Editorials

Would you consider an end-of-year gift to the Outlook?

As 2016 draws to a close I am filled with gratitude for God’s blessings. I have the joy of working with faithful,..

Voices

God at work in 2016 … and way before that

We asked our bloggers to share where they’ve seen God at work in 2016. Here is what they shared. I'm the type..

Editorials

Looking ahead to 2017: New things on the horizon for the Outlook

Friends, As 2016 comes to a close I am keenly aware of divisions: within families, churches and, of course, our country. The passing..

Editorials

Forming a new family

Black lives matter. I must begin there, and if I begin there then I must confess. I must confess that I was..

Presbyterian News Service

General Assembly Way Forward Commission charts its own way forward

(PNS) - The General Assembly Way Forward Commission of the Presbyterian Church (U.S.A.) has begun to chart its own way forward as..

Religion News Service

Juggling faith and family when Christmas is on Sunday

(RNS) When Christmas falls on a Sunday, as it does this year, it’s a blessing in the eyes of the Rev. Walter..

Religion News Service

Churches connect Christmas story to refugee crisis

(RNS) This Christmas season, churches across the country will tell the story of one refugee child. The toddler and his parents made..

Voices

How can we keep from singing … together?

No one sings together anymore. Or so lamented Mary Schmich in a glum Chicago Tribune newspaper column 18 years ago. Group..

Prayers for the moment

A prayer for Christmas Day: Welcoming Christ with Joy

"We pray this Christmas to welcome the Prince of Peace, not just with 'Silent Night,' but with joy, to and for the world..." — Jill Duffield

Presbyterian News Service

PC(USA) call for prayer for the Democratic Republic of the Congo

(PNS) - Political tensions are running high in the Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC or DR Congo) as President Joseph Kabila’s..

Hymns

A New Father, Awestruck (A new hymn for refugees)

Carolyn Winfrey Gillette, a Presbyterian pastor and author of more than 300 hymns, has written a new hymn in response to the..

Presbyterian News Service

Host family program gives international students a ‘home away from home’ at Christmas

(PNS) – As college campuses everywhere become ghost towns over the Christmas and New Year’s holidays, with dormitories mostly shuttered and food..

Voices

Plastic Jesus

Guest commentary by Kathleen Long Bostrom Nativity scenes have long held a special place in my heart. I am the proud owner..

Looking into the lectionary

Christmas Day, 2016

Isaiah 52:7-10; John 1:1-18 This year we have the joy of Christmas falling on a Sunday. My husband grew up Episcopalian and..

Voices

How to prepare for Christmas

Advent is not for the faint of heart. Advent marks the period before Christmas when we wait for Jesus’ arrival as a..

Voices

Going through the night – A Psalm for Aleppo

Your fate Aleppo is nothing but misery. Death. Abandonment. A merciless world of political and economic interests Showers you day and night..

Looking into the lectionary

Christmas Eve, 2016

Isaiah 9:2-7; Luke 2:1-20 All the world and this one couple with a baby on the way collide in Luke’s Gospel. Events..

Presbyterian News Service

Presbyterian congregations continue work in communities impacted by water crises

(PNS) The past year has been a challenging one for communities dealing with contaminated water supplies. Flint, Michigan has garnered national attention for..

Voices

Advent: The waiting place

I waited patiently for the LORD; he inclined to me and heard my cry. He drew me up from the desolate pit,..

Presbyterian News Service

Presbyterian Mission Agency Board renews De La Rosa’s contract

LOUISVILLE (PNS) – The Presbyterian Mission Agency Board (PMAB), gathered as the Presbyterian Church (U.S.A.) A Corporation, met this afternoon to vote..

He/She Said