Symbol or substance? Church leaders transact so much business in the language of metaphor and symbol that they can mistake it for reality. When Pastor Trina Zelle of Tempe, Arizona, submitted to the 2010 PC(USA) General Assembly a commissioners’ resolution regarding her state’s Senate Bill 1070, she did not make such a mistake. She chose substance over symbol.
Here is a parable:
Every evening I walk by a wine and spirits store near my apartment.
A personal reflection by Eddie Soto with response by Outlook Editor Jack HabererDear Christian friend,This morning I read the news that the..
Symbol or substance? Church leaders transact so much business in the language of metaphor and symbol that they can mistake it for reality.
Of all the Christians who will gather for Easter worship services the world over, we Presbyterians have just a slightly greater need to hear about the resurrection.
In her recent book “Spiritual Leadership for Church Officers, A Handbook” (Louisville: Geneva Press, 2009), Joan Gray, former moderator of the General Assembly of the Presbyterian Church (U.S.A.), urges leaders to ask if they are a part of a rowboat or a sailboat church:
Four hundred years with the King James Bible? But I’d thought it was written by the Apostle Paul!
I can tell you “Six Surefire Ways to Grow Your Church.” But they will come to naught unless you start with a seventh.
Christians love to hear prophetic preaching of God’s holy word. Christians sometimes put their prophets to the sword.
As a big sports fan, I have been watching how the NCAA is working to maintain unity in the ever changing landscape of Division I athletics. It has made me wonder if the PCUSA should discuss something similar. Consider the following changes that will be made this coming fall in college sports:
The moderator’s March column
General Assembly Mission Council
Where is the Presbyterian Church (U.S.A.) headed?
I wish I knew.
What does a preacher or writer do when the well runs dry? For well over a month my
well has been dry as a bone. I have nothing to say.
I found the quote, "I don't want to fight the women's thing again," interesting to say the least.
A group of our greatest pulpiteers has redefined the term “communication gaffe.”
Okay, political realities.
What’s so great about camps and conference centers? In three words, they make converts.
Church life offers many satisfactions, perhaps none quite so thrilling as entering a packed sanctuary filled with music, friends, and energy.
I’ve been thinking a lot about Jesus lately.
Tribes are good. Whether we speak of them literally – like Cherokee and Navajo – or figuratively – like family, prayer group, congregation, labor union, alumni club, softball team, or political party – they provide us circles of friendship, of belonging, of learning. Tribes teach community values and reinforce them via tribal rituals.
I live in Fort Mill, S.C. Fort Mill is home to the White Homestead, the final meeting place of Jefferson Davis’ Confederate cabinet.
Them. It so easily becomes a four-letter word. Them. Republicans to Democrats. Democrats to Republicans. Conservatives to liberals. Liberals to conservatives. Them. Muslims. Jews. Christians. Palestinians. Israelis. Afghans. Pakistanis. Iraqis. Americans. Them. When “them” is a rivalry, well, that’s one thing. You know the kind of “them” I am talking about.
The word for competition in the Greek New Testament is the word athleo, from which we have the English words athlete and athletic.
My grandkids have headed down our snow-covered driveway just in time for me to pull together this Christmastide editorial you will read in late January about summertime with children.
Augsburg Fortress (augsburgfortress.org)
ReNew and the Parable of the Sower (age specific material)
Printed on recycled paper and soy-based ink, this green VBS program brings together the Bible and environmental stewardship. Besides being a flexible program that encourages hope, opportunity, and service, ReNew is based on one story: Jesus’ Parable of the Sower (Mark 4:1-9). Children explore the parable in-depth, rather than trying to learn multiple non-consecutive stories over a short period.
One of the reasons we are Presbyterians is the theological conviction that Christians best discern God’s will as we gather together.
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