Aaron Neff, who grew up in a religiously fundamental environment, shares how studying the Bible taught him to stop using it as a weapon against LGBTQIA+ folx.
Word and sacrament are central to the church, but they need to point us outward rather than inward, says Chip Hardwick.
Chris Hoke describes the genesis of a program creating relationships between releasing prisoners and churches.
When churches focus solely on growth, they are asking the wrong questions, Graham Standish writes. What if, instead, we focus on experiencing God?
"Meeting the incarcerated men, sharing conversation and learning with them was a transformative and liberating experience for me. ... Mass incarceration became more than an issue I studied, and criminal justice reform more than a need for which I advocated."
Adrian White reflects on a sacred gathering at Montreat.
Katy Shevel wrestles with Numbers 12 where Miriam is punished by God for questioning Moses.
During her recent sabbatical, Rachel Young learned some important lessons on what a sabbatical means and how to prepare for one.
Executive Director of the Covenant Network of Presbyterians Brian Ellison reflects on the past 25 years and the fight for equal rights in the PC(USA).
College chaplain Maggie Alsup on providing safe spaces for students to explore the language of sexuality.
Jeremy Wilhelmi reflects on encouraging his children to accept all forms of gender and sexuality. Sometimes, this means letting them experience the world without commentary, he writes.
Katherine Piper embraces the purity of curiosity and lack of bias when introducing difficult topics to young learners.
Erin Angeli reflects on the workshop she led with LGBTQIA+ teens about some queer saints of the church.
Elana Keppel Levy ponders intimacy and the vulnerability that comes with it.
A poem by Scott Barton responding to Lamentations 1:1–6; 3:19–26 and Luke 17:5–10.
How can U.S. churches think beyond capitalistic motivations when they are so entrenched in society? Pittsburgh Theological Seminary Professor Scott Hagley points to the Eucharist as a starting point for our collective imagination.
As Eliza Jaremko sends her eldest daughter off to kindergarten, she reflects that learning never stops — the church is proof of that.
A poem by Jay Hulme.
College chaplain Maggie Alsup reflects on how her anxiety followed her throughout her education and the kindness of certain teachers that granted her perspective.
Newly-ordained Molly Smerko reflects on the week shortly after her ordination that included presiding at a wedding, the Lord’s Table and a funeral.
"As the articles in this issue reflect, our LGBTQIA+ siblings are not so 'other.' They are our family members, church members, co-workers and friends who are loved by the God who created them."
Union Presbyterian Seminary Doctor of Ministry student David Bonnema explores best practices for planting and funding new worshipping communities.
Karie Charlton shares the short prayer that buoyed her spirits as a music teacher at a Catholic school and continues to shape her today.
Elizabeth Hinson-Hasty makes a Christian argument for climate justice.
The Rev. Shanea Leonard offers some suggestions to make your congregation a welcoming place for people of all genders.
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