Presbyterians Today - Celebrating the God of hope, of women, of meeting us where we are

Dear readers,   I hope this holiday season finds you well. As I reflect back on this past year of working on Presbyterians Today and look with hope to its future, I find that I am resonating particularly strongly this year with the Advent idea of "already/not-yet." As 21st century Christians, we know that Jesus has already been born, lived, died, and lived again. Christ has already brought salvation. And yet, in this season, we are called to focus on the waiting and that brings to mind an awareness of all the brokenness still unfolding in this world and in our own hearts.    In my own life, I am looking toward the birth of a daughter in March. This is my second daughter, and so -- in many ways -- it feels like I've already been here. And yet, each child has their own story and journey and we are waiting for this little one's to begin in its own way and time.    And amongst the Presbyterians Today team, we have spent the past year working hard to bring a new iteration of this publication to life and have accomplished so much. And yet, we are also still waiting for all the pieces to fall into place so that we can see that new PT born into the world to flourish.    It's hard to be in the in-between. To sit in the tension of already and not-yet. But we can rest assured that God sits here with us. That we place our trust in that God whose timing and purpose are always perfect. Who has come in love , and remains with us in love, and will come again. For now, we give thanks for what's been, we hold fast to what is, and we wait and trust in what will be. I look forward to the particular ways that God's work will unfold as PT's journey continues. And I'm grateful you're with us on that journey too.    In the meantime, I want to share with you some of our latest work. Below, you'll find a link to the second video in our series about Liberty Community Church in Minneapolis. This one focuses on their afterschool programming and the hope they provide to youth in their neighborhood. There's also a piece from me about why I think focusing on the "proper" way to celebrate Advent misses the true point of the season. And finally, Laura Franks Benton offers us the origin story of an incredible new line of scripture resources that particularly lift up the voices of women in the Bible.    I hope you'll take the time to read, watch, and share these pieces. And, if you have a moment, share with me what stories are resonating with you this season?   Wishing you all a meaningful Advent, a merry Christmas, and a happy new year. See you in 2024!   Layton Williams Berkes, Managing Editor, Presbyterians Today

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PC(USA) church’s after-school academy gives hope to Minneapolis community

by Beth Waltemath and Rich Copley   As a new church development nearly 25 years ago, Liberty Community Church listened to the voices of young people in their community to develop programs that would improve their sense of safety and hope for the future. A survey conducted by two teenagers and community forums with families and neighbors set in motion an evolving and expanding set of services: youth drop-in services, a Freedom school in the summer, afterschool and youth programs focused on academics, arts enrichment, financial literacy, and college enrollment. View the testimonies of the leaders of Liberty and their 21st Century Academy as they tell the story of their work to “close the school to prison pipeline,” and pave a path to advanced education and financial opportunity.

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God Doesn’t Care What Color Your Candles Are

by Layton Williams Berkes   Can I confess something? Even though I love Christmas as much as the next person, the longer I spend in ministry, the more I come to dread the beginning of this season. Each year I find myself annoyed by the rants and complaints from some of my clergy colleagues about the need to preserve the sanctity of Advent.   In seminary, I relished the theological and liturgical intricacies of this holy season. I loved the deep meaning imbued in each part of Advent, each Sunday, each ritual with candles and scripture. I grasped firmly onto the adamant belief that Advent precedes Christmas and is an intentional season of waiting. I rolled my eyes at those outside of professional ministry who I thought “just didn’t get it” as they rushed into Christmas carols and presents and the commercialization of one of our most crucial religious observances.   Over time, both my experiences as a parish pastor and – more significantly – as a non-parish minister and pew-sitter, have changed my position.

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Just Brave Enough: Lifting Up the Voices of Women in Scripture

by Laura Franks Benton   A year ago I arrived at Princeton Seminary for The Art of Transitional Ministry training. I had no idea why I was there.   I had graduated from Union Presbyterian Seminary a few months earlier and had yet to receive a Call. Truthfully, I hadn’t begun to look—I hadn’t even created my PIF. I did not feel called to congregational ministry. I was still working my healthcare job—I had been a lactation consultant in a pediatrics practice for more than 10 years—a job I loved and found meaningful and fulfilling. I had signed up for the training with a vague idea of finding a temporary or transitional position before going into the hospital for a chaplaincy residency. I was a fish out of water to be sure.   I was also thinking about an idea I had, one that grew out of a seminary class called Blood Like Water, taught by Rev. Dr. Carson Brisson. In the class we were to pair texts of terror with the weekly lectionary readings. The product each week was up to us—sermon, Sunday school lesson, poem, painting, song. That creativity spoke to me and I found the voices of the women in those texts. Jael, Lot’s wife, the Midwives. I was letting them speak. I felt like a midwife myself bringing forth new life.

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