“When the darker moments come, or when gratitude eludes me, I ask myself, ‘What are you thankful for?’ Then, I look at what I have, or could have; at what enhances my life, relationships, sense of purpose and meaning, ability to support others, and new goals. I consider the abundance with which I live. Over and over, I practice this refrain.” – Allan Hugh Cole Jr., professor of social work, on living with Parkinson’s (in PD Wise) … [Read more...]
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Commentary 1 day ago
Community dinners: Matthew 25 in action
Guest commentary by Linda Dickerson On Mondays, you would hardly think that on Sunday mornings worshippers gather to sing, pray, hear the Word read and proclaimed, and worship God in this place. It’s Monday night, the night of Northside Presbyterian Church’s Monday Night Community Dinners, a project begun about a year and a half ago. Why? To reach out to our neighbors in Blacksburg, Virginia, and to feed hungry people. The endeavor took a while to gain traction, but has become a regular “community.” Church members Heidi and Bruce do… continue reading... -
Looking into the lectionary 1 day ago
2nd Sunday after Epiphany — January 19, 2020
Isaiah 49:1-7; 1 Corinthians 1:1-9; John 1:29-42 Ordinary 2A God called you. God is faithful. This refrain of God’s initiative and God’s trustworthiness resounds through all three readings this week. Jill Duffield’s lectionary reflections are sent to the Outlook’s email list every Monday. Questions on our part remain. The chosen one in Isaiah expresses deep discouragement and God’s response reassures the doubting, despondent servant that divine will may be delayed but will ultimately be accomplished. The epistle reading reminds a nascent Christian community of Christ’s ongoing work among and within… continue reading... -
Outlook Reporting 2 days ago
Climate change and divestment: MRTI votes on recommendation to General Assembly
A committee is recommending that the Presbyterian Church (U.S.A.) divest from three companies that it says are not making sufficient progress on responding to climate change issues. That’s the recommendation the Committee on Mission Responsibility Through Investment (MRTI) has voted to make to the 2020 General Assembly, after determining that those companies – Exxon Mobil, Marathon Petroleum and Valero Energy – have fallen into the “red” or least acceptable zone in MRTI’s system of metrics. That system tracks progress – or lack of it – on dozens of measures, and… 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 Uncategorized118 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 Reviews114 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 Reviews118 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.
MRTI directed to continue policy of corporate engagement for now, companies added to short-list for divestment in 2020 June 22, 2018 Outlook Reporting1 comment ST. LOUIS – No divestment today. On June 22, the 223rdGeneral Assembly elected (with a vote of 409 in favor and 106 opposed) for Mission Responsibility Through Investment (MRTI) to maintain its investments in the fossil-fuel industry, while continuing to vie for more environmentally friendly business practices, and vetting fossil-fuel companies for selective divestment at the 224th General Assembly in 2020.
The assembly passed a significant amendment to the original item. The amendment directs MRTI to report back to the 224thGeneral Assembly in 2020 wit...
Small contributions add up: Idaho church plays big role to reduce state’s medical debt November 5, 2019 Outlook Reporting1 comment So many people are just one car accident, one slip on the ice, one complicated pregnancy, one bad diagnosis away from a tsunami of medical debt.
So many people live paycheck to paycheck, with rent due and student loans to pay back and a balance on their credit cards so big it hurts to look at it. They’re barely making everyday life work financially, much less able to pay for a trip to the hospital.
What if churches could do something about that – by using their resources to pay off a chunk of their community’s unpaid medical debt? Or what about individual Presbyterians, or a group of family or friends? ...
Presbyterians wrestle with funding models to replace or augment per capita January 14, 2020 Outlook Reporting1 comment LOUISVILLE – It’s an intricate mosaic of life in the Presbyterian Church (U.S.A.), but the big picture looks something like this.
Presbyteries feel financially stressed, with many mid council leaders saying the denomination’s per capita system isn’t working. The Office of the General Assembly, which depends on per capita,
Allan Hugh Cole Jr.
RIP, black and blue (10 years ago)
10 years ago — January 11, 2010 “The time has come to turn the page from a black and blue magazine … to … a high def, full color … magazine. … When first presented a copy of The Presbyterian Outlook, over 25 years ago, I didn’t contain my immediate impression. ‘Looks boring.’ It was printed entirely in black and white. It showcased zero pictures. My older, wiser ministerial colleague had handed this young, newly ordained upstart a copy of the weekly newsletter with the words, ‘You have a lot to learn about being Presbyterian. This is where you start.’ My reaction didn’t keep me from subscribing. Soon I was devouring it. A similar first impression has stopped many others in their tracks.” So started an editorial that announced the Outlook’s move into the second decade of the 21st century with a new look. The editor used the image of black/blue and full color to express the hope for the future of the PC(USA). His hope for the church was to leave behind the infighting and find a new … [Read more...]
DIRECTOR OF CHILDREN AND FAMILY MINISTRIES
First Presbyterian Church of Fort Worth, Texas, (fpcfw.org) is seeking a Director of Children and Family Ministries. This full-time position administers the total program for children birth to fifth grade and serves as a resource to their families. This includes: 1) planning and sharing in recruiting and training of educational leaders, with a special emphasis on Church School; 2) serving as a resource in planning, writing, adapting, and evaluating curriculum for various age groups that involves them in the broader ministry of the church (worship and mission); 3) leading the development of new educational models and programs for children of the church – and exploring new off Sunday programming opportunities for children and families; 4) serving as a role model in faithfulness in sharing the joy of the faith and the joy of educating our children; 5) encouraging increased participation in the children’s programs from FPC members, prospective members, and visitors; 6) directly … [Read more...]
Religions can be part of the solution for peace, not the problem, faith leaders say
VATICAN CITY (RNS) — When John Lennon wrote his hit song “Imagine,” eliminating religions and the divisions they entail was in his view a necessary condition for “living life in peace.” A meeting of religious representatives in Rome this week made the case for shifting that paradigm. The Abrahamic Faiths Initiative group united 25 religious leaders representing millions of Christian, Muslim and Jewish faithful to discuss practical ways of promoting peace and fraternity at the Pontifical Gregorian University in Rome Jan. 14-16. Attendees included Cardinal Miguel Ángel Ayuso Guixot, president of the Pontifical Council for Interreligious Dialogue; Shaykh Abdallah Bin Bayyah, president of the Forum for Promoting Peace in Muslim Societies; Riccardo di Segni, the chief rabbi of Rome; and the Greek Orthodox Patriarch Theophilos III of Jerusalem and all Palestine. Many peacemaking efforts have failed because they didn’t consider the religious implications of their initiatives, … [Read more...]
Faith in Action gears up for 2020 election season, with a focus on local offices
(RNS) — For the Rev. Alvin Herring, executive director of the congregation-based organizing network Faith in Action, wearing a clerical collar is about more than appearances. It prepares him for the task of making social change. “I consider this my uniform,” Herring said, gesturing toward his white collar as he addressed the crowd at the Vote Common Good summit in Des Moines, Iowa, earlier this month. “When I’m ready to go to work, or go to war, I put this on.” Specifically, Herring, a pastor from California, says he and his organization are gearing up for work and war — metaphorically speaking — ahead of the 2020 election. Through partnerships with groups such as VCG and a series of organizing initiatives, Herring and Faith in Action — one of the largest faith-based liberal-leaning groups in the country — are hoping to prove that people of faith can make an impact come Election Day. Or, as Herring later told Religion News Service: “The progressive community has to get it straight: … [Read more...]
Trump pledges to prevent ‘unacceptable’ repression of school prayer
WASHINGTON (RNS) — President Donald Trump, surrounded by schoolchildren of a variety of faiths, has announced what he called “historic steps to protect the First Amendment right to pray in the public schools.” Within hours of senators being sworn in for Trump’s pending impeachment trial, the president and nine federal agencies on Thursday (Jan. 16) made moves they said would support the rights of religious people, including students who report their freedom to pray has been violated. “In public schools around the country, authorities are stopping students and teachers from praying, sharing their faith or following their religious beliefs,” said Trump, sitting behind the Resolute Desk of the Oval Office in an event carried online via C-SPAN. “It is totally unacceptable. You see it on the football field. You see it so many times where they’re stopped from praying, and we are doing something to stop that.” Education Secretary Betsy DeVos, standing near Trump, said her … [Read more...]
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