The latest COVID-19 resources from the Presbyterian Church, (U.S.A.)’s Office of Theology & Worship, “Prayer at the Time of Death” and “Comforting the Bereaved,” are stark reminders of the times we are living in — and dying in.
As churches face financial decline, growing numbers of mainline Protestant clergy are moving to part-time ministry work when their churches can no longer afford a full-time pastor.
Westminster John Knox Press is pleased to announce “Near the Exit: Travels with the Not-So-Grim Reaper” by Lori Erickson and “Unashamed: A Coming-Out Guide for LGBTQ Christians” by Amber Cantorna have been recognized as finalists in the 22nd annual Foreword INDIES Book of the Year Awards.
When it comes to race, most white Americans are obsessed with two things: defending our own inherent goodness and maintaining our own comfort levels. Too often, this means white people assume that to be racist, one needs to be openly hateful and willfully discriminatory — you know, a bad person. And we know we’re good people, right? But you don’t have to be wearing a white hood or shouting racial epithets to be complicit in America’s racist history and its ongoing systemic inequality.
For a long time, American Christians have been hearing a story about Islam. It’s a story about conflict and hostility, about foreigners and strangers. At the heart of this story is a fundamental incompatibility between the two religions going all the way back to their original encounters. According to that story, the only valid Christian response to Islam is resistance.
On Inauguration Day in January 2017, progressive Republican and evangelical pastor Robb Ryerse listened to Rob Bell’s podcast, “RobCast.” Like many Americans that day, Ryerse felt powerless. Listening to “RobCast” that night, Ryerse found an unexpected calling. The guest was the founder of Brand New Congress, an organization that equips everyday Americans with resources and training to challenge entrenched incumbents from both parties. Ryerse felt hope again. He took the first steps to run for Congress in 2018, hoping that with other “ordinary citizens,” the country could change in a revolutionary way with a government by and for the people.
From spiritual nones and dones to faithful followers of Jesus, the Rev. Kathy Escobar has discovered a deep hunger that crosses gender, age, socioeconomic status and denominational backgrounds. Many people crave a guide to help them practically live out a life of love, mercy and justice.
When Gail Cafferata faced closing the church she pastored, her experience brought to mind a million questions about her call, leadership and future. Inspired by her experience and wanting to explore other pastors who were called to serve churches that closed, she embarked upon a sociological study, diving into the experiences of more than 130 pastors in five historically established denominations (Episcopal, Lutheran, United Methodist, Presbyterian Church (U.S.A.), and United Church of Christ). Westminster John Knox Press is proud to announce the release of her book, “The Last Pastor: Faithfully Steering a Closing Church,” which explores the hard-won lessons of the pastors she interviewed about their journeys through church decline and closing.
With Ash Wednesday set for Feb. 26, Lent is fast approaching. Westminster John Knox Press has recently released two daily devotionals for your faith journey this Lent.
