A Matter of Faith: A Presby Podcast

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Questions for the Week:

• Language is used to shame and guilt people in modern culture. Whether it’s an app or a message, people are shamed for doing one thing or not doing enough of another. This happens in church too. How could this be changed?
• What do you think is the ideal length of a worship service? Personally, I like shorter services. But that's just me. Further, do you think there is an ideal length for any of the parts of a church service (ie. sermon length)?

Special Guest:
Rev. Ruth-Aimée Belonni-Rosario Govens, Executive Vice President of the Presbyterian Pan American School, Kingsville, TX

Guest Question:
How can we better acknowledge and incorporate Latinx voices in theological education? Further, as people of faith, how do we better advocate for better inclusion of Latinx voices in secular education?

Resource Roundup:
Presbyterian Pan American School

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**Content Warning: Contains discussion about sexual abuse & violence**

Questions for the Week:

• So the Emmy Awards were presented this past weekend, and a record number of people of color being nominated for awards, white actors swept all 12 major acting awards. I remember a few years ago the Oscars were given flack for not having diverse nominees or winners (remember #OscarsSoWhite?). It seems the Emmys has not quite gotten there. What are your thoughts?
• A recent opinion piece in the Washington Post was released titled "Here’s why college guys commit sexual assaults they don’t realize are assaults". It describes how we are entering the hot zone or "the period between the start of the college semester and Thanksgiving break, during which more than 50 percent of campus sexual assaults occur." The author discusses how our culture creates conditions where good guys can commit assault and not realize it. What do you think about this?

Special Guest:
Rev. Chris Shelton, Pastor, Broadway Presbyterian Church

Guest Question:
Who decides the music that is used for church each week? Is it the pastor, worship leader, or choir director? How does that get planned so that everything connects to the themes for each week's scripture readings and sermons?

Resource Roundup:
Sing No Empty Alleluias

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Questions for the Week:

• Can food, whether it be cooking or eating, be a spiritual experience?
• Every time the Olympic Games roll around, there is discussion about how expensive it is to host the Olympics and the toll it takes on the hosting city and country. Is it worth it? When does something become too costly to be worth the pride of hosting such an event? Further, have you seen faith communities have similar discussions about their own events and how to manage the cost?

Special Guest:
Rev. Shelvis Smith-Mather, Mission Co-worker, South Sudan

Guest Question:
How can we as Christians work for peace in communities we are not a part of? How do we walk the delicate line between trying to support peace and reconciliation amongst communities we are not from or that we are not directly connected with, but without imposing our own ideas and values on their peace process?

Resource Roundup:
Office of Public Witness Action Alert: Anti-Abortion Policies
Reproductive Health Policy of the PC(USA)

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Questions for the Week:

• Recently, a law was passed in Texas banning most abortions as early as six weeks of pregnancy. I know abortion is a politically divisive subject. What are your thoughts on how to understand this law and why it is (or is not) troubling? 
• This past weekend, we remembered the events of 9/11. Each of us has our own memories and experiences with regards to this tragedy. What are some of yours? | 

Special Guest:
Melonee Tubb, Associate, Financial Aid for Service, Theology, Formation & Evangelism, Presbyterian Church (U.S.A.)

Guest Question:
Why is it important for the church to address issues of educational and student debt? How is it a faith issue? Further, what opportunities are there to seek debt assistance through the PC(USA)?

Resource Roundup:

•  Application for Loan Assistance for Pastors from Mission Agency
• Application for Season of Service Loan Assistance from the Mission Agency
• Up to date information on the Department of Education’s Covid policies
• National Student Loan Data System- Go here to find all your federal loan information in one place.
• Application for Income Based Repayment
• Information on Public Service Loan Forgiveness

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Questions for the Week:

• Recently, it was announced that the popular video game Fortnite would provide an opportunity for players to relive Martin Luther King Jr.'s iconic "I Have a Dream" speech. I don't know how to feel about this. There is a lot of skepticism and questions surrounding this decision. What are your thoughts? Is this honoring Dr. King's work and legacy? Or is it appropriation?
• There are multiple film and Hollywood adaptations of Biblical stories. Do you have any that you recommend and why?

Special Guest:
Rich Copley, Communications Strategist, Presbyterian Mission Agency

Guest Question:
In a time of polarization and heavy digital/social media use, there is a lot of "fake news" and "clickbait" headlines. How do we, as people of faith, who are called to seek truth, distinguish real news from fake news, fact from opinion, and good journalism from bad? I think good reporting/journalism will report facts accurately but is allowed to provide discussion to encourage readers to walk away with a lesson from the story or consider the story from a new perspective. But some reporting doesn't even seem to establish facts before forcing an opinion down the reader's throat. What are your thoughts? How do we be informed readers/consumers of news and journalism? |

Resource Roundup:
Presbyterian Disaster Assistance Relief Efforts in Haiti
Rev. Edwin González-Castillo, Associate for Disaster Response in Latin America & the Caribbean, Presbyterian Disaster Assistance

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Questions for the Week:
What are different ways that you've seen faith incorporated into a wedding service? / Do you believe in "the one true love"?

Special Guests:
Rev. Dr. Wanda M. Lundy, Assistant Professor of World Christianity, Director of Mentoring for Thriving in Ministry in the City (MTMC) and Director of the Eleanor Moody-Shepherd Resource Center for Women of Faith at New York Theological Seminary, & Pastor at Siloam-Hope First Presbyterian Church

Rev. Edwin González-Castillo, Associate for Disaster Response in Latin America & the Caribbean, Presbyterian Disaster Assistance

Guest Question:
I am a leader of a faith-based organization and looking to re-orient our organization’s practices and policies (internally and externally) to better align with our progressive Christian values and recent events such as the #MeToo Movement, Black Lives Matter protests, and an increasing sense of global connectedness. Are there others who have tried to plan and implement similar changes in their organization? What guidance do you have?

Resource Roundup:
Path of Peace Reflections
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Read the Written Reflections

Translations:
54:33: Rev. Lee, Hun-sam (Pastor, Junim Presbyterian Church, Seongnam, Korea)

“Because of the Joint South-North (North-South) Prayer for Peace & Reunification on the Korean Peninsula, representatives of the South Korean and the North Korean churches meet in person, transcending their disconnection [through division].”

 55:15: Jeong Seon-nyeo (Leader, Gangjeong Mission Station of the Catholic Church & Peace Activist in Gangjeong Village, South Korea)

“But because consistency is very important for our peaceful protest in Gangjeong Village, we try to exercise patience, and make sure the dances and other protest activities continue, even when it is hard.”

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Questions for the Week:

• A recent Washington Post article describes how teens around the world are lonelier than a decade ago and the reason may be smartphones. What are your thoughts on this? Regardless of whether smartphones are part of the problem or not, how do we provide spaces that help people not feel lonely?
• Let's talk about life transitions. What are some transitions that you have experienced in your life and what helped you through them?

Special Guest:
Rev. Dr. Wanda M. Lundy, Assistant Professor of World Christianity, Director of Mentoring for Thriving in Ministry in the City (MTMC) and Director of the Eleanor Moody-Shepherd Resource Center for Women of Faith at New York Theological Seminary, & Pastor at Siloam-Hope First Presbyterian Church

Guest Question:
What are the unique challenges of urban/city ministry compared to suburban/rural ministry? What are the unique opportunities/blessings of urban ministry?

Resource Roundup:
Mentoring for Thriving in the City (MTMC) at New York Theological Seminary

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Questions for the Week:

• The CDC has recently recommended that people resume wearing masks indoors again, even if you are vaccinated. How do we help folks process this change? Further, as COVID cases surge, it can be easy to blame the unvaccinated. As people of faith, how do we help people avoid "blame" but still push for change?
• I've been wondering about the significance and meaning of church membership for our denomination. People keep talking about declining membership in our congregations. Maybe it’s our definition and understanding of membership that needs to change. What do you think?

Special Guest:
Timothy Wotring, Pastor, Memorial Presbyterian Church of Fox Chase

Guest Question:
I am about to start my first call as pastor to a congregation. My question is for folks who are about a year or so into their first call: Looking back on your first year as an ordained pastor serving a congregation, what guidance or advice would you give to someone who is just about to start their first call?

Resource Roundup:
Presbyterian Week of Action with Rev. Shanea Leonard, Associate for Gender, Race, and Intercultural Justice for the PC(USA)

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Questions for the Week:

• In the women's Olympics gymnastics competition, Simone Biles withdrew from the team competition after struggling on a vault. But the reason was not due to physical injury. Biles stated it was for her own mental health. You have talked about both sports and mental health before on the podcast. What do you think we, as people of faith, can learn from Simone Biles' example?
• I don't know how to feel about Jeff Bezos' (the CEO of Amazon) trip to space in late July. On the one hand, it is kind of cool. On the other, there are better ways that the money used to pay for this short space trip could hve been spent. Thoughts?

Special Guest:
Bong Bringas, Commissioned Lay Pastor, San Marino Community Church

Guest Question:
I am a person of color and about to begin a leadership role in a majority white congregation. For other people who have been in this position, what has your experience been like as a person of color and a leader in a church that is majority white? Do you have any guidance for working in these contexts?

Resource Roundup:
Trigger: The Ripple Effect of Gun Violence

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Questions for the Week:

• What are your thoughts on pets (particularly dogs) being allowed in church, particularly the sanctuary?
• As we approach the Tokyo Olympics, there have been a number of interesting developments. Sprinter Sha'Carri Richardson, who won the US Olympic trials in the 100 meters, was banned for one month after testing positive for a chemical found in marijuana, which is a banned substance for Olympic athletes. This means she can't compete in this year's Olympic games in the 100m dash. She says the stress of her biological mother's recent death combined with the pressure of preparing for the trials led her to use the drug. Many people have spoken up that the rule that makes marijuana a banned substance is outdated and should be changed. As people of faith, how do we wrestle with rules that should be changed?

Special Guest:
Ekama Eni, Pastor of Youth and College Ministry at St. Paul & St. Andrew United Methodist Church

Guest Question:
I'm considering a "no phone" policy during our church's youth group gatherings. Everyone puts their phone on silent and doesn't take it out during the meeting or we all put our phones in a basket at the beginning of our time together and then get them back at the end. Is this a good idea? Or are the youth going to stop coming if we do this?

Resource Roundup:
Queerfully and Wonderfully Made

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