The Book of Common Prayer: A Biography
by Alan Jacobs Princeton University Press. Princeton, N.J. 247 pages In 2011, when Princeton University Press launched its new series “Lives of..
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Viewing death, grief and resurrection as a shared sacrament
Last week, I was present for my thirtieth death at my hospital since I began my Clinical Pastoral Education (CPE) residency. While..
Rockets or not, Birthright still going to Israel
(RNS) Rocket fire from terrorists in Gaza may have scared off U.S. and European airlines, but Taglit-Birthright Israel is still sending thousands..
Nursing home evangelism: Preaching at the last ‘bus stop to eternity’
ALEXANDRIA, Va. (RNS) Rhonda Rowe and her team gathered around a diagram of the nursing home’s floor plan and determined how to split up..
Synods to restructure, not disappear
The number of synods across the denomination will be cut from 16 to between 10 and 12. The 221st General Assembly rejected..
Wading through the murky and treacherous waters of peace
GUEST COMMENTARY I was a member of the Middle East Issues Committee of this summer’s General Assembly. Though we had inadequate time..
Making Sense of the Bible
by Adam Hamilton Harper One. San Francisco, Calif. 324 pages For as long as I can remember, my father has taken issue..
Political and religious leaders denounce European anti-Jewish outbursts tied to Gaza
PARIS (RNS) Amid mounting protests in Europe against the Gaza conflict, political and religious leaders in the region have sharply denounced anti-Semitism..
A ban on new church construction angers Sudanese Christians
(RNS) Christians in Sudan frequently face arrests, impromptu questioning and expulsion. But this month, conditions worsened after the government announced a ban..
WCC expresses concern over exodus of Christian community in Mosul, Iraq
GENEVA (World Council of Churches) In an official statement issued on July 21, the World Council of Churches' (WCC) general secretary, the Rev. Olav Fykse..
General Assembly: Looking Back (poem)
John Calvin would be lost here. John Knox would be hard put to find a place to rest his shaggy head, and..
The art of people care
A friend, recently installed as a deacon at our church, reflected with me how many times my name, as associate pastor of..
Mr. President: Press firmly for ceasefire in Gaza and Israel
LOUISVILLE (Office of the General Assembly) As a body of 1.7-million members and more than 10,000 congregations, the Presbyterian Church (U.S.A.) calls..
Did Obama finally thread the needle on gay rights and religious freedom? (analysis)
(RNS) One of the toughest political calculations in Washington is balancing competing claims of gay rights with the traditional prerogatives of religious freedom...
IRS agrees to monitor churches for electioneering
(RNS) The Internal Revenue Service said it will monitor churches and other houses of worship for electioneering in a settlement reached with an atheist..
Bay City Westminster Presbyterian pastor to lead U.S. House of Representatives in prayer this week
BAY CITY, MICH (PNS) Bay City pastor will lead members of the United States House of Representatives in prayer this week to begin..
Statement issued by PC(USA) denouncing attacks in Mosul
It is with great sadness and deep concern that we join our voice with the voice of the church in Iraq to..
Hoping the world will listen
Where it all leads is another question, but no one can accuse Presbyterians of not caring or being afraid to speak. Late..
Visible actions
From time to time, traumatic events in society require the congregation to make response. Recent shootings at University of California Santa Barbara..
ACSWP seeks people to serve on study teams authorized by 221st General Assembly
LOUISVILLE (Advisory Committee on Social Witness Policy) Following actions of this summer’s 221st General Assembly, the Advisory Committee on Social Witness Policy (ACSWP) is seeking..
July 21, 2014: Digital issue for subscribers
The digital issue of the Presbyterian Outlook’s July 21,, 2014, issue is now available! It is viewable on almost all computers, tablets, and..
The Westminster Dictionary of Theological Terms Second Edition (Bookmark review)
By Donald K. McKim Westminster John Knox Press. Louisville, Ky. 355 pages There are those who learn English by reading a good..
Film in review – “Wish I Was Here”
This is one, dear readers, where I would ask, if your ears are easily offended, to look past the language. The quality..
Six steps on the long journey: Building fruitful pastoral relationships
Yesterday I shared six “can’t miss” tips for seminary graduates looking to burn very quickly through their first calls. You can read..
How the 221st General Assembly has denied its own constitution (And how Jesus is still Lord)
GUEST COMMENTARY “In the end the Party would announce that two and two made five, and you would have to believe it.”..
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