Water and ashes: Baptism, wildfires, and the call to mercy
In the wake of devastating fires, Los Angeles pastor Christine Chakoian finds herself wondering about baptism.
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A case for not returning to normal
The announcement came in the Presbyterian Outlook: “It’s official. The 2020 General Assembly of the Presbyterian Church (U.S.A.) will be held virtually,..
Remember who you are
I’ll never forget a story from Jim Lowry, then-pastor at Idlewild Presbyterian Church in Memphis, of how each Saturday evening in his..
The holy work of disaster prevention
The work of disaster relief is more crucial than words can say — crucial, as in highly important and urgent, but also..
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..
God’s Word today
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Within months of graduating from seminary, I was ordained to the Ministry of Word and Sacrament. I remember the first time I..
A personal debt of gratitude to mission workers
My Armenian family owes an enormous debt of gratitude to American Presbyterian mission workers – a debt that goes back to the..
An annotated prayer of confession
The words of my mouth and the thoughts of my heart behind the words … Almighty and most merciful God, I thank..
When a wall falls
Every August, a stream of first-year students from Lake Forest College walks across the street from their campus to our sanctuary...
Bridging the gap
IT’S NO NEWS TO ANYONE that for decades our denomination has been roiled in conflict. This is neither unexpected nor shameful; instead,..
Annual meetings reimagined
ONE OF THE BEST BOOKS I READ last year was Daniel Kahneman’s “Thinking, Fast and Slow.” A central argument is what he..
Holy yard work
THIS SUMMER I’VE BEEN “putting my house in order.” Or to be more accurate, I’ve been trying to put my yard in..
“I pass down to you that which I have received”
THESE DAYS I’M KEENLY AWARE that my dad won’t be here forever. At 92, my Armenian father is sharp as a tack..
The feast of Rummage
MOST CONGREGATIONS I KNOW take a deep breath between Easter and Pentecost, and for good reason. Lent is intense with study and..
Ruling and teaching elders together
When I was growing up, my dad was clerk of session at our church. He took his role very seriously. He..