LOUISVILLE (OGA) Representatives from the World Council of Churches and the National Council of Churches are urging faith groups to engage with their political leaders. Jim Winkler, president of the national council, and Dr. Peter Prove, executive director of the WCC Commission of the Churches on International Affairs, appeared Monday on Coffee with the Clerk, a weekly Facebook Live broadcast with the Rev. Dr. J. Herbert Nelson, II, Stated Clerk of the Presbyterian Church (U.S.A.). Winkler and Prove joined Nelson in Washington, D.C., to discuss the impact of the recent election results and discuss the role of various faiths in the work on Capitol Hill. Prove and Winkler say efforts to speak with members of the Trump administration have not been easy. (Left to Right) Dr. Peter Prove, with the World Council of Churches, and Jim Winkler, National Council of Churches, joined the Rev. Dr. J. Herbert Nelson, II, for the Facebook Live broadcast of Coffee with the Clerk in Washington, … [Read more...]
Regarding ruling elders: Letting God Be God in the Church
(OGA) The struggle to be in control is a kind of addiction that is part of our fallen human nature. Even the most passionate lovers of God must deal with layer upon layer of what spiritual writer, Thomas Merton, called the “False Self.” This is the self that is always protecting and building up ourselves. It is part of our fallen nature to always be taking care of those systems, people, and things that give us what we want, that make us feel comfortable and happy. When we stubbornly insist on our own way it is obvious that we are not centered on God. But a deeper truth is that even when we spend our time, energy, and money on the needs and wants of others, our False Self is ready to see what’s in it for us. Many psychologists can tell stories of people who on the outside seemed to be selfless servants of others, but on the inside were driven by desperate needs to manipulate, please, and control. When we believe we are in control of things, we feel safe. When we face the reality that … [Read more...]
Four PDA spiritual care providers now serving in fire, shooting affected California
(PNS) While the deadliest fires ever to strike California continue to burn, Presbyterian Disaster Assistance has deployed four National Response Team members to Southern California, where residents are enduring both a mass shooting and the Woolsey and Hill fires. They’re serving as Disaster Spiritual Care Providers, working in American Red Cross shelters in Pacific Palisades and the San Fernando Valley. In the wake of the Camp Fire, PDA has approved an initial $7,500 grant to the Presbytery of Sacramento; grant requests are also anticipated from Santa Barbara and Pacific presbyteries, said Jim Kirk, associate for PDA’s National Disaster Response. A firefighter sprays water as part of efforts to put out fire in Southern California. (Courtesy of Los Angeles County) Together with the Rev. Jim Kitchens, transitional executive presbyter for the Presbytery of Sacramento, Kirk worshiped Sunday at Bidwell Presbyterian Church in Chico, Calif., a half-hour west of the nearly destroyed … [Read more...]
Co-moderators make committee appointments
(OGA) After the close of its meeting in St. Louis, Missouri, the 223rd General Assembly tasked the Co-Moderators, Elder Vilmarie Cintrón-Olivieri and the Rev. Cindy Kohlmann with appointing the membership of 14 special committees, commissions, and task forces. Some committees were established or expanded by the 2016 and 2018 General Assemblies in response to recommendations to commissioners from various sources. The Assembly approved financial implications for the work of these special entities, for the most part, beginning in 2019 through 2020 when reports will be brought to the 224th General Assembly (2020). Presbyterians were invited to consider a call to service and apply via an online application form to be considered for appointment by the Co-Moderators. Hundreds of Presbyterians responded to the call, taking time to reflect about the nature of the work and necessary gifts, experience, and skills need for each special committee, commission, or task force. “We’re so … [Read more...]
Prayers for Cameroon
Sisters and Brothers, I urgently call you to prayer for our partners and friends in Cameroon, a nation divided by language between French-speaking and English-speaking regions. Tensions have risen to a deadly and inflammatory level as English-speaking citizens have petitioned, unsuccessfully, for translation of important document from their original French into English. The escalation has resulted in many deaths and most recently a group of armed men entered the campus of the Presbyterian Secondary School (PSS) a Nkwen, Bamenda, and abducted 78 students and three staff members, according to a statement by the Rt. Rev. Samuel Fonki, Moderator of the Presbyterian Church of Cameroon (PCC). We rejoice in the release of the students today but continue to pray for staff. In addition, the government, intending to quell the political protests, closed several businesses and shut down the internet access in the two English-speaking provinces. In addition: seven of the PCC’s health … [Read more...]
On election eve, Stated Clerk calls on political leaders to take new approach
(OGA) The recent mass murders in Pittsburgh, the random assassination of two African Americans at a Louisville grocery store, and the two dozen pipe bombs mailed to prominent national figures have dominated the headlines. The Reverend Dr. J. Herbert Nelson, II, Stated Clerk of the Presbyterian Church (U.S.A.), says the common threads in all of these actions are political, religious, and racial hatred, along with racial arrogance. “To our shame, this tragic, senseless web of violence is the fruit of an atmosphere of pride, prejudice, and hatred that has infused our whole body politic,” he said. “It is the manifestation of a disease that has infected our daily lives, our ability to dialog with one another, and the workings of our political process to the point that we see only absolutes.” As the election approaches, Nelson says the voices of people of faith are more urgent than ever. “Our voices are imperative as those who worship and serve a God who loves us all equally, and … [Read more...]
- « Previous Page
- 1
- 2
- 3
- 4
- 5
- …
- 275
- Next Page »
Tweet With Us
Be A Facebook Fan
Our World in Photos
Pin With Us