With an increased number of state legislatures passing laws to severely curtail access to abortion, the Advocacy Committee for Women’s Concerns (ACWC) of the Presbyterian Church (U.S.A.) is compelled to advocate for continuation of safe, legal abortion rights nationwide. We do so as part of a Reformed theological history that endeavors to discern the activity of God in all the events of life. Our particular part of the Christian tradition seeks to be informed by changing cultural contexts. In the last 50 years, the PCUSA has affirmed our ability to re-form our teachings about women through deliberate theological reflection. Repeatedly, Presbyterians have affirmed that women are created in the image of God, fully endowed with the capacity to make moral decisions. We realize that we must seriously address the realities of women’s lives, including women’s access to reproductive options. In 1970, our General Assembly declared that “the artificial induced termination of a pregnancy is a … [Read more...]
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Looking into the lectionary 21 hours ago
6th Sunday of Easter — May 26, 2019
Acts 16:9-15; Revelation 21:10; 21:22-22:5; John 5:1-9 “I go down, down, down.” Reflecting on her experience of walking from the concrete deck into the deep end of the pool, my then nearly 2-year-old described wide-eyed what happened earlier that day. Her surprise still evident even hours after she briefly went “down, down, down.” She discovered that she could not, in fact, walk on water in Columbus, Georgia, at a hotel swimming pool. I’d been in the shallow end with her brother, my husband seated nearby, when our little girl, trusting… continue reading... -
Outpost Blog 2 days ago
My dream for the church: Missions and Mars
We asked our bloggers to share their biggest dreams for the church. Here’s what they imagine. We can put a man on the moon, but the church still has a food pantry. I recently watched the first season of “Mars” from the National Geographic channel. (No season 2 spoilers please!) It follows a hypothetical mission to Mars in the 2030s while sneaking in some documentary education from actual space exploration up through 2016, and for a sci-fi fan like me, it’s a very bingeworthy show now that it’s on… continue reading... -
Book Reviews 2 days ago
On Thomas Merton
Mary Gordon Shambhala Press, 160 pages The renowned novelist Mary Gordon has done what few people can do: say something new about Thomas Merton. She begins by announcing the paradox: A monk vowed to silence produced more words than most writers. Though Merton was dedicated to solitude as a Trappist hermit, nevertheless an international company of seekers, celebrities, writers and activists were drawn to him for guidance. Thus the paradox: solitude gives birth to community — a community that continues 40 years after his death. Silence brought forth the written… 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 Uncategorized64 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 Reviews67 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 Reviews65 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.
General Assembly approves per capita increase as last item of business in St. Louis June 23, 2018 Outlook Reporting2 comments ST. LOUIS – The 2018 General Assembly voted June 23 to increase the General Assembly per capita rate to $8.95 per member in 2019 and $8.95 per member in 2020.
That’s an increase of just over 15 percent from the 2018 per capita rate of $7.73 per member. The assembly voted 359-43 to approve that.
Some commissioners argued that the increase will harm the ministry of presbyteries if congregations don’t send the full per capita amount and mid councils try to make up the difference – sending the money to the national church at the expense of mid council ministry.
Others argued that this assembly had voted ...
Presbyterian Mission Agency Board issues public statement on ethics investigation April 16, 2015 Outlook Reporting1 comment After spending roughly 12 hours meeting in closed session over two days, the Presbyterian Mission Agency Board emerged with a public statement April 16 about how it plans to address an ethics investigation involving four employees connected with an ethics investigation within the 1001 New Worshiping Communities program of the Presbyterian Church (U.S.A).
Shortly after 7 p.m. on April 16, Marilyn Gamm, the board’s chair, announced in a brief statement the decisions the board had made in its closed sessions. Gamm said that:
The board voted to authorize one of the lawyers it has hired,
Hoey files defamation lawsuit against PC(USA) June 25, 2015 Outlook Reporting1 comment A second defamation lawsuit has been filed against the Presbyterian Church (U.S.A.) A Corporation – the denomination’s corporate entity – stemming from an ethics investigation involving the 1001 New Worshipping Communities program.
Eric Hoey, who has served as the PC(USA)’s director of Evangelism and Church Growth, filed suit in Jefferson Circuit Court in Kentucky on June 16.
Hoey is the second person involved with the investigation to file a defamation suit. Roger Dermody – who was hired in 2010 as the PC(USA)’s deputy executive director for mission, serving directly under Linda Valentine, executive direct...
Advocacy Committee for Women’s Concerns issues statement on abortion rights
6th Sunday of Easter — May 26, 2019
Acts 16:9-15; Revelation 21:10; 21:22-22:5; John 5:1-9 “I go down, down, down.” Reflecting on her experience of walking from the concrete deck into the deep end of the pool, my then nearly 2-year-old described wide-eyed what happened earlier that day. Her surprise still evident even hours after she briefly went “down, down, down.” She discovered that she could not, in fact, walk on water in Columbus, Georgia, at a hotel swimming pool. I’d been in the shallow end with her brother, my husband seated nearby, when our little girl, trusting and confident, marched to the edge of the water and kept right on walking. Thankfully, we watched the scene unfold and reacted quickly. I swam to her and went down, down, down after her, plucking her up to the surface as she sputtered and looked more shocked than afraid. Throughout the day and the next she would return to the incident trying to make sense of it. Going down, down, down, unable to do anything other required processing. What she’d … [Read more...]
Photographs of Mr. Rogers on display at Pittsburgh Jewish Community Center
(RNS) — In 1978, photographer Jim Judkis got a big break. People magazine asked him to photograph Fred Rogers, the beloved public television host of “Mister Rogers’ Neighborhood,” which was in its 10th year. When he arrived to see Rogers, Judkis was nervous. “You suddenly realize you’re in the presence of a known celebrity. I said, ‘Hello, Mister Rogers,’” Judkis said. “He smiled and reached out his hand to shake mine. He said, ‘Please call me Fred.’ It immediately put me at ease. Wow. He’s a normal guy.”Over the next few decades, he photographed Rogers for People, The Philadelphia Inquirer’s Sunday magazine and Pittsburgh Magazine. Judkis’ most famous photo: an award-winning photograph he took of Rogers smiling as he looks, face-to-face, at a disabled child, who cradles Rogers’ face in his hands.When the show went off the air, Judkis put the negatives of his photos of Rogers into storage and forgot about them. His photos are now out of storage and on display at the … [Read more...]
Triennium will feature preaching from the heart
(PNS) LOUISVILLE — Thousands of youths from across the Presbyterian Church (U.S.A.) and the Cumberland Presbyterian Church are gearing up for five sweaty days of “conversation, recreation, learning, worship and fun” at this year’s 2019 Presbyterian Youth Triennium (PYT) July 16-20 at Purdue University in West Lafayette, Ind. Since 1980, this “life-changing, life-giving, faith-growing” gathering’s mission has been to “deepen the discipleship awareness” of a generation who is already distinguishing themselves in this church and the world, according to the Triennium website . One highlight of the 2019 version of the life-changing and faith-growing experience is worship, which takes place every day of Triennium. Held in Purdue’s historic Elliot Hall of Music, worship at the event is planned by and for the thousands of young people who attend every three years. “Drawing upon the stories, pathways, adventures and trials that real Presbyterian youth face, each service is crafted … [Read more...]
My dream for the church: Missions and Mars
We asked our bloggers to share their biggest dreams for the church. Here’s what they imagine. We can put a man on the moon, but the church still has a food pantry. I recently watched the first season of "Mars" from the National Geographic channel. (No season 2 spoilers please!) It follows a hypothetical mission to Mars in the 2030s while sneaking in some documentary education from actual space exploration up through 2016, and for a sci-fi fan like me, it's a very bingeworthy show now that it's on Netflix. What most impacted me from watching the show is the passion and imaginative energy that go into the human effort to reach and colonize Mars. It's captivating: the fictional crew are willing to give their lives to live on an inhospitable planet millions of miles from Earth. Their supporters back home do everything in their power to keep the program going despite seemingly overwhelming challenges. As a Christian, though, seeing the passion and energy that … [Read more...]
On Thomas Merton
Mary Gordon Shambhala Press, 160 pages The renowned novelist Mary Gordon has done what few people can do: say something new about Thomas Merton. She begins by announcing the paradox: A monk vowed to silence produced more words than most writers. Though Merton was dedicated to solitude as a Trappist hermit, nevertheless an international company of seekers, celebrities, writers and activists were drawn to him for guidance. Thus the paradox: solitude gives birth to community — a community that continues 40 years after his death. Silence brought forth the written word akin to a tsunami. Gordon explores the paradox that is Merton, choosing selections from his writings that give insight into him not only as a monk, but as a writer. We learn that Merton was forever chafing under the strictures of his monastic life, especially the demands placed upon him by his superior to write for an audience that would be drawn to Catholic spirituality. What kind of writer would he be? That is a … [Read more...]
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