What a decade it’s been! Just as December 7 became a defining date for the 20th century, so, too, September 11 stands as the defining date for the new century, at least so far.
I have been rereading a book by Clarence Jordan (author of the Cotton Patch translations of the New Testament) entitled The Sermon On the Mount ( Judson Press, Revised, 1952).
Many churchgoers are caught in a three-part dilemma:
The wolf shall live with the lamb,
Merry Christmas from all your friends at The Presbyterian Outlook!
A young adults minister recently presented a paper to her colleagues on how to understand and respond to Generation X, Generation Y, or, in her shorthand, “Generation XY.”
So how will you spend Christmas afternoon? The one thing I don’t miss now that I’m no longer serving as a congregation’s pastor, is the way I used to spend Christmas afternoons.
Measuring outcomes needn’t be any more difficult for a church than for, say, a corporation.
Many a story, many a poem, many a carol has been written about the experience of Mary and Joseph finding “no room in the inn.” For them it was no mere sentimentality that they had to eat, sleep and give birth in a smelly stable-cave. And that happened in their family’s hometown.
John Calvin’s Geneva was a grand social and theological experiment.
In the Gospel of Luke, an expert in religious law stands up to test Jesus, asking what he must do to earn eternal life.
Forty young adults ventured to a pastor’s manse for Sunday brunch.
Piety – bad word: places greater emphasis upon religious experiences than on Biblical theology; evokes images ranging from holy rollers to self-righteous Pharisees.
What is the most effective way to promote church activities, report church news, and invite participation? It is e-mail marketing.
A Response to P. Mark Achtemeier’s And Grace Will Lead Me Home Address to the Covenant Network Of Presbyterians on November 5, 2009
When guest preaching or lecturing, I generally begin with well wishes from The Presbyterian Outlook.
It’s tempting to give everyone a “stewardship break” this year. The Great Recession is still going on, jobs are tenuous, personal finances are tight. — not a good time to ask for money.
The General Assembly Permanent Judicial Commission — the highest court in the Presbyterian Church (U.S.A.) — has declined in two new rulings involving controversial cases to take on some of the central questions involving departures of conscience from the denomination’s ordination standards.
In the Gospel of Luke, an expert in religious law stands up to test Jesus, asking what he must do to earn eternal life.
In a cynical age, hope is seditious.
Editor’s Note: I recently participated with 19 other western Christian journalists in a seven-day tour of Jordan under the sponsorship of the Royal Jordanian Tourism Board.
If every strategy for fixing pastors succeeded — if they were re-visioned, re-trained, re-newed, re-stored — two things would happen.
Hallelujah. The General Assembly Mission Council is going to meet its budget without cutting staff (see p. 7). Now that we’re not in a state of crisis, let’s talk turkey about our giving. Let’s think theologically about our financial management. Let’s handle our money like the Presbyterian and Reformed – P&R – believers we claim to be.
Social networking tools are all the rage, but do they hold promise for faith communities?
Telling the truth is a hard thing to do. The preliminary report of the Special Committee to Study Issues of Civil Union and Christian Marriage (S.C.) tells the truth with stunning, spectacular clarity.
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