A Thought from the Word

A brief thought based on Matthew 5:14,16 - “You are like light for the whole world. A city built on top of a hill cannot be hidden, Make your light shine, so that others will see the good that you do and will praise your Father in heaven.”

A Thought from the Word

A brief thought based on Psalm 119:93 - “I won't ever forget your teachings, because you give me new life by following them.”

Connecting during social distancing: This week's resources for worship, study and navigating COVID-19

SUBSCRIBE \ ABOUT  \ DONATE \ CONTACT Presbyterian Outlook COVID-19 news & resources Friends, I pray that you are finding some sabbath rest in the midst of this summer — time to slow down, to explore your creativity and to meet God in the stillness. Remember: Check our website or follow us on social media to get materials as soon as they are released. You'll find weekly "Looking into the lectionary" reflections, all of the Outlook's COVID-19 news and stories, and our new worship resources here. Grace and peace, Jana Blazek Outlook associate editor  Worship resources Order of worship for August 1 by Teri McDowell Ott Bread of life: Christian ed at home by Joelle Brummit-Yale Rooted in love: Family faith formation by Rebecca Davis News & Ministry Aids Through Devastating Storms (a free hymn) “Through Devastating Storms” was written for the opening worship service on August 1st for the national Presbyterians for Earth Care online conference, “Creation Care Buffet: Come to the Table.” Permission is given for free use of this hymn to churches. by Carolyn Winfrey Gillette On gratitude How do we find ways to give thanks during a year of grief and loss? by Jana Blazek Are these resources helpful to your ministry or faith practice? Please make a donation today. Every amount helps! Donations help us create additional resources to serve the church. PRESBYTERIAN OUTLOOK | [www.pres-outlook.org]  ‌  ‌

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Prayers for Our Community, Our Nation and Our World

We can offer specific daily prayers for our community, nation and world. Between August 2 and Sunday, August 8, we'll lay before God the needs listed below.

• 
  Monday, August 02, 2021 - That the body of Christ in America would fervently pray for our nation and its leaders.
• Tuesday, August 03, 2021 - That people put the needs of others before their own wants.
• Wednesday, August 04, 2021 - That governments recognize that their nations will be judged based on how they treat the poor and the powerless.
• Thursday, August 05, 2021 - That children be protected from those who are not seeking their best interest
• Friday, August 06, 2021 - That we're sensitive to all those effected by the COVID-19 pandemic. 
• Saturday, August 07, 2021 - That American businesses, unions and government officials would be ethical in all tax reporting and financial transactions.
• Sunday, August 08, 2021 - That people are sensitive to the vulnerability of their neighbors.

Sligo Presbyterian Church: Our Congregation and Community: A New Devotion - Behind the Scenes

Sligo Presbyterian Church: Our Congregation and Community: A New Devotion - Behind the Scenes: Here's a new devotion that I wrote. You can find a recording of this devotion at the bottom of the page. Mark 6:47-56 When evening came,...

Sligo Presbyterian Church: Our Congregation and Community: The Sligo Presbyterian Church Celebration Service - Sunday, July 25, 2021

Sligo Presbyterian Church: The Sligo Presbyterian Church Celebration Service - Sunday, July 25, 2021 Celebration Service ...: Sunday, July 25, we continued a series entitled "Walking with Jesus in the Gospel by Mark." As disciples of Jesus, we've been ...

Sligo Presbyterian Church: Our Congregation and Community: Sunday's Message - Why We Build Walls

Sligo Presbyterian Church: Our Congregation and Community: Sunday's Message - Why We Build Walls: As disciples of Jesus, we've been called to follow him by claiming his example and learning from his teachings. From June to October, we...

‘Wait on the Lord and be of good courage’ - Stated Clerk urges patience on returning to in-person worship

Over the past several months, churches across the country have enjoyed a return to in-person worship as millions of people began receiving vaccinations against the COVID-19 virus. Many churches have relaxed guidelines completely while others have continued to practice social distancing and other measures.

The recent surge in the Delta variant of the virus has caused many to reconsider standards for in-person gatherings. But that decision rests with the congregations and their sessions, according to the Stated Clerk of the General Assembly of the Presbyterian Church (U.S.A.).

The Rev. Dr. J. Herbert Nelson, II says the rise in variants and the upcoming flu season have once again raised anxiety. He says the challenge now is to “wait on the Lord and be of good courage.”

 

The Wedding Service for Michael Gill and Jessica Witt on Saturday, July 24, 2021

On Saturday, July 24, I officiated the marriage of Michael Gill and Jessica Witt at the Iron Mills Farmstead, New Wilmington, Pennsylvania. If you're planning your wedding and need an officiant, please give me a call at 304-479-3402.

A Thought from the Word

A brief thought based on Hebrews 11:1 - “Faith makes us sure of what we hope for and gives us proof of what we cannot see.”

Witness, Share and Evangelize: Today in the Mission Yearbook - Interpreting the Bible and proclaiming God’s Word faithfully

Witness, Share and Evangelize: Today in the Mission Yearbook - Interpreting the Bible and proclaiming God’s Word faithfully: The Preaching Lab seeks to train ‘prophets of justice’ July 27, 2021 The Rev. Kamal Hassan is pastor of Sojourner Truth Presbyterian Church ...

Looking into the lectionary — Ephesians 4

SUBSCRIBE \ ABOUT \ DONATE \ CONTACT Ephesians 4:1-16 — August 1, 2021 10th Sunday after Pentecost “I’m baffled,” one of my pastor friends recently wrote on Facebook. “Worship attendance and church engagement are nowhere near pre-COVID-19 levels. Maybe people are not reengaging because they have established new rhythms and patterns while exiled from their sanctuaries?”  This feels true. But I also wonder if people are hesitant to return because they are leery (or weary) of the divisiveness, debates and polarization that have seeped into every community gathering and invaded every dinner table.  I’ll be honest. Engaging with others in community, even a worshipping community, feels stressful right now. Reengaging means running into that woman who keeps peppering me with conspiracy theories, or that man who talks at me and never takes the cue from my annoyed expression, or the young adult I respect, but whose views constantly challenge me to rethink my own. I’m an introvert. People are exhausting. Disagreeing and debating is exhausting, even when it’s civil. Social isolation has its perks.  In his letter to the Ephesians, the author begs them to make every effort to maintain their unity, reminding them that this unity in faith is the calling to which they have been called. Considering our current divisiveness, it might be tempting for lectionary preachers to skip Ephesians this Sunday. I was tempted. Those other passages about God providing manna in the wilderness sounded a lot better to me, a lot easier, a lot less effort. But I know I can’t stay home forever. God’s calling. In a recent article for The Atlantic, Ibram X. Kendi mourns the current culture war about critical race theory where even basic facts are shared incorrectly. For instance, Kendi’s been referred to as the “father” of critical race theory. But he was born in 1982, and critical race theory was born in 1981. “How should thinkers respond?” Kendi asks. “Should we mostly ignore the critics? … Because restating facts over and over again gets old. Reciting your own work over and over again to critics who either haven’t read what they are criticizing or are purposefully distorting it gets old.” But then, Kendi, in a move I admire, restates his commitment to informed dialogue and critique. “As a scholar, I know that nothing is more useful than criticism to improve my scholarship. … Constructive criticism often hurts, but like painful medical treatments, it can be lifesaving.” The effort God calls us to, and reminds us of here in Ephesians, is constant and exhausting — the labor of living together, the labor of loving one another. But the effort leads to growth. The author of Ephesians outlines our maturation in Christ, a developmental process where we move beyond being “like children, tossed to and fro and blown about by every wind of doctrine, by people’s trickery, by their craftiness in deceitful scheming.” Speaking the truth in love (and listening to the truth spoken in love) will lead us to growth, to faith development and maturity. But we must be engaged in community for this growth to occur. We must promote each other’s growth, engage in critical dialogue, build each other up in love. Again, in Ephesians, we read how love is key to this whole communal maturation process. We are to bear with one another in love, speak the truth in love, promote the body’s growth in love. We may be a community divided by disagreement, but if we are Christ’s community, we are bound together by our ethic of love. bell hooks writes beautifully about this ethic of love in her book, “All About Love: New Visions.” It’s refreshing to read hooks’ optimism, her hope in who and what we can become. Speaking to a university audience, hooks expressed her faith in the power of white people to speak out against racism, challenging and changing prejudice — emphatically stating, “I definitely believe we can all change our minds and our actions.” hooks stressed that this faith was not rooted in a utopian longing, but rather in our nation’s history of the many individuals who have offered their lives in the service of justice and freedom. Some folks in the audience challenged hooks, claiming those historic individuals were “exceptions.” But hooks writes about the necessity of changing our thinking to see ourselves as one who does change rather than among those who refuse to change: “What made these individuals exceptional was not that they were any smarter or kinder than their neighbors but that they were willing to live the truth of their values.” hooks diagnoses our national dilemma, the reason why living together in community feels so impossible: Even though the majority of Americans claim to believe in religion and the power of God's love we "remain unable to embrace a love ethic and allow it to guide behavior, especially if doing so would mean supporting radical change.” Perhaps this Sunday, guided by our love ethic, inspired by Ephesians, we can close the gap between what we believe and how we behave and build each other up in love. Questions for reflection: What feelings stir within you as you read this passage? What do you find most challenging about living in community? In what ways has your faith community changed and matured you?  A special kind of village In early 2020, Presbyterian Children’s Homes and Services transitioned their rural campus in Itasca, Texas, into a neighborhood for fostering families.  Read the full article by Noreen O'Brien Book review Morning and Evening Prayers Outlook feature The bind of courage: Family systems theory for church leaders Commentary Wanting to know  ‌  ‌  ‌  ‌

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