Westminster Confession, revised
Who remembers Benjamin Harrison? The 23rd U.S. president, Republican Benjamin Harrison served one term (1888-1893), wedged between Grover Cleveland’s two terms. The..
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Worship at the confluence of three rivers
As the worship planning for the 223rd General Assembly has moved through the past two years, I have had the unique vantage..
Barbara Oakley
“Understanding doesn’t build fluency; instead, fluency builds understanding. In fact, I believe that true understanding of a complex subject comes only from..
GA 30 years ago
30 years ago — June 1988 Thirty years ago, the 200th General Assembly met in St. Louis. The June issues of the..
Showing up and walking
Guest commentary by Angela Williams, written for the Presbyterian Outlook in the midst of the PC(USA) Walk for a Fossil-Free World from..
Singing the faith to our children
“Go in peace, go in love, go with blessings from above. Help a friend, say a prayer for the children everywhere. Amen...
What does it mean to be intercultural as a church?
The gospel of Jesus Christ, our faith and the pronouncements of the church calls us to be inclusive — and to not just..
Perfect parenting, perfect kids, perfect pastors and perfect churches — it’s easy
Did you hear the one about the dad (or pastor) who was well rested, settled, knew what he was doing and managed..
Preaching Adverbially
F. Russell Mitman Eerdmans, 192 pages Reviewed by Sharon K. Youngs Russell Mitman poses the question himself: Why another book on preaching?..
Meet those standing for moderator
The Presbyterian Outlook asked those standing for co-moderator or moderator and vice moderator to share their sense of call as well as..
Adopting a child mirrors God’s adoption of us all
Adoption is the act of taking a child born to another woman and claiming that child as family. It is an act,..
The call of the family
Guest Outpost blog by Jordan B. Davis My mom was a director of Christian education for 15 years, covering the duration of..
What’s right about All Souls Presbyterian Church?
All Souls Presbyterian Church — Richmond, Virginia In 1952 the Presbytery of East Hanover (now Presbytery of the James) and Union Theological..
Caring for aging parents: Ministering to others, tending to self
Guest commentary by Lynne Clements Sleepless nights, temper tantrums, meal-time struggles, day care crises, bathroom messes, doctor’s appointments and loads of laundry...
Preaching the Luminous Word: Biblical Sermons and Homiletical Essays
Ellen F. Davis Eerdmans, 356 pages Reviewed by Barbara Wheeler Presbyterian pastors face a dilemma in the pulpit. They learned from seminary..
Hope and challenge: Vocation within the PC(USA)
There is good news to report! The majority of ministers ordained in the Presbyterian Church (U.S.A.) in the last decade were in..
Mental health matters: The role of congregations
Guest commentary by Kathy Dale McNair Good mental health is important. But what does faith have to do with it? A lot...
Fearless Dialogues: A New Movement for Justice
Gregory C. Ellison II Westminster John Knox Press, 160 pages Reviewed by Angela Williams “Baby, I don’t know how to change the..
Chappell Ellison
“To ease my brother’s pain, even for a mere five minutes, would be my greatest achievement.” – Designer Chappell Ellison on creating objects..
Rachel weeping (20 years ago)
20 years ago — April 27, 1998 “She was remembered by her students as a teacher ‘who always looked out for us.’..
The other side of the Table
Guest Outpost blog by Jordan B. Davis I remember it so clearly: standing at the table I once slept under during a..
What’s right about Carmichael Presbyterian Church in California?
Youth mission trips have been a big part of the church for more than 30 years. This congregation has enabled hundreds of..
Kitchen Table Giving: Reimagining How Congregations Connect With Their Donors
William G. Enright Amazon CreateSpace, 86 pages Reviewed by Baron Mullis What if fundraising were a fundamentally joyful activity? Bill Enright believes..
Dealing lovingly with the roadblockers
Every committee has at least one of them. We know who they are. They say “no” to everything. They are the..
Gideon Strauss
“There is a level of familiarity, a reliability of voice, a continuity of dialogue in the pages of a little magazine. This..