Sanctuary: Being Christian in the Wake of Trump
Heidi B. Neumark Wm. B. Eerdmans, 240 pages In Sanctuary, Heidi B. Neumark weaves together times in the liturgical year with stories of..
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God rested … can we?
Smiling wide, my 2-year-old son handed me his latest artwork. Swirly-twirly lines covered every inch of the paper.
How 2021 collapsed the divide between religion and politics
(RNS) — The Year of Our Lord 2021 began with the hopeful conviction that it could not possibly be worse than the..
Two lessons learned by a human pastor who makes mistakes
I absolutely loathe when I mess up. I get in my own head and can be brutal with myself about how I..
A reminder of faith
The first word of God was love. “Let there be light,” God said, and the darkness receded. Before we were even created,..
Stated Clerk remembers Desmond Tutu
(PNS) — A mighty oak has fallen! The Presbyterian Church (U.S.A.) joins South African partners and people of faith around the world..
In new Netflix series, Pope Francis insists old have lessons for the young
VATICAN CITY (RNS) — No one outdoes Pope Francis when it comes to staying on message. Since his first months as pope,..
For New Year’s resolutions, better health ranks higher than God, family or money
(RNS) — When making a New Year’s resolution, Americans take a bit of advice from the beloved 1987 film “The Princess Bride.”..
How Archbishop Tutu saved a small New York town from a blowup over hate crimes
PATCHOGUE, N.Y. (RNS) — In November 2008, the murder of Marcelo Lucero, an undocumented Ecuadorian, at the hands of seven high school boys in..
Companionship with veterans on the pathway to wellness
The Christian military chaplain recognizes that we have a God who has chosen to identify with experiences of trauma and moral injury, says Murray Joseph Thompson.
A Bigger Table: Building Messy, Authentic and Hopeful Spiritual Community (Expanded Edition with Study Guide)
John Pavlovitz Westminster John Knox Press, 232 pages The word “Christian” is often synonymous these days with bigotry and discrimination, John Pavlovitz..
Desmond Tutu, archbishop, activist and apartheid foe, is dead at 90
(RNS) — Retired Anglican Archbishop Desmond Mpilo Tutu, the man who became synonymous with South Africa’s nonviolent struggle against apartheid, died Sunday..
The Holy Family at risk
(RNS) — The Sunday after Christmas is the feast of the Holy Family in the Catholic Church calendar. As a Catholic priest,..
How COVID-19 has made the lives of aspiring clergy more daunting
(RNS) — Cooper Young, a second-year seminary student at Gordon-Conwell Theological Seminary in Massachusetts, knew he wanted to become a minister, but..
Even in times of uncertainty, be joyful this Christmas Day
(PNS) — As the world still copes with a pandemic that shows no signs of slowing down, the world has reason to..
Order of worship — January 2, 2022
You are welcome to use this liturgy in your online worship services and distribute it to your congregation. It is free for..
Epiphany — Weekly Christian ed lesson
Many children know the story of the three wise men journeying from afar to give gifts to the baby Jesus. In popular..
2nd Sunday after Christmas — January 2, 2022
Second Sunday after Christmas John 1:1-18 Preachers say they don’t like preaching the Gospel of John for the same reasons people say..
2nd Sunday after Christmas — Family faith formation for January 2, 2022
Welcome Bring your family’s advent wreath to the center of your gathering. Make sure you have matches or a lighter. One: Our..
United Methodists join Boy Scouts in settlement proposal to aid sex abuse survivors
(RNS) — Leaders of the United Methodist Church and the Boy Scouts of America have reached an agreement tied to a proposed..
Welcome to the One Great Story: Tracing the Biblical Narrative from Genesis to Revelation
George B. Thompson, Jr. Wipf & Stock, 248 pages As a pastor, one response to the invitation to join a Bible study..
Smell, memory and Christmas
One whiff of anise seed transports me back to childhood Christmases in a little Iowa farmhouse… Every Christmas, my late grandmother made..
Churches’ ministry to those hurt by the pandemic shows ‘monumental’ growth, study says
(RNS) — More than half of Christian congregations say they have started a new ministry or expanded an existing one during the..
The co-founders of the Center for Jubilee Practice discuss how churches can enter into difficult conversations around reparations
(PNS) — Rick Ufford-Chase, a ruling elder and the Moderator of the 216th General Assembly (2004), and the Rev. Ashley DeTar Birt, who last..
Synod of Lakes & Prairies makes the case for a more equitable distribution of wealth
(PNS) — Don’t call it “reparations,” because that would require an act of Congress. The Synod of Lakes & Prairies refers to its Restorative..
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