Pastoral prayer for January 28, 2018
God of loving kindness, why are we, the very people made in your image, so brutal and cruel? The headlines tell of..
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3rd Sunday after Epiphany — January 21, 2018
Jonah 3:1-5, 10; Mark 1:14-20 God tells Jonah to go to Nineveh and proclaim God’s message. Check. The people of Nineveh hear..
A pattern in Presbyterian presidents
Andrew Jackson, whose presidency is marked by the Indian Removal Act, was a Presbyterian. He was also a slaveholder. One might, of..
Created by God and called good: A prayer
In the beginning you spoke, Creator and creative God. You summoned light and order, called forth a multitude of life, looked upon..
2nd Sunday after Epiphany — January 14, 2018
1 Samuel 3:1-19 (11-20); John 1:43-51 “See for yourself,” Philip tells a skeptical Nathanael. Philip cannot contain his excitement over meeting Jesus,..
Prayer
I remember my first fervent, desperate, I-will-do-anything-if-you-answer-this-prayer-God prayer. When I was 8 years old, my little brother’s life seemed to hang in..
January 7, 2018 — Baptism of the Lord
Genesis 1:1-5; Acts 19:1-7; Mark 1:4-11 On the first Sunday of a new year, we remember Jesus’ baptism. Mark, as usual, is..
1st Sunday after Christmas Day — December 31, 2017
Isaiah 61:10-62:3; Galatians 4:4-7; Luke 2:22-40 Christmas 1B Mary and Joseph are law abiding Jews. Simeon and Anna, too, exhibit faithfulness, obedience..
Would you consider an end of year gift to the Outlook?
We are in the home stretch of 2017 and we at the Presbyterian Outlook are looking with excitement toward 2018. Plans are..
Christmas prayer: “Make us eager…”
"Make us as eager as the shepherds to leave our familiar fields to go and see the One who has come to save the world," writes Jill Duffield.
#realfamilychristmas
Sappy sentiments about “home” pervade this season no less than cheesy Christmas music and relentless advertisements telling us to buy things. The..
4th Sunday of Advent – December 24, 2017
Isaiah 9:2-7; Luke 2:1-20 Advent 4B Advent 4 falls on Christmas Eve this year and choices have no doubt been made about..
3rd Sunday of Advent – December 17, 2017
Isaiah 61:1-4, 8-11; 1 Thessalonians 5:16-24; John 1:6-8, 19-28 Advent 3B Good news to the oppressed. Bind up the brokenhearted. Liberty, release,..
2nd Sunday of Advent — December 10, 2017
Isaiah 40:1-11; 2 Peter 3:8-15 ; Mark 1:1-8 Advent 2B Punctuation matters. Maybe you’ve seen those T-shirts and mugs that read: “Let’s..
Responsive Advent prayer of confession
As Advent dawns again, O God, we lament that hateful chants, violence, and death have marked our streets. Lord, have mercy! God..
The blessing of books
I love the used book sales that local libraries hold in basements and back rooms. The smell of musty pages, the multicolored..
#MeToo in the Bible
The Bible surprises sometimes. Even passages read and re-read reveal connections unwanted and unsought. While digging around in the second chapter of..
First Sunday of Advent — December 3, 2017
Isaiah 64:1-9; Mark 13:24-37 Advent 1B Let’s start with the most basic of questions as we kick off Advent this year: Do..
Help the Outlook on #GivingTuesday!
This is the day that the Lord has made! We will rejoice and be glad in it. This is also the day..
Prayer for Egypt
God of all creation, on a holiday weekend of family, festivities, shopping and decorating, our tendency to forget the wider world of..
Christ the King Sunday — November 26, 2017
Ezekiel 34:11-16; Matthew 25:31-46 Christ the King/Reign of Christ Year A Sorting seems a natural instinct for we humans. Like children on..
Thanksgiving prayer: How can we not give thanks?
Gratitude follows grace, Lord of all creation, and evidence of your grace overflows, spills out and engulfs us. How then can we..
Cause or community?
“People connect around a cause and they get tired. We need community while we work on cause.” That’s what my friend, Kermit..
24th Sunday after Pentecost – November 19, 2017
Matthew 25:14-30 Ordinary 33A; Proper 28 The utterances from Jesus in this week’s parable resonate far too much with a belief I..
23rd Sunday after Pentecost – November 12, 2017
Matthew 25:1-13 Ordinary 32A; Proper 27 Heard the word “bridegroom” spoken lately? Do people in your congregation discuss Christ’s return or are..