Pray with Mexico on Sunday, January 28, 2018

Lectionary Selection: Mark 1:21-28

Prayers for Mexico:

Father and mother God,

We ask for your guidance in listening to the voices of those who, like Jesus in the temple, speak from their own authority, those who carry the authority of their people, those who may see parts of the world differently than the way we see them. We ask you to open our eyes to the achievements of those who surround us and to teach us to share what we have learned.

We thank you, today and every day, for teaching us what it means to be seekers of the light in the world.

In this dire time of discomfort and discord between the U.S. and Mexico, we ask that you guide our steps and the steps of our leaders towards building relationships and breaking down walls and towards a better understanding of our neighbor country.

In your heavenly name we pray, amen.

Mission Stewardship Moment from Mexico:

What do you picture when you think of Mexico? Do you imagine deserts and cactus or white-sand beaches? While yes, some parts of Mexico are arid and hot, I live in southern Mexico where it is cold—indeed, 35° Fahrenheit when I woke up this morning!—and populated by large evergreen, fast-flowing rivers, cascading waterfalls, and grand mountains.

Every week I take a 20-minute drive into the mountains to give workshops in a secondary school. The school is always around 15° colder and surrounded by pine trees. A cloud usually rolls in around 11 a.m. to cover us all in mist. A few months ago, we were outside playing a game with the students when I mentioned that the trees and the weather reminded me of my family camping trips as a kid. One student turned to me incredulously and said, “But there aren’t trees in the U.S.!” I laughed and told her of course there were. She responded “yeah, but not trees like here.” I told her about my home and the trees and green spaces that populate many parts of the U.S. She was surprised. I imagine she has thought of the U.S. as pure city, like New York, or like the desert in Arizona.

In conversing with her, her understanding of the U.S. changed and my understanding of Mexico changed. I realized that both Mexicans and people from the U.S. have so many ideas about the other country that are often far from reality. In writing now about the pine trees and cold temperatures in southern Mexico, I can only hope that your base-line ideas of Mexico have broadened. In a time when U.S.-Mexico relations are tense, and both cultures are often misunderstood, it is ever important to listen to the voices of those around us and, most importantly, allow our preconceived notions to adapt and transform so that we may begin to understand each other better.

(Prayer and Mission Moment by Cara McKinney)

Mission Partners in Mexico:

More information on Mexico: http://www.globalministries.org/mexico

Global Ministries Mission Coworker in Mexico:
Cara McKinney serves as a Global Mission Intern with Melel Xojobal, in Chiapas, Mexico. Her appointment is supported by Week of Compassion, Our Church’s Wider Mission, Disciples Mission Fund and your special gifts.