Posts Categorized: Compassion

Healing the Wounds of Transphobia

“Do we heal?” asks theologian, Dr. Wendy Farley. In the religious & legal attacks on our trans siblings, we experience a communal wounding — an indulgence in hatred and contempt no one can evade. Read more »

PT Special Feature: Isolation in the Lone Star State

Loneliness is an increasing problem nationwide. How are pastors in Mission Presbytery staying connected during their calls?

What Texas is to states, Mission is to presbyteries: one of the largest and most diverse in the Presbyterian Church (U.S.A.), with dozens of congregations near San Antonio and Austin, and large swaths of countryside where farm supply stores and oil wells outnumber houses of worship.
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Mystery at the Heart of Community

This piece is part of an ongoing series focused on the themes of “connection” and “community.” Follow the blog or check our Facebook page to see the other posts in the series as they’re published. “The club no one wants to join” sounds so cliché at this point it’s almost laughable. But then there’s the… Read more »

God’s Gifts Used as Weapons of War in Palestine

Last month I joined the ‘Mourning Choir’ in my hometown of Louisville despite being a mediocre singer at best. The Choir formed after the October 7 Hamas attack, the loss of 1,139 Iraeli lives, and the continuing loss of more than 25,000 Palestinians. This crisis period has brought Jews, Muslims, Christians, and others into community… Read more »

God Doesn’t Care What Color Your Candles Are

An Advent reflection on the God of the midst and the mess   Author’s Note: It’s come to my attention that there are concerns that the content of this blog references conversations had in private spaces and closed groups. I’d like to clarify that all of the examples I reference I have heard expressed in… Read more »

Confessing the Sins of Our Ancestors in Africa

Bob As we seek to be a Matthew 25 community, both locally and globally, we recognize that racism and white supremacy are international projects which have been centuries in the making and which require a “full court press” to nullify and destroy these death-dealing ideologies, disarming these powers and principalities. As Kristi and I have… Read more »

Loving Your Neighbor and Mental Health

A few weeks ago, on one of the most beautiful afternoons we’ve had so far this spring, I drove a few miles up the highway to meet a colleague, who is also a dear soul friend. Interstate-81 notwithstanding, it was a gorgeous drive, throughout which I gave thanks for both the beauty of this piece… Read more »

Mental Health and Asian Americans – A Reflection

Mental health and Asian Americans by Samuel Son, Presbyterian Mission Agency   Recently, I attended an online conference titled, “Mental Health and Asian Americans: Context and Strategies for Faith Leaders” hosted by Center for Asian American Christianity at Princeton Theological Seminary. I am still processing my emotions. If it was a physical conference, I would have… Read more »

Today’s Worship Experience

Church is where God’s family gathers ‘Prairie lessons’ help mom provide worship experience for family By Karen Milholland Alley While the apocalyptic genre might seem relatable in some ways during these times we’re living in, the characters I have found myself relating to most during the pandemic are those found in Laura Ingalls Wilder’s account… Read more »

Hopeful Church

Is healing at the core of our congregations? by N. Graham Standish As a seminary student I heard a constant refrain from our professors: Jesus came to preach and teach. It was the pretext underlying our whole seminary education as they trained us to preach and teach. It made sense to me. Isn’t that what… Read more »