(RNS) — The COVID-19 pandemic has focused many of us on the state of the nation’s health care system. As the virus rages, all Americans need to raise their voices about the deep injustices it has exposed. Even before COVID-19 struck, the Trump administration was doing too little for the millions of people without affordable health care or life-saving medicine. As the novel coronavirus spreads, it’s no surprise that those who are hurt the most are the poor, whose health concerns are exacerbated by a lack of living wages, adequate housing, food and household savings. The pandemic has demonstrated that everyone’s fates are intertwined with that of the poor. It reveals the costs of having a two-tiered, privatized health system – where those who can pay get care, while millions suffer and die in close proximity to some of the best medical resources in the world. This public health crisis reminds us that we all are only as secure as those with the least health care access among … [Read more...]
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Worship Resources 1 day ago
Prayers of the people for Sunday, March 29, 2020
Jill Duffield reads the prayers of the people she crafted for this 5th Sunday in Lent. You are welcome to share this with your congregation or use it as part of your Sunday worship service. continue reading... -
Worship Resources 1 day ago
Christian education at home: All things bright and beautiful
Over the last few weeks, our children’s worlds seem to have shrunk dramatically. While they were used to going from school to friends’ houses to sports practices or dance classes, now they’re limited to moving from the bedroom to the living room to the kitchen. Time outdoors is a welcome respite to confining hours indoors — and it is an opportunity to be reminded that God is with us. This activity helps children see God in the natural world and know that God is always close by. Start your time… continue reading... -
Looking into the lectionary 1 day ago
5th Sunday in Lent — March 29, 2020
Ezekiel 37:1-14; Romans 8:6-11; John 11:1-45 Lent 5A Rejoice, O Jerusalem, the prophet Isaiah declares, rejoice greatly. Jill Duffield’s lectionary reflections are sent to the Outlook’s email list every Monday. We’ve made it to the fifth Sunday of Lent. This Sunday marks 21 days before Easter. In traditionally higher liturgical branches of the vine, this Sunday is known as Laetare Sunday, “laetare” being the singular imperative of “laetari” — to rejoice. This Sunday is also known as a “Refreshment Sunday” akin to the third Sunday of Advent, when the pink… continue reading...
Parties in Stamford case had tried to expedite process in order to get a ruling on the merits of the case January 1, 1995 Uncategorized122 views The General Assembly Permanent Judicial Commission -- in sidestepping the question of exactly how deeply a session should be required to probe into the private life of a gay elder who has acknowledged being in a committed, life-long relationship but has declined to say whether he is sexually active -- has put the question off but has not put it to rest.- Ministering with the Earth January 1, 1998 Book Reviews108 views By Mary Elizabeth MooreChalice. 1998. 226 pp. Pb. $19.99. ISBN 0-8272-2323-4 Ministering with the Earth is a quiltwork, both the on-the-ground activity and Moore's book about so ministering. Moore, professor of theology and Christian education at Claremont School of Theology, is fond of the metaphor, suitably pastoral and feminist.
- Remembered Voice: Reclaiming the Legacy of 'Neo-Orthodoxy' January 1, 1998 Book Reviews108 views By Douglas John HallWJKP. 1998. 145 pp. Pb. $18. ISBN 0-664-25772-0 It was in this order. I first read Tillich's Dynamics of Faith. Riveting. Next came The Courage to Be. Gripping. Then I went back and read the first volume of the Systematic Theology. Things began to make sense. Next came Biblical Religion and the Search for Ultimate Reality. Positive.
GA meeting site in Baltimore to be converted into field hospital March 25, 2020 Outlook Reporting1 comment A decision may be getting closer about whether to hold the General Assembly of the Presbyterian Church (U.S.A.) – set for June 20-27 in Baltimore – as scheduled.
Maryland Gov. Larry Hogan announced this week an order to convert the Baltimore Convention Center, where the General Assembly is scheduled to meet, and the nearby city-owned Hilton Hotel into a field hospital fo...
Amid coronavirus, Southern Baptists cancel annual meeting March 25, 2020 Religion News Service1 comment (RNS) — Leaders of the Southern Baptist Convention, the nation’s largest Protestant group, have canceled the denomination’s annual meeting due to the spread of the coronavirus.
The decision, announced Tuesday (March 24) by Baptist Press, the denomination’s news service, means the meeting, which had been scheduled for June 9-10 in Orlando, Florida, will not be rescheduled for a later time. Instead, the denomination will skip a year and meet again in 2021.
The last time the SBC annual meeting w...
New advisory opinion on congregations celebrating communion March 25, 2020 Outlook Reporting1 comment The Office of the General Assembly has released a new advisory opinion from J. Herbert Nelson, the stated clerk of the Presbyterian Church (U.S.A.), about how congregations can celebrate communion in an emergency or pandemic.
A key question: Can a PC(USA) congregation celebrate the Lord’s Supper if it is meeting virtually — not in person?
Yes, according to the new advisory opinion, titled “Communion in an Emergency/Pandemic” and released Ma...
Opinion: Our moral obligation to health during the COVID-19 pandemic
Surgeon general, disaster experts advise church leaders in COVID-19 online summit
(RNS) — The nation’s top doctor urged faith leaders to follow federal guidelines and partner with local health officials as they learn new ways to lead congregants coping with the coronavirus pandemic. “What can you do as faith and community leaders?” asked U.S. Surgeon General Jerome M. Adams in a videotaped address for the COVID-19 Church Online Summit that opened Thursday (March 26). “Well, first, follow the guidance from your local health department and find ways to partner with them. Second, develop your plan to protect your employees and the people you serve.” Evangelical and humanitarian assistance leaders offered pointers and encouragement to church leaders in the first day of a two-day summit by releasing videos on topics ranging from advocacy for the vulnerable to crisis communications. “We are certainly in a crisis,” said the Rev. Walter Kim, president of the National Association of Evangelicals, speaking through a headset. “This pandemic has gripped the world. … [Read more...]
5th Sunday in Lent — March 29, 2020
Ezekiel 37:1-14; Romans 8:6-11; John 11:1-45 Lent 5A Rejoice, O Jerusalem, the prophet Isaiah declares, rejoice greatly. We’ve made it to the fifth Sunday of Lent. This Sunday marks 21 days before Easter. In traditionally higher liturgical branches of the vine, this Sunday is known as Laetare Sunday, “laetare” being the singular imperative of “laetari” — to rejoice. This Sunday is also known as a “Refreshment Sunday” akin to the third Sunday of Advent, when the pink candle on the wreath gets to shine, a time where in the midst of penitence and somberness Christians get reminded to rejoice and celebrate certain, promised, soon-to-arrive joy. Every Sunday is a celebration of the resurrection, even during Lent when the alleluias are buried, and this Sunday the texts appointed resound with proclamations of new life. Ezekiel prophesizes to the dry bones and, lo, they rattle and groan and stand on their own two feet and finally breathe. Paul in Romans tells us that God who … [Read more...]
Prayer for the class of 2020
Compassionate God, for many of us these days feel like an exile. We remember that your people have walked through exile of many different kinds. You walked with them, and you walk with us now. We pray for the senior class of 2020. May your grace be sufficient during these strange and chaotic days. We pray for students who did not realize that an ordinary school day just like any other might be their only closure to a lifetime of education when they waved goodbye to each other when the bell rang. Be and abide with the class of 2020. May they find a deep breath of peace and love when the air is thin. Be with them when their grief wells up and when they mourn the loss of experiences that might have been. As cancellations build up, sit with them in their grief: over prom, over sports, over awards nights, over graduation. Be and abide with our students, O God. May they love and be loved. Even in this unexpected “exile,” we hope that they might still be able to discover new … [Read more...]
Family faith formation at home for March 29, 2020: Jesus and emotions
Welcome One: Come, let us gather around and see how the Spirit will nurture our faith today. All: Who is with us? One: Christ, the light of the world. (Place a candle on a table in your gathering place and light it.) All: Who is with us? One: The Love of God, who came to meet us in the world. (Place a cross on a table in your gathering place.) All: Who is with us? One: The Wisdom of God, who speaks through the Scriptures. (Place an open Bible on a table in your gathering place.) All: Who is with us? One: The Grace of God, who proclaims we are children of God. (Place a symbol of baptism – a bowl of water, a seashell - on a table in your gathering space.) All: Who is with us? One: Our risen Lord, who meets us at the table. (Place a symbol of communion – a plate and cup, a loaf of bread, grapes – on a table in your gathering space.) One: We are here, Holy Spirit, ready for your leading. God sightings and prayer … [Read more...]
When We Face an Unknown Future (a free hymn)
BEACH SPRING 8.7.8.7 D ("God Whose Giving Knows No Ending") When we face an unknown future that we can’t imagine yet, when the closeness we have treasured turns from blessing into threat— As we miss our friends and loved ones, as we crave community, may we look, God, in this season, for a whole new way to be. Jesus faced the lonely desert as a time to look within. There he met such trial and conflict; there he knew you were with him. In this time of separation when we miss the life we’ve known, may we hear your voice proclaiming: “I am here! You’re not alone.” May we cherish those around us as we never have before. May we think much less of profit; may we learn what matters more. May we hear our neighbors’ suffering; may we see our neighbors’ pain. May we learn new ways of offering life and health and hope again. God, when illness comes to threaten, and when so much here goes wrong, may we know this thing for certain— that your love is sure and strong. You’re … [Read more...]
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