J. Herbert Nelson
“They are asking questions and we are failing to give them answers that correlate with their current realities. We are still talking..
More Stories from this Author
The smaller church (40 years ago)
40 years ago — November 6, 1978 As almost every Presbyterian knows, our denomination is made up predominantly of smaller congregations. Without..
Remembering Eugene Peterson
Guest commentary by Harry Heintz I don’t know just how I found the writings of Eugene Peterson. Once I did, it..
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Days and Times: Poems from the Liturgy of Living
Paul K. Hooker Resource Publications, 88 pages Reviewed by Dana Hughes Of all the poets alive or dead, Paul Hooker is by..
Our God Loves Justice: An Introduction to Helmut Gollwitzer
W. Travis McMaken Fortress Press, 240 pages Reviewed by Kenneth E. Kovacs Thirty years ago, one of the assigned texts for Theology..
Denial is My Spiritual Practice (And Other Failures of Faith)
Rachel G. Hackenberg and Martha Spong Church Publishing, 144 pages Reviewed by Jennifer Burns Lewis In her book, “The Gift of Imperfection,”..
What’s right about Clear Lake Presbyterian Church?
Clear Lake Presbyterian Church — Houston The devastation of Hurricane Harvey is still felt all over Houston, where thousands of flooded homes..
Flawed Church, Faithful God: A Reformed Ecclesiology for the Real World
Joseph D. Small Eerdmans, 224 pages Reviewed by Linda Lanam The “Westminster Dictionary of Theological Terms” defines “ecclesiology” as “the study of..
Rehearsing Scripture: Discovering God’s Word in Community
Anna Carter Florence Eerdmans, 224 pages Reviewed by Sharon K. Youngs “Discovering God’s Word in community is one of the best adventures..
From doing ministry to being community
I am a recovering first born, a recovering Martha and a recovering “human doing” who is learning to be a human being...
Amy Julia Becker reflects on the burden of white privilege
DURHAM, N.C. (RNS) — Amy Julia Becker always looked forward to the nightly reading routine she shares with her children, especially some of..
Coming home with history
I remember a summer evening gathering of the history department where I was a Ph.D. candidate. Faculty and other doctoral students began..
Who is missing at the table?
The revised “Book of Common Worship” offers this explanation of the prayers of intercession in the Service for the Lord’s Day: “Prayers..
Lydia Kiesling
“If I don’t figure out how to write the feelings I feel or the places I have seen in just the right..
In between time: Confessions of a call seeker
Guest commentary by Alina Kanaski “Have you found a church yet?” As a graduated, unemployed call-seeker, I hear this question several times..
Participating in God’s Mission: A Theological Missiology for the Church in America
Craig Van Gelder and Dwight J. Zscheile Eerdmans, 384 pages Reviewed by Allen D. Timm Craig Van Gelder and Dwight J. Zscheile..
Tolerance or terrorism (20 years ago)
20 years ago — October 26, 1998 “Like it or not, 21st century globalism is the context in which Christians need to..
Comes with furniture and people
Garfield Street, Washington, D.C. My mother is standing in the doorway of her bedroom. Then she turns to the bureau to fold..
Patiently waiting
Author’s note: This is a work of fiction. However, “Connecting Grace” is a real initiative of Johnson C. Smith Theological Seminary, in..
On loving pastors
Guest commentary by Lara Hauser I was recently invited to give the charge to the congregation at the installation of a dear..
The Exodus: How It Happened and Why It Matters
Richard Elliott Friedman HarperOne, 304 pages Reviewed by Jamieson Prevoznak I am always excited to see biblical archeology books on the new..
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The chase
I learned to run by chasing my father. To wait on a front stoop with laced shoes was to demand entrance into..
The “long look” essay project
I write this from the passenger seat of Jill Duffield’s car. On the dashboard a plastic Jesus bobs, his palms lifted upwards..