A river runs beneath it
I began my academic career as professor at College of the Holy Cross, a very fine Jesuit school in Worcester, Massachusetts...
Latest Posts
6 keys to hard conversations
(Click here for part one of this two-part post.) Hard conversations are unavoidable, even for the sweetest, most kind-hearted church leaders. ..
In Kenya, archbishop calls for focus on missions and evangelism
NAIROBI, Kenya ( RNS) Amid deep division in the worldwide Anglican Communion, Archbishop of Canterbury Justin Welby on Sunday emphasized the need..
It’s a beautiful day
DETROIT – What do the band U2 and a hotel ballroom full of 250 mid council leaders have to do with each other?..
Small talk and big talk
“Small talk” is a vital part of every congregation’s life. We greet one another after worship, commenting on sports and gardens and..
Navigating the ‘narrow ridge’ between curiosity and conviction
The vast majority of independent, private institutions of higher learning in the U.S. were established by the church. Hundreds of historically Protestant..
Bookmark – The Case for the Psalms: Why They Are Essential
The Case for the Psalms: Why They Are Essential by N.T. Wright HarperOne. San Francisco. 196 pages. Is there anyone writing today..
Film in review – “Blue Caprice”
“Blue Caprice” is a chilling film. It’s a low-budget, under-hyped, starkly real story of the two still-anonymous men who became the 2002..
Film in review – “Romeo And Juliet”
It’s quite an undertaking to do the original Shakespeare play in the olde Elizabethan English and to do so with quality..
Film in review – “The Fifth Estate”
As a flag-waving United States citizen who also happens to be a journalist, I watched this film with a great deal of..
Could Pope Francis make women cardinals? A pipe dream, and an opening
(RNS) Could a woman vote for the next pope? Pope Francis has said repeatedly that he wants to see greater roles for..
God in Gotham: 16 Christians making a difference in New York City
In New York City, everything is always changing all time. From the skyline to the weather to transient residents jumping from neighborhood..
A simple walk can be a game-changer
It has happened again. Getting out into the community is a game-changer. For several years, I have been working with declining churches..
Hispanics increasingly identify as ‘nones’
(RNS) The number of Hispanic-Americans who say they adhere to no religion is growing and now rivals the number of Hispanic..
Beyond ‘Kony 2012′: Jason Russell’s attempt at a comeback
ATLANTA (RNS) A campaign to arrest an African warlord generated awareness in more ways than the effort’s co-founder Jason Russell could have..
Don’t talk to me about the resurrection
The Oak Tree at the Entrance to Blackwater Pond – Mary Oliver Everyday on my way to the pond I pass the..
Adventures of a call search, part 1: Confidentiality vs. conflict avoidance
I recently began a new call which means I am fresh out of what we Presbyterians call “the call process.” It is..
PC(USA) sponsoring November food stamp challenge
LOUISVILLE (PNS) The Presbyterian Church (U.S.A.) encourages families and individuals across the country to take theSNAP/Food Stamp Challenge Nov. 17-23. Participants in the..
Faith leaders march on Congress
WASHINGTON (PNS) Tuesday (Oct. 15), as the U.S. House of Representatives continued to wrangle today over the impasse that has closed the..
A time for every (re)purpose under Heaven
ASTORIA, N.Y. The Rev. Don Olinger (left) receives a plaque depicting the "new" Presbyterian Church of Astoria. —Jim Nedelka If you were..
Suzan Johnson Cook to resign as religious freedom ambassador
WASHINGTON (RNS) Suzan Johnson Cook, the State Department’s ambassador-at-large for international religious freedom, will announce this week that she is resigning after..
Mainline Protestants: Vintage or vibrant?
WASHINGTON (RNS) Who are the mainline Protestants today? Vintage Protestants? The VPCC — Vanishing Progressive Christian Church? The Legacy Church? Half a..
Get a life…. YOUR own life
Something has been bothering me lately. Over the summer, I read an article in The Economist about a study published by..
Wild patience: Years of discussion lead to signing of covenant between presbytery and Islamic communities in Chicago
Presbyterians and Muslims in the greater Chicago recently sat down to dinner together in celebration of a new relationship and a new..
Spreading the light
Outlook College Partnership Award runner-up essay by Courtney Nussbaumer It was the stillness that spoke loudest to me that night. As..
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