An unofficial moderator job description
Guest commentary by Chris Iosso Qualifications: Belief that the God made known to us in Jesus Christ cares about the PC(USA), and..
Latest Posts
New Year’s Prayer (1 Peter 2:5)
Poetry by Julia Crim Wondrous Lamb, Burden that I am, I cling to You. Unto Your joy, Sacred Lamb, I come And..
2nd Sunday after Christmas – January 3, 2016
Jeremiah 31:7-14; Ephesians 1:3-14; John 1:1-18 These are three tour de force texts this Sunday. Any one of these readings could be..
Always asking questions
by Frank M. Yamada My mom has always asked a lot of questions. My sisters and I often joke with each other..
Charity Detox: What Charity Would Look Like if We Cared About Results
by Robert D. Lupton HarperOne, San Francisco. 208 pages REVIEWED BY ASHLEY GOFF "Charity often hurts the people it was designed to..
National Continuing Care Residents Association elects new president
The Rev. Dr. Robert (Bob) D. Nicholson was elected president of the National Continuing Care Residents Association (NaCCRA) at the group’s annual meeting Nov...
2015: The year in review
Looking back, 2015 hasn’t been an easy ride for the Presbyterian Church (U.S.A). Some of what’s grabbed the headlines this year involves..
Paying attention to our desire
As a part of my work as my congregation's associate pastor of spiritual formation, I have been re-reading Ruth Haley Barton's “Sacred Rhythms:..
Hope in the midst of separation
by Jerry Andrews We meet separately now. I did not want this. I had worked and prayed that it would not be..
Religion news in 2015: Terror, fear and forgiveness
(RNS) “I forgive you.” These may have been three of the most powerful words uttered in the name of religion this year. They..
A scene from 2015
I wanted my name in the book. I wanted his children to know that South Carolinians cared enough to come and pay..
1st Sunday after Christmas – December 27, 2105
1 Samuel 2:18-20; Luke 2:41-52 There are so many places I want to go with these texts, especially the one from Luke...
Faithful shepherds: A message for Christmas Eve
Christmas pageants have been a part of my Christmas celebrations for almost as long as I can remember. I can’t recall much..
Alvaro’s sacrament
Guest commentary by Elizabeth Smith In the current climate of fear and violence, one man in Tucson, Arizona, continues to do what..
Structured for Mission: Renewing the Culture of the Church
by Alan J. Roxburgh InterVarsity Press, Downers Grove, Ill. 172 pages REVIEWED BY ALLEN D. TIMM In this book, Roxburgh, one of..
In search of real reform: Expounding on the Foothills overtures
Guest commentary by Merwyn S. Johnson The die is cast. The nine Foothills Overtures are now officially before the next General Assembly..
Tel Aviv’s bus depot now a hub for Christmas trees and Santa suits
TEL AVIV, Israel (RNS) Just before Christmas, Nicole Perez and her friends went shopping for decorations in Tel Aviv’s Central Bus Station. On..
Muslims shield Christian passengers in militant attack on Kenyan bus
NAIROBI, Kenya (RNS) Christian leaders have hailed as an act of bravery and selflessness the shielding of some Christians by Muslims after..
David Parker to stand for moderator
Another candidate has emerged to stand for moderator of the 2016 General Assembly. Salem Presbytery in North Carolina has endorsed David P...
Where are the moderate Muslims?
Guest commentary by Whit Bodman Incidents of vandalism at mosques are at an all-time high – 63 reported incidents as of this..
The work of Foothills Presbytery toward social witness reform: A response
Guest commentary by Mike Hoyt The members of Foothills Presbytery who are working toward reform of the Presbyterian Church (U.S.A.)’s approach to..
Record storms and human-caused disasters stretch Presbyterian Disaster Assistance resources
Over the years, Presbyterian Disaster Assistance has responded to massive weather events like Hurricanes Katrina and Sandy or major earthquakes and tsunamis in other..
A landmark year
A decade or two from now, when we Presbyterians look back at 2015, we will see it as a landmark year. Why?..
If not Sunday worship, then what?
As Sunday morning loses its hold on churchgoers and potential churchgoers, what comes next? How do faith communities nurture relationships? How do..
The Unexpected Christian Century
by Scott W. Sunquist Baker Academic, Baylor, Texas. 213 pages Early in this book the author writes, “Christianity as it has been practiced..
Page 458 of 892