Order of worship — December 24, 2023/Advent 4B
You are welcome to use this liturgy in your online worship services and distribute it to your congregation.
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Fourth Sunday of Advent — December 24, 2023
"We need not understand all the science behind awe to appreciate its gift and join the heavenly host in singing God’s praise," writes Teri McDowell Ott.
Scholar focusing on God’s human qualities wins Grawemeyer religion prize
Episcopal priest Charles Halton argues that embracing God as a deity with human qualities can bring us closer to God and inspire us to become better people.
How Hanukkah came to America
Hanukkah is ranked one of Judaism’s minor festivals, but in the United States it has gained popularity as an expression of American prosperity and religious freedom.
Horizons — The lepers’ encounter
Rosalind Banbury's fifth reflection on the 2023-2024 Presbyterian Women/Horizons Bible Study.
Is there room for mysticism inside the Presbyterian Church (U.S.A.)?
Lydia Griffiths maintains there is rich diversity among Protestant religious thinkers when it comes to a transforming relationship with God.
Christmas is just the beginning
“This is no time for a child to be born ... [yet] love still takes the risk.” Teri McDowell Ott reflects on this Advent quote by poet Madeleine L’Engle.
Parties canceled. Celebrations toned down. Hanukkah won’t be the same this year.
With the Israeli military in the midst of a destructive showdown in its war with Hamas, many U.S. Jews aren’t in the mood for triumphant Hanukkah cheer.
“There are no new pains:” A feminist Advent reflection
Liz Cooledge Jenkins reflects on Elizabeth, Luke's Gospel, and Audre Lorde.
How to Know a Person: The Art of Seeing Others Deeply and Being Deeply Seen
David Brooks pens "a deeply engaging book that reads like a guide to pastoral care, yet is equally applicable to professionals and caregivers, helping all of us bring more curiosity and compassion to our conversations," writes Amy Pagliarella.
How the keffiyeh – a practical garment used for protection against the desert sun – became a symbol of Palestinian identity
A scholar of immigrant communities and religious minorities in Europe shares the history that shaped the keffiyeh’s origins and its transformation as a symbol of Palestinian cultural and national identity.
Dad, will you be in “The Nutcracker”?
In an unexpected casting of Drosselmeyer, Matt Rich finds – in life and in ministry – the role you think you are going to play might not be the role you get.
Israel’s mosaic of Jewish ethnic groups is key to understanding the country
The diversity of Israel’s Jewish population has been a source of tensions, but also strength, over the decades.
Order of worship — December 17, 2023
You are welcome to use this liturgy in your online worship services and distribute it to your congregation.
Sing of Joy — Weekly Christian ed lesson
In this lesson, children will explore “The Canticle of the Turning” and will consider the ways Christ brings joy to the world.
Roots, thorns and joy: Navigating complex family history during the holidays (December 17, 2023)
How do we make sense of complicated family dynamics in our lives and in our faith history? Chris Burton reflects on the women present in Jesus' genealogy.
Third Sunday of Advent — December 17, 2023
"This Advent, it may help to think of our faith communities as people who hold up mirrors to the world, reflecting the light of Christ we have found." — Tara W. Bulger
Pope Francis asks theologians to ‘demasculinize’ the church
(RNS) – ‘Women have a way of reflecting on theology that is different from us men,’ Francis told the International Theological Commission.
Unexpected Abundance: The Fruitful Lives of Women Without Children
“Women have been fruitful matriarchs for millennia, including those of us who never gave birth,” Elizabeth Felicetti writes in her new book reviewed by Elizabeth B. Dickey.
Identifying and sharing the mental load of pastoral work
In any community, there is likely one person ensuring all the plates keep spinning. How can we acknowledge this and ease the load, asks Elana Keppel Levy? How can we work together?
In ‘Unapologetic,’ young Palestinian-Israeli podcasters advocate for a third narrative
In the podcast, launched amid the Israel-Hamas War, the co-hosts imagine a role in the peace process that is particular to the Arab community in Israel.
The art of asking questions in teaching and learning
Being intentional in your question-asking can reinvigorate a Sunday school or small group, writes educator Donald Griggs.
First Presbyterian Church — Redlands, California
Angela Lambert shares about attending her California church while on a river cruise in Europe.
New CEO brings 20 years experience in international nonprofit leadership and development to Ghost Ranch
This leadership transition ushers in a bright new chapter of impact for the 21,000-acre world-renowned education and retreat center in New Mexico.
Bethlehem pastors arrive in DC, urge lawmakers to embrace cease-fire, peace plan
'All we want for Christmas is a constant and comprehensive cease-fire and an end to this war,' said the Rev. Munther Isaac, pastor of Bethlehem’s Evangelical Lutheran Christmas Church.
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