The curtain between us
What happens when we truly listen to one another’s stories? Teri McDowell Ott considers how storytelling can dissolve barriers, challenge assumptions, and create space for transformation.
More Stories from this Author
Fourth Sunday after Pentecost — June 21, 2026
When the gospel unsettles families, traditions and expectations, Jesus reminds his followers not to be afraid but to trust the God who sends them, writes Teri McDowell Ott.
Order of worship — June 21, 2026
You are welcome to use this liturgy in your online worship services and distribute it to your congregation.
Presbyterian Outlook board honors Jimmie R. Hawkins with E.T. Thompson Award
The Rev. Jimmie R. Hawkins, preacher, pastor, author and advocate, will be honored with the legacy award during the Outlook’s Facebook Live interview on June 4, 2026.
Order of worship — May 24, 2026
You are welcome to use this liturgy in your online worship services and distribute it to your congregation.
Day of Pentecost — May 24, 2026
For Pentecost Sunday, editor Teri McDowell Ott wonders what we would venture to do if we trusted the Holy Spirit to use us.
Hoping for the ocean
Teri McDowell Ott reflects on Psalm 47's call to stillness as both divine command and open invitation — exploring how silence, doubt, and sacred pause open us to the presence of God.
Worlds we imagine, worlds we make
Teri McDowell Ott explores how imagination shapes the future — and why Beloved Community calls us to build a more just and inclusive world.
Easter Sunday — April 5, 2026
Teri McDowell Ott explores how Matthew’s resurrection story unsettles our certainties — and sends us out with fear, joy and hope to proclaim that death does not have the final word.
Order of worship — April 5, 2026
You are welcome to use this liturgy in your online worship services and distribute it to your congregation.
Grief that tells the truth
Grief isn’t something to fix or silence. It’s a story that needs to be heard. Honoring our grief is part of the path toward healing and resurrection hope, writes Teri McDowell Ott.
Order of worship — March 1, 2026
You are welcome to use this liturgy in your online worship services and distribute it to your congregation.
Second Sunday in Lent — March 1, 2026
Salvation is not a shortcut around pain, writes Teri McDowell Ott. It is God’s promise that pain will not have the final word.
Our longing to be understood
Teri McDowell Ott reflects on Leslie Jamison's “The Empathy Exams” to show that real empathy isn’t about fixing pain, but choosing to truly see and understand it.
A prayer after the killing of Alex Pretti
May God teach us how to grieve honestly, protect one another fiercely, and choose life. A prayer by Teri McDowell Ott.
Your light was made to shine
Small churches aren’t inadequate, writes Teri McDowell Ott. When congregations trust their God-given gifts, they rediscover confidence and shine as Christ’s light.
Order of worship — January 25, 2026
You are welcome to use this liturgy in your online worship services and distribute it to your congregation.
Third Sunday after the Epiphany — January 25, 2026
Teri McDowell Ott explores what it means to love, release, and trust God with the futures we cannot control.
Praying around a bullet hole
Teri McDowell Ott offers a prayer of lament after the Minneapolis ICE shooting, naming grief, honoring the life lost and calling the church to witness, healing and hope.
A prayer for Advent: Because Christ has come
Teri McDowell Ott invites us to rest in Christ’s tender and healing presence in a weary world. Through Jesus, nothing lies beyond redemption.
Good news for all the people
As social media amplifies anger, Advent invites us to practice faithful communication — words that add value, meaning and peace, writes Teri McDowell Ott.
Order of worship — November 30, 2025
You are welcome to use this liturgy in your online worship services and distribute it to your congregation.
First Sunday of Advent — November 30, 2025
Advent isn’t just waiting for what’s coming — it’s seeing what’s already holy now. Teri McDowell Ott invites readers to slow down, notice, and stay awake to God’s presence.
Music that meets us where we are
From gym anthems to humming hymns in a new church pew — music grounds us, lifts us, and reminds us we never sing alone, writes Teri McDowell Ott.
From captivity to hope: A prayer for Israelis, Palestinians and lasting peace
Teri McDowell Ott offers a prayer of gratitude for released Israeli and Palestinian hostages that pleads for ceasefire, healing and lasting peace.