What can a vigil teach us about empathy?
A community vigil reveals how small acts of presence can resist fear and restore our shared humanity, writes Maggie Alsup.
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Discussion guide for February 2026 issue
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.
Should churches respond to online outrage?
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.
Presbyterian politicians mix faith with their civic service
Elected officials and candidates find belief a powerful ally in leadership.
Ghost Ranch Foundation receives transformative estate gift from Vernon Pack, son of Arthur Pack, original Donor of Ghost Ranch
"Vernon Pack’s gift to Ghost Ranch is the continuation of his family's century-long commitment to the health of the natural and human community.”
Invested Faith announces 18th Class of fellows advancing faith-rooted social innovation
These five social innovators are working to address systemic issues of injustice in their communities while building sustainable financial models.
Dear Marty, We Crapped In Our Nest: Notes from the Edge of the World
Alfred Walker reviews Art Cullen’s "Dear Marty, We Crapped In Our Nest," a sobering look at climate change, farming and red-state politics.
Without weeping, there is no raising
Empathy is the heart of our covenantal relationship with one another, proclaims Chris Henry.
As West Virginia foster youth age out, a Presbyterian church steps into the gap
In a state with the nation’s highest foster care rate, First Presbyterian Church of Charleston offers what overstretched systems often cannot: consistent relationships, real choice and long-term trust for young adults leaving care.
Presbytery leaders from Southern California will stand for Co-Moderators of the 227th General Assembly
The Rev. Dr. Sean Chow of San Diego Presbytery and the Rev. Dr. Frances Lin of Riverside Presbytery are the second pair to formally announce their candidacy
Third Sunday in Lent — March 8, 2026
Suffering, endurance and hope shape Christian character, writes Baron Mullis.
Order of worship — March 8, 2026
You are welcome to use this liturgy in your online worship services and distribute it to your congregation.
Faith leaders form rapid response network for migrants facing ICE detention in Dallas
Multi-faith clergy in the Dallas–Fort Worth area are providing pastoral care, bearing witness, and organizing resistance as asylum seekers are detained during routine ICE check-ins.
Lessons from a penguin and his caregiver
Rubén Arjona writes on how empathy allows us to imagine the other person’s feelings, thoughts and experiences.
Why ashes? The gift of finding our finitude in a digital world
Against a backdrop of infinite possibilities and imagined cyber-immortality, the church dares to say something unfashionable: “You are dust.”
8 days, 7 bikers. 500 miles. Awesome church people. Lots of Presbyterians.
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.
Marce Catlett: The Force of a Story
In "Marce Catlett," Wendell Berry shows how stories of land, labor, and loss shape generations and our sense of belonging. Chris Taylor offers a review.
Why Christian clergy see risk as part of their moral calling
Clergy sometimes place themselves in harm’s way for moral and religious reasons. A scholar of religious ethics explains when – and why.
‘I am somebody!’: Jesse Jackson, civil rights leader who ran for presidency, dies at 84
'I don't think Jesse Jackson saw his political life as something different from his call from God as a preacher', said the Rev. Valerie Bridgeman.
How one Houston church turned a childcare crisis into a calling
St. Philip Presbyterian Church responded to soaring childcare costs by creating a cooperative, tuition-free early childhood education model rooted in community and care.
“Train Dreams” and learning to live with wonder
"Train Dreams" asks how we endure loss, accept mystery and remain attentive to beauty, writes Brendan McLean.
Order of worship — March 1, 2026
You are welcome to use this liturgy in your online worship services and distribute it to your congregation.
Second Sunday in Lent — March 1, 2026
Salvation is not a shortcut around pain, writes Teri McDowell Ott. It is God’s promise that pain will not have the final word.
Our faith calls us to share in letting empathy loose
Alfred Walker shares how a 1989 letter from a man who was imprisoned opened a path for ministry.
Horizons – The Woman Bent Over, Luke 13:10-17
Rosalind Banbury's seventh reflection on the 2025-2026 Presbyterian Women/Horizons Bible Study.
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