Posts By: Sue Washburn

The Neighborhood

Back-to-school jitters never go away by Sue Washburn My Facebook feed has been full of first-day-of-school photos, bringing back memories of the excitement and trepidation about what the school year would bring. The week before the big first day would be full of questions: Who will be in my class?  Who will I hang out with?… Read more »

Thinking Small

Islands of Misfit Toys Lessons from Rudolph for small churches by Sue Washburn A friend of mine once said the church she served was like the Island of Misfit Toys in the Christmas classic Rudolph the Red-Nosed Reindeer. If you remember the story of Rudolph, you know that he was different, set apart from the… Read more »

Thinking small

Cloudy vision The inscrutable, unpredictable call of God By Sue Washburn I’m rarely accused of having my head in the clouds. I’m not the daydreaming, stare off into space sort. I feel most comfortable when I know what to expect in my day. I use my phone’s calendar app keep me on track. I get… Read more »

Not Quite Right

Judging our neighbors Franklin Graham, Pat Robertson and the aftermath of a storm By Joshua Bower It’s hard to see with a log in your eye. At least that’s what Jesus taught: With the judgment you make you will be judged, and the measure you give will be the measure you get. Why do you… Read more »

Reflections from NEXT Church

Jesus of right here, right now Rediscovering the modern-day Christ By Robyn Davis Sekula   Jesus of Nazareth. Jesus of Mosul. Jesus of Baltimore. Jesus of Newark. It was a thunderbolt moment for me, the moment that Alonzo Johnson spoke these words aloud to those gathered for morning worship at NEXT Church national gathering in Kansas… Read more »

Meeting Jesus: Coming soon!

Meeting Jesus Experiencing Lent through the eyes of Bible characters The Presbyterians Today Lenten devotional Meeting Jesus by Jodi Craiglow shows us Jesus through the eyes of over 40 different Bible characters. Come alongside the characters who encountered him in different ways. Join us each day as we discover what they learned from their encounter…. Read more »

Small matters

God says GO! Uh, who me? By Sue Washburn A few years ago I was getting ready to preach a real, live sermon. I was about halfway through my seminary internship at a church and the pastor told me I’d be preaching the Sunday after Christmas. Me! Preaching! I started researching right away. It was… Read more »

Our church connects

Working together Mission Week projects unite a congregation Each summer Derry Presbyterian Church in Hershey, PA hosts an annual Mission Week where over two hundred members and friends participate in activities coordinated by the church’s Mission & Peace Committee. Each day there are new opportunities to go to learn about a mission supported by the… Read more »

Reflections from GA 222

Yes and… Telling a grace-first story at General Assembly By Sue Washburn As our denomination works its way through the new language for the Directory for Worship, I’m breathing a sigh of relief. As a pastor, I seek to follow the example of a grace-first God. This means I say yes to a lot of things… Read more »

Reflections from GA 222

A sense of worship Encounters with the gospel by Sue Washburn   One of the great things for preachers attending General Assembly is the opportunity to get out of the pulpit and into the pew. As someone who loves worship in its many forms, I was exited to see the similarities and differences between the… Read more »