Asian Americans across the country have found themselves victims of violent crimes for no apparent reason other than their ethnicity. Tuesday’s killing of eight people in Atlanta, including six Asian women, four of whom were South Koreans, has brought about offers of support among Presbyterians — and cries for hate and violence to stop.
The Rev. Aisha Brooks-Lytle enjoys nothing more than cheering on the Herculean online worship efforts being made each week during the pandemic by churches of the Presbytery of Greater Atlanta, where she’s the executive presbyter.
Thoughtful, moving and imaginative worship was front and center during the national event of the Association of Presbyterian Church Educators Thursday afternoon, when more than 1,000 people from four continents joined for an online opening worship service anchored by prophetic preaching from the Rev. Aisha Brooks-Lytle.
As of Tuesday, registration for “Anything but Ordinary Time,” the name of the annual event of the Association of Presbyterian Church Educators (APCE), stood at 908 — nearly one-third of them first-time attendees, according to Anne Wilson, a retired educator from Houston and member of the event’s planning team. In addition, 15 percent of those registered have attended one previous APCE annual event.
The Mid Council Financial Network (MCFN) held the first day of its two-day virtual seminar Monday, focusing on the trends, tools, and resources available to Presbyterian Church (U.S.A.) synods, presbyteries, and congregations as they care for their physical property.
For a couple of months now, Presbyterians and other faith groups have been staying healthy at home, washing their hands constantly, social distancing, taking part in virtual church through social media, wearing face masks for quick trips to the pharmacy or grocery store or even to walk the dog.
The woman from Iraq was dressed completely in black.
It was the first time she had been to Refugee Family Literacy at Memorial Drive Ministries in Stone Mountain, Georgia in two weeks. When Jennifer Green, director of the program, asked what had happened, she learned the woman’s brother had been killed by a car bomb in Iraq.
Green gave the woman a hug, told her she was sad for her, and took her to class, explaining to her teacher what had happened. It was an English-as-a-second-language class for mothers of children in the program’s preschool.
Presbyterian Youth Triennium staff and volunteers prepared for the Tuesday arrival of thousands of young people by worshiping together Monday evening and then remembering their baptisms and God’s unceasing mercy in a unique way.
