Musings with NCP Pastor Rev John Groth

Over a period of about 8 years, while serving as a chaplain in the Air Force Reserves, I

had the distinctively sacred ministry of working with the men and women who process the

remains of America's fallen military women and men. My ministry was to the workers in

the mortuary, to the flight crews who brought the dead home, to the men and women of the

honor guard who would carry their comrade in arms off of the planes and take them to

Dover’s mortuary. Though the majority of my ministry was in the back of the mortuary, I would

often be out on the flight line, waiting for a plane to land with its sets of remains. When the plane

landed, we would do what the military calls a "dignified transfer". It's really a private family service

with at least two families present - one is family members of the fallen and the other is the military

family - gathered to honor the sacrifice of a comrade. It's a quiet moment - the only words spoken

are those of the chaplain offering prayer. After the dignified transfer I would speak to the air crew

and to any "escorts" accompanying the fallen home.

Once I was on C-17 talking to a young Army sergeant who was “escorting” his friend home. His

friend had been killed in a firefight and was now lying in a transfer case under the American Flag. I

asked him and the other escorts there that night, “How were you chosen to be the ones to bring these

soldiers home?” The sergeant said, “First of all, we wanted to bring them home because they’re

members of our own units and they are our friends, we knew them all personally. Second, when we

get into the battle zone, we all take a piece of paper and on it we write the name of the person that we

want to escort us home should we die.” He paused and fighting back tears, he said, “My friend wrote

down my name.”

The conversation turned to other things but his words lingered in the back of my mind. I began to

wonder whose name I would write down to escort me home. I thought about certain family

members, friends in the military, I thought about my wife and my children, men and women from the

various churches and ministries in which I have served. I thought about fellow

clergy. Symbolically, I took out a piece of paper and wrote down the name of the one that I want to

escort me home when I finally fall in this battle – Jesus Christ.

Prior to working in the mortuary, I would probably have taken a story like this and spiritualized it

even more than I have and for a midweek musing I would have written

something profound about ministry and a lesson for all of us. But I no

longer have the energy to do that. I battle depression and I battle post-

traumatic stress and the best I can muster most days is weakness. And

out of weakness comes power and out of depression comes faith and out

of death comes life and while I lost that piece of paper long ago, I have

this written on my heart - Jesus Christ.

An addendum: with tremendous pain, I swallowed my pride and went for professional help for the PTSD and depression - medically and psychologically. I got that help then and I still get it now. You may know that there is no such thing as professional spiritual help - instead I got that from children, from friends, from believers and non-

believers, from old church members, from a Corgi and a Yellow Labrador, from music and silence, from storms and sunsets and geese, from verses about seeing God in the land of the living, from a 275-year old congregation, from young college students, from sighs and laughter and from a deeply faithful wife.

-John

Jesus

Click to visit John’s website

Page 2

Gwen and John Haspels Update Mission Coworkers in Ethiopia

Assaulted and Severely Injured in a Robbery Attempt

(October 4, 2014) This update is from the Haspels’ youngest daughter, Heather, through Rev. Michael

Weller, World Mission’s Regional Liaison for the Horn of Africa. Both John and Gwen are stable. John

is in good condition in intensive care. He will see an eye specialist today. He is battling low blood

pressure and a number of bullet fragments. Gwen came out of a seven hour surgery in good condition

and will have another one later today on her cheek injury. She is in a medically induced sedation to

alleviate stress on her body.

Heather has spoken with the Suri representative to parliament, Lanjoy, who is a personal friend of the

Haspels, to communicate the family's message of forgiveness and their desire that the men who did this

will come to know Jesus. A translator is talking directly to the Suri community . They are being told

that the Haspels are not angry with the Suri people and continue to love them as they always have.

Reports coming in from Ethiopia are that the main perpetrator has been killed. He apparently was

intoxicated and walked to Tuligit. The Suri people recognized him and called police. This man is a

known criminal in the area, robbing tourists, stealing from the Suri and government and other visitors

to the area. When he was recognized, the man ran away into the mountains. Police caught up with him

and urged him to surrender, but he refused, and was killed in a gun fight.

The Haspels, who had already forgiven the man, were sad to learn of his death and continue to pray for

the others who participated in the robbery attempt.

The Haspels son John, has arrived in South Africa to be with his parents and will be joined later today

by his sisters Heather and Desta.

Those wishing to send cards and letters can send them to: Presbyterian World

Mission, John and Gwen Haspels, 100 Witherspoon, Louisville, KY 40202.

(October 6, 2014) The doctor who repaired Gwen jaw, chin and tongue said the surgical repair went

well and he is confident she will regain full use of all. Gwen is awake more and responding to her

daughter Desta. John’s eye surgery went well. He will require another, but doctor’s in South Africa, and

his family, say they would like him to return to the U.S. for any further eye surgery, but that decision

will have to be reviewed since there is no return date scheduled as yet.

Presbyterian World Mission, through the Board of Pensions, is covering most of the medical, air

evacuation, and transportation expenses associated with the care provided after the Haspels' incident

last Wednesday. We are thankful to all Presbyterians who have supported the church's mission budget

which allows us to support our mission workers in this way. Congregations and individuals who wish

to contribute to any unmet financial needs facing the Haspels can do so by sending a check to

Presbyterian World Mission, P.O. Box 643700, Pittsburgh, PA 15264-3700 for Extra Commitment

Opportunity account #E200359, "Rev. John and Gwenyth Haspels Sending and Support".

If we receive more funds than are needed, we will use them to

support other mission workers “urgent needs".

Read the initial report of the Haspels’ attack on the Presbyterian Mission Agency World Misson e-News:

http://bit.ly/Haspels Please keep the Haspels and their family in your thoughts and prayers.

They are longtime PCUSA Mission workers. Thank you.

-Terry Dykstra, Mission Advocate, New Castle Presbytery

Page 3

October is Presbyterian Heritage Month -Rev Dr John Ames

As I mentioned last week, the General Assembly of our church designated October as “Presbyterian

Heritage Month” in honor of the 500th anniversary of the birth of the Scottish reformer, John Knox.

So each weekly issue of Midweek Musings will have a brief article about someone or some event which I

think is worthy of remembering during “Presbyterian Heritage Month. Obviously this is highly selective and

highly subjective. Many persons and events might be chosen. Today, Jonathan Dickenson.

We often assume that because Presbyterianism came from Scotland, that all our roots are there. And while it

true that English Puritans and Irish Presbyterians also trace their theology back to Scotland there are

significant differences between them which had a profound influence on American Presbyterianism.

Jonathan Dickinson was born in Hatfield, Massachusetts in 1688. He grew up in the local meetinghouse

which was, of course, Puritan. The New England Puritans were not conscious of being a part of any

denomination. They did not become Congregationalists until later. Dickinson studied theology at what later

became Yale University and was ordained as pastor of the church in Elizabethtown, New Jersey in 1709.

He became a leader in the struggle to gain political rights for dissenters in the Colony of New Jersey and

determined that they should comprise one church, so he persuaded the elders in Elizabethtown to petition the

Presbytery of Philadelphia to receive them. Consequently Dickinson, the Elizabethtown Church, and several

other Puritan Churches in New Jersey became Presbyterian in 1717.

Soon controversy broke out in the church over the issue of subscription to the Westminster Confession of

Faith and Catechism. The Scots and Scotch-Irish, who were the original nucleus of the Presbytery, were

“strict subscriptionists,” meaning that candidates for ordination were expected to “adopt” the church’s

theological standards. But the New Englanders were not used to subscription or to theological rigidity at all.

This issue threatened to split the infant denomination.

IN 1729 Dickinson proposed a compromise to the Synod of Philadelphia, which was then the highest

governing body in the church. Called the “Adopting Act” this compromise has served our church well for 285

years. Candidates for ordination were to be asked to subscribe to the Confession “in its essential and

necessary articles.” It was left to the Presbytery to determine, in each individual case, whether the candidate

had adequately subscribed to the church’s theological standards.

Dickinson was also an important leader in the church as it faced the issues posed by the “Great Awakening” –

the remarkable revival which swept the American colonies from Georgia to New Hampshire. Presbyterians

were divided between the “New Side” which supported the revival and the “Old Side” which opposed it.

Dickinson and others organized the New Side Presbytery of New Brunswick, and when it was expelled by the

Synod of Philadelphia it joined with the Presbyteries of New York and Long Island to form the Synod of New

York.

Many of the Puritan congregations in New York City, Long Island, southern Connecticut and elsewhere were

attracted to the New Side branch of the church and became Presbyterians. Some of them are today the oldest

congregations in our denomination. Eleven congregations in Long Island, some as old as 1640, became

Presbyterian in 1747.

In 1746 Dickinson, along with six others, organized the “College of New Jersey,”

which later became Princeton University. The first classes, with ten students, were

held in Dickinson’s manse in Elizabethtown. Jonathan Dickinson died less than a

year later, in 1747.

These New Englanders forever changed American Presbyterianism, making it

more diverse theologically, less ethnically Scottish and Irish, and less rigid

liturgically. They sang hymns, for example, rather than strictly psalms. And

Jonathan Dickinson, the author of the “Adopting Act of 1729” can be thanked for

that contribution.

Page 4

By Robert L. Healy Hi everyone,

Even wonder about the origins of the Association of Mam Christian Women for

Development, coordinated by Rosario Diaz? Some of you do know, but others perhaps not. A

three-part series in a magazine called Wax Ecstatic tells the story.

Part I highlights Dudley Peck and Dorothy Miller Peck who worked in Guatemala with the

Mam ethnic group (one of 23 whose language is recognized by the Guatemalan government).

Affiliated with the Presbyterian Church, the Pecks began their work in 1922 and finally

retired some 40 years later. Dottie Peck Foster, their youngest daughter, recounts their

joys and challenges there. In Part II the Association’s ongoing work is featured as

well as the activities of Cindie Moore, Dottie’s cousin, who is the third generation of

the family to work with the Mams. Here are the links:

Part I: http://bit.ly/MAMonWAX & Part II: http://bit.ly/MAMonWAX2

Part III concentrates on one specific activity of the Association – its sewing school.

Anne Law Finch has supported the school since 1987 although her connection with

Guatemala goes back much further. Read what drew her to Guatemala and the sewing

school in particular. Here is the link: http://bit.ly/MAMSewing

Have any questions? Contact Cindie Moore at cindiemoore@yahoo.com.

Like to support the Association? Contributing is simple. Checks should be payable

to “Church of Reconciliation” with “Guatemala Support Group” on the memo line.

Mail it in care of Mr. John Hartwell, GSG Treasurer, 3001 Hartwell Pond Rd,

Hillsborough NC 27278.

Thanks very much!

Cindie L. Moore

The West Legacy Trust was created by the New Castle Presbytery to support

missions and ministries that were important to the life of the former West

Presbyterian Church.

We are actively reaching out to locate potential grant recipients and invite

you to consider applying for a 2014 grant. The deadline is November 4th.

Please view the application instructions here: http://bit.ly/WestLegacy

25% of funds go to

Dorothy Peck Foster in

traditional Mam clothing

Rosario & Family

Photo Courtesy of Anne Law Finch

Photo courtesy of Cindie Moore Left: Elena, President of Woman’s

Association, Right: Cindie Moore

Page 5

Presbyterians in US, DRC Work Together for Justice and Peace in the Congo

OCTOBER 3 – American Presbyterians concerned about the people of the Democratic Republic of Congo

(DRC) gathered this week in Great Falls, Montana, to discuss ways to promote peace, justice, reconciliation,

quality education and good health in the DRC. Participants in the Congo Mission Network’s annual meeting

engaged in prayer and conversation with leaders of the Presbyterian Church (USA)’s Congolese partner

churches and PC(USA) mission personnel serving in the region.

In line with Presbyterian World Mission’s campaign to end violence against women and children as part of its

emphasis on reconciliation, Network participants discussed some of the factors that place women and children

at risk of physical, psychological and economic violence, including:

traditional rites and practices related to widowhood and early marriage;

witchcraft accusations;

the widespread use of sexual and gender-based violence as weapon of

conflict; and the exploitation of women and children as mine labourers.

Frank Dimmock presented on behalf of the reconciliation catalyst, Shannon

Beck, highlighting the reconciliation campaign to halt violence against

women and children.

Pastor Serge Lumu from the Presbyterian Community of Kinshasa, one of the PC(USA)’s partners in the

DRC, underscored the church’s commitment to upholding the rights and dignity of all the people of the

Congo. “We cannot achieve our goal for women and children empowerment without peace, good governance,

and strong leadership in Congo.”

The convenor of the CMN Advocacy Task Team, Phyllis Green, said that Network advocates have been

urging Congress to adopt H.Res. 131, calling for an end to gender-based violence and the recruitment of child

soldiers in the Congo, and to reintroduce and enact the International Violence Against Women Act.

In June 2014, the General Assembly of the PC(USA) overwhelmingly

endorsed a resolution mandating the church to support efforts to hold

security and paramilitary forces in the DRC accountable for acts of

sexual violence and child recruitment, to promote transparency in

extractive industries, to strengthen the educational system in the DRC,

and to build collective security mechanisms in the region.

Meeting participants also discussed the Presbyterian Church’s

longstanding involvement in health ministries through historic

institutions, such as the Christian Medical Institute of the Kasai

(IMCK), and recent preventative health efforts such as the grassroots

Community Health Evangelism initiative. Education, technology, and

strategies for effective collaboration were also key components of the

meeting’s agenda. Dr. Larry Sthreshley, a PC(USA) mission worker, reported on the nearly $300 million

Assistance to Provide Primary Healthcare grant.

The Presbyterian Church (USA) is the largest Presbyterian denomination in the United States with more than 1.7

million members in more than 10,000 congregations. World Mission is one of the ministries of the Presbyterian

Mission Agency of the PC(USA). Mission Networks, such as the Congo Mission Network, are comprised primarily of

PC(USA) members and congregations, representatives of partner churches, and Presbyterian World Mission staff

member including mission personnel. They work to support the ministries of the PC(USA) and its partners in particular

countries or regions, but they do not make decisions for or speak on behalf of the denomination.

Read more on the Presbyterian Mission website here:

http://bit.ly/PCUSACongo

Page 6

Click here and here for Ideas for

Pastor Appreciation Month

Sunday, October 12th is Pastor Appreciation Day

Download coloring pages here.

Chesapeake City Annual Turkey Dinner It’s time once again. Turkey Time, that is. Please join

us for the annual Turkey dinner at the First Presbyterian

Church of Chesapeake City. It’s a great time for fun

and fellowship with your friends and neighbors. The

food will be served as a Buffet Style dinner with all the

goodies you can gobble.

Saturday, October 18th from 3-7 pm $12 adults $5 children under 12 Bring your family and friends for a meal and a deal that can’t be beat.

See you there.

Click to download the Fall 2014 Presbyterian

Hunger Program newsletter.

Turkey

Stuffing

Sweet Potatoes

Mashed Potatoes

Gravy

Green Beans

Cole Slaw

Bread & butter

Lots of Desserts

Yes, we have take out!

351 Biddle St, Chesapeake City, MD 21915

Page 7

October Health Ministry: National Bullying Prevention Month

Did you

know

that

bullying

isn’t a

normal

part of

growing

up?

Bullying

leaves

scars that last a lifetime. October is National

Bullying Prevention Month.

Please visit our Health Ministry page to learn

more about bullying and watch some powerful

videos about bullying and its victims.

-Stephanie Scully, RN, BSN Contact me at

healthministry@ncpresbytery.org

This safety glass wasn't bullet proof. Neither are we. We are afraid

to walk the streets of Wilmington. Who can help it?

Yet we are not prisoners of fear, for the thugs are mistaken.

Guns are not a sure-fire way to win respect.

The fear of the Lord is the beginning of wisdom,

and not because God may shoot us. Walk with us Lord,

and steady our steps.

Photo of safety glass shattered by a gunshot at a bus stop in Wilmington, DE Prayer based in part on Psalm 111:10.

To see other photos from a peace walk, click here To make a comment, To see what the author and others have said about

these prayer pix, visit: http://www.dannyschweers.com/ Photo and prayer 2014 by Danny N. Schweers

Page 8

Presbyterian World Mission Encourages Congregations to

Host an Event & Discussion About the Movie “The Good Lie.”

The movie, which opens in theaters October 3rd, focuses on the “Lost Boys,” who were

orphaned by the brutal civil war in Sudan, beginning in 1983. Fifteen years later, a

humanitarian effort would bring 3600 lost boys, as well as girls, to America.

Philippe Falardeau has written a moving screenplay which stars Academy Award® winner Reese Witherspoon alongside

Sudanese actors, and children of war, Arnold Oceng, Ger Duany, Emmanuel Jal, and newcomer Kuoth Wiel.

Mamere and Theo are sons of the chief in their village in Southern Sudan. When an attack by Northern militia destroys their home

and kills their parents, eldest son Theo is forced to lead a group of young survivors, including his sister Abital, on the difficult trek to

Kakuma refugee camp in Kenya. Thirteen years later, the now young adults are given the opportunity to leave the camp and resettle

in America. Upon arriving in Kansas, they are met by Carrie Davis (Witherspoon), an employment agency counselor who has been

enlisted to help find them jobs—no easy task, when things like light switches and telephones are brand new to them.

What: Warner Brother s offered a few members of Presbyter ian Wor ld Mission a sneak preview of the movie

and we were moved by the story. It’s a wonderful opportunity to invite your congregation, other churches and your

community, to see and share a vivid reenactment of life in Sudan. The movie is rated PG-13 because of some scenes

of violence.

When: The movie opens on October 3rd. For movie resources, click on: thegoodlieresources.com.

How: If you decide to host a discussion group to talk about the movie, World Mission will supply mission co-

workers, who have lived in Sudan, to speak to your audience.

Why: This is an oppor tunity for your congregation to learn more about the South Sudan Education &

Peacemaking Project. With its partners, Presbyterian World Mission has committed to providing quality education

for children in South Sudan that instills Christian values, respect for women, loving our neighbor despite ethnic

differences, and service to others. The goal is to help the country gain its educational footing while helping to foster a

sustainable culture of peace. Attached is a summary of the project, along with a link for those who are interested in

supporting it: Download the PDF and Donate to E052172-1.

For more information about the movie, please contact Kathy Melvin in World Mission, (502) 569-5415 or email her

at Kathy.Melvin@pcusa.org.

How to Survive a Church Building Project

A complementary 90-minute webinar

Presented by the Presbyterian Investment & Loan Program

TUESDAY, OCTOBER 21 AT 7 P.M.

Thanks to PILP, this webinar is offered free of charge to pastors, elders, trustees & committee members.

If this doesn’t fit your schedule, all registrants will be granted access to an on-demand replay of the webinar for online viewing after the live event. For further information contact George Whipple at gwhipple@pres-outlook.org or 800-446-6008, ext. 756.

Page 9

Type 2 Diabetes Self-Management Program: support for you and your family: This free six week program from the Division of Public Health provides an opportunity for you to share experiences and to help you solve problems encountered in creating and carrying out your self-management program. It will be held at Limestone Presbyterian Church, 3201 Limestone Road, Wilmington

DE, on Saturdays starting October 18 through November 22, 2014, from 9 - 11:30 AM.

For more information and to register contact Linda Crone at (302)744.1020.

Save the date!! Clergy, Faith Community Nurses, Health Ministers,

Community Workers, Advocates, Consumers, and Others Who Care About Our Senior Citizens:

Come participate in a unique opportunity to learn about how best to help our growing senior population.

Family Caregiving Health

Promotion Workforce Development

October 30, 2014 Easter Seals,

New Castle, Delaware

Sponsored by CVS Health

Easter Seals of DE & MD’s Eastern Shore; DE Ecumenical Council on Children and Families;

Partners on the Path and Task Force on Older Adult Ministries, Peninsula-DEConference,

The United Methodist Church

Westminster/Rehoboth Presbyterian Church will host a workshop entitled "Healing Historic Harms", an experiential workshop hosted by Charito Calvachi-Mateyko, on Saturday, October 18, 2014 from 8:30 AM to 6:30 PM. Westminster is located at 301 King Charles Ave, Rehoboth Beach, DE.

The focus of the workshop will be supporting individuals and community groups in a journey of acknowledgement, understanding and transformation of the legacies and continuing impacts of

historic trauma within their community. Literature will be provided in advance, once you register.

The deadline for early registration is October 10, 2014. Late registration fee $20.00. Checks should be made to the Latino Initiative on Restorative Justice, Inc. and mail to: LIRJ P.O. Box 43, Lewes, DE 19958.

Contact person: Charito Calvachi-Mateyko at 717-951-0905 or charitocw@aol.com We hope you can join us!

Page 10

The March 2015 issue of Presbyterians Today will be a unique guidebook of ideas and resources for church ministry, and we invite you to help shape the content.

Tell us what topics you want help with. What questions do you have? How can we help your congregation deepen its ministry and be more relevant in your community?

Maybe you’d like to know, for instance, about the best ways to get involved when disaster strikes your community or elsewhere—and the common mistakes to avoid. Or maybe you’re interested in the most successful ways to teach faith to children and to youth, where to find resources on short-term mission or stewardship campaigns, or what kinds of support are available to college ministries. Perhaps you’re interested in repurposing your church building and don’t where to go for help. Or maybe you just want to know how to create a decent church website.

Please share your ideas! Our editor ial team will select the most frequently requested topics and give them coverage in this issue.

Does your organization fight root causes of poverty?

Do you work to empower impoverished members of your

community? Then apply for a Speer Grant

at www.speertrust.org

Deadline is October 15th.

Pathways to Clergy Renewal The Middleton Center of Bryn Mawr Presbyterian

Church cordially invites clergy of all faiths to a

series of interactive conversations about things that

matter in a pastor’s life including work-life balance,

personal insight and nourishment, vocational

discernment, and congregational needs.

Work-Life Balance: Maintaining Self While

Giving to Others

Tuesday, November 4, 2014, 9:15 a.m. (sign in

and coffee begin at 8:30 a.m.) through 1:00 p.m. Led by Stephen Treat, DMin, LMFT, Senior

Therapist and CEO Emeritus, Council for Relationships

Clergy are often perceived by their congregants to be

available 24/7. How do they maintain a sense of self

and balance in a vocation which requires that clergy

set their own boundaries? In this seminar, we will

discuss core dynamics of effective leadership and

the need to develop healthy boundaries in pastoral

relationships.

To register, visit www.middletoncenter.org

or call 610-525-0766. Sponsored by The Middleton Center for Pastoral

Care and Counseling, in partnership with Council

for Relationships, & Main Point Books.

Page 11

New Castle Presbytery &

Speer Trust

1102 W. Church Road

Newark, DE 19711–2506

(302) 366-0595 office ● (302) 366-0714 fax

www.ncpresbytery.org www.speertrust.org

Hours: Monday-Thursday

8:30 AM—4:30 PM

Friday (Physical Office Closed)

8:30 AM-3:00 PM

Staff

Rev. James L. Moseley, Executive Presbyter

Rev. Jacqueline E. Taylor, Associate Executive

Presbyter and Director, Speer Trust

Reid Beveridge, Stated Clerk

Donna L. Scully, Executive Assistant

Rachel Sykes, Administrative Assistant;

Communications Coordinator

NCP Resource Personnel

Rev. Tom Davis, Interfaith Peacemaker

Rev. Doug Gerdts, Treasurer

Rev. Nona Holy, Campus Minister

Susan Wilson, Bookkeeper

Terry Dykstra, Mission Advocate

Related Organizations

Presbyterian Campus Ministry

Career Insights for Teens

Crossroads International Fellowship

Interfaith Resource Center

Meeting Ground Inc.

New Hope Pastoral Counseling

Pacem In Terris

PCUSA Investment & Loan Program

Presbyterian Foundation

Presbyterian Women

Westminster Village

Click on the job title for details.

Limestone Presbyterian Church, Wilmington, DE

Part-time Senior High Youth Group Coordinator The group just enjoyed tubing on the Brandywine; they are looking forward to the annual CROP walk, a November hayride and bonfire, a lock-in, and Christmas caroling in December, as well as their regular weekly meetings on Sundays. Do you know someone who would be interested in helping to lead this group this Fall and into 2015 and beyond?

Head of Christiana Presbyterian Church, Newark, DE

Apprentice Choir Conductor to conduct choir rehearsals on Thursday nights and Sunday mornings. This position goes into May 2015.

Presbyterian Church of the Covenant Wilmington, DE

Director of Children’s Ministry for our Sunday morning children’s education program. This person would be responsible for the development and implementation of the vision, strategy and elements for programs, activities and educational aspects for children age five (5) to twelve (12).

EDGE After School Coordinator/Facilitator. This person will be responsible for the development and implementation of the vision, curriculum and all program aspects for children grades K through 5 attending the after school program at Presbyterian Church of the Covenant and Preschool. This program runs at the church from 3:00 p.m. to 6:00 p.m. Monday through Thursday, with the exception of school holidays and snow days.