Guest commentary by Matthew A. Rich On Wednesday, July 25, 2018, 17-year-old Sarah Rhoads was killed in a tragic car accident.   A member of Reid Memorial Presbyterian Church in Augusta, Georgia, Sarah was on her way to serve as a counselor at a day camp for developmentally delayed children organized by Reid Memorial members. Sarah’s death has deeply affected not only her family and the congregation, but the entire community of Augusta, and even beyond, as she had served this summer at the Massanetta Springs Middle School Conferences and as a member of the 2019 Montreat Middle School Conference. On the Sunday after Sarah’s death, the first time the congregation had gathered since the accident, I offered the following sermon on exile, hope and the faithfulness of God. The Presbyterian Outlookshares it this week as a resource to communities facing tragedy close to home. What can separate us? (Psalm 137:1-6 and Romans 8:31-39) Our first reading this morning comes from the … [Read more...]

Guest commentary by Kris Schondelmeyer Dear church that I love: On August 14, a grand jury report detailing the sexual abuse of children in the Catholic Church and underlying cover-up was released here in the state of Pennsylvania where I serve as a pastor.  The “40th  Statewide Investigating Grand Jury Report”starts out: “We, the members of this grand jury, need you to hear this.  We know some of you have heard some of it before.  There have been other reports about child sex abuse within the Catholic Church.  But never on this scale.  For many of us, those earlier stories happened someplace else, someplace away. Now we know the truth: it happened everywhere.” This report has triggered emotions that for me are all too personal.  I’ve read numerous Facebook posts from Presbyterian Church (U.S.A.) colleagues who’ve decried that the Catholic Church must change, and that Catholic leaders must tell the truth now.  Some of these colleagues have even expressed a sense of gratitude … [Read more...]

  Guest commentary by Linda Kurtz I’m sure I don’t have all the right words to pay tribute to the life of a woman so innovative that she shepherded a whole new field of theology; so determined that she was the first woman to graduate with a Ph.D. from Union Theological Seminary and the first black woman ordained in the United Presbyterian Church, among other firsts; so loved that the Watts Chapel of Union Presbyterian Seminary in Richmond, Virginia, was full to bursting as we remembered her today. I was often rendered speechless in front of Rev. Dr. Katie Geneva Cannon, particularly when I sat in her class as a student at Union Presbyterian Seminary. She was always by far the smartest person in the room and her life held a treasure trove of learnings she graciously shared with her students over the decades. I always wanted to know more of what she had to say. Now, facing Dr. Cannon's death, I find myself similarly speechless. How can I even begin to articulate … [Read more...]

Guest commentary by Edward J. Thompson A good few yesterdays ago I grew up amidst fathomless harbors and fantastic castles. Today I live amidst wide horizons and waves of wheat.  I will soon mark 25 years with the Presbyterian Church (U.S.A.) since my move from The Church of Scotland in 1995. I think of my faith journey and life pilgrimage as one shaped by harbors and horizons. Harbors, if they are doing their job, offer shelter and prepare you for a journey that will take you to those wide majestic horizons. Horizons, if they are doing their job, extend an invitation. They beckon you to venture out and crossover to a new place.  Jesus’ call –“Follow me” – is a call with no end date; it is as fresh as the morning sun and as comforting as the setting sun. It’s a call from harbor to horizon. My journey “across the pond” has been completed by so many before me. Although life altering, my journey could be likened more to a Sunday afternoon walk when compared with those who risked … [Read more...]