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”..
More Stories from this Author
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..
Will you be a neighbor? — Worship at Big Tent
BALTIMORE – "Welcome, siblings, to Big Tent.” The co-moderators of the 2018 General Assembly, Vilmarie Cintrón-Olivieri and Cindy Kohlmann, greeted the..
What’s right about Bristow Presbyterian Church?
Bristow Presbyterian Church — Bristow, Oklahoma Twenty years ago, the church started Youth Club, a Wednesday night ministry serving students in the..
The Second Mountain: The Quest for a Moral Life
David Brooks Random House, 384 pages Reviewed by Linda Danney Britton The public man: Op-Ed columnist for The New York Times. Commentator..
Faith
I called faith a gold-trimmed Gospel, a half-note suspension resolved in hymnic harmony, rehearsed prayers punctuated with perfect gasps and laughter, old..
The process of rejuvenation: Krislund Camp and Conference Center
Krislund Camp and Conference Center is settled in the rural northern stretch of the Appalachian Mountains in central Pennsylvania. Like many faith-based..
Guns and the gospel: A personal perspective
Guest commentary by Paul Watermulder “And a little child shall lead them,” we read in Scripture. Or in the words of Jesus..
Which slant is our truth?
We tell our stories slant. And this story is personal. My grandpa Del was a magical storyteller. A journalist for the Associated..
Editorial – 50 years ago
50 years ago — June 29, 1959 Southern states had strict laws segregating the races. Though the General Assemblies had spoken against..
Bishop Daniel G.P. Gutierrez
“We can look at goals, or we can look at the impact in the community. I’m of the belief that when you..
Wally the Wave’s Wanderings Towards Oneness: A Story of Social Inclusion
Ryan Althaus, co-illustrated by Noah Habib sweatysheep.com, 43 pages Reviewed by Eva Stimson This book is further evidence that its author, Ryan..
Recommended reading
What’s on your summer reading list? A novel? A heavy-duty work of nonfiction you’ve been wanting to dig into, but have not..
Presbyterian Youth Triennium: Small steps lead to giant leaps
Guest commentary by Jody Mask As I write this, people all over America are celebrating the 50th anniversary of the first steps taken..