LOUISVILLE (PNS) — Carlton Johnson, an associate for Vital Congregations and a worship leader for the Black History Month service at the Presbyterian Center Wednesday, opened the service with a soulful rendition of the hymn “A Charge to Keep I Have.” The hymn served to remind worshipers that during the time of slavery, those enslaved were killed for knowing how to read — and therefore much of the communication had to be done through song. This service also presented the opportunity for the debut of the Presbyterian Center Choir, which started with an updated gospel version of an African American traditional hymn “I’m So Glad Trouble Don’t Last Always.” The choir offered songs that covered a panorama of music of formerly enslaved African people on this continent. The choir further showcased its skills with an a capella, “Sing Out, March On.” The speaker for the Black History celebration was Tiffany Walker. For the past five years, Walker has provided spiritual care as an … [Read more...]

(OGA) As the novel coronavirus has captured the headlines in recent weeks, misinformation, conspiracy theories, and fear of the unknown have raised anxiety and caused widespread apprehension. Financial markets have wobbled and people of Asian descent in this country and around the world have been unfairly targeted. This virus has exposed the vulnerability and fragility of the global community. As we all struggle with the horrific impact of the deadly virus that has infected so many people in China and now in a number of other countries, we cannot but call upon our God for help and healing. Please join me in crying out for relief from this plague. We pray for healing for those who are infected, in China and in all the places where the virus has spread. We pray for all who already have lost loved ones to the illness and those who will yet suffer such loss. We pray for doctors, nurses and aides providing medical care, for insight in their caring, and for their health and … [Read more...]

LOUISVILLE (PNS) — As part of its work helping the Presbyterian Church (U.S.A.) to overhaul two of its main websites, the denomination’s consultant, Centralis, has produced short videos of Presbyterians trying to navigate the current sites, https://www.pcusa.org and https://www.presbyterianmission.org. The clips, shown to staff during a project update at the Presbyterian Center Wednesday, were a little difficult to watch. A range of users, including mid council and congregational leaders, church members and bilingual speakers, were asked to, in some cases without using a search engine, perform certain tasks using the website, such as downloading the Presbyterian seal and learning about the Church Leadership Connection. The one-on-one research sessions took an hour to complete. According to a few representative clips on display Wednesday, users often struggled to find what they were looking for. “I’m trying to understand — or guess — how a topic fits into one of these … [Read more...]

LOUISVILLE (OGA) The Stated Clerk of the General Assembly of the Presbyterian Church (U.S.A.) is calling on President Donald Trump and other federal leaders to change direction in how it deals with immigrant families crossing the U.S. border. In a letter to Trump, the Department of Homeland Security (DHS), U.S. Attorney General William Barr, and members of Congress, the Reverend Dr. J. Herbert Nelson, II, is asking that the practice of family separation come to an end. “It is impossible to believe that as a country built on welcome and hospitality, we would enact such polices and then disregard the need to fix erroneous actions,” the letter reads. “Family separation is a cruel and excessive policy that has to stop. Families must be reunited.” Nelson says that they have learned in recent months that additional children, including those under five years of age, were still being separated from families at the U.S. southern border. “I urge the president to utilize all available … [Read more...]

LOUISVILLE (PNS)— Louisville Presbyterian Theological Seminary Professor the Rev. Dr. J. Bradley Wigger is among the recipients of the 2020 Illumination Book Awards. Wigger, who is the seminary’s Second Presbyterian Church Professor of Christian Education, won the Gold Medal in the award’s “Spirituality” category for his book, “Invisible Companions: Encounters with Imaginary Friends, Gods, Ancestors, and Angels” (Stanford University Press, 2019). The Illumination Book Awards, now in its seventh year, honors the year’s best new titles written and published with a Christian worldview. Wigger’s book explores the spiritual significance of imaginary friends of children among several different faith traditions from all over the world. From the United States to Nepal, Wigger traveled five countries on three continents to hear children describe their invisible friends ― 100-year-old robins and blue dogs, dinosaurs and teapots, pretend families and shape-shifting aliens ― companions … [Read more...]

(OGA) I have a pair of “block-out glasses” that were given to me as a gag gift. When you put them on for a photo, your eyes (and ostensibly your identity) are concealed from the camera, protecting you and your reputation from the disgrace of being identified in a compromising setting or unfortunate moment. My glasses are just for playful effect, but they mimic the actual device employed in television programming and magazines to conceal the identities of well-known people behaving badly. There have been times when I wished the Christian church could conceal its identity. When we fail to be the church or rise to the occasion. When we do or say things that are contrary to the gospel of Jesus Christ. When we stand idly by and allow evil to reign. When we ourselves are complicit or, worse yet, participants in the stories—old and new—of oppression, injustice, and faithlessness. It’s times like those that I wish we could just put on the block-out glasses and not be associated with our bad … [Read more...]