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The PC(USA) Store - Prayer Collection for Public Worship & Private Devotion

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The Collected Prayers of Walter Brueggemann Dive into Walter Brueggemann's three-book prayer series, where his insightful prayers span church calendar days, worship community milestones, and global events. These versatile prayers reveal God's presence throughout life's moments, perfect for both public and private settings.  To celebrate the publication of the final book in the series, you can save 40% on the entire collection through March 5, 2024!  Waiting in Gratitude Prayers of Joy    $18.00 $10.80  Save 40% through 3/5/24   This collection highlights the joys of life even amid a broken and hurting world and especially offering a joyous calling in Christ to serve that world.  Read an Excerpt Save 40% through 3/5/24 Following into Risky Obedience Prayers along the Journey    $17.00 $10.20 Save 40% through 3/5/24   Read an excerpt Acting in the Wake Prayers for Justice  $17.00 $10.20 Save 40% through 3/5/24    Read an excerpt

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Looking into the lectionary - "Get outside these sanctuary walls!"

March 3, 2024 Third Sunday of Lent John 2:13-22 This is a story about where God shows up in the world. Sorry, fellow social justice junkies; I know we’ve been taught that this is a story about Jesus protesting the money changers’ exploitation of the poor. We could maybe make that argument in the Synoptic Gospels, where our table-turning Jesus protests that his “house of prayer” has become a “den of robbers” (Mark 11:17, etc.). In John’s Gospel, however, the focus is not on the Temple’s economic system, but on the locus of worship itself. The Jerusalem Temple was the holiest place for Jesus and his religious contemporaries. To use Mircea Eliade’s iconic phrase, it was the axis mundi, the center of the world. The Temple was the place where heaven and earth meet, the one place on earth where God’s presence was known to dwell. Faithful Jews made their yearly pilgrimage to the Temple to worship God through sacrifice, and the merchants and the moneychangers were a necessary part of this ritual system. Jesus turns this system on its head with a flip of the money changers’ tables. “Destroy this Temple, and in three days I will raise it up,” he declares (v. 19). In an aside, John lets us in on the secret that even Jesus’ disciples don’t yet understand: “He was speaking of the temple of his body” (v. 21). Jesus shows his disciples (and so John shows his readers) that the Temple is no longer the central earthly location of God’s heavenly presence. John already told us how the Word has become flesh and dwelt among us. God’s presence in the world can now be found in the body of Jesus Christ. He is the “thin place” where heaven and earth meet. That’s good news for Jesus’ disciples and all who encounter this Word in his actual flesh. But it feels a bit less accessible for John’s readers — and for us. The temple of Jesus’ body has come and gone. Yes, we’ve been to Sunday school; we know Jesus lives in our hearts. But do we not also have access to the axis mundi? Is there no “thin place” where we, too, can experience God’s presence in the world firsthand? It’s a trick question, of course. John’s is the Gospel of realized eschatology. God comes to earth as a human body. And God stays on earth as a collective body, long after Jesus ascends to heaven. Jesus is speaking about his body, but John is writing to the body of Christ — the church. After his death and resurrection, Jesus fulfilled his promise to send the Holy Spirit. And when her breath fills our lungs, we the church become Christ’s body, the place where the fullness of God is pleased to dwell. ... Read the rest of the commentary on the website. Thank you to this week's writer Ginna Bairby. Order of worship for March 3, 2024. These liturgies are free to use. Returning to ritual: Gen Z and religion by Eliza Smith DeBevoise Discerning false teachers (March 3, 2024) by Naomi McQuiller Good trouble — Christian ed at home by Joelle Brummit-Yale Want the worship resources for February 25, 2024? You can find them here. IN CASE YOU MISSED IT... Lenten cease-fire campaign includes Ash Wednesday Mass outside White House ‘As there’s ashes on our head, there’s also blood on our hands because we cannot exempt ourselves from what this country is doing,’ said the Rev. Graylan Hagler, pastor emeritus of Plymouth Congregational United Church of Christ. — Aleja Hertzler-McCain Eve: How the Female Body Drove 200 Million Years of Human Evolution (Bohannon’s) strength is also in the sheer compilation of the useful and the puzzling drawn from paleontology, medicine, evolutionary biology, history and anthropology. — Rebecca Davis Deep listening dinners at Fourth Presbyterian Church, Chicago Fourth Presbyterian Church’s “Deep Listening Dinners” focus on strengthening relationships, developing conversational skills and practicing handling differences respectfully. — Teri McDowell Ott and Nanette Sawyer Sex is ‘divine’: How Pope Francis is recasting Catholic Church’s views on intimacy A book on sexuality by the Vatican’s doctrinal chief may have raised eyebrows, but Pope Francis has long been calling for the church to offer more robust teaching on sex. — Claire Giangravé A Matthew 18 church A Matthew 18 church is one where welcome is practiced, conflict is named, grace is extended, and God is present, writes Eliza Jaremko. Children’s books to celebrate Black History For intentional caregivers who desire to instill values like diversity, courage, self-worth and compassion, books can open the door to important discussions and questions. — Amy Pagliarella

Prayers for Our Community, Our Nation and Our World

We can offer specific daily prayers for our community, nation and world. Between Monday, February 26 and Sunday, March 3, we'll lay before God the needs listed below.

• Monday, February 26, 2024 - That we reject the politics of division and hatred and join together as we work to solve the problems we face.
• Tuesday, February 27, 2024 - That the body of Christ America would fervently pray for our nation and its leaders.
• Wednesday, February 28, 2024 - That people put the needs of others before their own wants.
• Thursday, February 29, 2024 - That we unite to deal with the gun violence within our society.
• Friday, March 1, 2024 - That Russia and Ukraine find a peaceful resolution to their conflict.
• Saturday, March 2, 2024 - That governments recognize that their nations will be judged based on how they treat the poor and the powerless.
• Sunday, March 3, 2024 - That children be protected from those who are not seeking their best interest.

The Sligo Presbyterian Church Celebration Service - Sunday, February 18, 2024

Sligo Presbyterian Church: Our Congregation and Community: The Sligo Presbyterian Church Celebration Service ...: Before he died, Jesus made seven statements from the cross. During the weeks leading up to Easter, we’ll look at what Jesus said and how we ...

The Last Words of Jesus: Seven Sayings from the Cross (The Word of Forgiveness)

Sligo Presbyterian Church: Our Congregation and Community: The Last Words of Jesus: Seven Sayings from the Cr...: Before he died, Jesus made seven statements from the cross. During the weeks leading up to Easter, we’ll look at what Jesus said and how we ...

Looking into the lectionary - Is faith something to market?

February 25, 2024 Second Sunday of Lent Mark 8:31-38 In 1999, when Joel Osteen took over for his father as pastor of Lakewood Church in Houston, Texas, his marketing team launched a city-wide campaign, “We Believe in New Beginnings.” The campaign began with television ads, then branched to local billboards, marketing videos, and even bumper stickers. By the time the campaign was finished, nearly everyone in Houston knew about the “New Beginning” at Lakewood. Today, Joel Osteen’s podcast is one of the most popular on iTunes, he’s written multiple bestselling books, and his message extends across all media. Phil Cooke, Joel Osteen’s media manager, writes, “In a media-driven culture, no matter how powerful your message, if no one’s listening, you’ve failed.” Let me be honest. I have never been a fan of Joel Osteen’s prosperity theology. It does not line up with the way I read and interpret Scripture. However, Joel Osteen (and his people) know how to market a message. If you’re reading this, maybe you’re like me and you turn your nose up at the public marketing of faith. When I watch an expensive ad for Jesus during the Super Bowl, I wonder how many hungry people could have been fed with that money. I’ve also inherited a Protestant ethic of politeness, singing the virtue of a quiet, humble faith, averring it’s overly forward to speak of your Christian faith with anyone, anywhere. But in the text from Mark for this Second Sunday of Lent, we hear Jesus tell his disciples that if “any want to become my followers … let them take up their cross and follow me” (v. 34). In his book Preaching Mark in Two Voices (co-written with Brian Blount), Gary Charles reminds us of what the cross meant for Mark’s readers: a “public spectacle”; an inhumane form of execution meant to put the criminal or the political dissident on display. It was a public shaming for anyone daring to rebel against the powers of Rome or claim any god other than the Roman emperor. ... Read the rest of the commentary on the website. Editor’s note: After publishing this lectionary reflection, we learned about the tragic shooting at Joel Osteen’s Lakewood Church in Houston on Sunday, February 11. There is no justification for such horrific violence. We pray for the victims, the Lakewood Church community, and an end to America’s endemic of gun violence. Order of worship for February 25, 2024. These liturgies are free to use. Horizons — The Ethiopian’s encounter by Rosalind Banbury Faith in God’s purpose (February 25, 2024) by Naomi McQuiller Where we started. Where we are now. — Weekly Christian ed lesson by Joelle Brummit-Yale Want the worship resources for February 18, 2024? You can find them here. IN CASE YOU MISSED IT... We need more Howard Thurman in our politics The theologian and often-overlooked civil rights hero would have warned us against politics as a zero-sum game. — RNS PC(USA) response to Texas migrant tactics falls short The state of Texas is flouting human rights law, and the PC(USA)'s response rings hollow, opines Robert Lowry. Grieving Room: Making Space for all the Hard Things After Death and Loss Leanne Friesen is a “wounded healer,” writing from personal experience with enough distance to share both theological reflections and practical suggestions. — Amy Pagliarella The interim labyrinth Is your church going through a period of transition? Christian Shearer offers his favorite metaphor for congregational discernment: the labyrinth. In defense of the common congregation Scott Hagley suggests small congregations as places for cultivating communities of abundance and care, as common places for social healing and spiritual renewal.