“Ode to Joy” and the harrowing of hell
Katy Shevel contemplates Christ's descent into hell on Holy Saturday through the lens of Ludwig van Beethoven's "Ode to Joy."
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My daughter Joanna and the power of hope
One year ago, I was in a hospital room with my wife and my new daughter. She had been out of the..
Committee approves proposed Presbyterian Mission Agency budgets for 2023 and 2024
One piece of business coming to the 2022 General Assembly this summer: approval of new budgets for PC(USA) agencies for 2023 and..
Stated Clerk commemorates Holy Week
(OGA) — As we look back at that final week of Jesus’ earthly ministry, we can just imagine the energy in the..
Leaked Hillsong NYC report says sexual misconduct, abuse went beyond Carl Lentz
NEW YORK (RNS) — The results of an investigation by an independent law firm into the culture of Hillsong NYC, the Manhattan..
Chicago church’s plan to fast from ‘whiteness’ for Lent gets pushback
CHICAGO (RNS) — To say that First United Church of Oak Park isn’t used to getting national media attention for its Lenten..
Stated Clerk lifts up war-torn region during Holy Week
(OGA) — As the war in Ukraine continues with daily revelations of the atrocities committed, we feel the horror and mourn with..
Love them anyway: Foot-washing during Holy Week
John 13's foot-washing scene leads Aaron Neff to remember people who have hurt and betrayed him. “Love them anyway,” Jesus says.
Praying my bed: A poem
This morning as I rose late with no reason not I found myself discovering the beauty of making the bed. Every motion..
O Lord, I Thank You for the Gift
NEW BRITAIN 8.6.8.6 ("Amazing Grace") O Lord, I thank you for the gift that you once gave for me. You humbly went..
Resurrection is a movement: A call to recover the original Easter vision in an age of mass incarceration
Chris Hoke calls readers to recover the original vision of Easter in an age of mass incarceration.
‘Father Stu,’ the story of a boxer-turned-priest, is Mark Wahlberg’s ‘love letter to God’
CHICAGO (RNS) — The setup sounds like a “bad joke,” actor Mark Wahlberg admitted. Wahlberg, who is Catholic, was out to dinner..
Penance and plague: How the Black Death changed a key Christian sacrament
(The Conversation) — The 14th century is known for catastrophe. By midcentury, the first wave of plague spread through a Europe already..
Making inclusive spaces can require churches to reorient their building and their beliefs
(PNS) — The Rev. Dr. Letiah Fraser’s recent dissertation is on understanding disability as a culture. “We reach out to so many..
Good Friday — Family faith formation for April 15, 2022
The format for today is a bit different than our usual weekly edition. It is designed to help you walk through the..
Maundy Thursday — Family faith formation for April 14, 2022
You have three options for Faith Formation @ Home. Option 1 — Year A (Seder Meal) You may want an experience that..
Easter Sunday — Family faith formation for April 17, 2022
Welcome We begin today a little differently by using the traditional Easter responsive greeting. Before you begin, invite those gathered to go..
Order of worship — April 17, 2022
You are welcome to use this liturgy in your online worship services and distribute it to your congregation. It is free for..
Easter Sunday — Weekly Christian ed lesson
Starting off Begin your time with the children by telling them that you have a gift to share with them. Then hold..
Easter Sunday — April 17, 2022
Resurrection of the Lord Luke 24:1-12 In her book, The Source of Self-Regard: Selected Essays, Speeches, and Meditations, Toni Morrison ponders how..
Even in our polarized times, it’s possible to preach faithfully on third-rail topics
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Interested in advocacy? These events are for you
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Middle Church to begin meeting in synagogue on Easter as it awaits restored building
(RNS) — When Middle Collegiate Church was devastated by fire in December 2020, the rabbi of a Manhattan Reform synagogue 10 short..
Atlas of the Heart
Brené Brown Random House, 336 page Published November 30, 2021 Brené Brown, the researcher whose writings on shame and vulnerability have made..
Living as people prepared to die: Maundy Thursday as a love feast
Holy Week is going to look much different this year. In many ways, it will be a more joyful celebration. My congregation..
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