LOUISVILLE (OGA) As its budget continues to tighten, the Presbyterian Church (U.S.A.) is facing tough decisions on what its focus will be in the coming years. The Reverend Dr. J. Herbert Nelson, II, Stated Clerk of the General Assembly of the PC(USA), says the church needs to change. … [Read more...]
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Outlook Features 5 hours ago
Combating COVID-19 in rural Haiti
As COVID-19 quickly spread from Asia to Europe and across the ocean to the United States, worldwide concern over the impact of the global pandemic grew. Concern was greatest for countries like Haiti that have few healthcare facilities, poorly functioning governments and long struggling economies. Paul Farmer, physician and co-founder of the Boston-based healthcare organization Partners in Health, said in a March interview with National Public Radio that Haiti probably had less than 30 ICU beds. Haiti Liberté, the country’s largest weekly newspaper, reported on March 30 that there were… continue reading... -
Outpost Blog 5 hours ago
Remember to forgive
One of the least helpful things I think you can suggest to someone is to “forgive and forget.” I know that people are well-intentioned. And, yes, there are any number of minor annoyances, barbs and insults that you really should let roll off you like water down the back of a proverbial duck. But you are not a duck! I cannot speak for the psyche of our feathered friends, but I know we humans suffer emotional damage that cannot be forgotten. “Forgive and forget” is really wishful thinking — a… continue reading... -
Commentary 3 days ago
Christian discipleship and individual rights
Guest commentary Over the last few months, I have heard a lot of people talking about “individual rights” or “individual liberties.” As a pastor, I am trained to use my faith and the biblical witness as a lens to view the world, and I am called to lead others to do the same. So I started to reflect on these notions of individual rights and individual liberties and how they intersect with the biblical witness and our call to follow Jesus Christ. I turned to my Bible and sought out… 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 Uncategorized119 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 Reviews124 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 Reviews120 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.
To see or not to see… family August 26, 2020 Outpost Blog2 comments Several years ago, I struggled with chronic stomach pain. My gastrointestinal specialist prescribed a medication and told me I would be on it for the rest of my life or else I would likely develop esophageal cancer. When I told my family doctor about this new medication, the doctor gave me a grave look and said, “If you’re on that medication too long, you’re bound to get osteoporosis.”
I was stuck between two undesirable outcomes. No matter what I chose to do, my chances of developing a serious health condition increased. It left me feeling discouraged and hopeless that I would ever get better. Thankfully, I d...
A pastoral confession about fall programming September 15, 2020 Outpost Blog1 comment Hey, hey you! Yes YOU! Come a little closer (not closer than six feet though) — I need to keep my voice down.
Can I tell you a secret?
Honestly, it is a little embarrassing.
OK, so can you keep a secret?
Good, good.
Deep breath.
Here we go: I have not planned much beyond this week’s worship. I do not have a plan for fall programming. I did a back-to-school blessing. I considered that Advent is coming quickly. But there is no plan.
Truly, I cannot believe I just said this on the internet. Dear readers, you need to understand, I am a planner through and through. I have a plan for everything...
The gift of a communion sip of juice September 1, 2020 Outpost Blog1 comment The idea of having communion while we are doing worship exclusively online was an easy theological jump.
I quickly wrote up an explanation for the session. Essentially, who I am to say that the Spirit cannot move from where I proclaim the words of institution to the homes of my congregants? Would being together be ideal? Yes. But in these difficult times we need small reminders of God’s grace everywhere we can get them. This tiny meal sustains us on the journey. We embrace taking what we have in our homes and use a variety of elements to break bread together virtually. Goldfish crackers, pancakes, orange j...
Video: Stated Clerk says the national church will need to prioritize its work in the future
Combating COVID-19 in rural Haiti
As COVID-19 quickly spread from Asia to Europe and across the ocean to the United States, worldwide concern over the impact of the global pandemic grew. Concern was greatest for countries like Haiti that have few healthcare facilities, poorly functioning governments and long struggling economies. Paul Farmer, physician and co-founder of the Boston-based healthcare organization Partners in Health, said in a March interview with National Public Radio that Haiti probably had less than 30 ICU beds. Haiti Liberté, the country’s largest weekly newspaper, reported on March 30 that there were an estimated 64 ventilators in the country, with many not working. On March 30, Haitian president Jovenel Moïse announced the closure of the border shared with the Dominican Republic and suspended all commercial flights into the country. To further contain the virus, schools and churches were closed by decree and citizens were asked to stay at home. The Haitian people were left on their own to fight … [Read more...]
Remember to forgive
One of the least helpful things I think you can suggest to someone is to “forgive and forget.” I know that people are well-intentioned. And, yes, there are any number of minor annoyances, barbs and insults that you really should let roll off you like water down the back of a proverbial duck. But you are not a duck! I cannot speak for the psyche of our feathered friends, but I know we humans suffer emotional damage that cannot be forgotten. “Forgive and forget” is really wishful thinking — a wish it hadn’t happened. At worst, this saying is actually abusive, for it implies that a painful reality should be ignored. Some sins leave a deep scar on the soul. Instead of forgetfulness, forgiveness begins and ends with the truth. When acknowledging the pain through heartfelt apology, “I’m sorry” are two of the holiest words in any religion. And also utterly countercultural. Since ancient times, civilization has been built on this rule of law: an eye for an eye, a tooth for a tooth, … [Read more...]
Presbyterian Church (U.S.A.) issues Call to Action in observance of Native American Day
(PNS) The Presbyterian Church (U.S.A.) will celebrate Native American Day by hosting two of the first events in an ongoing series. The events were created to bring attention to the Church’s involvement in the unjust practices that have been imposed on Indigenous people in this country for centuries, as well as its more recent commitments to join in solidarity with Native Americans in their efforts for sovereignty and fundamental human rights. The events will start on Tuesday, Sept. 22, from 5–6 p.m. EDT with a “Speak-In,” which will be a roundtable conversation about the Doctrine of Discovery and how it has affected practices and theology in the Church. The Speak-In, titled “Turning from Anti-Indigenous Practice and Theology in the Church,” will feature members of various Presbyterian Church (U.S.A.) Native American committees. They include Fern Cloud (Sisseton-Wahpeton Dakota Tribe), Stated Clerk of the Dakota Presbytery; June Lorenzo, J.D., Ph.D. (Laguna Pueblo/Navajo … [Read more...]
Oregon presbytery working through the smoke to respond to wildfires
(PNS) The Rev. Clark Scalera keeps running into this roadblock when giving an update on the impact of wildfires in Oregon’s Presbytery of the Cascades. “We can’t get close to see if there’s any damage,” said Scalera, the presbytery’s Advocate for Congregations and Clergy, discussing a specific church building and giving a variation of a statement he made several times during a Thursday afternoon call. It is hard to get assessments of the damage from a disaster that is still unfolding, cutting off access to structures with walls of flames and making the air itself so dangerously thick with smoke it is not safe to go outside without a professional face mask. Right now, Oregon and Cascades Presbytery find themselves the flashpoint in a western wildfire season that is lasting longer and spreading wider than anyone can remember. “In 10 years, I have never been called to a fire in Oregon,” says Mike Bullard, a member of Presbyterian Disaster Assistance (PDA)’s National Response … [Read more...]
James Forbes speaks on ‘COVID-19: A Parable of Plagues before Deliverance’ during Union Presbyterian Seminary lecture series
(PNS) In a lecture series sponsored by Union Presbyterian Seminary and the Center for Social Justice and Reconciliation this week, the Rev. Dr. James Forbes spoke on “COVID-19: A Parable of Plagues before Deliverance.” Forbes, considered to be among the most significant prophetic voices in our nation, is pastor emeritus of The Riverside Church and professor emeritus at Union Theological Seminary in New York, and has for several decades helped frame the nation’s theological sense of justice. Forbes opened his remarks by stating, “I hope what we start to say tonight will cause us to think clearly about what we are going to do in these challenging days of the COVID-19 virus and the many other challenges we face.” Forbes said that about this time last year, as he was preparing an article on the arrival of the first Africans on the shores of this country, he was led almost as if by the Spirit to read a passage from the Book of Genesis. “This is a passage that I am sure I have read … [Read more...]
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