Extreme Makeover: Slow Edition
[RELEVANT]
Tue, Jan 31 2006 1:51 PM CST
It would be great if spiritual growth was like a redesign show, where a group of peppy designers and carpenters could renovate our hearts on the quick and cheap. We could leave for a day or two, and our spiritual power team would completely overhaul our hearts, gazing beatifically into the cameras as they explain each step of the process to the audience. Imagine the unveiling at the end of our half-hour program: "Look at how we brightened up this heart with just a quick weekend conference! With only three quiet times, we took this soul from drab to fab! We even added interest with a prayer labyrinth."
[more]
2,200 young people see 'Faith in 3D'
[PC(USA)]
Tue, Jan 31 2006 1:35 PM CST
More than 2,200 young people, including more than 1,000 Presbyterians, gathered at Disney World for a Jan. 13-16 event called "Faith in 3D," an opportunity to experience Christian faith through a variety of cultures.
[more]
Equipping Ministry: Gifts That Keep On Giving
[Trinity]
Sun, Jan 29 2006 4:12 AM CST
January 29, 2006 sermon by Dr. Dan Anderson-Little
[more]
Presbyterians say 'No2Torture'
[PC(USA)]
Sun, Jan 29 2006 1:24 AM CST
Miami conference registers 'outrage' at U.S. mistreatment of terror suspects
[more]
Out of the Box!
[Trinity]
Sat, Jan 28 2006 2:53 PM CST
The body of Christ, Trinity Church, is stepping out of the BOX... to open our gifts anew!!
As we enter into our new Equipping Ministry, you are invited to gather, to discuss, to question, and to share your hopes and dreams for our future.
- At Church:
January 15 - February 26... Sermons
January 22 - February 12... Adult Education Discussions
- At Homes - Potluck Meals
(please sign up for a meal at church or by calling the church office - 725-3840)
- Sunday, February 5, 12:00 noon
Brunch at the home of Keith and Ann Fischer, #1 Lenox Place, St. Louis
- Sunday, February 12, 12:00 noon
Brunch at the home of Do Kirk, 101 Heatherwood Dr. Olivette
- Sunday, February 19, 6:00 pm
Dinner at the home of Tom Peters and Terry Crow, 7025 Maryland, U. City
Dinner at the home of Harold Glad and Jan Schulte-Glad, 1124 Olivaire, Olivette
- Sunday, February 26, 6:00 pm
Dinner at the home of Mark, Kim and Megan Merritt, 710 Candlelight, Olivette
Thoughts On The Call To Ministry
[Presbyterian Minister's Journal]
Fri, Jan 27 2006 10:38 AM CST
There is no other life like the ministry. I am there at the beginning of a person's life, holding the infants in my arms and baptizing them. I read Bible stories to them when they are children. I go to youth conferences with them. I teach their confirmation classes. I perform their weddings. I hear their darkest confessions. I listen to their secret fears.
Through the whole spectrum of a life, I am there.
[more]
Pictures from the MCU Issues Assembly
[Trinity]
Fri, Jan 27 2006 2:02 PM CST
Who says Presbyterians aren't a fun bunch?
[more]
Baghdad peacemakers go back to work, await news of abductees
[PC(USA)]
Fri, Jan 27 2006 12:33 PM CST
Two months after kidnapping, 4 workers still missing, not forgotten
[more]
5 Reasons Torture is always Wrong
[Christianity Today Magazine]
Fri, Jan 27 2006 12:28 PM CST
And why there should be no exceptions...
[more]
A Faithful State of Union Address
[Faithful America]
Fri, Jan 27 2006 12:26 PM CST
Thousands of years before there was a United States of America, the Hebrew Prophet Micah proclaimed in just a few words what would be a moral standard for persons of faith and the nations they build. He declared, "What does the Lord require of you but to do justice, love mercy, and walk humbly with your God?"
In light of these words, the state of our Union is troubled indeed. As persons of faith and conscience we hold ourselves to a standard that measures more than our economic wealth and military might. We recognize that we are more than consumers, voters in red or blue states, taxpayers, polling numbers, demographics, target markets and all the rest. As human beings living together on this planet we know that we are, as the Judeo-Christian tradition reminds us - our brother's and our sister's keepers. We are, as Native American Tradition teaches, guests of this planet - not its owners. We are, as Jesus taught us, the "light of the world."
We are also the living agents of Micah's prophetic call. So let us examine just how we are doing justice, loving mercy, and walking humbly...
[more]
"Volunteer Village" to house hundreds
[The Courier - Houma, LA]
Fri, Jan 27 2006 12:00 PM CST
I thought you might enjoy reading this article from the Houma newspaper on the Good Earth Village - the village that our presbytery is sponsoring.
- Lisa Bernhard
At least 100 volunteers will spend the next two years in Terrebonne Parish helping residents rebuild their homes from the flooding caused by Hurricane Rita.
The Presbyterian Disaster Assistance Group will build the Good Earth Volunteer Village to house volunteers from across the world. The last remaining hurdle for construction was cleared Tuesday when the Terrebonne Parish Council agreed to build an access road from Coteau Road to the village.
[more]
Utne Reader
[The Curious Rise of Anti-religious Hysteria]
Thu, Jan 26 2006 5:46 PM CST
[The Curious Rise of Anti-religious Hysteria] Frank Furedi argues that in the process of attacking the religious right, the left in the US has come to resemble a "fanatical Inquisitor," embodying the very traits that it derides.
[Link] [more]
Faith communities do not run on autopilot
[Bill's 'Faith Matters' Weblog]
Mon, Jan 23 2006 11:47 AM CST
Faith communities do not run on autopilot. It takes a serious commitment of time from members to make them work.
I know because over the years I have devoted such time to various positions of leadership in my church. And as I write this, my wife is off attending her very first meeting of the Session (or board of elders) of our church. She's been elected, ordained and installed for a three-year term.
Every faith community does it a little differently, though it's hard to think of one that doesn't rely on lay leadership in some way. In our church, we have a 15-member Session and a larger Board of Deacons, which oversees the mission and outreach work of our church, connecting us to many agencies we support in various ways, including money.
I've served two three-year terms on our Session, one three-year term on Deacons and have recently completed more than 16 years as the coordinator of our church's AIDS Ministry.
Sometimes the folks who simply show up for worship services or who send their kids to Sunday school or other events don't fully grasp the requirement for dedicated lay leaders to help make decisions and carry them out. I've often thought it would be educational if none of the lay leaders -- that is all the unpaid volunteers and church officers -- simply didn't do anything for a week. Others would quickly see the life of the community slow to a crawl.
So today, here's a tip of the hat to all of you who pitch in to make your congregation work right, even when sometimes it doesn't seem to despite your best efforts.
[more]
Equipping Ministry: Why Equipped?
[Trinity]
Sun, Jan 22 2006 4:54 AM CST
January 22, 2006 sermon by Dr. Daniel R. Anderson-Little
[more]
A Letter from University Presbyterian - Baton Rouge
[Trinity]
Sun, Jan 22 2006 3:57 AM CST
Dear Members of Trinity Presbyterian Church,
On Wednesday, October 26th, the Sanctuary Shelter at University Presbyterian Church closed. For almost two months, our church provided shelter for families escaping the devastating effects of Hurricanes Katrina and Rita. During that period, we sheltered 22 mothers, 8 newborns, 17 children, and 5 fathers.
Our church school rooms served as bedrooms for our guests. Our church parlor was a gathering place for rocking babies, making phone calls, watching movies, visiting, knitting, meals and homework. Plastic slides and wading pools were scattered across our courtyard. Our screened porch became a shower. Volunteers washed clothes, stocked a kitchen, delivered meals, provided transportation to doctor visits and school, and organized social outings for the families. We registered children in public schools and one child in a private pre-school.
Thanks to your amazing generosity, we were able to reunite some Sanctuary guests with their families and provide transportation to Florida, Georgia, Texas, and other parts of Louisiana. Also due to your contributions, as each family moved out of the shelter, they received a bounty of baby items (clothing, furniture, formula, diapers, strollers) and both gift and phone cards. Additionally, we made arrangements with stores where each family settled allowing the family to choose items to furnish their new homes. We are also sending gift cards and toys to them for Christmas. Truly, our former guests will continue to live surrounded by sure signs of your love and compassion.
Now, University Presbyterian Church is entering a new stage of our church's response to the devastation of Katrina and Rita. The needs continue to be great and complex. Your donations are helping to support local projects that focus efforts on the housing, health care, educational, and nutritional needs of displaced families. We are also creating a dormitory in our sanctuary building to house work crews coming to help build south Louisiana.
Our congregation has been blessed. Through your generous gifts, we have been able to serve families in desperate need, and our lives and our church are richer for knowing them. Your prayers of support have sustained both our guests and our congregation.
Thank you, again, for your profound compassion, kindness, and prayers. We ask your continued prayers for all the people displaced and harmed by the two hurricanes that hit Louisiana.
Grace and peace,
Rev. Patti Snyder - Pastor
Rev. Clint Mitchell - Associate Pastor
Ken Murchison - Clerk of Session
A 'True Revolution of Values'
[Michael Eric Dyson - beliefnet]
Fri, Jan 20 2006 11:17 AM CST
Martin Luther King, Jr., warned America about the danger of unquestioning national pride. How far have we come?
"God didn't call America to do what she's doing in the world now," King thundered from his Atlanta pulpit exactly two months before his death at the hands of a cowardly racial terrorist. "God didn't call America to engage in a senseless, unjust war." Here, of course, King referred to the Vietnam War, and he took a lashing in public for his dissenting views. He was accused of being unpatriotic. He was charged with moral treason. Other black leaders like Roy Wilkins and Whitney Young lambasted him (though they later came to acknowledge, as did the nation, that King's views were courageous and correct). And yet, King was one of the greatest patriots this nation has produced. He proved it by giving his life in a fight to defend this country's best side against its worst.
[more]
2005 Annual Report
[Trinity]
Fri, Jan 20 2006 5:07 PM CST
The Trinity Annual Report for 2005 is now available.
Pick one up at church or read it online.
How To Subscribe to Trinity sermons by iTunes Podcast
[Trinity]
Sun, Jan 15 2006 2:55 PM CST
- Brian Schroer (thanks to Tim Rand for the instructions)
- Start iTunes (version 6 or later) and click on the "Podcasts" source in the left-hand pane.
- Drop down the "Advanced" menu and click "Subscribe to podcast..."
- When prompted for a URL, enter "http://www.trinityucity.org/rss.xml" and click "OK".
Reverberations - Enriching Lives Through Engaging Performances in Eclectic Styles
[Trinity]
Sun, Jan 15 2006 12:47 PM CST
- Paul Vasile, Minister of Music
I am pleased to announce that Trinity will host a short concert series in early 2006: Reverberations - enriching lives through engaging performances in eclectic styles. This series celebrates the strong relationships that Trinity has developed with musicians in Saint Louis and beyond, and provides a space for diverse musical styles and idioms to be heard. These free concerts are offered as a gift to our community and are a tangible extension of Trinity's welcome to all of God's people. We hope these performances will enrich, inspire, and keep you coming back for more!
The series begins on Saturday, February 4 at 7 p.m. with a program by Jay Smith and Jeff Noonan. They will perform works for countertenor and lute by English composers John Dowland and Henry Purcell. The program includes some of the best-known songs by these composers, including Dowland's I Saw My Lady Weep, Come Again and Purcell's Evening Hymn. In addition, Carter and Noonan will perform two Elizabethan theater songs by Robert Parsons.
Additional concerts in the series include:
Sunday, March 12 at 3 p.m. - Trio Eclectique performing Romantic works for clarinet, violoncello and piano. The program will include Johannes Brahms' sublime Clarinet Trio, Op. 114, the rarely-heard Trio in A minor by Carl Fruhling and shorter works by Paul Juon and Max Bruch.
Saturday, April 1 at 7 p.m. - Celebrate April Fool's Day with the St. Louis Stompers, one of the Midwest's finest Jazz bands. Their energetic renditions of Swing, Ragtime, and Dixieland will move your spirit as well as your feet!
Monday, May 8 at 6 p.m. - OASIS is a non-profit organization dedicated to enriching the lives of mature adults in our community. Their "Celebrate the Music" event will include everything from classical music to Broadway hits, played by the OASIS Brass Quintet, Concert Band, String Orchestra, Guitar Ensemble, and other volunteer ensembles.
I encourage you to mark these dates on your calendar and be sure to share them with friends or colleagues who might be interested. Above all, I hope that you will show your support for this exciting endeavor by attending as many concerts as you can!
Equipping Ministry: Sent with a Purpose
[Trinity]
Sun, Jan 15 2006 10:04 AM CST
January 15, 2006 sermon by Dr. Daniel R. Anderson-Little
[more]
In yearly letter to King, bishop remembers Rosa Parks' impact
[FaithStreams]
Sat, Jan 14 2006 7:39 AM CST
[FaithStreams] Each year, United Methodist Bishop Woodie W. White writes a "birthday"
letter to the late Rev. Martin Luther King Jr. about the progress of
racial equality in the United States. Now retired and serving as
bishop-in-residence at United Methodist-related Candler School of
Theology in Atlanta, White was the first top staff executive of the
denomination's racial equality monitoring agency, the Commission on
Religion and Race. King's birthday is Jan. 15, and Americans honor his
memory on the third Monday of the month.
Dear Martin:
This year I begin this letter with considerable sadness. Mrs. Rosa
Parks' recent death has caused a deep sense of grief. It is surprising
to observe how another's death impacts us. You really can never tell how
you will respond to death. You simply have to wait. [Link] [more]
WCC Assembly will question morality of economic globalization
[PC(USA)]
Sat, Jan 14 2006 7:33 AM CST
[PC(USA)] "A world without poverty is not only possible, but is in keeping with the grace of God for the world," is an affirmation that will play a central role at the 9th Assembly of the World Council of Churches (WCC) in Porto Alegre, Brazil, next month.
[Link] [more]
Health-ministry van takes show on the road
[PC(USA)]
Sat, Jan 14 2006 7:30 AM CST
[PC(USA)] About 40 national staff members of the Presbyterian Church (U.S.A.) braved rain and cold temperatures earlier this week to bless and pray for the denomination's new health-education van as it was prepared to hit the road for the first time. The shiny 35-foot-long white van, which left the Presbyterian Center on its inaugural mission, is the centerpiece of a new ministry of the PC(USA)'s
National Health Ministries office.
[Link] [more]
Task force says report can help create 'more faithful spirit' in PC(USA)
[PC(USA)]
Sat, Jan 14 2006 7:20 AM CST
[PC(USA)] Gathering for the last time before it presents its report to next summer's 217th General Assembly, the Presbyterian Church (U.S.A.)'s Theological Task Force on Peace, Unity and Purity of the Church (TTF) reaffirmed its belief that the recommendations in its report, if adopted, will contribute to "a more faithful spirit" within the denomination.
[Link] [more]
PATRIOT Act Reauthorization
[PCUSA - Washington Office]
Sat, Jan 14 2006 7:12 AM CST
[PCUSA - Washington Office] The PC(USA) Washington Office asks Presbyterians to contact their senators about the PATRIOT Act reauthorization:
"In claiming our identity as Christians and citizens, we must affirm communities that are safe and secure for all persons, and support policies that uphold civil rights and protect against ethnic, racial, or religious profiling and other forms of discrimination. The PATRIOT Act upsets the balance of power between the three branches of the government, and erodes civil liberties. Action must be taken to limit its controversial sections."
[Link] [more]
A Tribute to Martin Luther King
[TrueMajority]
Sat, Jan 14 2006 7:07 AM CST
[TrueMajority] Hear Martin Luther King's message of peace and tolerance in his own words.
[Link] [more]
The true meaning of a fundamentalist Christian
[Byron Williams: The Huffington Post]
Sun, Jan 8 2006 12:21 PM CST
[Byron Williams: The Huffington Post] It seems quite paradoxical for fundamentalists to periodically invoke the name of Jesus in their rhetoric while advocating tax cuts for the wealthiest Americans, militarism and authoritarianism, along with the exclusion of certain Americans from the public conversation. Such beliefs do not play well, however, with a Jesus who emphasized love, justice, hope and opportunity. The very idea of something called a "fundamentalist Christian" as currently practiced is by definition oxymoronic.
It is impossible to be a fundamentalist Christian and not apply a strict adherence to the belief of "love your neighbor as yourself," a concept Jesus placed as a high priority. In short, a fundamentalist Christian must be a fundamentalist to love.
[Link] [more]
On the Journey to the Land that God Will Show Us
[Trinity]
Sun, Jan 8 2006 9:55 AM CST
January 8, 2006 sermon by Dr. Daniel R. Anderson-Little
[more]
They Returned Home "By Another Way"
[Rev Bill]
Sat, Jan 7 2006 12:05 PM CST
[Rev Bill] One aspect of
the (Epiphany) story in Matthew I have come to appreciate is that after the wise men worshipped Jesus,
they returned home "by another way". Of course, this was because they were warned in a dream not to return to Herod -- but I wonder -- is it possible that we can worship God -- then be changed so much that we are different people -- living "another way"? I believe that it is possible -- indeed that is what God wills for us -- to change our lives in such a way that we live "another way" from the way we were living.
[Link] [more]
The Will of God?
[Street Prophets]
Fri, Jan 6 2006 9:50 PM CST
[Street Prophets] I'm convinced God was in that mine, God is present for the grieving families - I believe God is grieving too. I believe that God COULD have simply lifted those 13 miners out of danger - He could break the rules of creation - He chooses not to - and as painful as it is - I think that's the right decision. God doesn't act by changing the rules - he's not the earthquake or the thunderstorm - rather God acts in the still small voice. Prayer then becomes not selecting the intercession we want from a vending machine with ears - but about opening ourselves to hearing that still small voice - and acting within creation to try and establish justices, reduce suffering.
[Link] [more]
How the Other Half Worships
[Washington Post]
Fri, Jan 6 2006 9:38 PM CST
[Washington Post] "In the little church, everybody is sort of a king." Urban blight photographer Camilo Jose Vergara's new book
How the Other Half Worships documents the world of storefront churches: make-do houses of worship contained within the shells of old KFC's, car dealerships, or the abandoned churches and synagogues of other faiths, and pastored by working-class community members with little to no formal religious training, who nonetheless become kings of their congregations.
[Link] [more]
West Virginia Mine Accident
[Presbyterian Disaster Assistance]
Thu, Jan 5 2006 6:26 PM CST
[Presbyterian Disaster Assistance]
Churches all around the Buckhannon and Tallmansville area, held prayer services and vigils to remember the 12 miners that died after an explosion early Monday. Local clergy also continue to provide support to the community and some church leaders are lending support to the clergy who've been with families since the mine explosion early Monday.
Dennis Sparks, executive director of the West Virginia Council of Churches, said he is checking in with clergy to make sure everyone is taking care of themselves too. "Clergy are in their 'clergy care' mode right now. It's later when they will crash and need someone to talk to themselves. Yet they don't always recognize that." While he's never had to support clergy after a mining disaster, he does know it can be similar to the aftermath of other disasters. "We've worked extensively in flood recovery and we've spoken a lot about how do you support clergy who are dealing with their own need while helping everyone else?"
John Robinson, Associate for U.S. Disaster Response, has been in contact with the the affected presbytery and PDA stands ready to respond to needs identified by the presbytery. John is also active in various areas of providing spiritual care to disaster survivors and others affected by trauma.
Please continue to keep the families and the community in your prayers.
[Link]
PDA launches week-long "Biloxi Blitz" to repair, rebuild storm-damaged Mississippi homes
[PC(USA)]
Wed, Jan 4 2006 6:15 PM CST
[PC(USA)] In its largest single response to aid survivors of Mississippi Gulf Coast hurricanes, Presbyterian Disaster Assistance (PDA) launched a "Biloxi Building Blitz" the week after Christmas to repair homes damaged by the storms.
[Link] [more]
Peacemaking team planning White House prayer and fast
[PC(USA)]
Wed, Jan 4 2006 6:00 PM CST
[PC(USA)] About a half-dozen members of Christian Peacemaker Teams (CPTs) will pray and fast outside the White House for three days to celebrate Epiphany (Jan. 6) and urge churches to demand an end to the U.S. occupation of Iraq.
[Link] [more]
Tsunami relief work in Sri Lanka brings Christians, Buddhists together
[PC(USA)]
Wed, Jan 4 2006 5:58 PM CST
[PC(USA)] One year after Sri Lanka was devastated by a tsunami that flattened parts of south and southeast Asia, churches in the island nation say their relief work has promoted better relations with the country's Buddhist majority.
[Link] [more]
Taliban comeback alarms rights advocates
[PC(USA)]
Wed, Jan 4 2006 5:56 PM CST
[PC(USA)] The appointment of a religious-affairs official of Afghanistan's former Taliban regime to the country's new parliament is prompting concern among international human rights advocates.
[Link] [more]
Are U.S. donors forgetting the poor?
[Minneapolis Star-Tribune]
Wed, Jan 4 2006 5:54 PM CST
[Minneapolis Star-Tribune] A year of surging generosity to people dispossessed by hurricanes, earthquakes and a tsunami has shown again that Americans can be counted on to share their wealth with those in crisis. But what about needs that may be more chronic, though equally urgent?
[Link] [more]
A Prayer for the New Year 2006
[Dr. Antonios Kireopoulos - National Council of Churches]
Sun, Jan 1 2006 5:03 PM CST
[Dr. Antonios Kireopoulos - National Council of Churches] Our Father in heaven
Lord, sometimes we forget that you created us, and that you watch over us from above, and from within our hearts. Is there any doubt as to why we sometimes go astray?
Hallowed be your name.
Holiness is something foreign to our everyday reality, Lord. Perhaps this started when we began to abuse the earth you gave as a gift to sustain us, and in which we once readily beheld your wonder. How do we recover this sense of awe?
[Link] [more]
