14th Sunday in Ordinary Time, Proper 9 – July 5, 2015
2 Samuel 5:1-5, 9-10, Psalm 48, 2 Corinthians 12:2-10, Mark 6:1-13 These two stories, while not parables in the traditional sense, are..
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13th Sunday in Ordinary Time – June 28, 2015
2 Samuel 1:1, 17-27; Mark 5:21-43 – June 28, 2015 13th Sunday in Ordinary Time, Proper 8 This is the week to..
Change of Heart: Justice, Mercy, and Making Peace with My Sister’s Killer
by Jeanne Bishop Westminster John Knox Press, Louisville, Ky. 208 pages I had just inserted the metal buckle and pulled the strap..
Is forgiveness real?
As the 2016 presidential election cranks up the issue of mass incarceration is taking center stage. There is surprising bipartisan support for..
Prayer for Sunday worship in the wake of the Charleston massacre
Almighty God, our gathering together for worship and prayer is, this day, both an offering of praise and a show of courage...
12th Sunday of Ordinary Time – June 21, 2015
1 Samuel 17:1a-49 and Mark 4:35-41 - June 21 12th Sunday of Ordinary Time, Proper 7 Power is the topic du jour this..
11th Sunday of Ordinary Time – June 14, 2015
11th Sunday of Ordinary Time, Proper 6 – 1 Samuel 15:34-16:13 and Mark 4:26-34 My friend is an artist. In fact, if you..
Aggiornamento council
In 1959, shortly after his election, Pope John XXIII called the church council that became Vatican II. Pope John called for an..
2nd Sunday after Pentecost – June 7, 2015
2nd Sunday after Pentecost – Mark 3:20-35 If I had been Mark’s editor, I would have sent this passage back to him...
Trinity Sunday – May 31, 2015
It is Trinity Sunday! I know you’ve been waiting all liturgical year for this day. You have your analogies ready: water, ice,..
A PR problem
I don’t know what you think of The New York Times columnist David Brooks, but I am betting you may have read..
Memorial Day
I live so close to an army base that I can hear reveille in the morning and taps at night. If I..
Pentecost
Ah, Pentecost, every year the same story, and only one account of it at that. How does the preacher or Sunday school..
Cross identity
I am paddling my way through a long book. “Far From the Tree” by Andrew Solomon explores identity by studying families where..
Outlook recognized by “Best of Christian Press” awards
The Associated Church Press honored magazines, newspapers, authors, designers and photographers at its annual conference, April 29-May 1 in Toronto, Ontario. The..
What’s next?
A commencement is a beginning, and like all beginnings, it is combined with an ending. This season of gowns and tassels brings with..
We are Presbyterians, we should do better
I was born into a Presbyterian family. I had no say in that. However, at one point in my adult life, I..
Devouring words
It was late. The prophets, both major and minor, were running together. Elisha, Elijah. Zephaniah, Zechariah. Amos, Hosea, Habakkuk. Index cards littered..
Touching the wounds of racism
If I were still in the pulpit, preparing to preach on the second Sunday of Easter, perhaps the lowest attendance of the..
Much discussion about the marriage amendment: Going back to Acts
Lately, I’ve been drawn back to Acts. Specifically, Acts 11 and 15. As I read, certain phrases and sentences stand out. Phrases..
Austin Seminary: 2015 Midwinters Lectures recap
Austin Seminary’s annual Midwinter Lectures, held Feb. 2-4, were both a marathon and a sprint. Midwinters take place within brief, sprint-like days..
Traveling companions
THEY SIT SIDE-BY-SIDE on my dining room table, a plastic dashboard Jesus (complete with a spring and an adhesive base) and an..
It is accomplished
NO MATTER HOW MANY Presbyterian Holy Week worship services my husband dutifully attends, it isn’t Holy Week for him if he doesn’t..
Not on the prayer list
The United Nations strip mall of Fort Mill, S.C.
I live in Fort Mill, S.C. Fort Mill is home to the White Homestead, the final meeting place of Jefferson Davis’ Confederate cabinet.