Rebuilding from the foundation up
Pastors find a place in my prayers every day, both those known to me and the many who are not. Pastoral ministry..
Latest Posts
Cultivate
“A garden’s a prideful thing!” When he spoke those words, this parishioner and I were gazing upon his rows of vegetables. Leafy..
Stated Clerk urges churches to stay the course on virtual worship
LOUISVILLE (OGA) The debate between state governments and churches over in-person worship during a pandemic reached a new level last week when the..
Progressive United Methodists announce new denomination: Liberation Methodist Connexion
(RNS) — A group of progressive United Methodists announced Sunday (Nov. 29) they are forming a new Methodist denomination, the Liberation Methodist..
Horizons 4: “Into the Light: Finding Hope Through Prayers of Lament”
Lesson 4: John 11:1-44 It is a story about death, lament, reproach and signs that point to God’s power. It is a..
You can help the Outlook on #GivingTuesday
Friends, Ever since the founding of #GivingTuesday in 2012, nonprofits, small businesses, schools and faith-based organizations all over the world have mobilized..
What’s right about Second Presbyterian Church?
Second Presbyterian Church — Waynesboro, Virginia We’re a small church with a membership of about 70 located in a low income, transient..
Social listening as a ministry practice
How do we listen to one another in a fractured world? Our society is polarized by increasing partisanship. According to the Pew Research..
Coordinating Table starts work to craft a unified budget for the PC(USA)
What does it mean to have a common vision for the Presbyterian Church (U.S.A.)? And what’s the process for creating a single,..
Order of worship — Dec. 6, 2020
You are welcome to use this liturgy in your online worship services and distribute it to your congregation. It is free for..
Gratitude in 2020
Not to be too sensationalist, but when the sky is falling, what does gratitude look like? To my ears, the language of..
Beautiful and Terrible Things: A Christian Struggle with Suffering, Grief, and Hope
Christian M.M. Brady Westminster John Knox Press, 175 pages Reviewed by Brian L. Cole “This book is my lament.” Near the very..
Churches return land to Indigenous groups as part of #LandBack movement
KITCHENER, Ontario (RNS) — All day, the sweetwater had dripped steadily from the trunks of the maple trees into blue, plastic buckets...
Roxbury Presbyterian Church in Boston hears from Anthony Fauci
(PNS) Dr. Anthony Fauci, the nation’s preeminent voice on infectious diseases, paid a house call via Zoom Tuesday evening on Roxbury Presbyterian..
1st Sunday of Advent — November 29, 2020
Isaiah 64:1-9; Psalm 80:1-7, 17-19; 1 Corinthians 1:3-9; Mark 13:24-37 Advent 1B I grew up in the Midwest in the 1950s and..
Simplest Gifts
These thanks we give fit best with simplest things, the ordinary benisons we scarcely note as our times go fleeting past. This..
Thanksgiving 2020: Give thanks for those who have helped us weather this pandemic
Scarcity, rather than abundance, may strike many as the keynote of Thanksgiving 2020, given the absence of family and friends who are..
November 29 — 1st Sunday of Advent: Family faith formation @ home
Welcome Before you begin this week, gather: A circle form (this can be a florist wreath form made of foam or..
Spend the holidays with your household: Population one
You’ve seen the pleas from the CDC: “Spend Thanksgiving with just your immediate household this year.” My sister called me this week and..
There’s Trouble All Around (a free hymn for Thanksgiving 2020)
There’s Trouble All Around LEONI 6.6.8.4 ("The God of Abraham Praise") There’s trouble all around; it’s hard for us to bear!..
Stated Clerk calls for prayer in Central America
(OGA) Christian Friends, As Stated Clerk of the General Assembly, I am calling to you for prayer and action in the midst..
The gift of surprise grace
I am not sure if it is true for you, but for me, grace and gratitude are hard to find these days...
Feed the trolls, find a human: On finding the humanity of my social media haters
The post on my public Facebook page from the man I did not know started out innocently enough. George said that..
Martin Luther’s pandemic advice goes viral — 500 years later
CHICAGO (RNS) — It has been more than 500 years since German monk Martin Luther’s words went viral, thanks to what was..
Advent and Christmas in a pandemic year: Ideas from Presbyterians
Pastors all over the country are sharing ideas – and a certain amount of anxiety – about how to celebrate Advent and..
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