(RNS) — On any given Sunday, many Christians the world over hear the same Scripture readings in church, which their pastor, priest, deacon or guest homilist then interprets or expounds upon. In the United States, 60% of those in the pews hear selections from a common cycle of readings, known as a lectionary. These shared Scripture passages can be useful, allowing clergy to share resources about the texts or simply commiserate about awkward lessons or weeks of biblical bread metaphors. But for many preachers, especially women, the traditional readings are too narrow, and represent lost opportunities to broach new topics using rarely heard passages of the Bible. Which is why two preachers have published new lectionaries over the past month centering the stories of women and feminine imagery for God. “A Women’s Lectionary for the Whole Church” by the Rev. Wilda Gafney, a Hebrew scholar and Episcopal priest who teaches at Brite Divinity School in Fort Worth, Texas, … [Read more...]
-
Commentary 2 days ago
Location, location, location
Guest commentary by William McConnell My younger sister is a successful real estate agent. But no matter her skills, there is one barrier my sister can’t climb. If the house she is showing is in a location her client doesn’t like, there is no amount of salespersonship that will change their mind. The old adage is true: the three most important factors in selling residential real estate are location, Location and LOCATION! Location matters. Location defines us. Where are you from? Location can trigger memories of happy, sad or deeply… continue reading... -
What's right? 2 days ago
What’s right about Minnesota Presbyterian churches?
Minnesota Presbyterian churches New Life Presbyterian Church (Roseville), North Presbyterian Church (St. Paul) and Trinity Presbyterian Church (Woodbury) partnered for a youth mission trip that offered 18 youth, four adult volunteers and the three pastors an opportunity to explore social justice, environmental justice, stewardship and sustainability. Working together daily for a week, the group had daily morning worship, shared daily God sightings, worked in a community garden, made sandwiches for a homeless encampment in Minneapolis, visited George Floyd Square, met with leaders from Holy Trinity Lutheran Church in the Longfellow neighborhood,… continue reading... -
Looking into the lectionary 2 days ago
17th Sunday after Pentecost — September 19, 2021
Teri McDowell Ott’s lectionary reflections are sent to the Outlook’s email list every Monday. Mark 9:30-37 Pentecost 17B; Proper 20 Who was this child lingering around Jesus and his disciples? What was he doing in the house where they stopped in Capernaum? What was he hoping to see or hear or receive? When Jesus drew him out, pulling him into this circle of adult men, did he go eagerly? Was he shy to accept Jesus’ extended hand? Did his heart beat wildly in his chest? Did his eyes grow wide… 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 Uncategorized176 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 Reviews175 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 Reviews172 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.
Called to pray for Afghanistan August 27, 2021 Commentary1 comment Guest commentary by Larry Toney
If you’ve been watching the news from Afghanistan, you may have experienced the same anguish I have.
I had the privilege of serving in Afghanistan with the U.S. Army as a chaplain. Soldiers from my unit, the 3rdSpecial Forces Group, were wounded – some severely – and others were killed. All of the soldiers from my unit sacrificed themselves in some way to defend the ideals we hold dear as a nation and as Christians.
As American service members, we went to defend freedom. We fought to defend our freedom that was attacked on 9/11, when 2,966 ...
Painful legacies: Acknowledging the church’s role in atrocities at Indigenous boarding schools September 16, 2021 Outlook Reporting1 comment The reckoning has already started in Canada, where the unmarked graves of hundreds of Indigenous children were discovered earlier this year — at least 215 children, some as young as three, discovered in May 2021 at the Kamloops Indian Residential School in British Columbia, and at least 751 graves discovered in June 2021 by the Cowessess First Nation at Marieval Indian Residential School in Saskatch...
Presbyterian Foundation plans to seek court approval to free up donor-restricted funds July 16, 2021 Outlook Reporting1 comment The Presbyterian Foundation is planning to file legal actions in secular court in Indiana and possibly Pennsylvania that could free up funding to support the 1001 New Worshipping Communities program.
The legal action is known as a cy pres filing: a formal request to a judge to reconsider the restrictions that donors placed on money they gave to the Presbyterian Church (U.S.A.) or its precursors decades ago – restrictions that...
Women are essential in the Bible. Now they’re in the Sunday readings
Committee discusses challenges faced with securing commissioners/advisory delegates for the 225th General Assembly
(OGA) Organizers for the 225th General Assembly of the Presbyterian Church (U.S.A.) knew there would be challenges in planning for a hybrid event. The three-week block of time necessary for committee meetings and virtual plenaries next year has created some headaches for mid council leaders as they seek those willing to serve as commissioners and advisory delegates. The Office of the General Assembly recently conducted a survey with mid council leaders to get their feedback on Assembly plans and the challenges in recruiting commissioners and young adult advisory delegates (YAAD). Nearly half indicated that the length of time commissioners must hold open for the Assembly until they receive their committee assignments late February was the biggest factor. Once assigned, commissioners and advisory delegates would spend 10 days in plenary and committee time. “We surveyed mid council leaders on questions related to this process. Mid councils have a number of opinions and don’t always … [Read more...]
A cry for justice (Oct. 10, 2021)
Uniform Lesson for October 10, 2021 Scripture passage and lesson focus: Psalm 9:1-12 In this series, we have already worried about worship offered up by those who have no needs. Praise, true praise, in the Psalms is often preceded by cries for help and the plea for deliverance. While Psalm 9 does not fit the form of a lament (indeed it has no discernible form other than being an acrostic poem based on the Hebrew alphabet), it is rooted in a cry for justice. The petitioners are identified as the poor (verse 18). Their enemies are classified as the nations. This people’s only apparent hope lies in being heard and rescued by the God who sits “enthroned forever” and who judges “the world with righteousness.” Where might we find ourselves, and our worship and service, in the pleas of this psalm? The poor The poor (ani in Hebrew) is a broad classification in the Psalms. Even here in Psalm 9 it includes other terms like “the oppressed,” “the needy” and “the afflicted.” Though it clearly … [Read more...]
The dance of good deeds
The medieval mystic, Meister Eckhart, claimed, “God laughs and plays in good deeds.” Laughter and play call strong and specific images to mind, such as my young children splashing with delight in the ocean on our family’s recent vacation. “Daddy!” they shout, “Come and play with us!” But what is playful about good deeds? I would like to tell all the members of the church I serve that God laughs and plays. It’s true! And right now, I feel like we could all use a lighthearted message and a holy playtime. During the pandemic, many church members have worked incredibly hard. They have supported our ministry, even when it was exclusively online. They have taken care of one another — from the sick and heartsick to widows and widowers, from the parents of newborns to middle school students. They met the needs of the larger community by creating a meal delivery program. To accomplish this, they worked in partnership with a family-owned restaurant that cooks nutritious meals from … [Read more...]
Dog life
At exactly 4:17 a.m., a wet dog nose nudges me in the face, eager to begin the day. She is an unfailing alarm clock. Once driven by necessity (Get up or clean up my mess!), these early morning hours have become sacred. Some things – including evidence that the world and all of us in it really are going to be okay – are easier to see in the dark. A book, a cup of coffee and the slow pendulum of a wagging tail greet the sun as it rises. There is a crash in the kitchen, followed by suspicious silence. Come here, I call her, and she comes running, smelling strongly of the peanut butter she just pulled down from the counter. She is unapologetic, utterly certain that something so good was never meant to be denied her. She licks me in the face, happy to share the remains of her transgression. I vacuum the rugs and sweep the floors for the fifth time this week, unclear how she can give up so much fur and still have such an abundance. She never gives it a second thought, refusing to worry … [Read more...]
UPUSA moderator asks for prayers for peace — 60 years ago
60 years ago — August 21, 1961 The victors of WWII divided the city of Berlin, Germany, into sectors eallowing free movement of people. To stop the flow of immigration from the Soviet controlled sector on August 12, 1961, a barbed-wire wall dividing the city was erected overnight. The threat of war hung in the air. Paul D. McKelvey, a businessman of South Pasadena, California, elected moderator to the 173rd General Assembly, requested members to pray. They were called “to pray for a peaceful resolution to the Berlin crisis and for the ‘guidance of God in the decisions by the heads of state.’” Copies of the call to prayer were sent to President John F. Kennedy and Soviet Premier Nikita Khruschchev. The prayer called for “‘calm awareness by the leaders and peoples of East and West that peace rests upon political justice, upon mutual understanding, upon the right of people to be free, and upon the ability to negotiate tensions with charity instead of fear.’” And to pray “for an … [Read more...]
- 1
- 2
- 3
- …
- 3135
- Next Page »
Tweet With Us
Be A Facebook Fan
Our World in Photos
Pin With Us