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Dear Members, Partners, and Friends of the Presbytery of San José,
Grace and peace to you in the love of God, the grace of Jesus Christ, and the fellowship of the Holy Spirit!
As you know, when we read the Gospel according to Luke, you must have next to it the Book of Acts (Acts of the Apostles). And when you read the Acts of the Apostles, you should have nearby the Gospel according to Luke. The Luke-Acts text emerged from early worshipping communities in the first century C.E. as they were figuring out how to live into and embody the promises of Jesus Christ, who, by the time of the writing and sharing of Luke-Acts, had already ascended into heaven. The early worshipping communities relied upon the apostolic teachings and testimonies, of those who had traveled with Jesus from town to town and place to place. As we read in Acts 1:8: “But you will receive power when the Holy Spirit has come upon you, and you will be my witnesses in Jerusalem, in all Judea and Samaria, and to the ends of the earth.”
When we consider this exhortation, side-by-side with the text of the Gospel according to Luke, we see how early church communities were empowered by the Spirit of Christ, who brought to their community life all the stories we read in the Gospel according to Luke, all the parables, all the teachings of the Lord, such as Jesus’s post-resurrection conversation with the disciples: “You are witnesses of these things. And see, I am sending upon you what my Father promised, so stay here in the city until you have been clothed with power from on high.” (Luke 24:48-49)
What we see here are early church communities living out and embodying the very promises that are being recounted a few years prior by the same witnesses who were with Jesus. This same pattern of: testifying-receiving-going-being... this is repeated again and again in every generation and in every context where communities of faith who confess Jesus is Lord grapple with the realities of faith and what the Lord is calling us to be and to do.
That is why, when last night the Committee on Ministry voted to transfer our colleague, The Rev. Pratsarpong “Paul” Pansuay from the Church of Christ in Thailand (CCT) to the Presbyterian Church (U.S.A.), pending the chartering of the First Thai Presbyterian Fellowship of San José that was a sacred moment. We were joined by CCT’s moderator, The Rev. Dr. Boonratna Boayen, via Zoom from Thailand. Moderator Boayen was there to attest to Pastor Paul’s good standing in the CCT and to offer the blessing of CCT on Pastor Paul’s ministry among us. Pastor Paul has previously been authorized by Presbytery to serve within the bounds of our region as a minister member of an ecumenical partner. This is the global and local contexts of God’s mission converging.
Additionally, the Committee on Ministry went ahead and voted to affirm and validate the ministry of The Rev. Andrew Yoo as he and his family respond to the Spirit’s call to serve in Monrovia, Liberia through the Global Missions Society. The context of Liberia will be a new one for Pastor Andrew and his family. This, again, is the local and global contexts connecting and remaining connected as a servant of the Lord participates in God’s mission.
Last week, our colleague, The Rev. Annanda Barclay (Sunnyvale) joined The Rev. Tony Larson, Co-Moderator of the 226th General Assembly, and representatives of several other presbyteries for a mission accompaniment trip with church partners and ministry organizations in Peru. This accompaniment journey is being facilitated by Jed Koball, Global Ecumenical Liaison of the PC(USA) Interim Unified Agency. This is the local and global contexts connecting in God’s mission.
Next Sunday, at Stone Church/Willow Glen, we will commission and bless a group of young people and adult chaperones as they head to the Presbyterian Triennium in a couple weeks. They will join thousands of Presbyterian young people in worship, fellowship, conversations, prayer, and other transformative experiences that shape and form faith for a lifetime. This is a present-future generation connecting in God’s mission.
Let’s be in prayer for each and all of these siblings in the faith, and for one another. All of us have been called to participate in and engage in God’s mission. Whether it be in our neighborhood, with our family and friends, in our local communities and ministries, or across the nation and globe... you and I have been empowered by the Spirit of Christ.
This coming Sunday, July 20, let’s pray for our siblings at Covenant Presbyterian Church, Palo Alto, and their pastor, The Rev. Dr. Jack Cabaness, as they host the Presbytery Unity Candle.
Be sure to register for the Leaders of Color retreat Leaders of Color retreat(October 13-16 at Zephyr Cove; deadline is September 15), the Clergy Retreat (September 9-11 at St. Francis Center in San Juan Bautista), and the NEAR Gathering II (September 6 at First Presbyterian Church, Mountain View).
Speaking of First Pres, Mountain View... tomorrow, July 16 is the early bird registration deadline for the Global Leadership Summit, which First Pres is a host livestream site for the Summit, August 7-8. Register at: www.fpcmv.org/events/gls
Let’s be equipped for, engage in, and testify about God’s mission, and the God who is on a mission to which we have been given the blessing and delight to participate!
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