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Faithfulness: Churches love their neighbors and open their hearts during a pandemic year

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  The stories of churches serving in a pandemic year are full of faithfulness. Faithfulness not defined as unfettered success, but as ministry done at full sprint and in new ways — sometimes in desperation or wild hope. The hallmarks: exhaustion, creativity, technological experimentation, phone calls and letters to the lonely and grieving, communion wine in coffee cups, arguments over masks, vaccinations, singing and what is safe. Sometimes, grace appears on the new unmarked road. It’s what pastor John D’Elia heard from a mom with two young children — an inquisitive 11-year-old boy and a 4-year-old daughter he describes as a “Bohemian in the making.” The family almost never showed up in the sanctuary on Sunday mornings. But now, the mom says they love Zoom church, which they watch as a family on Sunday afternoons in comfy clothes. Sometimes the boy will ask his mom to pause the recording in the middle of the sermon, saying: “OK, stop it, what did John mean right … [Read more...]

Tagged With: COVID19 • fruit of the Spirit

Singing our faith

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I’ve been taking classical guitar lessons for a number of years, so I wasn’t surprised when my teacher recently asked me to put down the guitar and sing the piece I was attempting (not altogether successfully) to play. This had happened before, and I knew it was coming, because I did not have a good sense for how to proceed. “Sing the piece, Roger,” he said. “As you know, the music has to be inside of you in order for you to play it.” I’ve heard those words before, and I’ll no doubt hear them again. Did you know that some music departments require instrumentalists to take a course in vocal music — to facilitate learning to sing the music so that they can play it? I find that fascinating! The guitar is an avocation for me — I am under no illusion that I will ever master it! But one of the reasons I’ve stuck with it is that I continue to learn a great deal about my spiritual life by playing the guitar — and learning to sing the music in order to play it is one of those lessons. Think … [Read more...]

Tagged With: fruit of the Spirit

Japan’s wealth stands in stark contrast to the needs of its disaster-stricken people (10 years ago)

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10 years ago — May 2, 2011 “More than 260,000 evacuees endure cold weather at shelters in 16 prefectures, including Tokyo, according to the [Presbyterian Disaster Assistance] assessment. More than 24,000 people are either dead or missing.” The news concerning the earthquake and tsunami that devastated Japan coupled with the radiological threat from the Fukushima-Daiichi nuclear plant was depressing. But Presbyterian assistance was almost immediate as $100,000 was released by PDA “from One Great Hour of Sharing funds to Church World Service, a Presbyterian Church (U.S.A.) partner in the region, to provide food and water to 250,000 people in over 100 evacuation sites. Half a million blankets have been distributed.” A first-hand report via email from PC(USA) minister Matt Hardin, serving as associate pastor to Tokyo Union Church, reveals the ongoing relief efforts. “‘We’ve done a good bit of relief work, including sending a 4-ton truck up north full of clothes, blankets, water and … [Read more...]

Faithfulness, Gentleness, Self-control — May 31, 2021

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Over three issues, the Outlook is digging deep into the fruit of the Spirit: love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness and self-control. This issue explores how the Spirit works through faithfulness, gentleness and self-control. And, Leslie Scanlon shares the story of a congregation in New Jersey working to share the names and stories of those buried in the church cemetery — many of whom were enslaved. Click here to read the issue in the Uberflip reader Faithfulness The stories of churches serving in a pandemic year are full of faithfulness. Leslie Scanlon reports. Gentleness A chaplain shares her story of learning to step back and listen. Self-control This fruit of the Spirit helps balance order with ardor. The ancestors are calling The 313 Project works to identify and honor unnamed enslaved persons buried in a church cemetery. Leslie Scanlon reports. … [Read more...]

Tagged With: fruit of the Spirit

What’s right about First Presbyterian Church?

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First Presbyterian Church - Davenport, Iowa First Pres has always loved its music program, but had to switch things up when services went virtual in March 2020. To have some fun, the church started a Stump the Organist game. Over the Friday lunch hour, the congregation and friends jump online for live music from organist Alex Gilson. Matt Bishop, the church’s music director, emcees the event and relays hymn requests from the audience. If Alex can’t play a hymn from memory, parishioners win a prize! Occasionally, the organist gets a chance to stump the church, and will play jazzed up or embellished versions of popular hymns and showtunes for the audience to guess. Prizes have ranged from homemade treats or flowers to certificates — mostly they’re an excuse to connect with folks in a tangible way. After almost a year of playing Stump the Organist, the congregation has learned some new-to-them hymns! — Katie Styrt Share your 150-word story of “what’s right” with the Outlook by … [Read more...]

Goodness: The light of the Spirit

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A Christian is … “What’s your definition of a Christian?” A leader of a Sunday morning class at church asked me that question. The class’s study of other religions prompted the question, and they wanted to know what the pastor thought. My answer was that there are a number of possible definitions, such as “a new creation in Christ” or “a follower of the Lord.” Elaborating on such possibilities, we had a constructive conversation about what it means to be a Christian. Another viable definition is “one who exhibits the fruit of the Spirit in her life.” In fact, in other letters, Paul uses the Greek word translated “fruit” as a metaphor for converts to Christ (e.g., Romans 1:13; Colossians 1:6) and for the expressions of a godly life (e.g., Romans 6:22, 7:4; Ephesians 5:9; Philippians 1:11; Colossians 1:10). John the Baptist also admonished his hearers to bear “good fruit” and Jesus himself taught the importance of producing “good fruit.” We could say, then, that the presence … [Read more...]

Tagged With: fruit of the Spirit

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