• Revs. say spiritual answers called for with nation's problems of crime, materialism
By Bob Campbell, Reporter
• Odessa American
ODESSA, TEXAS - The New Year gallops in like a fresh young stallion, bursting with life and ready to race over the horizon, just as the old one weaves out like an exhausted nag on his last legs.
No one knows what 2017 holds, but Odessa ministers have high hopes that it will be good.
The Revs. Donnie Rollie, Andy Hill, John McLemore and Erik Stadler say the first step should be a rededication to Jesus Christ and His teachings ...
• read the rest of this OA report ...
Saturday, December 31, 2016
Today in the PC-USA Mission Yearbook
The Mission Yearbook for Prayer and Study is a daily devotional with 365 inspiring mission stories that come from next door and all across the globe. It inspires thousands of Presbyterians daily as they uphold the mission of the Presbyterian Church (U.S.A.) in intercessory prayer.
Today in the Mission Yearbook: December 31, 2016
MINUTE FOR MISSION: PRINCETON THEOLOGICAL SEMINARY - Today’s lectionary text from the letter to the Ephesians reminds us that the love of God anchors and sustains us. It is the firm ground underneath our feet. It is the fertile soil in which we are rooted, allowing us to grow and flourish. Scripture is full of images from the agricultural world that describe God’s kingdom ...
• CLICK HERE to read more.
Friday, December 30, 2016
Today in the PC-USA Mission Yearbook
The Mission Yearbook for Prayer and Study is a daily devotional with 365 inspiring mission stories that come from next door and all across the globe. It inspires thousands of Presbyterians daily as they uphold the mission of the Presbyterian Church (U.S.A.) in intercessory prayer.
Today in the Mission Yearbook: December 30, 2016
PRESBYTERY OF THE CASCADES, OREGON - hoenix First Presbyterian Church. Their outreach includes a community kitchen, clothing closet and food bank. The numbers they reach are really quite remarkable, especially for the size of the congregation ...
• CLICK HERE to read more.
Thursday, December 29, 2016
Today in the PC-USA Mission Yearbook
The Mission Yearbook for Prayer and Study is a daily devotional with 365 inspiring mission stories that come from next door and all across the globe. It inspires thousands of Presbyterians daily as they uphold the mission of the Presbyterian Church (U.S.A.) in intercessory prayer.
Today in the Mission Yearbook: December 29, 2016
PRESBYTERIAN DISASTER ASSISTANCE, LOUISIANA - Rebuilding continues for thousands of people in South Louisiana whose homes were damaged or destroyed by flooding when the Amite River crested at 46.2 feet near Denham Springs in mid-August, breaking the previous record of 41.5 feet set in 1983 ...
• CLICK HERE to read more.
Wednesday, December 28, 2016
Special Notice from Faces of Children
Faces of Children is an ecumenical prayer ministry under the auspices of First Presbyterian Church of Midland, Texas. Our mission is to initiate ministries of prayer for children in churches, communities, and neighborhoods. In doing so, we seek to provide an opportunity for people of God to join together, learn about children and their needs throughout the world, and celebrate Christ's love (especially as it relates to children).Special Notice from Faces of Children
Hi Friends,
[This] week there will be no prayer email and we will not meet together on Wednesday, December 28. We will resume on January 4.
Also, Faces of Children is now on Facebook ! I invite you to like our page so that you can see regular stories, prayer needs, and updates from partner ministries.
All the best,
Carrie
Carrie J. McKean
Faces of Children Director
First Presbyterian Church of Midland, Texas
(432) 684-7821 x153
If you have prayer requests about children, those who care for them, those who have authority over them, or those who harm them (the really hard prayers to say sometimes), please send them to info@facesofchildren.net
In the News ... "Midland man estimates he's made more than 100,000 crosses"
 |
| KWES Photo |
By Chelsey Trahan, Reporter
• KWES-TV
MIDLAND, TEXAS - An elderly Midland man has made thousands of crosses and given them out to strangers and people across the world. He says he will continue to make them and hand them out until he can't make them anymore.
"Kind of known as the cross man. It's something that I've been doing for 20, 30 years," said Fred Meissner. "Whether [they are] thrown in the trash, that is not my problem. My problem is to make those crosses and give them away to do His will" ...
• read/watch the rest of this KWES report
Today in the PC-USA Mission Yearbook
The Mission Yearbook for Prayer and Study is a daily devotional with 365 inspiring mission stories that come from next door and all across the globe. It inspires thousands of Presbyterians daily as they uphold the mission of the Presbyterian Church (U.S.A.) in intercessory prayer.
PEACEMAKING PROGRAM: PCUSA MISSION C0-WORKERS - International Peacemakers from partner churches around the world are traveling to churches throughout the U.S. as part of the Presbyterian Peacemaking program ...
• CLICK HERE to read more.
Tuesday, December 27, 2016
Special Notice from Faces of Children
Faces of Children is an ecumenical prayer ministry under the auspices of First Presbyterian Church of Midland, Texas. Our mission is to initiate ministries of prayer for children in churches, communities, and neighborhoods. In doing so, we seek to provide an opportunity for people of God to join together, learn about children and their needs throughout the world, and celebrate Christ's love (especially as it relates to children).Special Notice from Faces of Children
Hi Friends,
[This] week there will be no prayer email and we will not meet together on Wednesday, December 28. We will resume on January 4.
Also, Faces of Children is now on Facebook ! I invite you to like our page so that you can see regular stories, prayer needs, and updates from partner ministries.
All the best,
Carrie
Carrie J. McKean
Faces of Children Director
First Presbyterian Church of Midland, Texas
(432) 684-7821 x153
If you have prayer requests about children, those who care for them, those who have authority over them, or those who harm them (the really hard prayers to say sometimes), please send them to info@facesofchildren.net
In the News ... "'In God We Trust' Decals Could Soon Be On Every Police Vehicle In Kermit"
 |
| KMID Photo |
Lupe Zapata, Reporter
• KMID-TV
KERMIT, TEXAS - It's a growing Texas trend that has made it's way to the Basin in recent years, the four word phrase a hot topic among west Texans.
Police departments and sheriff's offices making the decision to add decals to their vehicles which read "In God We Trust."
Earlier this week the City of Odessa announced that the motto will be added to all city vehicles by January 2017.
Now the Kermit Police Department is asking the public on their Facebook page what they think about the department joining the trend ...
• read/watch the rest of this KMID report
Today in the PC-USA Mission Yearbook
The Mission Yearbook for Prayer and Study is a daily devotional with 365 inspiring mission stories that come from next door and all across the globe. It inspires thousands of Presbyterians daily as they uphold the mission of the Presbyterian Church (U.S.A.) in intercessory prayer.
PRESBYTERY OF THE CASCADES, OREGON - St. Mark Presbyterian Church and P’nai Or Jewish Renewal Fellowship of Portland have teamed up in an interfaith ministry of shared worship for special occasions. They have also developed a unique interfaith day camp called “Abraham’s Tent” that brings together Christian, Jewish and Muslim communities for nurturing shared understanding and peace ...
• CLICK HERE to read more.
Monday, December 26, 2016
Special Notice from Faces of Children
Faces of Children is an ecumenical prayer ministry under the auspices of First Presbyterian Church of Midland, Texas. Our mission is to initiate ministries of prayer for children in churches, communities, and neighborhoods. In doing so, we seek to provide an opportunity for people of God to join together, learn about children and their needs throughout the world, and celebrate Christ's love (especially as it relates to children).Special Notice from Faces of Children
Hi Friends,
[This] week there will be no prayer email and we will not meet together on Wednesday, December 28. We will resume on January 4.
Also, Faces of Children is now on Facebook ! I invite you to like our page so that you can see regular stories, prayer needs, and updates from partner ministries.
All the best,
Carrie
Carrie J. McKean
Faces of Children Director
First Presbyterian Church of Midland, Texas
(432) 684-7821 x153
If you have prayer requests about children, those who care for them, those who have authority over them, or those who harm them (the really hard prayers to say sometimes), please send them to info@facesofchildren.net
In the News ... "Wood opens new themes at FBC Midland"
 |
OA Photo by Jacob Ford
|
By Bob Campbell, Reporter
• Odessa American
MIDLAND, TEXAS - Having preached on healing and unity as his theme for 2015, the Rev. Dr. Darin Wood will address evangelism and families this year at the First Baptist Church to stress the primacy of the Biblical models ...
• read the rest of this OA report ...
Today in the PC-USA Mission Yearbook
The Mission Yearbook for Prayer and Study is a daily devotional with 365 inspiring mission stories that come from next door and all across the globe. It inspires thousands of Presbyterians daily as they uphold the mission of the Presbyterian Church (U.S.A.) in intercessory prayer.
Today in the Mission Yearbook: December 26, 2016
PHILIPPINES / PRESBYTERIAN DISASTER ASSISTANCE - It was November 8, 2013 when one of the strongest tropical cyclones ever recorded slammed Southeast Asia, doing damage in particular to Philippines. The result: more than 6,000 dead, towns and communities were destroyed and millions of people were left homeless, with no food and little hope ...
• CLICK HERE to read more.
Sunday, December 25, 2016
In the News ... "Synagogue marks Hanukkah"
 |
| OA Photo by Mark Sterkel |
Staff Report
• Odessa American
ODESSA, TEXAS - Temple Beth El members [last night began] celebrating Hanukkah, the annual “Festival of Lights,” in commemoration of the defeat of the Seleucid Empire by the Jewish Maccabees and their rededication of the Second Temple in Jerusalem.
Rabbi Jordan Parr said families will light one candle per day for the next eight days on candelabrums called menorahs in remembrance of the “Miracle of the Oil,” in which a flask, with only enough oil to burn for a day, stayed lit for eight days during the temple’s rededication ...
• read the rest of this OA report ...
Today in the PC-USA Mission Yearbook
The Mission Yearbook for Prayer and Study is a daily devotional with 365 inspiring mission stories that come from next door and all across the globe. It inspires thousands of Presbyterians daily as they uphold the mission of the Presbyterian Church (U.S.A.) in intercessory prayer.
Today in the Mission Yearbook: December 25, 2016
MINUTE FOR MISSION: NATIVITY OF JESUS CHRIST / CHRISTMAS DAY - We celebrated a very special Christmas holiday last year, with family from the West Coast visiting for a couple of weeks. After days of last-minute shopping, a beautiful Christmas Eve worship service, parties and a family gift exchange, it was time to relax, get out of the house and do something fun and different for a couple of days — so of course we went to Dogwood Acres! ...
• CLICK HERE to read more.
From Austin Seminary: "Advent Devotional" for December 25
• CLICK HERE for a complete schedule of this season's devotionals.
• CLICK HERE to learn how you can support the mission of Austin Seminary
Advent Devotional for Sunday, December 25: The Nativity of Jesus Christ
• Matthew 1:18-25
It’s Christmas Day, and you’ve just read these elegant words from Matthew’s gospel: “Joseph, son of David, do not be afraid to take Mary as your wife…” Chances are that the power of familiarity has obliterated the sharp edges of this text from view. For this story of the arrival of God-in-the-flesh is designed to address not just our childlike wonder, but also our very adult-like fear. It is fear that takes up most of the stage in this story.
It’s Joseph’s fear, for starters, for the wheels have just come off of his well-ordered life. He had it all figured out, and then that angel arrives with an explanation that creates more questions than answers. Mary, mysteriously, is about to have a baby! But don’t be afraid, the angel says, the child is from the Holy Spirit.
Don’t be afraid?! Before this story is sentimental or endearing, it is terrifying. There is always reason to be terrified when the purposes of Heaven surprise us and throw up in the air everything that we had all nicely nailed down. No wonder Joseph is afraid. And so are we, whenever this mystifying God crashes in on us.
“Do not be afraid, Joseph,” says the angel.
The angel says that a lot. Later in Matthew, at the empty tomb, to those women: “Do not be afraid … He is not here, for he has been raised.” In Luke’s gospel, to those shepherds: “Do not be afraid, for I am bringing you good news of great joy …” So often, on the wings of some new gospel moment, the words come: “Do not be afraid.” Such words acknowledge us in our most vulnerable spot, and then they promise that God is coming to stand with us just there. That’s what Incarnation means, and that’s what Christmas is all about: that God is coming to stand with us.
Is there any word that we need more in these days of so much bad news, than the Good News that God is coming to stand with us?
I love the tree displayed each year at the Metropolitan Museum of Art in New York. Its centerpiece—the Holy Family bathed in light and attended by Neapolitan angels and cherubs and shepherds and wise men—can be seen from all angles. And then, all around the rest of its base, are hundreds of other figures acting out the drama of life: kings, queens, shopkeepers, children chasing their dogs, all of them leaning toward the light of the newborn baby. But, wayon the other side of the tree, at its darkest, sparest point, something else is going on—a moment earlier than the moment of Incarnation. People are discussing the affairs of the day—but now, they have paused and cocked their heads.
What have they heard? I think it’s an angel, addressing them in their meantime. A voice that brings hope and liberation, but a voice that starts—as the Gospel always starts—by meeting us in our darkness and addressing our fear.
It was enough for Joseph. Is it enough for us? For the angel comes here, too, to stand among us. “Do not be afraid,” says the angel. “I am with you, so, for God’s sake, do not be afraid.”
O Child of the manger and King of our hearts: dwell with us today, and we will not fear anything! Amen.
Theodore J. Wardlaw
President
For the glory of God and to proclaim the gospel of Jesus Christ, Austin Presbyterian Theological Seminary is a seminary in the Presbyterian-Reformed tradition whose mission is to educate and equip individuals for the ordained Christian ministry and other forms of Christian service and leadership; to employ its resources in the service of the church; to promote and engage in critical theological thought and research; and to be a winsome and exemplary community of God's people.
Saturday, December 24, 2016
Today in the PC-USA Mission Yearbook
The Mission Yearbook for Prayer and Study is a daily devotional with 365 inspiring mission stories that come from next door and all across the globe. It inspires thousands of Presbyterians daily as they uphold the mission of the Presbyterian Church (U.S.A.) in intercessory prayer.
Today in the Mission Yearbook: December 24, 2016
GLACIER PRESBYTERY, MONTANA - When the Rev. Terilyn Lawson was installed on Sunday, October 23, as associate pastor of First Presbyterian Church, Great Falls, Montana—and concurrently as the first resident in the Chaplain Candidate Residency Program newly launched by the Presbyterian Council for Chaplains and Military Personnel (PCCMP)—she had to marvel at what God had done ...
• CLICK HERE to read more.
From Austin Seminary: "Advent Devotional" for December 24
• CLICK HERE for a complete schedule of this season's devotionals.
• CLICK HERE to learn how you can support the mission of Austin Seminary
Advent Devotional for Saturday, December 24: Christmas Eve
• Luke 2:1-14
The first words announcing Jesus’s birth are not “behold, a child is born,” not “peace be with you,” but “Do not be afraid.” Jesus’s birth occurred amid multiple fears. The shepherds, undoubtedly, were afraid of the sudden appearance of angels and the glory of the Lord that surrounded them. Then, as now, such heavenly sightings were not everyday events. But there was much more to be feared in this era than angels. Many feared Emperor Augustus and the authority of the Roman Empire. Galilee and Judea, like other Roman colonies, may have feared the census that represented Roman dominion over the Mediterranean world. Others feared for their lives, wondering when they would eat their next meal. Still others feared for their families, despairing over the future and whether children would have full lives.
Most of these fears have not been erased in our day. Countless people still struggle for daily bread; we worry about our children and their safety; we fear the unknown. In many cases, these fears have only intensified in the two thousand years since Jesus’s birth. The past decade has revealed a host of founded and unfounded fears in the American psyche: terrorism, immigration, economic insecurity, climate change. Our public discourse mirrors those fears, often degenerating into hysterical warnings and callous dismissals of others. We still have much to fear.
Fear, in many cases, is a natural and necessary instinct. Jesus comes to the world not to eliminate fear, but to enable a more life-giving response to fear. I imagine that the shepherd’s fears didn’t disappear when they heard the angel say, “Do not be afraid.” But these shepherds, after hearing these words, do not flee the scene and hide; instead, they hasten to Mary, Joseph, and the baby, and tell others what they have heard.
What are your fears? How might you respond to them not only with “fight or flight,” but with love? As we herald the birth of the Prince of Peace, we also proclaim that fear does not have the final word. The angel’s words still abide.
Holy and living God, you know our fears more intimately than we know them ourselves. On this holy night, illumine our fears by the light of your Son’s love, allowing us to embrace the life you give to the world in Christ our Lord. Amen.
David H. Jensen
Academic Dean & Professor in the Clarence N. and Betty B. FriersonDistinguished Chair Reformed Theology
For the glory of God and to proclaim the gospel of Jesus Christ, Austin Presbyterian Theological Seminary is a seminary in the Presbyterian-Reformed tradition whose mission is to educate and equip individuals for the ordained Christian ministry and other forms of Christian service and leadership; to employ its resources in the service of the church; to promote and engage in critical theological thought and research; and to be a winsome and exemplary community of God's people.Friday, December 23, 2016
In the News ... “Organizations tackle veteran homelessness"
 |
| MRT Photo |
Simone Jasper, Reporter
• Midland Reporter-Telegram
MIDLAND, TEXAS - As the leader of a veterans group, Paul Reed often considers the needs of people who served in the military. He’s doing what he can to help local veterans on the brink of homelessness.
“They don’t need a pat on the back or a parade,” said Reed, commander of the Disabled American Veterans Permian Basin Chapter 58. “They can’t pay all their bills. About 99 percent of the people who come to us are not looking for handouts. These people need a hand up.”
The DAV helped 40 veterans last year with emergency food, shelter and utilities. But a lack of affordable housing in the area leaves some with few options, Reed said ...
• read the rest of this MRT report
Today in the PC-USA Mission Yearbook
The Mission Yearbook for Prayer and Study is a daily devotional with 365 inspiring mission stories that come from next door and all across the globe. It inspires thousands of Presbyterians daily as they uphold the mission of the Presbyterian Church (U.S.A.) in intercessory prayer.
Today in the Mission Yearbook: December 23, 2016
PRESBYTERIAN MISSION AGENCY BOARD - The Presbyterian Mission Agency Board is pleased to announce that it has accepted an invitation from the Presbytery of San Juan to hold its March 2017 meeting in Puerto Rico ...
• CLICK HERE to read more.
From Austin Seminary: "Advent Devotional" for December 23
• CLICK HERE for a complete schedule of this season's devotionals.
• CLICK HERE to learn how you can support the mission of Austin Seminary
Advent Devotional for Friday, December 23
• Luke 1:57-66
As a small child, I remember spending time with my paternal grandmother. This time was always time well spent. Occasionally I would get into altercations with my cousins over the sharing of toys, crayons, and the TV, and these tiffs would eventually end up in name calling. Being one of the youngest and, often, the only boy present, I would be called a fair share of names. I would always run to Grandmother and inform her of the great injustices I suffered. One day she stopped me and, in a wise and patient manner, explained to me that "it's not the name that one is called, it's the name that one answers to that matters!" There is a certain wisdom to this, and to a point Grandmother was correct. While names we are called may hurt, the names that we answer to are greater.
In today's text, the naming of John the Baptist is of great importance. This name would become the child's identity. It would be how he was known to everyone. It was only at the right name was there a reactive answer. There is power in names. In this Advent season, we celebrate the coming of Christ—this redemptive hope. It is through this act of redemption that we have acquired new names. We are no longer solely the names given to us at birth. We are now able to be called "Sisters" and "Brothers," "Hiers to the Most High God"!
So as we anticipate the coming of Christ, let us be mindful that the name we answer to will have the ability to hold us ransom, robbing us of the joy, love, hope, and peace that we desperately seek. Or it can have the power to open our mouths and set our tongues free, allowing us to speak and praise God.
Come and set us free,
Lord God of power and might.
Let your face shine upon us
and we shall be saved,
Glory to the Father, and to the Son,
and to the Holy Spirit.
Amen.
Matt Edison
MDIV Student from Houston Texas
For the glory of God and to proclaim the gospel of Jesus Christ, Austin Presbyterian Theological Seminary is a seminary in the Presbyterian-Reformed tradition whose mission is to educate and equip individuals for the ordained Christian ministry and other forms of Christian service and leadership; to employ its resources in the service of the church; to promote and engage in critical theological thought and research; and to be a winsome and exemplary community of God's people.Thursday, December 22, 2016
In the News ... "Star running back's celebration sparks idea for donation challenge locally"
• "Let’s get out there and support it.”
Eric Onyechefule, Reporter
• KWES-TV
NIDLAND, TEXAS - Dallas Cowboys running back, Ezekiel Elliot’s leaped into the Salvation Army kettle Sunday night which led Kim Martin of Greenwood to start a Salvation Army Challenge Monday.
“We thought what better way than to get together as a group and let’s all donate $21 to the Salvation Army, help a good cause and show our support for America’s team,” said Martin.
'21' represents the Elliot’s jersey number and Martin says 20 people have joined in on the challenge so far ...
• read/watch the rest of this KWES report ...
In the News ... "More Than 400 Served at Midland Soup Kitchen"
 |
| KMID Photo |
Staff Report
• KMID-TV
MIDLAND, TEXAS - It was standing room only on Friday night at the Breaking Bread Soup Kitchen in Midland.
During the annual Christmas dinner, officials say they served more than 400 people throughout the night, the most they have ever served at one time ...
• read/watch the rest of this KMID report
Today in the PC-USA Mission Yearbook
The Mission Yearbook for Prayer and Study is a daily devotional with 365 inspiring mission stories that come from next door and all across the globe. It inspires thousands of Presbyterians daily as they uphold the mission of the Presbyterian Church (U.S.A.) in intercessory prayer.
Today in the Mission Yearbook: December 22, 2016
PRESBYTERY OF SAN FRANCISCO, CALIFORNIA - You might say the transformation began with the pews.
St. John’s Presbyterian Church in San Francisco wanted to grow. So it hired the Rev. Theresa Cho as an associate pastor with the idea that her presence would help attract young Chinese families who were settling in the neighborhood. After three years, however, growth hadn’t happened in the way some people expected ...
• CLICK HERE to read more.
From Austin Seminary: "Advent Devotional" for December 22
• CLICK HERE for a complete schedule of this season's devotionals.
• CLICK HERE to learn how you can support the mission of Austin Seminary
Advent Devotional for Thursday, December 22
• Revelation 21:22 – 22:5
Every time I read this passage, with its description of the city of God and the river of the water of life flowing “through the middle of the street of the city,” I think of Beth She’an.
I visited Beth She’an on a tour of Israel/Palestine as a graduate student writing a dissertation in Old Testament. Beth She’an was the place where the victorious Philistines hung the headless body of the slain Israelite King Saul from the city walls after the battle at Mt. Gilboa (1 Sam 31:10). Renamed “Scythopolis” by the Greeks and later rebuilt by the Romans as part of the Decapolis, it became a prototypical Roman town, with colonnaded streets and classical architecture. The thing I remember about Beth She’an was the way the roads were paved: great rectangular stones laid on the bias, pointing angularly toward a central ridge of hipped stone that ran the length of the thoroughfare. Beneath the center stones, our guide told us, the Romans laid the city sewer, so that water carrying refuse and human waste literally ran down the center of the street. The center ridge kept horse and foot traffic out of the sewer and also controlled the stench. We visited several Roman towns while on that trip, and everywhere the old Roman streets were preserved, there, too, was the central sewer.
It’s common knowledge that John’s image in Revelation 22 of the river of life running through the middle of the street harks back to the image of the river that flows from Eden in Genesis 2:10. But I often wonder if John isn’t also deliberately referring to the sewer that ran down the main street of every town in the Roman world of his day. I wonder if John isn’t saying metaphorically that, in the New Creation whose coming we anticipate in Advent, God transforms the least and least likely into the sources of life and hope. The last become the first. Mustard seeds become huge bushes. Sewers become streams of mercy. A baby born in a stable becomes Messiah and Lord.
Shall we gather at the river?
God of transformation and surprise, teach us to perceive the unexpected architecture of your grace so that, looking around us as it is, we might peer through to the world as you intend it to be. Amen.
Paul Hooker
Associate Dean for Minsterial Formation and Advanced Studies
For the glory of God and to proclaim the gospel of Jesus Christ, Austin Presbyterian Theological Seminary is a seminary in the Presbyterian-Reformed tradition whose mission is to educate and equip individuals for the ordained Christian ministry and other forms of Christian service and leadership; to employ its resources in the service of the church; to promote and engage in critical theological thought and research; and to be a winsome and exemplary community of God's people.Wednesday, December 21, 2016
In the News ... "Church Under the Bridge needs holiday help for the homeless"
 |
| KOSA Photo |
Amanda DeBerry, Reporter
• KOSA-TV
MIDLAND, TEXAS - Christmas presents are something many people look forward to receiving, but not everyone is fortunate enough to get. Church Under the Bridge in Midland is seeking the community’s help to make sure the homeless have a cheerful holiday as well.
“Regardless of why they’re out on the streets they’re on the streets and often times they’re by themselves,” Church Under the Bridge Pastor Evan Rogers said. “It’s nice to be able to give to them when they don’t have anything.”
How many times have you walked past someone living on the streets and felt guilty, conflicted, or just not sure how to help? ...
• read/watch the rest of this KOSA report
In the News ... “Local volunteers minister to prisoners during holidays"
 |
| Courtesy Photo |
Simone Jasper, Reporter
• Midland Reporter-Telegram
MIDLAND, TEXAS - During the holiday season, many people enjoy spending time with family members. That’s why Harold Howard is sending more than 300 Christmas cards to prison inmates who won’t see their loved ones.
Howard, a volunteer with the Christian faith-based Kairos Prison Ministry, said the holidays are tough for many incarcerated people ...
• read the rest of this MRT report
Invitation to Prayer from Faces of Children ... TODAY
Faces of Children is an ecumenical prayer ministry under the auspices of First Presbyterian Church of Midland, Texas. Our mission is to initiate ministries of prayer for children in churches, communities, and neighborhoods. In doing so, we seek to provide an opportunity for people of God to join together, learn about children and their needs throughout the world, and celebrate Christ's love (especially as it relates to children).Invitation to Prayer, TODAY
Hi Friends,
Thank you for joining me in prayer for the children of the world. If you can, we'd love to have you pray together with us this Wednesday - TODAY - at 11:30 a.m., in the gym conference room at First Presbyterian Church of Midland, Texas, followed by by a special lunch together. Faces Intercessor and local pastor Dennis Hodge is bringing a homemade fried turkey.
Next week there will be no prayer email and we will not meet together on Wednesday, December 28. We will resume on January 4. Merry Christmas!
Also, Faces of Children is now on Facebook ! I invite you to like our page so that you can see regular stories, prayer needs, and updates from partner ministries.
All the best,
Carrie
Dear Intercessors,
"And you, my child, will be called a prophet of the Most High; for you will go on before the Lord to prepare the way for him, to give his people the knowledge of salvation through the forgiveness of their sins, because of the tender mercy of our God, by which the rising sun will come to us from heaven to shine on those living in darkness and in the shadow of death, to guide our feet into the path of peace." Luke 1:76-79
The stories coming out of Aleppo this week contain unimaginable horrors. As the last rebel-held areas fall to the Syrian army, stories of brutality, deprivation, and unending bombing trickle out. The news changes every day, and undoubtedly between the time I write this and you receive it, there will be new developments. But what we do know is that while evacuations of civilians and surrendering rebel fighters have begun, there have also been stories of brutality towards civilians; including women and children being shot and killed on sight and according to UNICEF, a building sheltering over 100 unaccompanied children being directly attacked.
Last night during our advent service, we together read this passage from Luke that I quoted above. It's Zechariah's song of praise upon the birth of his son, John the Baptist. Prophesying about the coming savior, Zechariah looks forward to the day when the "rising sun will come to us from heaven to shine on those living in darkness and in the shadow of death, to guide our feet into the path of peace." As we read those words together, my mind filled with the picture of the people of Aleppo, walking single-file through rubble-strewn streets and beside bombed out buildings. I pictured bright rays of sunlight cutting through the clouds and driving out the darkness. I pictured those people who have been living in the shadow of death walking what they hope is a path towards peace. And I prayed that His Kingdom would come right here and right now to the people of Aleppo and all the other people around the world living in the midst of violent conflict.
But more than that, as we wait with hopeful expectation for the arrival of our savior and king, I pray that those very same people can know the One who wipes away their tears and holds them when they are afraid. There have lived through such catastrophe and no one yet knows how many more will die before there is peace. We can ache and long and hope for an end to the violence, but as we ache and long and hope and pray, we can also trust that the Prince of Peace is stronger than the prince of darkness. His light is rising and his sun is shining and he is driving out the darkness of the shadow of death. Let's pray that the people who have suffered so much can personally encounter the coming Christ.
This week, will you join me in praying for Aleppo:
• Civilians: Pray for God to protect their lives. Pray for them to have the food, medicine and shelter they need to survive the coming weeks and months and to be able to rebuild their lives in the years ahead.
• Rebels and Syrian Government, and all international players: Pray for God to give them hearts that desire peace. Pray for them to value human life over power and for God to raise up new leaders who believe in the power of reconciliation over retribution.
• Children: The children of Aleppo have known only lifetimes of war. So many of them have lost parents, friends, and homes, and many have been injured or maimed from the violence. Pray for God to begin healing their hearts and minds and bodies and for them to look forward to the future with joy and hope.
• Relief Groups: Groups like Preemptive Love Coalition, Partners Relief and Development, the Red Cross, World Relief, World Vision and Syria's own volunteer-led White Helmets are running towards the violence, not away from it, armed with clean water, medicine, food, sleeping bags and hope. Pray for their protection and adequate provisions.
• Learn more about how you can reject apathy and respond to what's happening in Aleppo and the surrounding area right now.
Praying with you,
Carrie
Carrie J. McKean
Faces of Children Director
First Presbyterian Church of Midland, Texas
(432) 684-7821 x153
If you have prayer requests about children, those who care for them, those who have authority over them, or those who harm them (the really hard prayers to say sometimes), please send them to info@facesofchildren.net
Today in the PC-USA Mission Yearbook
The Mission Yearbook for Prayer and Study is a daily devotional with 365 inspiring mission stories that come from next door and all across the globe. It inspires thousands of Presbyterians daily as they uphold the mission of the Presbyterian Church (U.S.A.) in intercessory prayer.
Today in the Mission Yearbook: December 21, 2016
MISSION PRESBYTERY, TEXAS - They may have been traveling for days or even weeks, but asylum seekers hoping to start new lives in the U.S. are finding a bright spot in their long and difficult journey. A Catholic church in McAllen, Texas provides a rest stop for the weary travelers, giving them a place to rest, eat and fellowship with volunteers who have come to help ...
• CLICK HERE to read more.
From Austin Seminary: "Advent Devotional" for December 21
• CLICK HERE for a complete schedule of this season's devotionals.
• CLICK HERE to learn how you can support the mission of Austin Seminary
Advent Devotional for Wednesday, December 21
• Psalm 96
At summer camp, when I was a girl, we sang a song based on this psalm. It was a pump-up, feel-good song we sang at the top of our lungs during morning worship, standing around our guitar-playing counselors. There was a dance move that went with the line “greatly to be praised” and we danced and sang the morning in with great enthusiasm. As an adult—and a seminarian—I suspect that while our exuberance and joy would have pleased the psalmist, our complete omission of God’s incipient judgment might have seemed more than a little lacking.
But it’s Advent! It’s a time of light, of a bright star and a baby in a manger, of dreams and hopes and the incarnation of God. What place has judgment here? We don’t want judgment—we’re about to get to the best part and it will be light and joy and peace! And yet here stands the psalmist, reminding us that the joy and exuberance of the psalm is a lead-up to God coming and judging the peoples of the earth —and that the earth will rejoice.
Isn’t that tension between the joy in a new song and the coming judgment what Advent is about? The people who walked in darkness have seen a great light! But light is blinding after darkness, and our eyes are slow to adjust. The familiar hymns of Advent live in this tension, but not all of them capture the fierce joy of the psalmist. In Advent, judgment looks and sounds more like God’s righteousness and truth sweeping over the earth and its peoples, while creation rejoices. God’s people lift up their voices in trust and in joy and in the certainty of God’s love, singing of the marvelous works of God. This Advent season, remember as we wait in the darkness: the light is coming. It brings with it truth and righteousness—how can we keep from singing?
God of all songs, we bless your name and rejoice in your works. Help us to recognize your judgment as the place where you break into our lives with truth and righteousness. Create in us new songs to sing in joy and in sorrow, in darkness and in light. We pray in the name of your Son, Jesus the Christ, who was, and is, and is to come. Amen.
Madeline Hart-Anderson
MDIV Student from Minneapolis, Minnesota
For the glory of God and to proclaim the gospel of Jesus Christ, Austin Presbyterian Theological Seminary is a seminary in the Presbyterian-Reformed tradition whose mission is to educate and equip individuals for the ordained Christian ministry and other forms of Christian service and leadership; to employ its resources in the service of the church; to promote and engage in critical theological thought and research; and to be a winsome and exemplary community of God's people.Tuesday, December 20, 2016
Invitation to Prayer from Faces of Children ... TOMORROW
Faces of Children is an ecumenical prayer ministry under the auspices of First Presbyterian Church of Midland, Texas. Our mission is to initiate ministries of prayer for children in churches, communities, and neighborhoods. In doing so, we seek to provide an opportunity for people of God to join together, learn about children and their needs throughout the world, and celebrate Christ's love (especially as it relates to children).Invitation to Prayer, TOMORROW
Hi Friends,
Thank you for joining me in prayer for the children of the world. If you can, we'd love to have you pray together with us this Wednesday at 11:30 a.m., in the gym conference room at First Presbyterian Church of Midland, Texas, followed by by a special lunch together. Faces Intercessor and local pastor Dennis Hodge is bringing a homemade fried turkey.
Next week there will be no prayer email and we will not meet together on Wednesday, December 28. We will resume on January 4. Merry Christmas!
Also, Faces of Children is now on Facebook ! I invite you to like our page so that you can see regular stories, prayer needs, and updates from partner ministries.
All the best,
Carrie
Dear Intercessors,
"And you, my child, will be called a prophet of the Most High; for you will go on before the Lord to prepare the way for him, to give his people the knowledge of salvation through the forgiveness of their sins, because of the tender mercy of our God, by which the rising sun will come to us from heaven to shine on those living in darkness and in the shadow of death, to guide our feet into the path of peace." Luke 1:76-79
The stories coming out of Aleppo this week contain unimaginable horrors. As the last rebel-held areas fall to the Syrian army, stories of brutality, deprivation, and unending bombing trickle out. The news changes every day, and undoubtedly between the time I write this and you receive it, there will be new developments. But what we do know is that while evacuations of civilians and surrendering rebel fighters have begun, there have also been stories of brutality towards civilians; including women and children being shot and killed on sight and according to UNICEF, a building sheltering over 100 unaccompanied children being directly attacked.
Last night during our advent service, we together read this passage from Luke that I quoted above. It's Zechariah's song of praise upon the birth of his son, John the Baptist. Prophesying about the coming savior, Zechariah looks forward to the day when the "rising sun will come to us from heaven to shine on those living in darkness and in the shadow of death, to guide our feet into the path of peace." As we read those words together, my mind filled with the picture of the people of Aleppo, walking single-file through rubble-strewn streets and beside bombed out buildings. I pictured bright rays of sunlight cutting through the clouds and driving out the darkness. I pictured those people who have been living in the shadow of death walking what they hope is a path towards peace. And I prayed that His Kingdom would come right here and right now to the people of Aleppo and all the other people around the world living in the midst of violent conflict.
But more than that, as we wait with hopeful expectation for the arrival of our savior and king, I pray that those very same people can know the One who wipes away their tears and holds them when they are afraid. There have lived through such catastrophe and no one yet knows how many more will die before there is peace. We can ache and long and hope for an end to the violence, but as we ache and long and hope and pray, we can also trust that the Prince of Peace is stronger than the prince of darkness. His light is rising and his sun is shining and he is driving out the darkness of the shadow of death. Let's pray that the people who have suffered so much can personally encounter the coming Christ.
This week, will you join me in praying for Aleppo:
• Civilians: Pray for God to protect their lives. Pray for them to have the food, medicine and shelter they need to survive the coming weeks and months and to be able to rebuild their lives in the years ahead.
• Rebels and Syrian Government, and all international players: Pray for God to give them hearts that desire peace. Pray for them to value human life over power and for God to raise up new leaders who believe in the power of reconciliation over retribution.
• Children: The children of Aleppo have known only lifetimes of war. So many of them have lost parents, friends, and homes, and many have been injured or maimed from the violence. Pray for God to begin healing their hearts and minds and bodies and for them to look forward to the future with joy and hope.
• Relief Groups: Groups like Preemptive Love Coalition, Partners Relief and Development, the Red Cross, World Relief, World Vision and Syria's own volunteer-led White Helmets are running towards the violence, not away from it, armed with clean water, medicine, food, sleeping bags and hope. Pray for their protection and adequate provisions.
• Learn more about how you can reject apathy and respond to what's happening in Aleppo and the surrounding area right now.
Praying with you,
Carrie
Carrie J. McKean
Faces of Children Director
First Presbyterian Church of Midland, Texas
(432) 684-7821 x153
If you have prayer requests about children, those who care for them, those who have authority over them, or those who harm them (the really hard prayers to say sometimes), please send them to info@facesofchildren.net
In the News ... "A great gift to all of Odessa"
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| OA Photo by Edyta Blaszczyk |
By Bob Campbell, Reporter
• Odessa American
ODESSA, TEXAS - Second Baptist Church leaders and members don’t just put a manger scene on the front lawn for Christmas, they don costumes and act out the roles, and they’ve been doing it every late December since 1955 ...
• read the rest of this OA report ...
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