Looking into the lectionary - Prayers you need for Thanksgiving and Advent 🧡

Matthew 3:1-12 Second Sunday of Advent December 7, 2025 “In those days, John the Baptist appeared in the wilderness of Judea, proclaiming, ‘Repent, for the kingdom of heaven has come near.’” I’ve been thinking a lot recently about what constitutes a good apology. Maybe this is because I keep stepping in it. This fall, I seem to have acquired the unfortunate superpower of unintentionally making people angry. My beloved seminary Hebrew professor Carson Brisson used to tell us the longest he’d ever gone without making a mistake was 14 seconds. These days, I’m pretty impressed by his record. Not sure the last time I went longer than 10. Maybe this is because we all keep stepping in it. We’ve recently emerged from the longest government shutdown in U.S. history, yet none of us feel like enough progress has been made that we won’t land there again. We are a people polarized, traumatized, and exhausted — and it shows. Our whole society is on edge, quick to criticize and slow to reconcile. Add to that the pressure of the holiday season, when expectations and emotions run high…well, let’s just say I think the precise theological description of the world right now might be “a dumpster fire.” Into our holy dumpster fire of an Advent Season, John the Baptist speaks a word about repentance. Most of what I know about apologies, I have learned in the rooms of a Twelve Step Program. The twelve steps talk not about apologies, but about amends. This is perhaps a better word than apology because making amends implies not just claiming mea culpa but also taking restorative action to fix – mend – the situation and relationship. This is the territory of repair and restoration. ... Thanks to this week's writer, Ginna Bairby. Read the rest of the commentary at pres-outlook.org. Want the worship resources for November 30, 2025? You can find them here. Order of worship — December 7, 2025 by Ginna Bairby PC(USA) backs landmark statement affirming trans, nonbinary and intersex people by UUA A prayer of Thanksgiving for the God who knows us by Caroline Garcia Clergy response to border patrol in Charlotte by Patrice Gaines A free Advent candle liturgy by Shardaé Henry and Shea Watts Longest night service: A liturgy of light and hope by Rae Watson IN CASE YOU MISSED IT... Oz was always political — ‘Wicked’ simply makes it clear Long before "Wicked" soared across stage and screen, L. Frank Baum’s world carried a political pulse. The new film reminds us that Oz’s magic has always included questions of power, propaganda, and resistance, writes Michael Parker. The Rev. David Black’s ICE protest arises from his Chicago church’s long tradition ‘I’m seeing almost a revival of Christianity through what’s happening at Broadview in Chicago,’ PC(USA) pastor David Black said. —  Jack Jenkins Chicago Presbytery issues call to action in face of ICE raids The presbytery seeks "creative action and stubborn hope" and vows to follow the lead of those bearing the brunt of the violence. — Chicago Presbytery Convent Wisdom: How Sixteenth-Century Nuns Could Save Your Twenty-First Century Life Witty, dramatic, and unexpectedly relatable — "Convent Wisdom" shows how sixteenth-century nuns faced money stress, messy relationships, and big spiritual questions… just like us. Caroline Barnett offers a review. GloRilla: Thankful for God’s favor Chris Burton digs into the gospel roots, gratitude, controversy and God-consciousness woven through GloRilla’s music. Bob Dylan: A reluctant voice of a generation Bob Dylan wanted to keep things simple. His fans wanted more. — Luke Esteban At least seven faith leaders arrested at Broadview ICE facility protest 'I've got bruises all over my body,' the Rev. Michael Woolf, who was thrown to the ground and arrested by police, told RNS. —  Jack Jenkins Advent is this Sunday — are you ready?

The Wedding Service for Theron Myers and Shelby Wiles on Saturday, November 22, 2025

On Saturday, November 22, 2025, I officiated the marriage of Theron Myers and Shelby Wiles at the Allegheny Grille, Foxburg, Pennsylvania. Below is a picture and a podcast of the service. If you're planning your wedding and need an officiant, please give me a call at 304-479-3402.

Looking into the lectionary - New details released on PC(USA) restructuring

Matthew 24:36-44 First Sunday of Advent November 30, 2025 Recently, I ordered “60 Experiments in Looking,” a deck of cards from a group called We Are Just Looking. Their mission is simple: to celebrate the slow, mindful, and creative observation of ordinary moments — because that’s most of our lives. Why would anyone want to miss that? The cards are meant to help us “rewild” our attention. Each invites a simple act of noticing: find a moving shadow. Look for something red. Trace the shape of a cloud. They’re small practices, but powerful ones. Because, as the creators of Just Looking say, “every scientist, artist and person who was once a child knows, once we start looking, whole new worlds begin to emerge from hiding.” In Matthew 24, Jesus is preaching about a whole new world, God’s kingdom to come. This section of Matthew comes at the end of a long, apocalyptic speech, warning of the onset of hatred, sacrilege and suffering, a disaster that will happen so quickly, Jesus advises, don’t stop to get your coat. The disciples have been pressing for details: When? What will it look like? How will we know? And Jesus, in his maddening way, refuses to give them what they think they need. The timing of God’s coming realm, he says, is something “no one knows.” So instead of providing a timeline, he gives them a task: Wait expectantly. Keep awake. Watch for the signs. Don’t miss what matters. Some signs will be obvious, he tells them – wars and rumors of wars, famines and earthquakes – and others will be small and subtle, like the way the branch of a fig tree becomes tender before it puts forth its leaves, signaling summer is near. The world is full of hints, if we have the eyes to see them. And the greatest sign of all, the one we wait for this Advent, will come not in thunder or flame, but in the quiet cry of a newborn child. A baby born to poor, displaced parents in a borrowed manger because there was no room for them elsewhere. Slow down. Wait. Pay attention. ... Read the rest of the commentary at pres-outlook.org. Want the worship resources for November 23, 2025? You can find them here. Order of worship — November 30, 2025 by Teri McDowell Ott Glittery. Down-home. Prophetic. by Lindy Vogado  At least seven faith leaders arrested at Broadview ICE facility protest by Jack Jenkins Horizons — The Prodigal Child, Luke 15:11-32 by Rosalind Banbury A free Advent candle liturgy by Shardaé Henry and Shea Watts Longest night service: A liturgy of light and hope by Rae Watson IN CASE YOU MISSED IT... Oz was always political — ‘Wicked’ simply makes it clear Long before "Wicked" soared across stage and screen, L. Frank Baum’s world carried a political pulse. The new film reminds us that Oz’s magic has always included questions of power, propaganda, and resistance, writes Michael Parker. “An authority for love”: Portland faith leaders stand with immigrants outside ICE facility “People have said to me, ‘I didn’t know churches could do good things.’” In Portland, clergy are showing up daily to support immigrants and witness to hope at the ICE site. — Harriet Riley PC(USA)’s Interim Unified Agency adds details to denominational restructuring Existing ministries to remain; no staff reductions planned. — John Bolt First Presbyterian Church of Columbus, Indiana, abolishes $1.78 million in medical debt for Hoosier families Congregation’s bicentennial celebration helps free more than 1,450 residents three counties from burdensome debt. — First Presbyterian Church of Columbus, Indiana A song of prophetic hope Music is protest and praise — from Miriam to Mary, Dylan to Doechii. The prophets of song remind us: art is not luxury, it’s testimony and hope, writes Alex Evangelista. Tupac Shakur — Poetic. Prophetic. Profound. Chris Burton reads Tupac’s catalog as street-level theology — lament and hope in conversation with Scripture — and asks what Pac’s “ghetto gospel” still demands of the church today.

Prayers for Our Community, Our Nation and Our World

We can offer specific daily prayers for our community, nation and world. Between Monday, November 24 and Sunday, November 30, we'll lay before God the needs listed below.

• Monday, November 24, 2025 - That the body of Christ America would fervently pray for our nation and its leaders.
• Tuesday, November 25, 2025 - That people put the needs of others before their own wants.
• Wednesday, November 26, 2025 - That we unite to deal with the gun violence within our society.
• Thursday, November 27, 2025 - That we remember those who died in service to their country.
• Friday, November 28, 2025 - That World Vision will be able to address real human need around the world.
• Saturday, November 29, 2025 - That Russia and Ukraine find a peaceful resolution to their conflict.
• Sunday, November 30, 2025 - That governments recognize that their nations will be judged based on how they treat the poor and the powerless.

The Sligo Presbyterian Church Celebration Service - Sunday, November 16, 2025

Sligo Presbyterian Church: Our Congregation and Community: The Sligo Presbyterian Church Celebration Service ...: November is a special time to focus on giving thanks. With that in mind, during the four Sundays before Thanksgiving Day, we'll consider...

Sunday's Message - A Time to Be Thankful for the Bible

Sligo Presbyterian Church: Our Congregation and Community: Sunday's Message - A Time to Be Thankful for the B...: November is a special time to focus on giving thanks. With that in mind, during the four Sundays before Thanksgiving Day, we'll consider...

WCC News: Upcoming events will mark World Day of Prayer and Action for Children

A new online Interfaith Dialogues Series set for 26 November, as well as other upcoming online events, will mark the World Day of Prayer and Action for Children, which is officially commemorated annually on 20 November. A father and son fold their hands as if in prayer, as representatives of various faiths gather in the Iglesia de Jesús (Church of Christ) of the Iglesia Evangélica Española (Evangelical Church of Spain) for an interfaith dialogue and prayer service on the eve of the United Nations climate conference (COP25) in Madrid, Spain. Photo: Albin Hillert/LWF 17 November 2025 The Interfaith Dialogues Series is being organized by Religions for Peace, Arigatou International, and the World Council of Churches to bring together religious leaders and faith communities to explore how we can advance children’s wellbeing and preserve their dignity through dialogue, shared learning, and collective action. The series is set to begin in November 2025 and continue through November 2026, offering a sustained space for reflection, dialogue, learning, and peer support among religious leaders. The first session will take place on 26 November and will convene approximately 80 religious leaders, with the aim of building shared learning and fostering collective action to uphold children’s dignity amidst global challenges. On 19 November, a global online gathering, “Keeping Faith in Children: Building Our Shared Humanity,” will bring together the voices and experiences of children, grassroots actors, and members of the World Day Planning Committee. Together, they will explore how faith in children becomes faith in humanity, a living commitment to compassion, and an invitation for collective responsibility and intergenerational solidarity for and with children. On 20 November, an “Interfaith Service for Children” will be a moment to come together in prayer, meditation, and reflection for children impacted by war. It will bring together religious leaders from diverse faith traditions and regions, as well as children who will share their voices, talents, and hopes for peace. A World Day Package, entitled “Mobilizing Faith and Communities for Children’s Rights and Wellbeing,” will also be released.  Interfaith Dialogues Series For the World Day of Prayer and Action for Children Register for the World Day of Prayer and Action for Children 2025 events Learn more about the Churches’ Commitments to Children See more

The World Council of Churches promotes Christian unity in faith, witness and service for a just and peaceful world. An ecumenical fellowship of churches founded in 1948, today the WCC brings together 356 Protestant, Orthodox, Anglican and other churches representing more than 580 million Christians in over 120 countries, and works cooperatively with the Roman Catholic Church. The WCC general secretary is Rev. Prof. Dr Jerry Pillay from the Uniting Presbyterian Church in Southern Africa. Media contact: +41 79 507 6363; www.oikoumene.org/press Our visiting address is: World Council of Churches Chemin du Pommier 42 Kyoto Building Le Grand-Saconnex CH-1218 Switzerland