Advent is a time of preparation. In the secular world, that preparation involves writing the obligatory Christmas card letter, dragging out the baking pans and hunting through the closets for a Christmas-themed sweater to wear to the party.
When caring for ministers, we stand to gain if we better understand the service and needs of bivocational pastors. I use the..
Advent has arrived and congregational life is in full swing. Music programs, Christmas pageants, angel trees and special worship services occupy our..
Guest commentary by Pam Parker Thanksgiving time and stewardship time are linked in many church calendars. If pledges come in by mid-November,..
I’d seen the documentary on Mister Rogers. I cried unashamedly in parts and noted everyone else seemed to be sniffling, too. I..
is to remember how it feels to experience belonging, to look long around a laden table and be glad to claim a..
April 20, 1999. I had been out of high school for almost a year when the country stood stunned at what unfolded..
The great jazz musician Thelonious Monk once told one of his sidemen, "You're making all the wrong mistakes!" Monk was known as..
While preaching from the Gospel of Mark, Brian K. Blount, president of Union Presbyterian Seminary, used a word in his sermon to..
If only God created Eve first. Adam would be misinterpreted and objectified as Eve’s tempting, little helper. And perhaps Noah’s wife, after..
The first time I heard the term “faceless people,” I was a student in sociology class. The professor used the term..
Disasters come in all shapes and sizes. Some come with ample warning, some come as a thief in the night. Some disasters..
Sitting in the back of a presbytery worship service – watching two of my black-robed colleagues call us to confession and read..
John Arwood is a lifelong Presbyterian, raised in Arkansas and ordained as an elder at Covenant Presbyterian Church in Charlotte, North Carolina...
The work of disaster relief is more crucial than words can say — crucial, as in highly important and urgent, but also..
Guest commentary by Joshua Musser Gritter Parallels between the biblical narrative and modern film aren’t always easy to come by. Whether it’s..
SEATTLE – What is the role of creativity in worship? How can music and art and poetry be gateways for connection to..
SEATTLE – It’s called Bar Church and yes, you can get a beer at worship if you want. But don’t get stuck..
Mark Lilla’s “The Reckless Mind: Intellectuals in Politics” is a cautionary study for all of us. Rather than an indictment of intellectuals..
I am a racist. I serve as a manager of diversity and reconciliation for the Presbyterian Church (U.S.A.) and I am a..
These are divided times in the United States. The country was trending toward polarization anyway, but 9/11 activated the “fight, flight or..
Guest commentary by Dave Coles God’s messages in Scripture often turn on just a word or two. Take the story of the..
I want to say that election season looms — but really, election season is off and running. Debates – on stages and..
Last week, I had the opportunity to catch up with co-moderator of the 223rd General Assembly, Vilmarie Cintrón-Olivieri. I spoke with her..
Ann Herlin is associate pastor at the Old Presbyterian Meeting House in Alexandria, Virginia, where she has served for 18 years. During..
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