On Wednesday, Presbyterian Women opened its 2021 Business Meeting and online Churchwide Gathering with greetings by the 2018-2021 board leadership team of Moderator JyungIn Lee; Joy Durrant, Vice Moderator for Justice and Peace Concerns; and Jo Ann Burrell, Vice Moderator for Mission Relationships.
The Rev. Dr. Floretta Barbee-Watkins calls her online outreach “Zoom at Noon,” and Wednesday’s edition “Matthew 25: the real deal.” But it might well have been labeled “Exegeting Matthew 25:31-46 in practical ways everyone can understand.”
You may be startled to learn that 25% of children under 6 now live in poverty, nearly 23% of the American population can’t afford a medication they need and 17 out of every 10,000 people in the United States were experiencing homelessness on a single night. The Presbyterian Mission Agency has created a short video designed to raise awareness of the systemic poverty facing people in all walks of life, especially with the additional impact of the pandemic. The video is available to download and share across social media and websites.
“Engaging Matthew 25 Through Film — Eradicating Systemic Poverty” is a video guide that takes the reader through the life of a person or family burdened by poverty. The five films chosen for this new resource are intended to not only inform readers about poverty but also stir feelings, and just maybe move them from a place of comfort to join with others in doing something for those trapped in poverty. In other words, actively engage in the world around us.
New resources from the Office of Theology and Worship will help those engaged in the work of the Presbyterian Church (U.S.A.)’s Matthew 25 invitation make a stronger connection between the three foci of the vision and the biblical passage — particularly in Matthew 25:31–46, which is known as the “Judgment of the Nations” passage.
Over the past year about 3,800 hate attacks were recorded against Asian Americans. According to research by the Center for the Study of Hate and Extremism at California State University, San Bernardino, attacks increased by 150% in 2020.
As of Feb. 5, the Presbyterian Publishing Corporation has named itself a Matthew 25 agency, joining the rest of the Church in the important work of building congregational vitality, dismantling structural racism and eradicating systemic poverty.
Since the Matthew 25 vision was introduced at the 222nd General Assembly (2016) and adopted at the 223rd General Assembly (2018), the Judgment of the Nations has provided the biblical foundation to urge the Presbyterian Church (U.S.A.) to act boldly and compassionately to serve people who are hungry, oppressed, imprisoned or poor.
The bold vision and invitation of Matthew 25:31-46 to be the hands and feet of Jesus, serving people who are hungry, oppressed, imprisoned or poor, is awakening compassionate faith to new possibilities in the Presbyterian Church (U.S.A.).
In a year of unforeseen changes and challenges, the Matthew 25 vision to actively engage congregations in the world and community around them has taken on new meaning. Launched in April 2019, the Matthew 25 invitation has received its 700th congregation to make the commitment to radical and fearless discipleship.