4th Sunday in Advent – December 20, 2105
Micah 5:2-5a; Luke 1:39-55 We have made it to the fourth Sunday of Advent: Mary visits Elizabeth, there is blessing and joy..
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3rd Sunday in Advent – December 13, 2015
Zephaniah 3:14-20; Luke 3:7-18; Philippians 4:4-7 Rejoice, you brood of vipers! This week I read the Gospel lesson last. I read Zephaniah..
What if Trump is right about us?
The Presbyterian Church is in the news. Not due to a close, controversial vote, not due to issues of marriage or divestment..
2nd Sunday in Advent – December 6, 2015
Luke 3:1-6 There were 56 total. Some were ceramic, others made of wood. Most were three-dimensional, but a few of the most..
The numbers: A pastoral prayer
355 mass shootings in 336 days. When will the terror stop, O Lord? Schools, movie theatres, clinics, public streets, sanctuaries, government agencies,..
Safety last
Those who want to espouse security can go right ahead, but they can’t say that goal is a biblical one. Remember all..
Social media Advent
One recent morning I drove my youngest to school, talk radio on as usual in the background. There were two stories that..
1st Sunday in Advent – November 29, 2015
Jeremiah 33:14-16; Luke 21:25-36 “The days are surely coming,” says Jeremiah. The days of promise and fulfillment are surely coming. The days..
Thanksgiving reflection
I have a vivid Thanksgiving memory that seems particularly relevant this year. My young family was living in Greenwood, South Carolina. I..
Editor’s note on Outlook coverage of overtures from Foothills Presbytery
Formed following the 221st General Assembly, The Foothills Presbytery General Assembly Reform Group has taken on the task of seeking large-scale reform of..
Christ the King Sunday – November 22, 2015
John 18:33-37; Revelation 1:4b-8 How did the story get to this place? What did Jesus do that was so offensive to the..
A prayer for Paris and all those reeling from violence
How long, O Lord? How long until we see in each other your image and respond with joy rather than fear? How..
33rd Sunday in Ordinary Time – November 15, 2015
Proper 28 – 1 Samuel 1:4-20; Mark 13:1-8 It’s the end of the world as we know it… or is it? It sure..
Gratitude for our veterans
I always know when it is graduation day at nearby Fort Jackson. There is a long line at the base gate and..
32nd Sunday in Ordinary Time – November 8, 2015
Proper 27 – Ruth 3:1-5; 4:13-17; Mark 12:38-44 What is this week’s text from Mark about? I know, I know, Scripture is..
All Saints’ Day – November 1, 2015
Isaiah 25:6-9; Revelation 21:1-6a; John 11:32-44 I didn’t watch the video. I didn’t want to see. Hearing was difficult enough. The..
Not the frozen chosen
I have been re-reading a book by Alister McGrath on the history of Protestantism. McGrath’s “Christianity’s Dangerous Idea” has given me some..
The time is always right to do right: Martin Luther King Jr.’s Unfinished Agenda
Fifty years after Martin Luther King Jr. spoke in Montreat’s Anderson Auditorium, almost 1,000 participants gathered to remember King’s message and consider..
30th Sunday in Ordinary Time – October 25, 2015
Proper 25 – Mark 10:46-52 I had a strange dream last night. I dreamt that I was having eye surgery on behalf of..
King University, Presbyterian College grads win Outlook college award
I am pleased to announce the winners of this year’s Presbyterian Outlook church-college partnership essay awards. Seniors at Presbyterian-affiliated colleges were invited..
What I want you to know
In honor of our college guide issue, here is a list of 10 things I want the young adults in my life..
29th Sunday in Ordinary Time – October 18, 2015
Proper 24 – Mark 10:35-45 Jesus agrees to give James and John that which they request and the admonition “be careful what..
Light, water and neighbors
There are times when biblical images become all too real as they did in South Carolina in early October. “The basement is..
28th Sunday in Ordinary Time – October 11, 2015
Proper 23 – Mark 10:17-31 Are you ever taken aback by your own ignorance or obliviousness? Lately, I find this happening a lot...
The Fellowship Community gathers to be sent out
A multitude of volunteers in neon yellow T-shirts stood in the unusually hot and humid weather to welcome and direct guests at..