Uniform Lesson for September 15, 2019 Scripture passage and lesson focus: Ephesians 5:21-6:4 God is faithful in training Abraham, sparing Lot and providing shelter for the stranger. God is faithful in strengthening the weak, lifting up the lowly and providing prophets to partner with kings. But God is also faithful in more mundane and daily ways, such as providing God’s people bread to eat. Such providential provision is a revelation of God’s glory, a test and a gift. Exodus 16:1-3 — A revelation of God’s glory No doubt God would prefer a people who are bowled over by the wonder of daily provision. Every congregation has a few saints who are grateful simply to be up and out of bed, breathing and alive, and blessed with enough food to get through the day and enough shelter to get through the night. Then there are the rest of us! We look back on past days, when we had much less freedom and no sense of God’s presence, yet because of the availability of bread and “fleshpots,” we’d … [Read more...]
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Commentary 24 hours ago
A God who loves us
God is love (1 John 4:16). The Bible says “God is love,” meaning love is God’s essence. God does not only “possess” love or “will” love, but rather God loves. Period. Even if we violate God’s will or disappoint, God still loves us. This is the God Jesus revealed to us. It is the loving and tolerant father of the prodigal son in Luke 15:11-32. The Prodigal Son tells the story of a young son who asked his father to disburse the family inheritance. Upon receiving his share, he took… continue reading... -
Looking into the lectionary 1 day ago
11th Sunday after Pentecost — August 25, 2019
Jeremiah 1:4-10; Hebrews 12:18-29; Luke 13:10-17 Ordinary 21C Proper 16 Bent double. For 18 years. Unable to stand up straight. Relegated to looking down at the ground, at others’ feet. Eye contact denied. The dignity of seeing another face to face impossible. Jill Duffield’s lectionary reflections are sent to the Outlook’s email list every Monday. This woman who entered the synagogue that day and discovered, or was discovered by, Jesus, sits in worship throughout the ages. The elderly woman dismissed due to her age and creeping memory loss. The homeless… continue reading... -
Book Reviews 2 days ago
Holy Envy: Finding God in the Faith of Others
Barbara Brown Taylor HarperOne, 256 pages Reviewed by Paul Rowland Jr. In her essay on metaphor in the “Oxford Companion to the Bible,” Elizabeth Achtemeier says, “Language about God must be figurative, because it attempts to describe in terms of this world one who is totally different from this world.” In “Holy Envy,” Barbara Brown Taylor suggests that both our understanding of the billions of people of other faiths and our own faith can be enriched by learning about, appreciating and even envying those other faiths. Since famously leaving church… 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 Uncategorized82 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 Reviews86 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 Reviews76 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.
Hands and Feet initiative gains traction and picks up speed July 2, 2019 Outlook Features2 comments What does it look like when more than 1,000 Presbyterians come to a city for the biannual General Assembly? How can they make a positive impact on the community where they hold the meeting? How can they “be the church” when gathering for a week?
These are the questions that drove the start of the “Hands and Feet” initiative at the 223rd General Assembly in 2018. Under the leadership of stated clerk J. Herbert Nelson, the assembly in St. Louis became a pilot program in rethinking and recreating the ethos of the gathering by partnering with local churches and organizations to make a positive im...
Frederick Douglass: Prophet of Freedom August 14, 2019 Book Reviews1 comment David W. Blight
Simon & Schuster, 912 pages
Reviewed by Donald W. Shriver
A great life deserves a great biographer. In Yale historian David Blight, Frederick Douglass has one.
Born into slavery in Maryland, Douglass’ life spanned the tumultuous years of 19th century America (1818-1892). At age 11, he began to listen carefully to the reading of the Bible aloud by Sophie Auld, wife of his owner Hugh Auld, who warned her of the dangers of that gift.
“There will be no keeping him,” said Hugh, once he hears of that ancient liberation of Hebrew slaves a...
“Late we come” — The Presbyterian Outlook and Southern Presbyterians on race August 7, 2019 Outlook Features1 comment Speaking at the March on Washington in August 1963, Eugene Carson Blake, stated clerk of the United Presbyterian Church in the U.S.A. (UPCUSA), began with an apology to Martin Luther King Jr. and others gathered: “We come and late we come.”
Blake, who had recently been arrested in a demonstration to integrate a Baltimore amusement park, spoke the truth. With notable exceptions – African Americans, some other people of color and numbers of prophetic whites – Presbyterians did come late to the struggle for civil rights for all Americans. Nationally, most Presbyterians may have come tardily to the move...
God is faithful every day (Sept. 15, 2019)
We are all somebody
My father died this spring. He was 96 years old, and he was ready. I’m not sure I was — but I have no doubt that he has joined his Savior in heaven. Dad taught me many things — but above all, resilience and faith. He worked hard as a dentist; he was a faithful husband and father; he enjoyed playing golf and bridge with his friends; and he was a devout Christian. When I was very young, I remember him preparing to teach adult Sunday school – poring over commentaries and maps as he worked on lessons about Paul’s travels in the book of Acts. He was clerk of session, and both of our pastors often visited our house. Later I learned that in those fraught Vietnam War years, the two pastors – on opposite political ends – were barely speaking. Dad was decidedly Republican, but he needed the pastors and the church to know both men were respected. Bit by bit, Dad lost his roles. He set down work and they moved to a retirement community. He lost Mom bit by bit to Alzheimer’s disease before … [Read more...]
Words of Love: I Am Your God; You Shall Have No Other — Horizons 1
Love Carved in Stone: A Fresh Look at the Ten Commandments Lesson 1 EXODUS 20:1-6, MATTHEW 22:34-37 I am fascinated by the Avenger movies where gods and super-human heroes battle the forces of evil. They are wildly popular and three of these movies are among the 10 highest-grossing movies of all time. I began watching them to help me understand the culture of my grandsons. Power, resilience in the face of personal and physical struggle and defeating evil are the values demonstrated in these movies. Power can be an idol, as can be money, work, family, possessions, status, education, sports, points of view or entertainment. The 14-year-olds who participated in this year’s confirmation class were a lively bunch. Talk about sports, scouts, school and siblings quickly bubbled up. In a conversation about idols, I mentioned that idols weren’t usually objects for us. Rather, idols are those things that keep us from putting God first in our lives. In asking what their idols … [Read more...]
A God who loves us
God is love (1 John 4:16). The Bible says "God is love,” meaning love is God’s essence. God does not only “possess” love or "will” love, but rather God loves. Period. Even if we violate God's will or disappoint, God still loves us. This is the God Jesus revealed to us. It is the loving and tolerant father of the prodigal son in Luke 15:11-32. The Prodigal Son tells the story of a young son who asked his father to disburse the family inheritance. Upon receiving his share, he took off to a faraway land. In the following years, he squandered the money and lived an indulged life until penniless and abandoned. When the destitute young man succumbed to eating pig feed, he realized that even the servants in his father’s household fared better. So, he decided to return home and offered himself as a servant. Based on the cultural norms of the time, the younger son committed several offenses. First, he asked for his inheritance when his parents were still alive. Such a request was … [Read more...]
11th Sunday after Pentecost — August 25, 2019
Jeremiah 1:4-10; Hebrews 12:18-29; Luke 13:10-17 Ordinary 21C Proper 16 Bent double. For 18 years. Unable to stand up straight. Relegated to looking down at the ground, at others’ feet. Eye contact denied. The dignity of seeing another face to face impossible. This woman who entered the synagogue that day and discovered, or was discovered by, Jesus, sits in worship throughout the ages. The elderly woman dismissed due to her age and creeping memory loss. The homeless person who entered the service late, sat in the back row, and left before the benediction. The young mother nodding off in the third pew, exhausted from working two minimum wage jobs while raising her children. The long-time member with bruises hidden by fine clothes, feeling trapped and afraid in an abusive relationship. The many with #MeToo stories too painful to voice. Every week in virtually all of our sanctuaries, there are those bent in half by the burdens they bring to worship; outside the church doors, … [Read more...]
PC(USA) communications survey results are in
(PNS) In May, a denominational communications survey was launched to determine what the Church most wants and needs from Communications. Nearly 11,000 people responded to questions including “What is most useful about communications from the national offices?” and “What is most frustrating?” and “What denominational information would you like that you are not currently getting?” Some of their responses might surprise you. The communications leaders of each of the six agencies of the Presbyterian Church (U.S.A.), as well as Presbyterian Women, created the survey to find out how the national Communications offices can best serve congregations and mid councils. Over 52,000 individuals received a personal invitation to participate in the survey. In addition to that, the invitation was made public via social media, e-newsletters, and through the Presbyterian News Service. “That is a 20% response rate, which is above average in the industry,” said Dr. Susan Barnett, coordinator for … [Read more...]
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