Thank you for almost coming to Baltimore: Reflections from the chair of the Committee on Local Arrangements
Guest commentary by Carrie Finch-Burris Way back in the fall of 2016, a small group from the Presbytery of Baltimore gathered..
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Student meeting is dropped (60 years ago)
60 years ago — April 25, 1960 “Presbyterian students in Alabama have a feeling that they have been encouraged to bear courageous..
Thomas Reese
“Globalization should not simply be focused on the economy. Globalization must also include compassion and seeing everyone in the world as our..
Dreamers and immigrants
In Genesis 37 and 39-47 we learn about Joseph, one of the sons of Israel. In a capsule, political and filial intrigue..
On the corner of tall privilege and humble discipleship
You shall love the Lord your God with all your heart, and with all your soul, and with all your might. Who doesn’t..
Presbyterian Outlook recognized at Best of the Christian Press Awards
The Presbyterian Outlook received top honors in several categories at the Associated Church Press 2019 Best of the Church Press award ceremony in March...
Planning for General Assembly in a pandemic: Reflections from the leaders of COGA
Guest commentary by Barbara Gaddis and Stephanie Anthony Nothing can prepare you for a General Assembly in the midst of a global..
What does God have to do with us? God has everything to do with everything and everybody
Once upon a time, a professor of theology heeded the lasting wisdom of H. Richard Niebuhr. “Today,” he observed way back..
Reading Romans Backwards: A Gospel of Peace in the Midst of Empire
Scot McKnight Baylor University Press, 236 pages Reviewed by Neill S. Morgan In an age when Scripture is weaponized for political advantage,..
What does God have to do with us? God is with us
Emmanuel The best way to determine what God has to do with us is to listen to God’s own testimony in Scripture...
What’s right about First Presbyterian Church of Wilmette?
First Presbyterian Church — Wilmette, Illinois In 2016, First Presbyterian Church of Wilmette was matched with two newly arrived refugee families. It..
Abortion and the Christian Tradition: A Pro-Choice Theological Ethic
Margaret D. Kamitsuka Westminster John Knox Press, 250 pages Reviewed by Angela Williams Reproductive freedom is one of the most politicized and..
Discussion question: Who are we, honestly?
This issue is the second in a series of four exploring basic theological questions in ways designed to engender further discussion in..
Who are we, honestly? Sinful bearers of divinity
I recently conducted an informal Facebook poll asking who in the Bible really seemed to “fit the part” of a messenger of..
What’s right about First Presbyterian Church of Waco?
First Presbyterian Church — Waco, Texas Kicking off our 2020 adult education year, our Weaving Science and Faith class led a large gathering..
The blessing of mortality
There once was a man who wished to be a mountain. He asked it of the stranger who gave such gifts away..
The #MeToo Reckoning: Facing the Church’s Complicity in Sexual Abuse and Misconduct
Ruth Everhart IVP Books, 264 pages Reviewed by Charlotte Lohrenz In her memoir “Ruined,” Ruth Everhart offered a thorough and honest recounting of..
Who are we, honestly? Sinners redeemed by God
In 2015, Brock Turner was convicted of three counts of felony sexual assault. Two international students from Sweden caught him in the..
Jonathan Wilson-Hartgrove
“Our political engagement as Christians is not just altruism. It is also a means of bearing witness to who we want to..
Empty tomb, empty church
In the Gospel of Matthew, we read: “After the Sabbath, as the first day of the week was dawning, Mary Magdalene and..
Joy-sparked ministry
I recently finished reading “Spark Joy,” Marie Kondo’s illustrated follow-up to the wildly popular “The Life-Changing Magic of Tidying Up.” (There’s also..
Hope is not canceled
Guest commentary by Becca Weaver Longino I bought my Palm Sunday plant seven months ago. I was in IKEA when I saw..
Who are we, honestly? God’s, yet…
Usher sang “Amazing Grace” at the emotional Los Angeles Lakers game on January 31, 2020 — the first game following Kobe Bryant’s..
Loose ends
Guest commentary by Karl Travis Editor’s note: This piece was originally written on February 26, 2020 The hardest part of dying is..
Montreat asks: What could we do now?
Guest commentary by Richard DuBose When the age of the coronavirus dawned, Montreat Conference Center was unprepared. I don’t mean we didn’t..