In deep grief, broad offers of help can feel overwhelming, writes Deb Bergmann. Simple, ordinary companionship can help.
Heartache and wonder can coexist, writes Christopher Elwood.
What does it feel like when a ministry you love comes to an end? Karie Charlton reflects on grief, relief and the quiet work of trusting God in seasons of transition.
Josh Robinson’s choice to wear Converse sneakers in worship reveals how approachability, embodiment and ancient tradition can work together in pastoral care.
Julie Hester offers writing prompts for you to try during this season of Lent.
Aaron Pratt Shephard writes that even when a child’s life seems to end before it begins, faith in Christ’s resurrection offers hope that every life will yet be born into eternal fullness.
Mindy McGarrah Sharp and Leanna Fuller discuss why grief is more visible today — and how congregations can learn to listen, lament and support one another without rushing past the pain.
Even joyful transitions can stir grief. During Lent, Christians learn how to face the losses we know are coming and walk toward the cross with hope, writes Vern Farnum.
Brandon R. Grafius offers a Lenten reflection on Joshua, Psalm 137 and Uzzah — and why troubling passages may deepen faith rather than diminish it.
In a culture shaped by algorithms and polarization, March Madness creates something rare: a temporary “we,” writes Brittany Porch.
Stated clerk and pastor Christian Boyd argues that reducing the "Book of Confessions" risks unmooring Presbyterian formation from its theological foundations.
Doug McMahon reflects on how a bone marrow transplant teaches us that we humans are bound together, each needing the other, even at a cellular level.
They are dying. And they are faithful. Brenda Monroe Moten shares what she tells elderly Christians in troubled times.
A community vigil reveals how small acts of presence can resist fear and restore our shared humanity, writes Maggie Alsup.
In each issue of the Outlook, we include a discussion guide to further reflect on the issue. We recommend using this guide in your Bible study, small group or book club. It's our invitation into a faithful conversation.
A church quoted Bad Bunny. The comments turned combative. What followed led Trip Porch to think about Jesus and Nicodemus … and what faithful engagement looks like in the digital age.
Empathy is the heart of our covenantal relationship with one another, proclaims Chris Henry.
Rubén Arjona writes on how empathy allows us to imagine the other person’s feelings, thoughts and experiences.
Against a backdrop of infinite possibilities and imagined cyber-immortality, the church dares to say something unfashionable: “You are dust.”
Charlie Berthoud recounts his son’s 4,000-mile charity bike ride from Virginia to California and witnessing remarkable generosity — especially from church communities along the journey.
"Train Dreams" asks how we endure loss, accept mystery and remain attentive to beauty, writes Brendan McLean.
Alfred Walker shares how a 1989 letter from a man who was imprisoned opened a path for ministry.
Keanu Heydari pens a response to Charles Wiley’s “Why the PC(USA)’s Book of Confessions is too long — and how to fix it.”
Chris Burton offers a wide-ranging theological conversation on Kendrick Lamar’s music, tracing how doubt, trauma, faith and responsibility shape one of hip-hop’s most searching moral voices.
At a time when trust feels fragile, a popular queer hockey romance reminds us that love can still be sincere, demanding and transformative, writes Brittany Porch.
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