(RNS) — After a tense standoff with officials at the U.S.-Mexico border on Monday (Dec. 10), at least 30 American clergy were taken into custody over the objections of demonstrators, who had come to protest the treatment of Central American asylum-seekers and to decry the extension of a border wall and the militarization of the border. Priests, pastors, imams and rabbis knelt at the border south of San Diego in front of a row of U.S. Border Patrol agents clad in riot gear. Organizers said 30 faith leaders were arrested, but a U.S. Customs and Border Protection official put the number at 32. CBP said most were charged with failing to comply with directions from federal officials and then released, but one was charged with assaulting or resisting an agent — a charge the protesters already dispute. The “Love Knows No Borders” demonstration was organized by the American Friends Service Committee, a Quaker group that assembled religious leaders from across the faith spectrum … [Read more...]
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Outlook Reporting 7 hours ago
“Welcome letter” sent to new Moving Forward Implementation Commission by Way Forward and All Agency Review
The leadership of the Way Forward Commission and All Agency Review Committee has sent a “welcome letter” to the new Moving Forward Implementation Commission. The letter is signed by the moderators and vice moderators of those entities, and also by Cynthia Jarvis, who served as moderator of the Way Forward Committee of the 2018 General Assembly. The 2018 General Assembly created the Moving Forward Implementation Commission to oversee high-level issues involving the denomination — giving it power to “take any and all administrative actions as necessary” regarding implementation of the Way… continue reading... -
Outlook Features 11 hours ago
She dared to say yes: A reflection on Katie Geneva Cannon
The history of African-American Presbyterians – and, yes, the Presbyterian Church (U.S.A.) – must acknowledge the transformative life and ministry of the Katie Geneva Cannon. Without much fanfare or special services, in the middle of a regularly scheduled meeting of the Presbytery of Catawba on April 23, 1974, the Church confirmed the call of God and ordained Katie Geneva Cannon to the ministry of Word and Sacrament. She opened the door for many African-American Presbyterian women to acknowledge God’s call on our lives and to enter ordained ministry. To understand… continue reading... -
Outpost Blog 1 day ago
Advent: Waiting on peace
Each Advent we light candles of Hope, Peace, Joy and Love. We wait, and we pray until the day we celebrate the birth of Jesus arrives and with fanfare, we welcome a baby who is the Savior. If we are really attuned, we know we wait not just to celebrate Jesus’ birth but also the day of the Second Coming. The day when perhaps finally we can forever have hope, peace, joy and love. This Advent, I find myself waiting on and praying especially for peace. It seems that we… continue reading...
Parties in Stamford case had tried to expedite process in order to get a ruling on the merits of the case January 1, 1995 Uncategorized68 views The General Assembly Permanent Judicial Commission -- in sidestepping the question of exactly how deeply a session should be required to probe into the private life of a gay elder who has acknowledged being in a committed, life-long relationship but has declined to say whether he is sexually active -- has put the question off but has not put it to rest.- Ministering with the Earth January 1, 1998 Book Reviews68 views By Mary Elizabeth MooreChalice. 1998. 226 pp. Pb. $19.99. ISBN 0-8272-2323-4 Ministering with the Earth is a quiltwork, both the on-the-ground activity and Moore's book about so ministering. Moore, professor of theology and Christian education at Claremont School of Theology, is fond of the metaphor, suitably pastoral and feminist.
- Remembered Voice: Reclaiming the Legacy of 'Neo-Orthodoxy' January 1, 1998 Book Reviews66 views By Douglas John HallWJKP. 1998. 145 pp. Pb. $18. ISBN 0-664-25772-0 It was in this order. I first read Tillich's Dynamics of Faith. Riveting. Next came The Courage to Be. Gripping. Then I went back and read the first volume of the Systematic Theology. Things began to make sense. Next came Biblical Religion and the Search for Ultimate Reality. Positive.
- The smaller church (40 years ago) November 9, 2018 From the Archives2 comments 40 years ago — November 6, 1978
As almost every Presbyterian knows, our denomination is made up predominantly of smaller congregations. Without them, we would be vastly poorer not only in spirit, but also in size. … There are possibilities inherent in a small church situation that are very difficult to come by in a large congregation: opportunities for small-group closeness … strong personal ties between pastor and people … and … less of the “red tape” … . Many in our ranks seem to be rediscovering the biblical truth that “bigness” is not necessarily “best”; and thus they are starting to see that smalle...
All approved: Assembly approves recommendations from Way Forward, All Agency Review and report from Vision 2020 June 21, 2018 Outlook Reporting1 comment ST. LOUIS – With relatively little discussion and no drama, the General Assembly approved the recommendations of the Way Forward Commission and All Agency Review Committee.
While some commissioners struggled to understand the complexity of the proposals, those who have wrangled with these issues for months – and there’s been no shortage of drama there – have said they involve issues of power, control, accountability and trust.
The changes the assembly approved June 21 by a vote of 474-47 will mean governance of the Presbyterian Church (U.S.A.), A Corporation – a secular corporation the church uses to ha...
Bus station compassion: volunteers help asylum-seekers get to the next place on their long journey to safety November 6, 2018 Outlook Reporting1 comment MCALLEN, TEXAS – What happens when the caravan gets here remains to be seen, but a recent fall day at a bus station near the border demonstrated more the resilience and determination of asylum-seekers and humanitarian volunteers – sort of new best-friends in crisis – than any glimpse of a well-designed federal system.
On two days that week, immigration officials dropped off roughly 500 asylum-seekers per day, nearly all of them families with children, at the bus station in McAllen, Texas. There was no advance notice of the big n...
At least 30 faith leaders arrested in border protest
“Welcome letter” sent to new Moving Forward Implementation Commission by Way Forward and All Agency Review
The leadership of the Way Forward Commission and All Agency Review Committee has sent a “welcome letter” to the new Moving Forward Implementation Commission. The letter is signed by the moderators and vice moderators of those entities, and also by Cynthia Jarvis, who served as moderator of the Way Forward Committee of the 2018 General Assembly. The 2018 General Assembly created the Moving Forward Implementation Commission to oversee high-level issues involving the denomination — giving it power to “take any and all administrative actions as necessary” regarding implementation of the Way Forward Commission’s recommendations. That action followed a season of intense conflict at the top levels of the denomination — particularly reflecting disagreement between the Presbyterian Mission Agency Board and the Way Forward Commission about the governance of the Presbyterian Church (U.S.A.), A Corporation, the corporate entity for the Presbyterian Mission Agency and the Office of the General … [Read more...]
She dared to say yes: A reflection on Katie Geneva Cannon
The history of African-American Presbyterians – and, yes, the Presbyterian Church (U.S.A.) – must acknowledge the transformative life and ministry of the Katie Geneva Cannon. Without much fanfare or special services, in the middle of a regularly scheduled meeting of the Presbytery of Catawba on April 23, 1974, the Church confirmed the call of God and ordained Katie Geneva Cannon to the ministry of Word and Sacrament. She opened the door for many African-American Presbyterian women to acknowledge God’s call on our lives and to enter ordained ministry. To understand Cannon’s ordination and ministry is to understand the context of her early life and formation for ministry. Born into a large religious family in the racially-segregated South, she was shaped by both the faith of her family and community and the evils of Jim Crow segregation. Reflecting on her childhood, Cannon recalled: “Using the notion of sin in my catechism class as a lens I wanted to know what wrongdoing my kith and … [Read more...]
Advent: Waiting on peace
Each Advent we light candles of Hope, Peace, Joy and Love. We wait, and we pray until the day we celebrate the birth of Jesus arrives and with fanfare, we welcome a baby who is the Savior. If we are really attuned, we know we wait not just to celebrate Jesus’ birth but also the day of the Second Coming. The day when perhaps finally we can forever have hope, peace, joy and love. This Advent, I find myself waiting on and praying especially for peace. It seems that we now only imagine peace to come about when we all finally agree with each other. When the one of us who has shouted the loudest and longest wears the others down, we will finallyhave peace. The world would be so peace-filled if everyone could just see that I am right and start agreeing with me! Yet the peace we are called to and the peace we wait on isn’t so much about agreeing with one another as it is living into the kin-dom of God. It is the sort of peace that comes when we set aside our differences, find our … [Read more...]
Connections: A Lectionary Commentary for Preaching and Worship (Year C, Volume 1, Advent through Epiphany)
Joel B. Green, Thomas G. Long, Luke A. Powery and Cynthia L. Rigby, editors WJK Press, 400 pages What a marvelous commentary that will go right alongside the popular “Feasting on the Word” series! The nine volumes belong on the pastor’s shelf. Why? Because preaching is crucial to the life of the church, always and especially in turbulent times. A wide variety of teachers, preachers and scholars bring the depth of the Scriptures into conversation and connection with both Word and world. The biblical texts for each Sunday are interpreted within the context of the whole canon as well as the world to which they speak. The preacher looking for a path forward that takes both Word and world seriously will find skilled companions in this collection. Imagine being in a lively seminar each week! What’s even better is an added feature of the commentary connecting the Psalms with Scripture and weekly worship. As Barbara Brown Taylor said, “there are diamonds to be discovered each week.” That … [Read more...]
Healthy congregations — December 17, 2018
The message of mainline church decline is loud, relentless and familiar. But there is good news, too. Congregations are getting creative, experimenting, reaching out, going deep and recognizing that God is doing a new thing in the world as well as with and through them. Click here to read the issue in the Uberflip reader. Grace, mystery, beauty and freedom Four themes of Reformed theology contribute to the healing of major wounds in the world. On becoming ecclesial geologists Family systems theory applies a concept from geology: The present is the key to the past. A compassionate church Healthy churches create safe, sacred spaces at the intersection of faith and public life. Robust church rising Something is rising as churches look for greater depth in the postmodern era. … [Read more...]
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