Making sense of difficult texts
I’ll never forget the day Ann came to my office. She was visibly upset, had tears in her eyes and said, “There’s something I have to tell you … .”
The Presbyterian Outlook
Creating and curating trustworthy resources for the church, the Presbyterian Outlook connects disciples of Jesus Christ through compelling and committed conversation for the proclamation of the Gospel.
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Resurrecting the church
Official membership figures that the Presbyterian Church (USA) keeps show 11,260 congregations in 1998 with 2.59 million members.
“Steward Ship,” a practical approach
In her recent book “Spiritual Leadership for Church Officers, A Handbook” (Louisville: Geneva Press, 2009), Joan Gray, former moderator of the General Assembly of the Presbyterian Church (U.S.A.), urges leaders to ask if they are a part of a rowboat or a sailboat church:
Eccentric Existence: A Theological Anthropology
by David Kelsey
Louisville: Westminster John Knox Press (2 volumes). 1496 pages.
reviewed by ERIC O. SPRINGSTED
David Kelsey, longtime beloved teacher at Yale and author of numerous widely respected books, such as “The Uses of Scripture in Recent Theology” (1975), has delivered two important volumes that lay out a Christian understanding of human being.
Born of Water, Born of Spirit: Supporting the Ministry of the Baptized in Small Congregations
by Sheryl A. Kujawa-Holbrook and Fredrica Harris Thompsett
The Alban Institute, 2010. Pb., 193 pages. $18.00
reviewed by MARY HARRIS TODD
Picture this: a small Episcopal congregation of seven members goes to visit its bishop to request closure, and the bishop replies, “No! You still have a mission in your community!”
Judge delays case on pastors’ tax break
SACRAMENTO, CALIF
A federal judge has delayed proceedings in a lawsuit over tax breaks on pastors’ housing allowances until the U.S. Supreme Court rules in another case that targets tax benefits for religious institutions.
Parsons backs worker rights, Walker swats them down
LOUISVILLE, KENTUCKY (PNS) Gradye Parsons, General Assembly stated clerk of the Presbyterian Church (U.S.A.), unsuccessfully urged Wisconsin Gov. Scott Walker to drop his effort to balance the state budget in part by sharply limiting state workers’ collective bargaining rights.
TV minister inspires switch from pop musician to pastor
A minister’s televised call to Christ inspired the last steps of Ron Lee’s long journey from the pop music industry in his native Hawaii to the pastorate of a small Presbyterian church in North Carolina.
Florida elder named CNN hero
(PNS) Anne Hallum, an elder at First Presbyterian Church in DeLand, Fla., and a political science professor at Stetson University, has been named one of Cable News Network’s “CNN Heroes.”
Peter Gomes dies at 68
(PNS) The Rev. Peter Gomes, the longtime minister of Harvard University’s Memorial Church who was hailed as one of the nation’s top preachers, died Feb. 28 at age 68 from complications of a stroke he suffered in December.
San Francisco Seminary professor wins award for best first book
LOUISVILLE, Ky. (Presbyterian News Service) The Rev. Gregory A. Love, associate professor of systematic theology at San Francisco Theological Seminary, has been named winner of the 2011 Angell Award by the Presbyterian Writers Guild (PWG).
In A Better World
“In A Better World” (“Haevnen”) is a Danish film about two families that intersect
dramatically through their children, a situation that a lot of people can relate to.
Sucker Punch
This movie feels more like a video game. All the characters are caricatures, the
action defies all laws of gravity and physics.
Movie Reviews
“In A Better World” (“Haevnen”) is a Danish film about two families that intersect dramatically through their children, a situation that a lot of people can relate to. It’s also about peace-loving people trying to deal with the violence all around them, which almost everyone can identify with.
The Conspirator
Ever wonder how the Lincoln assassination really happened? “The Conspirator”
won’t answer all your questions. But you’ll feel like you know as much as anyone
else involved, and even better, you’ll feel like you were there.
Forgive, don’t forget: Ethicist, former PC(USA) seminary president featured in documentary on forgiveness
When one considers the current political climate, whether within the United States or around the world, “forgiveness” might not be the first word that comes to mind. But forgiveness, said the Rev. Donald Shriver Jr., an ethicist and former president of Union Theological Seminary, is exactly what’s needed.
More good news for 2011 Walton Award winners
LOUISVILLE, Ky. (General Assembly Mission Council) Each of the five new church developments that won 2011 Sam and Helen R. Walton Awards will receive an additional $10,000 to engage in diverse ministry of Presbyterian mission in their local communities.
Judge dismisses suit against church, cites late filing of sex abuse claim
LOUISVILLE, Ky. – A Kentucky judge has dismissed a California man’s lawsuit against the Presbyterian Church (U.S.A.), saying the man had waited too long to file a court claim that he suffered sexual abuse at a Presbyterian-run boarding school in Africa.
Soul Surfer
When “127 Hours” came out, people immediately said, “Oh, that’s the one about the hiker guy who had to saw off his hand.”
Potiche
Have you ever wondered whatever happened to those old-style Hollywood films?
Hanna
There have been a lot of movies lately about teenagers with extraordinary powers, most of them imaginary, legendary, magical or extraterrestrial.
Arthur
You don’t expect “Arthur” to work very well, because it’s a remake, and the original won two Oscars (very rare for a comedy), and who can replace Dudley Moore’s lovable insouciance or Liza Minnelli’s electric vivacity?
Underachieving
“Bridesmaids” is a genre so rare it is practically in a category by itself: female buddy-movie raunch comedy. Those who are aficionados of television’s “Saturday Night Live” will recognize veteran comediennes Kristin Wiig and Maya Rudolph.
MAKING UP WORDS OF JESUS
If the words of Jesus trump all other voices, then when the words of Jesus don’t fit our preferred picture of him,..
Preaching to Rattle Tea Cups and Wake the Dead
Webinar- Jana Childers - Preaching to Rattle Tea Cups and Wake the Dead