Expecting during the unexpected: A name next to ours
I’ve gotten into the strange habit of reading the first few pages of books at the bookstore downtown. I don’t read the..
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Winter books
Right now, I am packing lots and lots of books as I prepare to move to North Carolina. The process should..
Honest Advent: Awakening to the Wonder of God-with-Us Then, Here, and Now
Scott Erickson Zondervan, 224 pages | October 20, 2020 After 20 years of ministry and 20 years of worship committee meetings trying..
Light our path — Christian education at home
Begin the time with your children by asking them to imagine that it’s dark outside and they need to get from one..
OGA to provide new training and investment in ruling elders and deacons
(OGA) The roles of deacons and ruling elders have long been an important part in the ministry of the Presbyterian Church (U.S.A.)..
Unto Us a Child Is Born: Isaiah, Advent, and Our Jewish Neighbors
Tyler D. Mayfield Eerdmans, 200 pages | June 09, 2020 Given the pressure of preaching the familiar lectionary passages prescribed for Advent..
With thanksgiving
As I write my last editorial, I feel overwhelmed with gratitude. What a privilege, honor and joy it has been to occupy..
Texas, Mexico Presbyterians straddle the fence (10 years ago)
10 years ago — December 13, 2010 Tres Rios Presbytery opened its 89th meeting with a communion service at the fence between..
Do you see what I see? Planetary alignment to create a ‘Christmas star’
(RNS) — A star, a star will dance in the night on Dec. 21. Actually, it won’t be a star, but the..
Advent: Waiting in the pandemic
I have always loved the season of Advent. From a young age, I remember the anticipatory waiting. The rhythm and flow..
Order of worship — December 13, 2020
You are welcome to use this liturgy in your online worship services and distribute it to your congregation. It is free for..
Drive-thru live Nativities are tailor-made for a COVID-19 Christmas
(RNS) — At the Nativity display outside Faith Church of Lafayette, Indiana, the baby will be laid in a manger this year,..
Longing for an Absent God: Faith and Doubt in Great American Fiction
Nick Ripatrazone Fortress Press, 300 pages C.S. Lewis once said that the happiest moments of his life were filled with longing: “The..
How long, O Lord?
I’ve glimpsed the easy business of power, God, and I am frightened. It consumes the needs of the poor like an appetizer,..
Smiling eyes
Guest commentary by Lou Nyiri A father was deep in thought as his child excitedly conveyed something important. The father acknowledged this..
2nd Sunday of Advent — December 6, 2020
Isaiah 40:1-11 Advent 2B One of the watershed moments of Old Testament history was the destruction of Jerusalem and the exile of..
What will the 2022 General Assembly look like? Plans are taking shape
The 2022 General Assembly of the Presbyterian Church (U.S.A.) will be in Louisville, Kentucky – not Columbus, Ohio, as originally planned –..
December 6 — Preparing for Christ during Advent: Family faith formation @ home
Welcome Bring your family’s Advent wreath to the center of your gathering. Make sure you have matches or a lighter. One: ..
Protests, pandemics and politics: The top 2020 searches for Bible passages online
(RNS) — In the midst of a strange and stressful year, people turned to the same place they have for decades in..
Revolution of Values: Reclaiming Public Faith for the Common Good
Jonathan Wilson-Hartgrove IVP Books, 216 pages 2020 has been a year of tumult. (Perhaps the understatement of the year.) A global pandemic...
Expecting during the unexpected: Becoming a father with Joseph
My wife and I are due during Holy Week of 2021. We’re both full-time co-pastors, which means our kid isn’t just a..
Pittsburgh Theological Seminary pilots ‘Hope and Healing’ program
(PNS) A continuing education program at Pittsburgh Theological Seminary is teaching rural faith leaders how to better respond to mental health crises...
Columbia Seminary awarded congregational development grant
(PNS) Columbia Theological Seminary in Decatur, Georgia, has received a grant of $969,528 from Lilly Endowment Inc. to help establish the “reKindle: Congregational..
Union Presbyterian Seminary creates $1M endowment in support of reparations for enslaved African Americans
(PNS) Union Presbyterian Seminary‘s board of trustees has approved the creation of a $1 million endowment fund to recognize and repent the resourcing provided to..
Advent road map — Christian education at home
“Getting ready” has taken on new meaning during the pandemic. Where it used to mean showering, dressing in decent clothes and..
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