Lent 1: The task of our journey
Mark 1:9-15
Editor’s Note: This devotional is the first of seven to run in the Outlook in observance of the 2009 Lenten season. They are based on the lectionary texts for each week.
Latest Posts
Lilly Conference at Presbyterian College explores globalization issues
Presbyterian College in Clinton, S.C., hosted the Lilly Conference February 27 and 28, to address globalization and diversity issues.
World Council of Churches now sifting applicants for top post
GENEVA — (ENI) The search for a new general secretary for the World Council of Churches has closed with the head of the search committee saying only that a number of candidates have been nominated, but without naming any of them.
GAC staff faces May unpaid furlough as budget cutting measures continue
LOUISVILLE — In yet another indication of the financial crunch facing the Presbyterian Church (U.S.A.), the denomination’s national staff was notified March 6 they will be furloughed for one week of unpaid leave in May.
“Blasphemous” South African student magazine sparks heated debate
Cape Town — (ENI) A complaint by South Africa Christian groups over an article deemed blasphemous in a University of Cape Town students' magazine resulted in the withdrawal of it by a country-wide retailer from its shelves, sparking a national debate.
Michelle Obama visits homeless program at Western Presbyterian Church in D.C.
[caption id="attachment_20282" align="alignright" width="256"]
Caption: First Lady Michelle Obama joins those who served breakfast today (March 5) at Miriam’s Kitchen, a feeding ministry of Western Presbyterian Church in Washington, D.C. Photo by Carol Howard Merritt, used by permission.[/caption]First Lady Michelle Obama visited and served meals at Miriam’s Kitchen for the Homeless at Western Church in Washington, D.C. today (March 5) as part of her effort to focus attention on the issues of nutrition and the homeless.
GAPJC tells synod to reconsider restoration case
The Presbytery of the Twin Cities Area did not make a mistake when it voted in January 2008 to restore the ordination of Paul Capetz, an openly-gay theology professor who will not promise that he will live in celibacy, the General Assembly Permanent Judicial Commission has ruled.
Marshmallows to mission
What do marshmallows and mission have in common?
Way-Points: Spirit’s respite
Our modern lives are full and we often find ourselves compelled to do more or get more with the time we have.
10 minutes with Brian Frick
Brian Frick recently joined the staff of the General Assembly Council as associate for camp and conference ministries, a position funded by the recently created Hostetter Fund for Camps.
Not your typical mission trip
Mission trips can be an important part of a church’s ministry.
EcoEternity Forests
Persons who have life-changing experiences at camps or conference centers often see those places as dear to them and sacred ground.
What about the youth?
In the aftermath of General Assembly we have been treated to yet another season of comment on the actions taken.
Forty years on the run: A celebration of marriage
I met Bob Reinhardt on August 4, 1967, at a 4-H fair in Passaic County, N.J. A chance meeting between two strangers who had nothing better to do on a hot summer evening?
Hello! I have come calling
It is 2 a.m. and I cannot sleep. It again gives me the opportunity to think about life and ministry at the ripe old age of 90.
Hot, Flat and Crowded
Hot, Flat and Crowded: Why We Need a Green Revolution — And How It Can Renew America, by Thomas L. Friedman. Farrar, Straus and Giroux, 2008. Hb., 448 pp. $27.95
Temple cultus Superceded
John 2:13-22
John’s account of Jesus’ activity in the temple portrays Jesus going to Jerusalem early in his ministry.
Retreats can build trust
In this season of leadership retreats, it’s important to focus on trust and communications.
Conversations
It’s amazing, isn’t it, how much our lives have been shaped by conversations — from those first listening-only conversations with doting parents to the pastor’s final visit at our bedside; from the teacher showing us how to draw to the police officer asking if we know how fast we were driving; from comparing Christmas gifts with neighbor kids to the domestic disagreement between spouses; from the class discussion to the flirty introductions with the eHarmony date; from the lengthy love letters to the telegraphed text messages. Conversations define our lives.
Camps and conference centers facing changes in leadership, programming
For three of the leading Presbyterian conference centers – Ghost Ranch, Stony Point, and Montreat – this is a time of transition.
The new world of conferencing: Solitude and a cell phones
For camps and conference centers, where part of the appeal is the opportunity to get away from the pressures of everyday life, creature comforts often raise their ugly little heads.
Poll: most teens think lying and cheating can be ethical
A new survey finds that 80 percent of American teenagers believe they are “ethically prepared” for life in the real world but 40 percent believe they have to “break the rules” to succeed.
Palestinians in Christian housing fear return of Israeli bulldozers
Beit Sahour, West Bank — (ENI)--One morning two months ago William Sahouri woke up to find that, after six years, Israeli bulldozers had returned to the hilltop opposite his apartment building.
Amendment 08 B: Serious problems
The presbyteries are beginning to debate and vote again on the controversial “fidelity-and-chastity statement” in our Book of Order (G-6.0106b).
Lent Resource, Virtual Holy Land pilgrimage available during Lent
(Ekklesia) The online journey began Feb. 25 (Ash Wednesday) organized by the UK-based international development agency Christian Aid.
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