Andrea Mosie
“Every time you handle a sample, you … realize that you’re one of the few who will ever be doing this. …..
More Stories from this Author
Grace or faith?
A Lutheran and a Presbyterian walk into a bar … Presbyterian: ‘’Hey friend, the other day I was thinking about you. I..
The church as pastor (50 years ago)
50 years ago — August 11, 1969 The celebration of our national achievement of space travel and the Apollo 11 moon landing..
Stronger together: How two Presbyterian agencies negotiated a healthy merger
A natural occurrence in the business world, mergers also happen with some regularity in faith communities. When two organizations – be they..
Presbyterian Disaster Assistance responding to Dorian in the US and Bahamas
(PNS) As Hurricane Dorian bears down on the North Carolina coast, Presbyterian Disaster Assistance (PDA) stands ready to respond and already is responding to the..
Freebox, a theology
ISO a hunk of Styrofoam headed to the landfill. My Wednesday started with this post to a neighborhood message board – in..
Seculosity: How Career, Parenting, Technology, Food, Politics, and Romance Became Our New Religion and What to Do About It
David Zahl Fortress Press, 250 pages Reviewed by Rachel Landers Vaagenes Seculosity is a made-up word that aptly articulates a current unspoken..
What’s right about Grace Presbyterian Church?
Grace Presbyterian Church — Springfield, Virginia The deep, enduring friendship between the people of Grace Presbyterian Church in Springfield, Virginia, and St...
Human Rites: The Power of Rituals, Habits, and Sacraments
Dru Johnson Eerdmans, 176 pages Reviewed by Thomas G. Long The great scholar of ritual Catherine Bell once commented on how dramatically..
Adaptive leadership and stewardship ministry
“We are out of ideas. What else can we do to cultivate giving in the congregation?” Almost every pastor and elder assigned..
Stated Clerk issues prayer for farmers and farmworkers
Extreme weather from violent tornadoes, heavy rain, and intense heat have put farm operations in a difficult place. Add the rising cost..
Turning the Holy Spirit loose in our polity
Over the past eight years, I have had the opportunity to work as a consultant with numerous congregations and presbyteries around the..
A God who loves us
God is love (1 John 4:16). The Bible says "God is love,” meaning love is God’s essence. God does not only “possess”..
Holy Envy: Finding God in the Faith of Others
Barbara Brown Taylor HarperOne, 256 pages Reviewed by Paul Rowland Jr. In her essay on metaphor in the “Oxford Companion to the..
What’s right about St. Andrew Presbyterian Church?
St. Andrew Presbyterian Church — Albuquerque, New Mexico Every Sunday after worship we serve a hot lunch to 25-45 people who are living..
When church transitions collide with social media
Guest commentary by Kim Douglass Marin When my grandfather accepted a new call 75 years ago, the goodbyes and welcomes were private...
We Will Feast: Rethinking Dinner, Worship and the Community of God
Kendall Vanderslice, Eerdmans, 176 pages Reviewed by Henry G. Brinton When Jesus gathered his followers for the Last Supper, he broke bread..
Frederick Douglass: Prophet of Freedom
David W. Blight Simon & Schuster, 912 pages Reviewed by Donald W. Shriver A great life deserves a great biographer. In Yale..
UPCUSA considers special meeting of General Assembly to act on church property issue (40 years ago)
40 years ago — August 20, 1979 The Presbyterian Church in the United States and the United Presbyterian Church in the United..
Call me by name: A lifetime of race and relationships
The charge is armed robbery. The defendant’s lawyer declares at the outset that this is a case of mistaken identification. I had..
Preaching about Racism: A Guide for Faith Leaders
Carolyn B. Helsel Chalice Press, 128 pages Reviewed by Rachel Cheney As a predominantly white denomination, the Presbyterian Church (U.S.A.) has the..
Periodically dark
“Sunday school books were made for black people, but the black church doesn’t like books.” A decade has passed, but I remember..
“Late we come” — The Presbyterian Outlook and Southern Presbyterians on race
Speaking at the March on Washington in August 1963, Eugene Carson Blake, stated clerk of the United Presbyterian Church in the U.S.A...
Slavery and the genealogy of The Presbyterian Outlook
“I am owned by the blood of all of them Who ever were owned by my blood. We cannot be free of..
What does it mean to be the church? Closing worship at Big Tent considers the call of the Christian community
BALTIMORE – Closing worship – but not the final event – of the Big Tent conference held in Baltimore 1-3, focused on..