Be a YAV

I just had a wonderful visit with Linda Carter, who is the Mission Engagement Advisor with YAV.  What is YAV? Young Adult Volunteer Program, which is our PCUSA way of doing something similar to Americorp and Peace Corp, funded by federal dollars.  This is a program for young folks between the ages of 19-30 who are antsy to do some volunteer work in the name of Jesus, working with others here or abroad.

The website for this great organization within the church? www.pcusa.org/yav.

Contact me if you'd like to know more!

Pax!  Pastor B

Being a Pilgrim People: Pilgrimage and St. Andrew's Presbyterian Church on Ecclesio.com

To no one's surprise here at St. Andrew's, I approach ministry in particular and life in general as a pilgrimage. Writing on pilgrimage over the years, in 1999 I went on my first pilgrimage to El Santuario de Chimayo in northern NM, and nothing has been the same ever since.

For this past week, I've been blogging about pilgrimage on Ecclesio.com.

The entries are as follows:

http://www.ecclesio.com/2015/04/being-gods-pilgrim-people-whats-a-pilgrimage-by-brett-webb-mitchell/

http://www.ecclesio.com/2015/04/being-gods-pilgrim-people-companions-and-community-on-pilgrimage-brett-webb-mitchell/

http://www.ecclesio.com/2015/04/being-gods-pilgrim-people-saints-and-memory-on-pilgrimage-brett-webb-mitchell/

http://www.ecclesio.com/2015/04/being-gods-pilgrim-people-hospitality-on-pilgrimage-brett-webb-mitchell/

http://www.ecclesio.com/2015/04/being-gods-pilgrim-people-the-contemplative-life-of-christian-pilgrimage-brett-webb-mitchell/

In re-reading these, I'm surprised (not) at the influence of Chimayo and the Camino de Santiago de Compostela.

One more tomorrow!

Enjoy!

Pax, Pastor B

First Tuesday of Easter

How time flies when we are having fun, right?

This is the first Tuesday of Easter.  I am overwhelmed by the reverberation of worship on Easter Sunday.

The question is always this: what happens after the feelings ebb and the tide is low in the area of faith?

Spiritual writer Henri Nouwen writes: "Trees that grow tall have deep roots.  Great height without great depth is dangerous.  The great leaders of this world, like St. Francis and MLK, Mr., were all people who could live with public notoriety, incluence and power in a humble way because of their deep spiritual rootedness."

Feeling for my roots today.

Blessings!

Pastor B

Maundy Thursday

Where does the word "Maundy" come from, and what does it mean?

Maundy comes from the old French "mande" from Latin "mandatum" as in "mandate." And the mandate was Jesus telling his disciples after washing their feet: "I give you a new commandment (or mandate) that you should love one another" (John 13:34).

Maundy Thursday at St. Andrew's will be commemorated tonight in  Calvin Hall at 6:30-7:30 p.m., with a simple meal of beans and rice that flows into Holy Communion.

Maundy Thursday blessings!

Pastor Brett & Pastor Jeremy

Holy Week Readings

For Passion or Holy Week, here are some readings after Palm or Passion Sunday:

Monday:
Is. 42:1-9
 Ps. 36: 5-11
Heb. 9:11-15
John 12:1-11

Tues:
Is. 49:1-7
Ps. 71:1-14
1 Cor. 1:18-31
John 12:20-36

Wed.:
Is. 50:4-9a
Ps. 70
Heb. 12:1-3
John 13: 21-32

Thursday
Ex. 12:1-4, 11-14
Ps. 116
1 Cor. 11:23-26
John 13:1-17, 31b-35

Good Friday
Is. 52:13-53:12
Ps. 22
Hebr. 4:14-16, 5:7-9
John 18:-19:42

Blessings,

B

Palm Sunday

Tomorrow, we begin Holy Week "officially" with the celebration of Jesus' entry into Jerusalem with the loud "Hosanna!"

What is powerful about this week is how quickly we will move as people of God to the passion of Jesus, recognizing this as his last week of life on earth.

This is the week that we recognize Jesus as the "God man," the Pilgrim God, who is both human and divine in one body. What Jesus reveals to us is that we, too, are an amalgam of humanity and divine spark within us as well.

Let us quietly try to wrap our minds around that truth.

Pax!

B

Oscar Romero, A Beloved Saint

Having posted on St. Patrick, an evangelist who we revere in the US on March 17, I also want to "lift up" the person of the late Archbishop Romero of El Salvador.  He became an incredibly important person in El Salvador, speaking out for the rights of the poor and the marginalized, and against the repressive powers of the governmental forces and their death squads.  He himself was assassinated while celebrating Mass.

Here's a link to the life of Archbishop Romero: http://www.un.org/en/events/righttotruthday/romero.shtml

We too are facing some of the same circumstances as did Archbishop Romero.  How are we dealing with forces that are bringing people deeper into poverty? Or repressive forces? What would Jesus call for us to do in this day and age?

Pax!

Pastor B