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.
A poem for December 21 by Scott Barton.
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.
Rebecca Gresham defines hope by looking at the world around her.
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.
Sarah Leer shares five tips for youth workers navigating the Club Q shooting with young adults.
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.
The call to address mental health and how one 1001 New Worshiping Community is answering.
With violence against Jews on the rise, Christians should untangle the antisemitism that is deeply rooted in the history of the church, writes Elana Keppel Levy.
What is Advent anyway? Should we be happy? Sad? Contemplative? Expectant? And why is that one candle pink? Walter Canter reflects on this liturgical season's absurdity and beauty.
How does our understanding of the Bible change when we view it as a product of translation?
Andrew Taylor-Troutman remembers a friend who passed away, who taught him the connection between a song of ascent and Psalm 23.
After interviewing 200+ young adults with no religious affiliation, two PC(USA) pastors share how this growing population differs from the institutional church — and how these groups are similar.
James Calvin Davis explores the wisdom that Christian tradition brings to American Thanksgiving, as well as the ways in this holiday might prompt us to discern the imperatives of our faith in new ways.
How are we supposed to love our enemies (as Jesus tells us) and live in a just society?
A poem about beginnings and endings, and finding hope in unexpected places.
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