Andrew Taylor-Troutman shares a lesson he learned from a local school board president.
"But hope is not a wish. ... Hope is trusting that no matter what pains or tragedies befall us, no matter what darkness envelopes us, no matter what grief we live with, that God is still here."
Whether in Handel's "Messiah" or Isaiah 9, Advent heralds the coming of the Prince of Peace. What does that mean to a society where religion and war are often interconnected?
Kelle J. Brown shares how her church uses a gold Christ candle instead of a white one. “Our need for [traditional symbols] should never outweigh our pursuit for inclusion,” she writes.
Presbyterian Outlook welcomes Dartinia Hull to our editorial staff.
A poem for December 21 by Scott Barton.
Envisioning new and creative possibilities for seminaries with Columbia Theological Seminary’s new president, Victor Aloyo.
A poem on Luke 2:1–20 by Scott Barton.
Pastor/parents are faced with a conundrum this year: do they force (or strongly encourage) their children to go to Sunday worship on Christmas? Andrew Taylor Troutman has decided yes, and here’s why.
In this issue of the Outlook, we explore the changing landscape of theological education — both challenges and opportunities.
Rebecca Gresham defines hope by looking at the world around her.
Scott Dalgarno shares an encounter with Nobel prize winner and Holocaust survivor Elie Wiesel that shaped his ministry over four decades.
Roger Gench reflects on the politics of power found in Daniel 2, the problematic theology of the American dream and the necessity of diversity.
When did Advent start? Why decorate with purple? When did the Advent wreath become popular? Katy Shevel answers all these questions and more.
This Advent, Karie Charlton turns to biblical women with stories that are brutal and beautiful, messy and good.
To Aaron Neff, the difference between hope and wishful thinking is evidence. In this article, he explores the foundation for our Christian hope.
William E. W. Robinson explores how God often accompanies us in life through the presence of others.
Sarah Leer shares five tips for youth workers navigating the Club Q shooting with young adults.
"Christ does not call us to an unchanging state of safety and comfort, but to ask, seek, knock. To look beyond our first impressions for meaning within."
College chaplain Catherine Knott reflects on the role Robert Augustus Masters' book has played in her ministry.
Larry Beasley, stated clerk of the Presbytery of Utica in central New York, reflects on why a small, shrinking judicatory decided to invest heavily in the Center for Jubilee Practice.
When life gets hectic, Advent invites us to slow down. We all need that, writes Maggie Alsup.
Looking at Mary and Elizabeth, Eliza Jaremko ponders the gift of companionship.
The new “Black Panther” movie tells the stories of grief and White supremacy without offering easy answers. The result was a story that was real and sometimes unsettling, writes Brooke Scott.
Amy Kim Kyremes-Parks reflects on the celebration of Advent, with its proximity to Thanksgiving, and the nation’s troubling past of erasing non-White voices and cultures.
© Copyright 2026 The Presbyterian Outlook. All Rights Reserved. Privacy Statement. Website by Web Publisher PRO
