Not too long ago our presbytery meeting was held at a cathedral-like church with thick stone, intricate stained glass and a grand, high pulpit. As I climbed the steps to the pulpit, I swear the air got thinner. When I got to the top and behind the mic, I felt like I was commanding a starship. There was a smooth wooden shelf encircling the area, like an expansive console surrounding me, but without flashing computer screens. I felt like I could pilot the church straight to heaven. As I looked down upon my colleagues something inside me felt strange. Then I realized what it was. I had pulpit envy. Read more »
May 10, 2018
Think your church needs 100 people to make a difference? Jesus changed the world with just 12
Not too long ago our presbytery meeting was held at a cathedral-like church with thick stone, intricate stained glass and a grand, high pulpit. As I climbed the steps to the pulpit, I swear the air got thinner. When I got to the top and behind the mic, I felt like I was commanding a starship. There was a smooth wooden shelf encircling the area, like an expansive console surrounding me, but without flashing computer screens. I felt like I could pilot the church straight to heaven. As I looked down upon my colleagues something inside me felt strange. Then I realized what it was. I had pulpit envy. Read more »
Satoe Soga was 11 and miserable.
She’d just moved from Taiwan to Japan with her parents, who were ordained Presbyterian ministers. Her father had been called to a Taiwanese congregation there. 
Saying Palestinians have a right to demonstrate peacefully and with dignity in their decades-long conflict with Israel, the Presbyterian Church (U.S.A.) has joined more than a dozen other Christian denominations and organizations in a joint statement calling for an end to violence in the region. 
The Rev. Dr. Niles Reimer is an unassuming presence in any setting, and that’s the way he likes it. For 90-year-old Reimer, a return visit in January to a town in Ethiopia was the chance to see dear friends and make new memories with generations of young Christians. His many contributions include translating the Anywaa Bible, which made it possible for the Anywaa people to read the Scriptures in their own language. 
Today at 3:00 p.m. the Rev. Angela Johnson of Grace Hope Presbyterian Church in Louisville, Kentucky will be featured in a live conversation on the PC(USA) Facebook page. 
In just a few months, Presbyterian churches across the U.S. will be hosting the 2018 International Peacemakers.
This year, 10 peacemakers are expected to take part in the annual event, sponsored by the Presbyterian Peacemaking Program. 
La Junta de la Agencia Presbiteriana de Misión(PMAB) votó unánimemente hoy para solicitar a la 223ª Asamblea General (2018) en St. Louis este verano la confirmación de la Rev. Dra. Diane Moffett para un mandato de cuatro años como presidenta y directora ejecutiva de la Agencia Presbiteriana de Misión, una de las seis agencias de la Iglesia Presbiteriana (EE. UU.). 
The National Association of Voluntary Organizations Active in Disaster (VOAD) has selected a Presbyterian Disaster AssistanceNational Response Team member as its volunteer of the year. David Rauer received the recognition last night during VOAD’s annual awards ceremony. Rauer received the Don Hampton Volunteer of the Year Award for his disaster recovery work for the past six years. 
The Ascension of the Lord has never been an important event on the Presbyterian church calendar. But perhaps it should be, as there are things we can learn from it.
The story of Jesus ascending into heaven after appearing to his followers in the 40 days after his resurrection does come with two significant challenges. First, as a rule, people do not simply float away into the sky. Just think of the nightmare that would pose for the Transportation Security Administration. Secondly, the story presents a picture of the universe we know not to be true. “Heaven” is not “up” and “hell” is not “down” and we do not live in “the middle.” So a literal reading of the story is not going to be helpful.