01 07 17 What Do They Say? From Epiphany to Mission

First Reading—Romans 1:8-12

First, I thank my God through Jesus Christ for all of you, because your faith is proclaimed throughout the world. For God, whom I serve with my spirit by announcing the gospel of his Son, is my witness that without ceasing I remember you always in my prayers, asking that by God’s will I may somehow at last succeed in coming to you. For I am longing to see you so that I may share with you some spiritual gift to strengthen you— or rather so that we may be mutually encouraged by each other’s faith, both yours and mine.

Second Reading—Matthew 5:13-17

“You are the salt of the earth; but if salt has lost its taste, how can its saltiness be restored? It is no longer good for anything, but is thrown out and trampled under foot.

“You are the light of the world. A city built on a hill cannot be hid. No one after lighting a lamp puts it under the bushel basket, but on the lampstand, and it gives light to all in the house. In the same way, let your light shine before others, so that they may see your good works and give glory to your Father in heaven.

Slide 1:  What Do They Say: From Epiphany to Mission

Traditionally, the Christian church has celebrated Christmas over 12 days, beginning on December 25 and ending on January 5.  Yesterday, January 6, was the first day of the new season after Christmas, Epiphany.  That is the day when we traditionally move from celebrating Christ’s birth to a season of celebrating the wondrous signs that Jesus truly is the Messiah, the One sent from God for the salvation of the world.  Today is the first Sunday in Epiphany, and so today we should celebrate the signs that Jesus truly is Lord.

I also want to use my Sunday with you to celebrate God’s mission through the presbytery, and it is fortunate that it falls in Epiphany.  In John 13 Jesus tells us that we will be a sign to the world, because the way we love will be the characteristic that defines us as Jesus’ disciples.  But today’s scriptures say it more pointedly.

1.     The followers of Jesus will stand out.  Wey are like a city set on a hill, people can’t help but see us and notice.  We are like salt: something unique in the world that is different and changes the flavor of everything we are around. Indeed, we become the sign of Jesus’ Lordship to the rest of the world.  When you think of Epiphany, Jesus is at work in us as a fellowship of believers, and together we not only stand out, but we should make sure that we do.  Jesus said it well in Matthew.  “Let your light shine before others, so that they may see your good works and give glory to your Father in heaven.

2.     Similarly in Romans, then, we see Paul celebrating the way people throughout the world talk about the faithfulness of the Christian fellowship in Rome.

What about us, then?  What do people have to talk about us?  How will we stand out?  This is the link to my slide presentation today.  Let’s take a look at the mission of the Presbytery of Yukon.  Indeed, let’s look at what we can talk about as we are talking…as we are letting the light of Christ shine through what we talk about, and through what we do in the world.

Slide 2: The Map

Let’s begin simply by reminding us of the region we work in.  The Presbytery of Yukon is made up of 21 congregations located in a region that ranges from Kaktovik and Barrow (Utqiaġvik)  in the north, to Anchorage in the South, to Gambell and Savoonga out near Siberia, in the West.

Slide 3: Cultural diversity is in our DNA

Relationships, and ways of nurturing those relationships that fit our different contexts, are key to God’s mission.  God comes to us in Jesus Christ, a way of living the Word that fits who we are.  The way we do church also must fit who we are.  Here we see two fellowship events in our presbytery—one with maktak on the menu, and one with craisin pommegranate salad. I hope these can serve as symbols—symbolizing diverse ways of ministering together.

Slide 4: Map of the Native Ministries Region

And we have organized to fit our diversity. We have organized in two regions.  The members of the first region named themselves the Native Ministries Region, which includes 8 churches not on the road system, and one city church, Anchor Presbyterian in Anchorage.

Slide 5: Title Page—Mission off the Road System, Three Examples and a Dream

Let’s take a look at the mission of the Presbyterian church in this region.  Let’s look at three examples, and a dream.

Slide 6: The Gambell Presbyterian Church and Community Center

This is a project you all know well.  Over the past few years we have been raising the final cash needed for this project.  But the need is so real that we went ahead and began the construction, even while trying to raise the last funds needed.

Slide 7:  Outside of the new Building

Your congregation, First Presbyterian Church of Anchorage, has been key in making this project happen.  You have been strong participants in fundraisers.  But you have also brought together gifted people to take the lead in our presbytery in doing the organizing needed to actually construct this building.  Not only that, but this congregation has been wonderfully faithful in bringing work parties every year to Gambell to put in the sweat equity it takes to actually build the structure.

Slide 8: Dancers

This work is so important.  In 2012 the presbytery went to Gambell and pledged a new way of doing ministry in that community.  We pledged to work more closely in partnership with the whole village leadership—with the village city council, as well as with the tribal council.  The building project fit that vision.  It will provide a basic commercial kitchen and gathering space for a variety of community events, and especially that call for food to be available.  You have heard all of this before, but this kind of partnership that does not set church against other leadership in the community, but joins with them, is essential to be effective in this local context.

Slide 9: Construction

This is what it looks like in there now.  But there is great news.  Dennis Berry from this church has been the project director for the presbytery.  Maybe Dennis has told you that our latest estimates tell us that we now have the cash in hand to finish the project this summer.  We plan to finish it this summer, AND to hold presbytery there next fall.  Now that will be a celebration.  We will be celebrating the partnership between the church and the village; we will be celebrating and dedicating the new building.  Not only that, but we are on track to also dedicate the first completed translation of the New Testament in to St. Lawrence island Yupik.  They are doing the final edits now, and we plan to bring the Wycliffe translators to Gambell for that presbytery meeting.  These are exciting times!

Slide 10: IAM Corporation

In November of 2017 the Intergenerational Arctic Ministries Corporation was formed to begin organizing Christian ministries to address these ills.  This is another major new ministry that is in the design phase this year, and should be underway by next fall.  You may have noticed that the anagram for this ministry is IAM.  It is based on the name of God given in the Bible in Exodus.  What is the name of God?  It is Yahweh, which means, I am.  Why this corporation?

Beginning just a year ago, the Presbytery of Yukon began partnering with The North Slope Borough, the regional governmental agency, and the Arctic Slope Regional Corporation, which is the entity that holds the land rights for the region. Together, we are also reaching out to all other Christian churches in the arctic region.  The Presbytery has taken the lead in this partnership to form new non-profit corporation that will begin addressing the social ills that flow out of the intergenerational trauma and culture shock that Iñupiat and other native peoples have faced.  The flood of western society over the past 200 years has had a huge impact, and the social ills they have magnified include addictions, domestic violence, loss of core identity, suicide and more.

Slide 11:  The Listening Way

We are beginning with The Listening Way.  This will be a program that will train selected community leaders in 10 villages.  It will combine the best in Christian theology and practice with local cultural knowledge and leadership.  We will provide trained, and passionate Christian fellowship in a support community dedicated to supporting people, who wish to deal with the issues of life without drugs and alcohol.  The training has been informed by The Stevens Ministry, which many of you know about.  However, The Listening Way is a whole sermon itself, and I can’t go into all of that now. Invite me back and I’ll tell you more.  However, this truly is a great opportunity to lift up the healing power of the Holy Spirit as we experience it in Christian fellowship.  Another lamp to set on a lampstand.

Slide 12: Training Local Elders as Pastoral Leaders

This has been a major emphasis for the presbytery for some time.  Here is a class in Olgonik Presbyterian Church in Wainwright.  These three elders are partnering together to provide the pastoral leadership without pay in a community that cannot afford to pay ordained clergy.  This level of faithfulness has to be celebrated; and we support it through presbytery-sponsored training and mentoring.  Local leaders are already expert in their own culture, and can present the gospel in ways appropriate to that culture, as pastor from outside never could.  Another lamp to set on a stand.

Slide 13: The Dream….To Resurrect…Project YES!

But for the Native Ministries Region, there is more... Project Y.E.S. (Youth Experiencing Service) is one of the most effective peer Youth programs in the state.  But we need money for a director, if we are to bring it back.  We hope to do that by 2019.  We are working to raise the money for this now.

Slide 14:  Map of the Road System

I have put most of my time in interpreting ministry in the Native Ministries Region, because you live on the Road system, and are already a part of that.  But let me take just a couple of minutes to point out the great ministry happening here.   As you can see, this region is comprised of 12 congregation ranging from Fairbanks to Anchorage.

Slide 15; Bingle Camp

Bingle is a camp of this presbytery, and is located at Harding Lake in Salcha, AK

      Christian Camp experiences have great potential for raising up disciples of Jesus Christ.  Indeed, the one thing adults continue to name throughout their lives as a childhood or youth experience that continues to have impact on their spiritual lives.  People have forgotten that to some degree.  If you have children or youth you know, what can you do to send them?

Slide 16: Kairos Ministry

Kairos is a prison ministry that this presbytery has organized and supported for many years.  It brings experiential courses to people, who want to know more about what it is to be a disciple of Jesus Christ.  By experiential, I mean that work is done not only to talk about Christianity and Christian fellowship, but events are held that demonstrate the love of Jesus, and the way that forming fellowship together changes lives.  This is a wonderful ministry.

Slide 17: Clergy Support Groups

What is said in these groups is confidential—so confidential that we don’t even have a photo of these groups.  So, if I needed a slide to fill this space, I decided it might as well be a fun one.  You can ask yourself which of these characters stands for Matt Schultz!  We have formed three clergy support groups in this region, aimed at bringing clergy together for mutual support.  In Christian fellowship, all should be cared for, so that all have the best chance too thrive where they are. This is certainly as true for our clergy as it is for anyone else.  These groups are meant to help meet the specific needs of clergy in this region.

Slide 18: Social Justice is Relational

I know you have had presentations on the Healing and Renewal Event held in Utqiaġvik last February.  These events are Christian because they are relational. When relationships have been damaged, repentance is required. The event we held in Utqiaġvik was the first step on a journey of repentance.  The Listening Way ministry I told you about, is the next step.  These are social justice ministries that face racism and issues of privilege.  We don’t always talk about them this way, because we are focusing in the relationship, and that’s what matters.  But make no mistake, as Christians our ministry must engage social justice.  We brought this work to the Alaska Federation of Natives at their convention in 2016, we brought it to Gambell in an event that opened our partnership in Gambell, and we brought it to Utqiaġvik when we gathered there last February, and as we are re-forming our ministry since.  We must be known as a people, who care for relationships that matter, and that means social justice, too.

Slide 19: And others

Yukon Presbyterian Women, Yukon Presbyterians for Earth Care, Yukon Presbyterian Disaster Assistance, Presbyterian Churches house 8 Alaska Food Banks, and Presbyterian Churches house 5 Ministries with the Homeless (including the work you have done through First Presbyterian Church of Anchorage).

Slide 20:  Conclusion—Thank You

The gospel of Jesus Christ is this: that despite all that separates us from God—despite sin, despite death, despite the devil, for these are the things that would separate us from God—despite all this, God brings good news.  In Jesus Christ, God came to us and did what is necessary to reconcile us through grace, and bring us back into God’s good graces.  The good news is this—as bad as it all seems sometimes, God is at work today. 

The key to what God is doing is a relationship with Jesus Christ.  But part of that relationship is the Christian fellowship that forms, because it is relationships that matter; relationships are the good news.  And those relationships result in ministry together…ministry that makes a difference…ministry that matters.  We are doing that because of you, and because of all the congregations in our presbytery. 

Therefore, let me end with these words from the apostle, Paul, the words from our scripture today: “I thank my God through Jesus Christ for all of you, because your faith is proclaimed throughout the world. For God, whom I serve with my spirit by announcing the gospel of his Son, is my witness that without ceasing I remember you always in my prayers.”

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