by James C. Howell
Westminster John Knox Press, Louisville, Ky. 178 pages
reviewed by ROY HOWARD
I have read plenty of books on the art of preaching. I would sacrifice most of them for this one by James Howell.
HAVANA (Presbyterian News Service) The National Council of Churches in the U.S.A. (NCC) will continue to press for normalization of relations between the U.S. and Cuba, an end to the 53-year-old U.S. embargo of Cuba and release of the “Cuban Five” held in U.S. prisons, NCC General Secretary Michael Kinnamon told a packed press conference here Dec. 2.
The Presbyterian Fellowship recently released “Draft Theology Proposals” prepared by a “Theology Task Force” in which I participated together with two friends and colleagues. My participation in the task force has led a number of people to infer that I am affiliated with the Fellowship and that I support the formation of a “New Reformed Body.”
Louisville, Ky. (Presbyterian News Service) Nearly a year after southern Sudanese citizens voted to split from northern Sudan and form a new country, the Sudan Mission Network of the Presbyterian Church (U.S.A.) met here to worship, share stories and discuss mission in the two countries.
DALLAS (Special to PNS) “It’s a messy ministry,” said one host church leader of his experience working with refugees and immigrant churches. “But God is glorified in our willingness to work out our problems together,” said Abraham Samuel (Arabic Evangelical Presbyterian Church, Monrovia, CA, San Gabriel Presbytery).
Samuel Shamba Warlick, who was accused of sexually abusing the children of Presbyterian missionaries in Africa in the 1980s, has been sentenced to 12 years and six months in federal prison for distributing child pornography.
Berlin (ENI) A decision by the German Federal Administrative Court allowing a Berlin school to ban Muslim students from praying on their lunch break is being viewed as a ruling on public religious expression and has been closely watched by members of different faiths.
Bhubaneswar, India (ENI) An independent tribunal
investigating anti-Christian violence in India's eastern Orissa state in
2008 has indicted the state government for failure to protect Christians and
has made several recommendations.
Tokyo, 2 December (ENInews)--An institute at a Catholic-run university and college and a local revitalization group organized a tour Dec. 4 that asked singles to "swear your love in front of the Tomb of Christ" in the northern village of Shingo.
Toronto (ENInews) Leaders from five world religions gathered in Toronto just ahead of World AIDS Day on Dec. 1 to encourage their peers to deepen their engagement and action on HIV-AIDS "by addressing the difficult issues raised by the pandemic, in dialogue with people living with HIV."
Moscow (ENInews) As the number of people suffering from HIV/AIDS continues to grow in Russia, government agencies are turning to the Russian Orthodox Church for help in stemming the epidemic, ministering to its victims, and fighting their stigmatization by society.
The Fellowship of Presbyterians has released two new draft documents – one on theology including the presentation of proposed essential tenets for a new Reformed body and another on polity.
Actually, “Immortals” is kind of a misnomer for this sandals-and-swords epic, loosely based on Greek mythology.
“J. Edgar” is the kind of movie I was afraid it would be, which is why I had avoided seeing it in the first place.
Luminous. That’s the best word to describe her.
Normally, I automatically recoil when I hear cuss words come from the mouths of children in films, especially when only used for shock value, or a cheap laugh at the incongruity (of course, the more it’s used, the less incongruous it is).
One of the reasons for the high popularity of Stephanie Meyer’s storytelling is that she manages to establish and maintain many tensions at once. And that’s a big reason the movies based on the books work so well too.
WHAT HAPPENED at the Covenanting
Conference of the Fellowship of Presbyterians meeting in Orlando?
Your fellow church members will be wondering.
The national newspapers may or may not provide sketchy reports.
WASHINGTON, Iowa (Special to Presbyterian News Service) Effective elders are humble elders, the Revs. Mark Martin and Gary Burnett told elders attending Elder 102 training, sponsored by the Presbytery of East Iowa, at United Presbyterian Church in October.
The Fellowship of Presbyterians has revised the options it will present as possible courses of action for congregations to consider at the Fellowship’s next meeting, in Orlando Jan. 18-20.
The Covenant Network (CN) long has pursued the daunting agenda both “to work for the removal of ordination barriers to the full participation of LGBT [lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgendered] Presbyterians, and to support the mission and unity of the denomination.”
HARARE, Zimbabwe (RNS/ENInews)
Archbishop of Canterbury Rowan Williams has asked Zimbabwe President Robert Mugabe to intervene to stop attacks on Anglicans by allies of an excommunicated bishop who has seized church property and intimidated clergy and worshippers.
It was Jill Brown’s experience as a church youth worker and volunteer that led her to start paying attention to how teenagers use Facebook, text messaging and other social media tools. Because she wasn’t their parent, teenagers would sometimes talk to her about their online experiences.
by Wendy Farley
Westminister John Knox Press. Louisville, KY. 438 pages
reviewed by DEBRA AVERY
Anyone who comes to this book with the hope of finding THE answer is likely to be surprised.
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