, and at Holy Trinity Lutheran Church in partnership with First Presbyterian Church in New Castle, where she was also a VBS leader and nurturer. Melissa was a mentor to young mothers as she had been mentored as a young mom. Whether at the grocery store or the library, she befriended many, praying for their well-being. With the joy of the Lord as her strength, she imparted a heart for worship and missions to others with the compassion and love of Jesus Christ. She loved lighthouses, bed & breakfasts, and walking alongside the ocean.       She leaves to cherish her memory, her husband, the Reverend Rex Espiritu, pastor of First Presbyterian Church of New Castle, whom she married at Mt. Vernon First Presbyterian Church on August 1, 1987; six daughters, Christina, a student at Huntington University, Hannah, L. Grace, Tabitha, Priscilla, and Sara Espiritu, all at home; her parents, Hiram and Donna Quine, who both reside in the Rochester Presbyterian Home in Rochester, NY; a sister, Marcia Snoberger of Fort Ashby, West Virginia; her mother-in-law, Natividad Espiritu of New Castle; nieces and nephews including, Uriah, Aaron, and Hayley Snoberger, Sarah Love, Rachel and Adam Kohlmeier; several aunts, uncles and cousins.      She was preceded in death by a sister, Tracey Kohlmeier, and her father-in-law, Mariano G. Espiritu.      A Service of Witness to the Resurrection in Celebration of the life of Melissa will be at 2:00 p.m. Tuesday, March 16, 2010 at the First Presbyterian Church in New Castle officiated by the Reverend Dr. Robert Maravalli, Pastor of Congregational Life Ministries at Mt. Lebanon United Presbyterian Church in Pittsburgh, PA. Friends may call from 6-9 p.m. Monday, March 15, 2010 and 9-11 a.m. Tuesday at Hinsey-Brown Funeral Service in New Castle. Memorial contributions may be given to Compassion International, Colordo Springs, CO 80997, or United Marriage Encounter, P.O. Box 209, Muscatine, IA 52761-0209, with envelopes available at the funeral home. Online condolences may be expressed at www.hinsey-brown.com.      March 13, 2010
Content © 2010 the Courier-Times
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Beauty Will Rise!

In and through these last three months of my beloved wife and sweetheart Melissa's journey of now ultimate healing in eternity, we listened and reflected many times together with the songs of Steven Curtis Chapman, as we have done through much of our 22 years of marriage together in the Lord. As a couple in Christ, we have been so blessed to share with each other the deep love of Jesus and the profound grace of Christ our Lord.

 
 

On a recent album, lyrics from the title track resonated with certain themes in our devotions….

 
 

Out of these ashes... beauty will rise

and we will dance among the ruins

We will see Him with our own eyes

 
 

Out of this darkness... new life will shine...

and we'll know the joy is coming in the morning...

in the morning...beauty will rise!

 
 

I can hear it in the distance

and it's not too far away.

It's the music and the laughter

of a wedding and a feast.

I can almost feel the hand of God

reaching for my face

to wipe the tears away, and say,

"It's time to make everything new."

 
 

(from "Beauty Will Rise" by Steven Curtis Chapman)

 
 

I am envisioning today's service of witness to the resurrection and the life as a celebration, in part, in memory of my bride, but more part of the festive tribute of the Bride of Christ, looking forward to that Day of Christ Jesus when we, together with all the saints throughout time and space, will celebrate at the Great Wedding Banquet Table in eternity. Soli Deo Gloria!

 
 

Looking forward to worshiping our Awesome God on this awe-filled day that the Lord has made for us to rejoice and be glad in, I am

 
 

Persevering in the Grip of Grace,

Rex

 
 

Worthy is the Lamb!

 
 

2 Corinthians 4:7-12 (NLT) [New Living Translation]

New Living Translation (NLT)

 7 We now have this light shining in our hearts, but we ourselves are like fragile clay jars containing this great treasure.[a] This makes it clear that our great power is from God, not from ourselves.

 8 We are pressed on every side by troubles, but we are not crushed. We are perplexed, but not driven to despair. 9 We are hunted down, but never abandoned by God. We get knocked down, but we are not destroyed. 10 Through suffering, our bodies continue to share in the death of Jesus so that the life of Jesus may also be seen in our bodies.

 11 Yes, we live under constant danger of death because we serve Jesus, so that the life of Jesus will be evident in our dying bodies. 12 So we live in the face of death, but this has resulted in eternal life for you.

 

http://www.biblegateway.com/passage/?search=2%20Corinthians%204:7-12&version=NLT

Melissa Q. Espiritu

in the peace bubble... onto eternity with the Lord at 3:00 p.m. EST 13 March 2010 rest well my beloved sweet Melissa in the everlasting arms

 
 

---

 
 

Melissa Q. Espiritu, of New Castle, went onto eternity to be with the Lord Saturday afternoon, March 13, 2010 at her residence. Arrangements are pending at Hinsey-Brown Funeral Service in New Castle.

 
 

http://hinsey-brown.com/pages/details.cfm?obituaryID=547

 
 

Viewing at Hinsey-Brown on Monday, March 15 from 6:00 p.m. to 9:00 p.m.

and Tuesday, March 16 from 9:00 a.m. to 11:00 a.m.

 
 

Service of Celebration in Witness to the Resurrection and the Life will be held at First Presbyterian Church, New Castle, Indiana on Tuesday, March 16 at 2:00 p.m.

 
 

Make way for connections

Subject	Make way for connections
From	Presbyterian News Service
Sent	Thursday, February 11, 2010 5:35 PM

 
 

Make way for connections

Young adults value relationships, dialogue in their church lives, APCE workshop teaches

by Janet Tuck

Special to Presbyterian News Service

NASHVILLE — The wave of the future is here. They are a generation called the Millennials, and the church better make room because business as usual isn't going to work. If the rest of us want them included, we'd better adapt.

This is according to a workshop at the Association of Presbyterian Church Educators' annual event here Jan. 27-30. "Young Adult Voices," led by Michael Harper, sought to help those attending better understand this generation, often called the Millennials. Harper is an associate for youth and young adult curriculum development in the Presbyterian Church (U.S.A.)'s Congregational Ministries Publishing.

Millennials were born somewhere between 1980 and 1995. They grew up on Nirvana and Pearl Jam, knowing how to use the Internet. Defined by 9/11, they don't know what it is to greet someone at the airport gate. They are multi-taskers who use technology to communicate and are used to constant stimulation.

As this generation enters the workforce, there is tension between them and their bosses. Former generations threw themselves into work. Not this one. They have little patience for investing themselves over the long term and want the promotion next week, even though they just started last week.

This generation has a different perspective on work. As one young person said, "My job doesn't define who I am. The boomers, their jobs defined them." These young people want a job that gives them meaning and purpose, but they aren't about to spend extra time at the office.

Impatience spills over into their attitude toward the church as well. As Harper put it, "Faith is a process — it gives meaning and purpose, yes, but it is a journey over the long haul." This isn't particularly to this generation's liking — they want the answers now.

So what does all this mean for how they fit into the church? They are interested in the Bible and faith traditions but it might be more in terms of a pub chat than Sunday school. They will be more about their relationships within the faith community (that search for meaning, again) than they will be about the church building.

These young people are looking for genuine community. They want to serve and are very interested in mission, but they want to serve after they have established a feeling of connection in the faith community. They aren't necessarily going to jump into the work of being the church until this sense of community is established.

As one young woman in the workshop said, "We have this idea that the church doesn't dictate what we believe. We want to be in dialogue and figure out these things for ourselves."

To skeptics who doubt the work ethic of this generation, Harper says "it's just a difference in values. The greatest generation won the war and built the 20th century economy through hard work. This generation values relationships and connections and family over work. It's not a 'this is good, that is bad' judgment call. It is simply a difference in what they value."

So how can the church connect and welcome? First, get to know them. These young people enjoy dialogue across generations. Ask an older member to invite a young person for coffee.

"They want to be listened to, and they want to listen. It really is all about making connections for them," Harper said.

Beyond programs or contemporary music in worship, this generation is about building relationships. And that is how the church can welcome them in: by getting to know them.

http://www.pcusa.org/pcnews/2010/10132.htm

 
 

Presbyterian Church (U.S.A.) | 100 Witherspoon Street | Louisville, Kentucky | 40202-1396 (888) 728-7228 | (502) 569-5000 | Web site | Email

 
 

Presbyterian Publishing Corporation announces new retreat planning guides, distribution options, and discounts

Subject		Presbyterian Publishing Corporation announces new retreat planning guides, distribution options, and discounts
From		Presbyterian News Service
Sent		Tuesday, February 16, 2010 6:43 PM

 
 

Presbyterian Publishing Corporation announces new retreat planning guides, distribution options, and discounts

Contact:

Jennifer Cox, (502) 569-5116

LOUISVILLE, KY — The Presbyterian Publishing Corporation rolled out some exciting new resources at the 2010 Association of Presbyterian Church Educators Annual Event. PPC's popular Web site The Thoughtful Christian has now been expanded to offer comprehensive resources for retreat designs as well as direct sales of all Westminster John Knox Press and Geneva Press books at discounts of up to 35%.

This new collection of retreat guides was developed in consultation with Joel Winchip, Executive Director of the Presbyterian Church Camp and Conference Association, and Brian Frick, Associate for Camp and Conference Ministries, General Assembly Mission Council. New retreat designs will be added on a regular basis.

Winchip praised the new offerings, stating, "These resources are exactly what are needed by the planners of church retreats. [TTC] puts retreat designs and free planning resources at their fingertips. Retreats are important to the life of the church and we are deeply grateful to The Thoughtful Christian for their commitment to this valuable ministry tool."

Added Brian Frick, "The new retreat planning guides are just what leaders have been asking for. Well designed and easy to implement, they are a welcome guide for first time retreat planners and idea generators for experienced planners."

Nancy Ferguson, a skilled and highly respected retreat designer, contributed a number of informative essays to the site addressing how to plan and lead effective retreats. These essays are free to all visitors of the Web site.

PPC also announced another new feature of the Web site. Beginning in spring 2010, visitors to the site will be able to order Westminster John Knox and Geneva Press books and resources directly from PPC through the new online marketplace at The Thoughtful Christian Web site. TTC subscribers will receive a generous 35% discount on orders while non-subscribers will receive a 20% discount. Quantity discounts on group study materials are also available. All WJK and Geneva books and resources can currently be ordered at these discounts by calling (800) 554-4694.

Jennifer Cox, Executive Director of Marketing for the Presbyterian Publishing Corporation, felt that APCE was the perfect forum for premiering these new offerings, stating, "The members of APCE have been so supportive of The Thoughtful Christian — from day one. Being able to offer a wide selection of 'thoughtful' books at a 35% discount is just one way we can say thank you to subscribers. Their loyalty has kept the content rolling."

http://www.pcusa.org/pcnews/pressreleases/ppc10002.htm

 
 

Presbyterian Church (U.S.A.) | 100 Witherspoon Street | Louisville, Kentucky | 40202-1396 (888) 728-7228 | (502) 569-5000 | Web site | Email

 
 

GAMC approves new strategic direction for Presbyterian World Mission

Subject	GAMC approves new strategic direction for Presbyterian World Mission
From	Presbyterian News Service
Sent	Friday, March 05, 2010 6:24 PM

 
 

GAMC approves new strategic direction for Presbyterian World Mission

Goal for next 3-5 years is developing 'communities of mission practice'

by Jerry L. Van Marter

Presbyterian News Service

LOUISVILLE — The General Assembly Mission Council (GAMC) of the Presbyterian Church (U.S.A.) has adopted a "strategic direction" for its Presbyterian World Mission (PWM) over the next three to five years that seeks to knit together the myriad ways Presbyterians are engaged in mission around the world into "communities of mission practice."

The new strategic direction acknowledges the "massive" shift since roughly 1960 "from one highly centralized agency into thousands of highly decentralized agencies" that "invites Presbyterian World Mission to reform its self-understanding and the focus of its work to include many U.S. Presbyterian mission constituents…" states a background paper accompanying the two-page strategy paper.

"We know that there are hundreds of valid international mission agencies out there doing good work," PWM Director Hunter Farrell told the GAMC's Evangelism Committee Feb. 25. "We also know that brand loyalty is less of a factor, so we began work on the strategic plan about two and a half years ago."

During that time, Farrell said, PWM has consulted with more than 900 global partners, PC(USA) mission personnel, mission leaders around the denomination, ecumenical colleagues and other PC(USA) leaders. Seventeen "white papers" on various aspects of mission were developed to guide the deliberations and PWM officials "looked at regional priorities around the world," he added.

The research was revealing, Farrell said, alluding to the background paper.

The Presbyterian Church's Board of Foreign missions began sending missionaries overseas in 1837. This "direct mode" of mission served the church well, Farrell said, until the 1950s and 1960s when the maturing of the churches Presbyterians planted in other countries combined with the political desire to throw off vestiges of colonialism led to a change in the denomination's approach to "equipping mode" — "focused in large part on empowering the national churches to grow in membership, leadership and capacity to serve their communities…"

That style of mission work has evolved over the last 30 years to the point, the background paper states, where "we believe the Spirit is calling our church to a deeper understanding of partnership" in mission.

And that "seismic shift in the understanding and practice of mission has opened the door to direct involvement of U.S. Presbyterians at unprecedented levels."

"Our calling," Farrell said, "is to connect all these dots."

Thus the mission statement of the new strategy is "to engage with U.S. Presbyterians and global partners for faithful and effective participation in God's mission in a globalized world, growing together as communities of mission practice."

The strategy is built around six "core values" —

• Dignity: to 'treat each person with dignity and respect … following the model of Jesus, standing together with those who are marginalized";
  
• Empowerment: to "focus on long-term relationships, building the capacity of each member of the Body of Christ to engage in God's mission…";
  
• Holistic ministry: to "bring about the realization of God's vision for our fallen world," addressing both personal sinfulness and unjust structures, and to "share the gospel through evangelism, minister in compassion and advocate for justice";
  
• Partnership: to "work with partner churches and organizations … based on mutual respect and trust leading to common prophetic witness and mutual transparency" and "wherever possible" to work "with other members of the ecumenical family and partners of other faiths":
  
• Relevance to God's world: to respond to the call of God "with creativity and integrity in a rapidly changing and interdependent world where local and global concerns converge in new ways": and
  
• Stewardship: to "strive to restore God's creation and to use its resources respectfully and responsibly" and to "place under the Lordship of Christ our time, talents, financial resources…political and economic choices…our relationships and our very lives."
  

In addition, the strategy sets as "directional goals" the creation and nurturing of "communities of mission practice," a commitment to "faithful and effective mission," strategic engagement in critical global issues, and the achievement of organizational excellence "through resource and knowledge management, strategic thinking, staff development and healthy work-life balance."

http://www.pcusa.org/pcnews/2010/10207.htm

 
 

Presbyterian Church (U.S.A.) | 100 Witherspoon Street | Louisville, Kentucky | 40202-1396 (888) 728-7228 | (502) 569-5000 | Web site | Email

 
 

GAMC examines leadership needs in the church

Subject	GAMC examines leadership needs in the church
From	Presbyterian News Service
Sent	Thursday, February 25, 2010 4:51 PM

 
 

GAMC examines leadership needs in the church

Rapidly changing society, church creates challenges, opportunities

by Emily Enders Odom

Mission Communications Associate

LOUISVILLE — In the face of a radically changing ministry context and a great hunger for leadership throughout the Presbyterian Church (U.S.A.), the General Assembly Mission Council and the Committee on the Office of the General Assembly met here Feb. 24 to embark upon a frank and far-reaching examination of leadership needs for the church.

This dialogue began in the spring of 2009, when the Committee on Theological Education called the GAMC and COGA to join with it in looking at the church's leadership needs, thereby forming the Joint Committee on LeadershipNeeds. 

At the same time, Barbara Wheeler — former president of Auburn Theological Seminary and now director of its Center for the Study of Theological Education — was asked to share her research on Commissioned Lay Pastors, a study that had been commissioned by the Office of Vocation in partnership with COTE.

Setting the context

The GAMC/COGA joint session opened with presentations by the Rev. Jay Hudson, president of the Presbyterian Investment and Loan Program and the Rev. Gradye Parsons, stated clerk of the General Assembly.

Using a variety of lenses through which culture can be understood, Hudson presented an overview of the changing societal context for ministry.

"Today's world is looking for movements rather than institutions," he said. "A movement is much more democratic, and you can't control it. Do we lose the spirit if we become an institution?"

In the post-modern world, where chaos dominates, people aren't trustful and openly express their disillusionment with institutions, Hudson said.

He lifted up the challenge of reaching out to other cultures and younger generations, who are seeking "third places," or more informal gathering places where relationships can be nourished, old and new friends can be seen and food and drink are readily available.

"We live in a culture that wants to be spiritual and not religious," Hudson said. "People see the church as looking inward and focused on how to survive while what they want is a church to look outward and be missional."

'The Great Emergence'

Parsons spoke on the "Great Emergence," in which the church seeks to unload or unpack whatever it feels is not necessary to carry forward into the new world.

"People are seeking a new and more vital form of Christianity, in which the organized expression of Christianity is reconstituted into a more pure and less ossified expression of its former self," he said. "How is God trying to un-ossify us as part of the governing structures of this church?"

To explore that question further, Parsons asked small groups to discuss the groups of people religious lecturer and author Phyllis Tickle has designated "re-traditioners" and "innovators." Re-traditioners focus on changing the internal structure toward a renewed ideal, while innovators seek to create new external forms altogether. 

Parsons asked groups to brainstorm creative ways to bring the two groups together in mutually beneficial ways. He then asked the groups to talk about the characteristics of leaders in the church.

Jean Demmler, a GAMC elected member representing the Presbytery of Denver, said, "The whole point seems to be that one way to work together is continually talking with each other."

Parsons closed with an observation from his own experience conducting workshops with elders across the country.

"The elders consistently tell me that they don't want to be elders who sit around the table talking about leaky roofs and budgets," he said. "They want to be engaged actively in ministry. People are ready for a movement."

Study of Commissioned Lay Pastors

In her presentation, Wheeler questioned why so much time should be devoted to the role of Commissioned Lay Pastors in the PC(USA).

The CLP office is important, she answered, "because it's a lens through which questions about church leadership come into clearer focus."

The two-part study, commissioned in 2007, began with interviews of presbyteries about their use of CLPs.

Auburn Seminary took on the task of assessing the strengths and gaps in CLP preparation around the denomination.

"One of the contentions of those who first imagined the role of Commissioned Lay Pastor was that training needs would vary a great deal from culture to culture and place to place," Wheeler said.  "This argument prevailed, and therefore the preparation requirements in the Book of Order are spare."

Wheeler said that the requirements of CLP programs are largely limited to the eight areas of study named in the Book of Order  — Bible, Reformed theology and sacraments, Presbyterian polity, preaching, leading worship, pastoral care and teaching — prescribing an eight-course pattern that prevails across the majority of programs.

Wheeler questioned whether this is the right curriculum for the CLP role as it is now defined, calling the Book of Order topics a "minimum checklist."

She questioned if the PC(USA) might be better served by a different description of the requirements. Such a change might prompt program designers to use more imagination and produce more dynamic curriculums.

Wheeler also addressed the amount and level of preparation of CLPs for the pastoral ministry. Requirements are far more rigorous for the certification of Christian educators than for CLPs, she said.

Wheeler also asked whether a denomination with leadership challenges should put more emphasis on using the leadership of its elders rather than creating a role that looks like "substitute pastors." 

Anticipating the report of the JCLN, she said, "The report that you will consider in the next hour picks up on this theme and makes a compelling suggestion: define elders who are being commissioned to certain tasks as commissioned elders, not pastors.

"Our denomination is making a lot of decisions about its future based on what might be called 'laissez-faire congregationalism,'" she said. "We have full-scale congregations with highly trained leadership where we have a natural constituency that can afford to pay for the privilege.

"Where our kind are dwindling, in numbers or resources," she said, referring to the majority of PC(USA) congregations, which have less than 100 members, "we offer something less, and many of the churches that get something less will not make it."

Wheeler stressed that although some CLPs are "doing a great job," sending them to serve struggling churches can give the impression that Presbyterian ministries are viable in those locales, when that might not be the case.

"Instead of using CLPs alone as the fingers that plug holes in the leadership dyke, wouldn't it be better to find creative new ways to deploy our full battery of leadership resources — seminary-trained ministers and commissioned pastors or elders along with ruling elders, deacons and educators providing vibrant mission and ministry where it is so badly needed?"

Cynthia Campbell, president of McCormick Theological Seminary and a member of COTE, said Wheeler's presentation raises questions about education on a larger scale. 

"First, because there are a number of people who go into training with no intention of becoming CLPs, I wonder what else we could be doing to provide a deeper level of education to the heart of the American population who are consumers of education and information," asked Campbell.  "If you look at the statistics about Presbyterians and our education level, that's who we are. That's another part of our ministry that we have neglected that could be greatly enhanced."

Second, Campbell said, those responsible for presbyteries' CLP programs should take a closer look at how Christian educator certification program are structured and the level of expertise they demand.

Report of the Joint Committee on Leadership Needs (JCLN)

The Rev. Clark Cowden, a member of the JCLN, the GAMC and the executive presbyter of San Diego Presbytery, introduced the committee's report, Raising Up Leaders for the Mission of God.

Cowden said that "mission of God" was used intentionally in the title instead of "mission of the church" because the former is bigger than the church and encompasses broader needs.

Elaborating on many of the cultural trends noted earlier by Hudson and Parsons, Cowden — citing Alan Roxburgh — said that because neighborhoods and communities change significantly over a period of time "we have to stay in touch with our changing communities so that we do not become ingrown or irrelevant." 

According to the report, it's critical that the church be led by those who know how to lead creative change, are innovative and entrepreneurial, are experimental in revitalizing existing communities and are capable of establishing new ministries that engage the culture.

The report encourages the expansion of the three enduring offices of the church. 

"We recommend the intentional broadening of the roles, responsibilities and spiritual formation of deacons, ruling elders and teaching elders," Cowden said. "They remain overly dependent on their pastors and wouldn't know what to do if their pastor got hit by a bus. We don't want that to be the case. 

The report also recommends that new models of collaboration be developed between congregations, governing bodies, seminaries, colleges, institutions, training organizations, consulting groups, foundations, para-church groups and fellowships.

Cowden said the JCLN's paper "is an invitation into a conversation, not a destination paper where we already have everything figured out."

To read texts of the reports, visit the Office of Vocation Web site.

http://www.pcusa.org/pcnews/2010/10178.htm

 
 

Presbyterian Church (U.S.A.) | 100 Witherspoon Street | Louisville, Kentucky | 40202-1396 (888) 728-7228 | (502) 569-5000 | Web site | Email