Lessons learned by a young priest (commentary)
(RNS) In the perfection of hindsight, I see that I was clueless when I knelt before the Episcopal bishop of Indianapolis on..
Latest Posts
Encounters with Orthodoxy: How Protestant Churches Can Reform Themselves Again
by John P. Burgess Westminster John Knox Press, Louisville, Ky. 207 pages. On sabbatical from Pittsburgh Seminary where he is Snowden..
How is the church like a PC?
The A to Z of Christmas
“The Center” connects congregations to mission in Baltimore
It began with phone calls into the Baltimore Presbytery office from churches and organizations across the country that wanted to do mission..
Overlooked in nativity drama, Joseph is the quiet hero
(RNS) Imagine being Joseph, the husband of Mary and stepdad to baby Jesus. Your fiancée is pregnant and not by you. Her..
I decided to not have the kids be in the pageant this year
The wilderness and the dry land shall be glad, the desert shall rejoice and blossom; like the crocus it shall blossom abundantly, and..
At Christmas, a rare collaboration to restore an ancient church
BETHLEHEM, West Bank (RNS) Two weeks before Christmas, one of the most powerful storms to hit the Middle East in a century..
Pope to visit the Holy Land, but details spark debate
(RNS) Christmas is the one time each year when much of the world turns its gaze to Bethlehem, the West Bank town..
Bookmark – Feasting on the Gospels — Matthew, Volume 1: Chapters 1-13
Frank Schaefer defrocked by United Methodist officials
(RNS) The Rev. Frank Schaefer was defrocked by United Methodist officials in Pennsylvania on Thursday (Dec. 19), after he refused to conform..
People come unglued at Christmas
Book review – The Global Diffusion of Evangelicalism: The Age of Billy Graham and John Stott
by Brian Stanley G. P. Putnam’s Sons, New York. 818 pages. It is impossible these days to write a..
Respect for clergy drops, but among Republicans, not so much
(RNS) Clergy used to rank near the top in polls asking Americans to rate the honesty and ethics of people in various..
Try starting here
The other day I was at the local YMCA when I ran into one of the other regular Friday morning swimmers. We..
Displaced by violence: the people of South Sudan need our help
Mothers, children, families need our prayers and support in a violent time Presbyterian Disaster Assistance and Presbyterian World Mission are compelled to help more than..
Ministers’ Housing Allowances: What’s Ahead and What Should You Do?
Tuesday, Jan 21, 2014
2 p.m. E.T. (11 a.m. P.T.)
The recent court ruling that ministers’ housing allowances are unconstitutional has stunned ministers, priests, church treasurers and session/vestry/board members. While it's not clear whether that ruling will hold up under appeal or be implemented in more than one geographic area, the ruling has provoked plenty of concern about the potential tax impact for ministers and cost implications for congregations if housing allowances for ministers were to be disallowed. What do clergy and congregations need to be doing now as we await the next steps from the courts?
Webinar – “Preaching through Lent” Exegetical Insights and Preaching Ideas for 2014 (Year A)
Tuesday February 11
2 p.m. ET (11 a.m. PT)
Join BETH JOHNSON as she explores the season of Lent (Year A).
Christmas Sabbath
I’m sitting in the glow of the light of the Christmas tree at 4:30 a.m. because I can’t shut off my mind. ..
Christmas past
I live in a faith-based CCRC (Continuing Care Retirement Community). I came here first to an independent living apartment. When needed, I..
Pa. pastor Frank Schaefer won’t quit voluntarily
(RNS) The Rev. Frank Schaefer said Monday (Dec. 16) he would refuse to surrender his clergy credentials voluntarily and continue to perform..
Learning by doing, doing by learning: Committee on Theological Education embraces young leaders
In 2008, 25-year-old seminarian Kathy Wolf Reed was the youngest person to become an elected member of the Committee on Theological Education..
PC(USA) ordination examinations: The need for clarity and alternatives
Luke 2:1-20: A poem for Christmas Eve/Christmas Day
Perhaps they thought it was the Feds who’d come for them! Somehow, the N.S.A. had tracked, and would condemn Those dirty shepherds,..
And then there were 172: Presbyteries of Alaska and North Puget Sound merge
LOUISVILLE (PNS) The Synod of Alaska-Northwest has voted unanimously to merge the Presbyteries of Alaska and North Puget Sound (NPSP). The merger..
Page 559 of 883