For those who follow the Revised Common Lectionary, the Church has been considering Matthew 10 for the past few weeks as the Gospel Lesson. In times when racist violence takes, again, a public face, and white fragility manifests itself in the governance and discerning spaces of USAmerican religious institutions, the Gospel of Matthew compels the Church to rethink it’s leading model, and consider following as the way to lead.
Racism, militarism, capitalism, colonialism, heteropatriarchy, and environmental exploitation all stem from the same root - White Supremacy. These are demons we are called to cast out every fiber of US life and of Global engagement. The reference to “sheep” in the lesson of Matthew 9.35-10.8 is a political and sociological reading of the circumstances of the crowds that surrounded Jesus. Jesus had compassion and healed crowds of “troubled and helpless” people. Their troubles and helplessness - systematic, intentional. Oppression and marginalization are built to support White Supremacy. The lesson calls the Church, in the midst of oppression and marginalization, to heal, raise the dead, clean bodies and to throw out demons that perpetrate and perpetuate oppression and discrimination.
Based on a sermon I preached at the First Presbyterian Church in Albany and the Iglesia Presbiteriana en Hato Rey.
Inspired by “Déjame Respirar” by Vin Ramos, I seek to provide some historical context around my belief that Puerto Ricans should be standing side by side with African Americans and their protests, instead of seeking to question the anger of said protests.
The video is sung in Spanish, but the imaged in and of themselves are worth seeing it.
Inspirado por la canción y video “Déjame Respirar” de Vin Ramos, me propongo proveer algún contexto histórico sobre porque puertorriqueñas y puertorriqueños deberían solidarizarse con las luchas y protestas de afrodescendientes en EEUU en vez de criticar la furia y coraje con la que se están lanzando a la calle.
I was invited to share a sermon for Intercultural Church Sunday on a shared worship experience for congregations of the Presbytery of New Brunswick - Presbyterian Church, USA (the presbytery in NJ that serves Mercer Co. and parts of Hunterdon, Middlesex and Somerset Cos.). This was also during the 2020 COVID-19 pandemic in which faith communities had to find new ways of being church in worship and witness. And even in times of pandemic, the Holy Spirit calls the church to be in relationship with others, especially those we were taught to consider as “other”. What if those relationships were to change us? What is needed to be faithful in pursuing those relationships? What does love look like for all?
Una reflexión que compartiera sobre unidad de la comunidad de fe. La misma está basada en el texto de Juan 15, donde Jesús compara su relación con sus seguidora/es como la relación entre la vid y sus ramas. Este es parte de una serie de mensajes breves compartidos por la Oficina de Apoyo Hispano/Latino de la Iglesia Presbiteriana (EEUUA).
This is a short message about community togetherness. I share about John 15, where Jesus compares his relationship to his followers using the image of the vine and the branches. This is part of a series of short reflections curated by the Office of Hispanic/Latinx Congregational Intercultural Support of the Presbyterian Church (USA).
One cannot be anything else than what one is. And when we are called by God - in baptism, communion and community - God does not expect us to bring anything else but what and who we are. Anything else we will need to be faithful witnesses, the Holy Spirit will give us.
This was a sermon shared with the community of the First Presbyterian Church in Jamestown, NY, based on the gospel lesson in Matthew 5:13-20
Celebrando el 2do domingo de Adviento, el domingo de la paz, reflexioné con la congregación de la 3ra Iglesia Presbiteriana en Aguadilla sobre como el profético en Isaías 11:1-10 le provee una imagen para la iglesia sobre esa paz que se puede añorar, una paz que la iglesia está llamada a ser gestora para y con el mundo. También tomando alguna inspiración de II Corintios 9:6-15, acompañé en esa oportunidad a esta congregación al cierre de su campaña de mayordomía. La Iglesia es llamada a ser mayordoma de paz.
“Presence and witness in urban settings must be of the city, by the city, and for the city.” I share with you this “story in progress” from the Plainfields as a way to narrate the complexity (and outright difficulty) of ministry in urban contexts. Not only does every interested party has its own understanding of what the city is and what kind of Christian presence is required, but it sometimes feels that many congregational leaders in cities (or interested in doing urban mission) think that being aware of demographic data, socioeconomic situations, and development potential is enough to develop a “strategy” for the city.
In a time where opinion dominates the media, and is often accompanied with little fact, we are faced with the challenge to find trusted sources of truth. And that is exactly what Jesus is addressing in this text, and inviting us into.
I preached this sermon to the congregation of the Riverdale Presbyterian Church, Bronx, NY.
When preaching on the story commonly known as "The Good Samaritan” we often miss that this parable is in response to an intense conversation between Jesus and an expert in religious law. I had the opportunity to preach this sermon during the opening worship service of the 2019 Big Tent (video link), the Presbyterian Church (U.S.A.)’s biennial learning and fellowship gathering. I preached it originally in, both, Spanish and English.
Regresaré algún día
al lugar que vió nacer
mi cuerpo, mis pasiones, mis anhelos mi ahínco,
mi compromiso, mi esperanza.
Regresaré algún día
a un lugar que me enseñó
lo que es ser íntegralmente
lo que es pertenecer sin condición
Regresaré algún día
a un lugar que se sabe país
a pesar de la dura carga del imperio
a pesar de la pesadilla colonial
Regresaré algún día
a un país que es nuevo
cuya dignidad está predicada
y su valía empeñada
en la grande y complicada historia
de la tradición e identidad puertorriqueña
Rules and regulations. Social expectations and theological interpretations. For many these are all but set in stone. Allowing ourselves to engage with another that is different to us can (and should) change to shifting idiosyncrasies and keeping biases in check. And if more deeply, engaging the other can change one life and witness all together.
I preached this sermon to the congregation of the First Presbyterian Church in Albany, NY.
To stand trial is to be in a dialogue. The party in authority is seeking to convince others that the party accused is guilty. The purpose of a dialogue is to convince, to sway. Jesus is not about dialogue. He is about conversation - being with others in life together. And Jesus take every opportunity to be in conversation with others, even while standing trial.
This sermon was preached in two versions, first at the installation of Elder Warren McNeill as stated clerk of New York City Presbytery, and this version to the congregation of First Presbyterian Church in Albany, NY.
In this sermon I engage the text of II Samuel 11, and the otherwise unrelated stories of war, lust, murder if not seen through the historical and contemporary lenses of the war economy. This was also a nudge of support to the Poor Peoples’ Campaign: A National Call for a Moral Revival and its New York State organizing.
This sermon was originally preached at the Presbyterian New England Congregational Church in Saratoga Springs, NY.
“These many years later I still remember how my heart shook at the sound… of Chopin combined with the sight of dimmed lights and exiting colors. It reminds me that the Christian story of joy, hope, and salvation is one also of passion and suffering…”
This reflection was originally shared by Albany Presbytery
Amid changes, congregations and their mid councils should be digging to discover, not uproot. This article appeared first on Presbyterians Today.
