At baptisms especially, Presbyterians love to talk about water. Some of the more adventurous baptizers even splash some of the water out of the font to remind those gathered to celebrate of their own baptism.
Presbyterian Publishing Corporation has announced that it will donate royalties from sales of the Glory to God hymnal to organizations involved in reparative justice for every African American spiritual and Indigenous peoples’ song in the book. This is being done to honor the creators of these songs, who, unlike other hymn writers in the book, were never able to benefit from their creations.
Church and worshiping community leaders, are you looking for ways to support families in faith formation at home during a time of pandemic? Would you like your community to have access to a children’s Bible, hymnal and prayers in their home?
These ideas are offered for congregations as they navigate the return to public worship and seek to bridge online and in-person gatherings. These suggestions may need to be adapted for a particular context of ministry. They should be undertaken only insofar as local resources and current conditions allow.
Part 2 of the “A Year with Matthew for a Matthew 25 Church” resource is now available for the nearly six months between Trinity Sunday on June 7 and Reign of Christ Sunday on Nov. 22.
The following is revised and updated from a Presbyterian News Service article published March 11:
As the COVID-19/coronavirus outbreak advances, congregations are responding in creative and highly effective ways. Given strong guidance from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention and federal, state, and local governments against gathering in person, many have chosen live-streaming or pre-recorded modified services as a way to glorify God together, stay connected as the body of Christ, and seek the healing work of the Spirit.
Preachers, educators and worship planners who want to attend to the three themes of being a Matthew 25 church — building congregational vitality, eradicating systemic poverty and dismantling structural racism — have a new resource beginning with Dec. 1, the start of the new liturgical year, and carrying them through Pentecost on May 31, 2020.
Born on March 20, the first day of spring, the Rev. Dr. Paul Junggap Huh knew just how he wanted to celebrate his birthday and simultaneously usher in springtime on Wednesday — by singing a hymn he adapted for the Presbyterian hymnal “Glory to God.”
It is hard to believe that it has been five years since the release of the Glory of God hymnal to the Presbyterian Church (U.S.A.). Ever since its release in 2013, the “new hymnal” has become very popular across the denomination.
When David Gambrell heard he was to be honored by Austin Presbyterian Theological Seminary as a distinguished alumni on Jan. 31, he quipped, “I guess I’m going to have to get a haircut.”
