What’s right about Hope Presbyterian Church?
Hope Presbyterian Church — Springfield, Illinois Something that continues to be right about Hope Church is Gardeners with Hope. They are a..
More Stories from this Author
OUTLOVE: A Queer Christian Survival Story
Julie Rodgers Broadleaf Books, 235 pages The author’s objective in writing “Outlove: A Queer Christian Survival Story” is summarized perfectly in its..
See No Stranger: A Memoir and Manifesto of Revolutionary Love
Valarie Kaur One World/Penguin Random House, 416 pages On New Year’s Eve 2016 at a historic black church in Washington D.C., Valarie..
A vital congregation changes hearts and lives
Your vital congregation journey puts you on a route that is a superhighway from the perspectives of both contemporary organizational theory and..
Pastoral transition: A better way?
A key bit of dialogue from a scene in the television series “ER” has stuck with me for a long time. Mark..
What’s right about First Presbyterian Church?
First Presbyterian Church — Red Wing, Minnesota When Jane and Ron Ward moved to Red Wing in 2004, Jane was training her..
“Blessed be the fall”
blessed be the fall dormancy begins per usual relief from the hectic buzzing and sweltering but gusts from tropical depressions usher us..
Something in the Water: A 21st Century Civil Rights Odyssey
Michael W. Waters Chalice Press, 204 pages With “Something in the Water,” Michael W. Waters vividly offers the church the charge that..
Navigating change
Young people navigate change as part of their daily life. Relationships come and go quickly with new classes, new teams and jobs...
Henry Sloane Coffin (80 years ago)
80 years ago — October 29, 1941 Presbyterian minister, Henry Sloane Coffin, president of Union Theological Seminary in New York from 1926..
Photography as a spiritual practice
Photography as a spiritual practice 60-minute webinar with Jonathan C. Watson including a presentation and a Q&A The Westminster Confession of Faith..
The article I wish I could write about climate change
For once, I would love to write an article on climate change with only good news. My article would say that all..
Brave Church: Tackling Tough Topics Together
Elizabeth Hagan Upper Room Books, 144 pages Pandemic life has accelerated many conversations — we have tackled medical decisions, politics, racism, sexism..
What does the church need to unlearn from the pandemic?
“The illiterate of the 21st century will not be those who cannot read and write, but those who cannot learn, unlearn, and..
Mentoring with Morgan
Karen Schlack Wipf & Stock, 134 pages A good book on preaching is always valuable, and this concise book is designed to..
What’s right with the Presbyterian Church
Table talk amongst PC(USA) family members often devolves into a discussion about our differences. Yes, our churches and their members have different..
While I write, my mother flies back from Phoenix — A poem
Letters levitate above any expanse of air — like this paper version of clouds: misted vision with you flying through. Gravity holds..
Paul, Theologian of God’s Apocalypse
Martinus C. deBoer Cascade Books, 274 pages The gospel according to Paul is “apocalyptic” — not because it relies on apocalyptic symbols,..
23rd Sunday after Pentecost — October 31, 2021
Deuteronomy 6:1-9 Ordinary 23B; Proper 26 Thanks to this week’s guest writer! Gail Henderson-Belsito is the associate minister at Caldwell Presbyterian Church..
Order of worship — October 31, 2021
You are welcome to use this liturgy in your online worship services and distribute it to your congregation. It is free for..
Presbyterians express concern with solar geoengineering
In 1729, French engineer Bernard Forest de Bélidor broached the question of safety and reliability in engineering projects. The result of his..
Old Man Dreaming, A Theological Essay on Vision
John L. Williams Wipf and Stock, 164 pages It’s almost as if this little jewel of a book has been hibernating during..
Finding our place in the care of creation
Seventeen high school students and their four counselors looked at me with some skepticism as they disembarked their yellow school bus into..
Chicago churches empowered by the Spirit partner to meet refugees’ practical needs
As the little girl peeked around the door of the Esquire Hotel, I recognized her. I hadn’t met her before, but I..
Desmond Tutu: A Spiritual Biography of South Africa’s Confessor
Michael Battle Westminster John Knox, 390 pages Editor's note: This review was originally published on October 19, 2021, and updated in the..