Posts Tagged: interfaith

Gospel and Inclusivity

Reforming our churches: Becoming intercultural communities From “Chosen People-Promised Land Model” to expansive covenant by Andrew Davis   When I think of multicultural churches, I do not necessarily think of my own — I picture congregations that reflect many different races and ethnicities. Like most PC(USA) churches, Union Presbyterian Church of Saint Peter, Minnesota, is… Read more »

Reflections from the frontline

Nes Gadol Hayah Sham Finding the trancendant God in other traditions By Roberta Updegraff Advent is a whirl of emotion percolated in frenzied activity, yet Christmas comes quietly—often surprisingly. As it did in 1985. I was full-bloom in motherhood, our third just cooing—a perfect stand-in for Jesus in the manager, and I felt in control… Read more »

Unglued Church

At the end of the rope Caring for God’s legacy  By Susan Rothenberg As an adviser for the Unglued Church, a program in Pittsburgh Presbytery for help with church change, I encounter a lot of churches at the end of their rope. It’s a time in a church’s life when it’s important to emphasize the importance of… Read more »

A mote in Minerva’s eye

Freedom from the Culture Our identity is in Christ By Anita Coleman As the long, hot days of summer come to an end and the election for our President draws to a close, I find myself remembering my summer of The Alhambra de Granada. Its Arabic name, Qa’lat al-Hamra, means Red Castle. Perhaps the reddish… Read more »

A Mote in Minerva’s Eye

Seeing without categorizing Global citizens and universal aliens Our citizenship is in heaven by Anita Coleman One planet. 57.3 million miles of surface land. 7.4 billion people. 59.5 million refugees and displaced peoples, of whom 51 percent are under the age of 18. Sheikh Yassir Fazaga was once one of those refugees. Forced to flee… Read more »

Small Matters

Stories of mustard seeds and mountains How the gospel showed up in a hospital roomWhat 80 years of church will do to a person by Sue Washburn I probably should not have had that third shot of espresso. My mind was going a million miles an hour. I paced as I made phone calls to… Read more »

Uncharted Territory

Stumbling our way into God’s future for the church Permission to innovateMaking the most of low-attendance Sundays    by Lisa M. López Year after year they come, as inevitably as the high holidays, though with remarkably less fuss. If you have been serving a particular congregation for a while you may be able to see… Read more »

Living In Between

Adventures of a Presbyterian pastor on a Jesuit campus   I don’t knowI may not know how to solve the terrorism that struck Paris and Beirut, but I do know something about Christ, and about love, and about relationships that cross boundaries. by Abby King-Kaiser I don’t know. A student much smarter than me once… Read more »

Living In Between

Adventures of a Presbyterian pastor on a Jesuit campus   Called to be a guestIn ministry, we often think of ourselves as hosts, but really, we are just the guests. by Abby King-Kaiser I am not in college anymore. It seems like an obvious statement, but in September, I need to remind myself of this… Read more »

Theologies of fear

In the wake of the tragic Chattanooga shooting, Muslims and interfaith partners come together to send a message of hope.   Theologies of fearIn the wake of the tragic Chattanooga shooting, Muslims and interfaith partners come together to send a message of hope. by Aaron Stauffer Two years ago I sat in a room crowded… Read more »