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Just a Thought
By Rev. Jose Luis Casal
General Missioner
"A good life for the New Year"
"Teach us to live well!
Teach us to live wisely and well!"
Psalm 90: 12 (The Message)
Every time when we arrive to a New Year we look back to the things we have done and those we have left undone. A new year is an opportunity to understand our own process of growth. The author Frederick Buechner in his book "Secrets in the Dark" describes this moment. He says, "the time is ripe for looking back over the day, the week, the year, and trying to figure out where we have come from and where we are going to, for sifting through the things we have done and the things we have left undone for a clue to who we are and who, for better or worse, we are becoming."
The Psalmist discovered that magic moment. He was committed to live well but recognized that we have to live wisely if we want to live well. The purpose of reviewing our live is to discover the unwise decisions we made and learn from them. That's a learning process.
Many people think that they were unwise because they failed to achieve their goals, but we only can be wise when we allow God to teach us how to do it. When we do this, we discover that some of our most desired goals were really unnecessary, and a good life is more than a list of personal achievements.
I invite all of you to make one single commitment for this New Year: Teach us Lord, to live wisely and well
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Upcoming Activities
January - February 2015
January 1, 2015 (Thursday) - New Year's Day
January 6, 2015 (Tuesday) - Epiphany of the Lord
January 15, 2015 (Thursday) - Conference Call of the Missional Nominating and Representation Team - 2 pm
January 18 - 24, 2015 (Sunday - Saturday) - Week of Prayer for Christian Unity
January 19, 2015 (Monday) - Birthday of Martin Luther King Jr.
January 20, 2015 (Tuesday) - Meeting of the Missional Outreach Team -10 am - First Fort Stockton
January 21, 2015 (Wedneday) - Meeting of the Missional Resource Team - noon - Presbytery Office
January 22 -23, 2015 (Thursday - Friday) Theological Convocation for Teaching and Ruling elders - speakers Rev. Dr. Paul Hooker and Rev. Dr. Charles A. Wiley - First Fort Davis
January 23 - February 1, 2015 (Friday - Sunday) - Voices from the Border & Beyond - Travel Study Seminar to Mexico Border & Central America
February 4 - 7, 2015 (Wednesday - Saturday) - General Assembly of the Association of Presbyterian Christian Educators - Baltimore
February 11-15, 2015 (Wednesday - Sunday) - Visit of the 221 General Assembly Moderator Dr. Heath K. Rada and his wife Peggy to Tres Rios Presbytery.
February 13 - 15 (Friday - Saturday), 2015 - Tres Rios Youth Connection (TRYC) - Prude Ranch
February 16, 2015 - (Monday) Presi (Friday - Saturday)dent's Day
February 18, 2015 - ASH WEDNESDAY
February 20, 2015 - (Friday) Meeting of the Missional Networking Team - noon - First Presbyterian Church in El Paso
February 20, 2015, - (Friday) Meeting of the Missional Ministries Team - 4:00 pm - First Presbyterian Church in El Paso
February 20, 2015 - (Friday) - 6:00 pm. - Pre-Presbytery Party (location tba)
February 21, 2015 - (Saturday) Presbytery Gathering - 102 Stated Meeting - 8:00 am - First Presbyterian Church in El Paso |
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The Wave of Prayer
Please pray for:
Mary Margaret Davis and her family who recently lost her mother
Lawson Allen Member of First Fort Davis who is in rehab after a leg surgery
Marsha Monroe, member of Sanderson who is fighting an anaplastic thyroid cancer.
Hoxie Smith, member of Grace Midland who is fighting cancer
Cameron Maedgen, son of Karen Bartholomeo - St. Paul San Angelo
Pray for racial justice and reconciliation in our country
Pray for the persecuted Christians around the world
Pray for peace & justice for Jews and Palestines in Middle East
Pray for those who will be affected and beneficiated by the new immigration executive action
Pray for our Presbyterian Church (USA). For our Tres Rios Presbytery's pastors, elders and congregations, especially those struggling with decisions about their future.
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 | | Bing Crosby - It's Beginning to Look A Lot Like Christmas |
 | | Jingle Bells | Christmas Songs | And More Children's Songs! | 56 Minutes Long | From LittleBabyBum |
 | | My Favourite Time of Year - The Florin Street Band (New Christmas Songs) |
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Resources Available
just click the links...
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Here is "The Wave." The electronic newsletter of Tres Rios Presbytery. December is here and we finished 2014. The new 2015 is coming with a mix of hope dreams fears and expectations. We are sure God is in control and will provide the best for us. We hope you may enjoy the selection of articles we have prepared for you. Please, let us know your opinions, comments and suggestions, and forward The Wave to those who may be interested in the work of our Presbytery. |
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A PIECE OF POETRY FOR THE NEW YEAR FROM THE INSPIRATIONS OF REV. JIM MILES, PASTOR IN FORT STOCKTON
Un poema para el nuevo a�o, de la inspiraci�n del Rev. Jim Miles, pastor en Fort Stockton
DAILY PRAYER
Night fades
day breaks
as dawn's first light
peeks over the mesa.
A disciple (having counted blessings)
mouths the prayer:
"Lord: Let me be a blessing
to someone
today".
Then, in word & deed
in look and touch
with every breath
and interaction
the morning prayer is tested.
At day's end
perhaps on the dark side of midnight
the disciple (having counted blessings)
thanks God for promises kept;
asks forgiveness for opportunities missed;
and closes eyes which will open
to new occasions
to be blessed
and to bless. Psalm 118: 24
1 Thes.5:16-18
Dr. James R. Miles - � 2014 |
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SAN ANGELO LIVING TOGETHER (SALT)
Conviviendo Juntos en San Angelo
By Rev. Tim Davenport-Herbst
On November 30th, more than a dozen churches celebrated the 23rd SALT -- San Angelo Living Together. Over 200 people from Presbyterian, Methodist, Baptist, IME, Catholic, UCC, nondenominational and other denominations gathered to celebrate the first Sunday in Advent with scripture, prayer, praise dance and song. It was a blessed evening! In these times when it can seem like the divisions between us are greater than can be bridged, it is important to remember that our unity as children of God comes before any differences. It doesn't matter what our skin color, gender, socioeconomic status, or any other difference is -- we are one in Christ! St. Paul led the congregation in singing and dancing to "Lord, I Lift Your Name on High" and our choir sang a beautiful spiritual. Nazareth Presbyterian Church brought a choir and sang some beautiful Christmas songs in Spanish. St. Mark featured a country-jazz fusion duo that was amazing. An A Capella group made up folks from different churches sang a haunting carol. Dancers from two different churches did a beautiful job praising God with their bodies. After worship, we shared in a fellowship dinner, old friends were reacquainted and new friends made. It was a blessed evening! |
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VIDEO COMPETITION FOR STUDENTS OF PRESBYTERIAN RELATED INSTITUTIONS
Competencia de Videos para estudiantes de instituciones relacionadas con la Iglesia Presbiteriana.
Taken from the Synod website
 Students of our covenant related educational institutions are invited to participate in a video production competition, sponsored by the Synod of the Sun. Students are encouraged to submit videos 2-3 minutes in length promoting the mission of the synod. The videos should highlight in a compelling way one or more aspects of the work of the synod to Connect, Equip, and Empower Presbyterians for mission.
Prizes will be awarded to the first and second place entries in the amounts of $1,000 and $500, respectively.Videos will be judged on the basis of quality of production and effective presentation of the contest theme. All submissions become the exclusive property of the Synod of the Sun and may be used for promotional purposes.
The deadline for entries is March 31, 2015To find the Competition Application amd Rules, visit www.synodsun.com
Questions or need additional info? Call Dan Saperstein, 214-390-1894 or email -[email protected] |
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THE 221 GENERAL ASSSEMBLY MODERATOR DR. HEATH K. RADA WILL VISIT TRES RIOS PRESBYTERY ON FEBRUARY 11 - 15, 2015
El Moderador de la 221 Asamblea General Dr. Heath K. Rada visitar� el Presbiterio de Tres R�os en Febrero 11 al 15 del 2015
In the next weeks we will announce the itinerary of our Moderator through Tres Rios Presbytery. We are planning meetings in Midland and El Paso using the schedule we prepared for the previous postponed visit. |
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POST-CHRISTENDOM EVANGELISM
Evangelismo en la post-cristiandad
By Rev. Cynthia Holder Rich
Cynthia is an ordained teaching elder in the PC(USA) and the director of ecclesio.com. This selections is part of her article "If the sky falls, does it matter?"
 We live in a pluralistic society, so many people do not know Jesus or his good news.
And there's the rub.
Traditionally, our evangelism efforts have relied on our "Christian nation," or Christendom, to "Christianize" people. We have acted as if people would come to know Jesus without our witness-because we lived in a land where citizens (allegedly) viewed the world and faith in ways like our own, in Christian ways. Thus, our children and any others who arrived would recognize Jesus from simply living in this Christian land-so the theory went.
Maybe it was true, at some point in history, that we could count on the dominant culture to teach Christianity to people and form them as followers of Jesus...maybe. The fact that this Christendom involved slavery, internment camps, mass genocide of indigenous populations, Jim Crow, excessive consumerism, environmental degradation, and the systematic disempowerment
Today, though, if congregations rely on Christendom to form disciples, they will surely falter. Every presbytery register includes congregations who have rested in this assurance-many of which have long since closed up shop. Even our evangelism of countless children to whom we made baptismal vows has too often failed, as we relied on Christendom to share the good news even with our own. If US culture ever had the power or will to teach about Jesus, it has lost that by now.
Our neighbors do not know Jesus, and they do not know the church. The church that most see-an irrelevant, judgmental body, rife with moral failure and led by self-righteous hypocrites-is not going to attract anyone.
Jesus calls for diligent evangelism that shares the good news in ways people outside the church can hear and engage. We serve one whose gospel runs counter to the dominant values of our time. It has ever been thus, and the call to share this very good news is always pressing.
So what are we to do?
In a broken and fearful world
the Spirit gives us courage
to pray without ceasing,
to witness among all peoples to Christ as Lord and Savior,
to unmask idolatries in Church and culture,
to hear the voices of peoples long silenced,
and to work with others for justice, freedom, and peace.
A Brief Statement of Faith, 10.4
Those ready to answer Jesus' call to be the church never lack opportunity and always need the Spirit's courage. Jesus addressed things many viewed as none of his business-including power, politics, and impact on the poor. Following Jesus, then, puts us at risk of making some angry even while exciting and engaging others.
Ordinary people give witness every day. In so doing, they offer a different view of what it means to be Christian. |
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THIS IS HAPPENING AT FIRST PRESBYTERIAN CHURCH IN PECOS
Esto est� pasando en la Primera Iglesia Presbiteriana de Pecos
By Cindy Duke
During the Advent and Christmas Seasons, the Presbyterian Church in Pecos has typically set aside a place in the fellowship hall in which collected can goods pile up and bags of paper products accumulate to provide for the needs of others. This year, however, the congregation has adjusted its giving. It will no longer collect food items. Today, the collection plate set aside for the Christmas Joy offering now holds monetary donations for both the local West Texas food bank and PC(USA) ministries. Instead of donating food items, the congregation made the decision to provide in a much larger way. They will collect and donate the money typically spent on food items directly to the food bank. The local food bank director is able to provide almost twice as much food with the donations received
In addition to supporting the food bank, the congregation is a provider of support for the Pecos Christian Home. This local mission project is maintained through local contributions. It provides temporary room and board for homeless individuals and a community secondhand clothing store.On Christmas Eve, the Presbyterian church is one of two churches in Pecos that hosts an evening candlelight service. |
PC(USA) STATED CLERK LAUDS HISTORIC ACTION ON CUBA El Secretario Permanente de la Iglesia Presbiteriana EUA aplaude la hist�rica acci�n en relaci�n a Cuba.
Taken from Presbyterian News Service
Today, after many long years, we welcome the historic steps taken by President Obama on normalizing diplomatic relations with Cuba. The humanitarian release of Alan Gross by the Cuban government along with the release of the three Cuban prisoners, Gerardo Hern�ndez, Antonio Guerrero, and Ram�n Laba�ino, by the Obama administration moves the roadblocks that have held back progress in improving relations between our two countries for far too long.
The Presbyterian Church (U.S.A.) has been working for more than 30 years to help ease the hardships caused by the United States' economic embargo on Cuba and to end the embargo itself. Recently I have been participating in a series of meetings with government officials both in Cuba and in Washington. Along with the Reverend John L. McCullough, president and chief executive officer of Church World Service; and Rabbi Elhanan "Sunny" Schnitzer, executive director of the Cuba-America Jewish Mission; we emphasized the humanitarian reasons for the release of Alan Gross and the three Cuban prisoners.
The announcement today by President Obama not only eases the suffering of the family members and friends of these prisoners, but also takes us closer to a day when our two peoples will have no impediments to full and flourishing relations. We rejoice along with the Cuban Council of Churches and the Presbyterian Church of Cuba for the good news that will further the cause of peace and human rights around the world. |
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Enjoy this Christmas Movie with your family...
 | | Hallmark A Cookie Cutter Christmas 2014 |
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